I went on one of my regular writer’s retreats and came back with all these ideas. One is a time travel short story. The other is screenplay for a romcom dealing with the power of modern technology.
And, yet, I still have four novels to work on and saving up the money to buy a really good Nikon camera so I can make that my second “creative track.”
So, while I might give myself 24 hours to be somewhat distracted by the short story, unless something big happens, after that, I’m going to throw myself fully back into the novels.
But I definitely feel like if I had someone in my life to kind of manage my creativity, I might be able to knock out a lot more art. And, yet, the only way that’s going to happen to me is, well, if I become a sucess.
As I understand it, the connection between Tik-Tok and the Chinese government is rather…nebulous. As such, given the increasing geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, it’s easy to imagine the Chinese government dabbling in fucking with us via our pop culture that is growing ever-more influenced by Tik-Tok.
Bella Poarch
This sounds really paranoid, but it’s also how the Real World Works.
How else do you explain that Bella Poarch — who has no discernable talent other than she can bounce her head to music — is now a popular singer and what not. But, I’m being paranoid. Which is never good.
So, I guess just keep using Tik-Tok? I dunno. I’m just a rando in a flyover state.
The dark, personal art that Anna Marie Tendler is generating from her obvious agony over her break up with John Mulaney is devastating. It’s jarring it’s so good. The only time I did anything similar — to date — is the various creative things I started generating after Annie Shapiro brought back ROKon Magazine without me in late summer 2007.
What happened, when, with these two?
But, let me be clear, there was a LOT going on with me at this particular time. Something about the initial collapse of ROKon Magazine did a serious number on me mentally and emotionally to the point where I was non-functioning. All I did was go to work and listen to Radiohead all day. So, given how great her version of the magazine was, it was kind of like I left the keys in an idling car and she just had the spunk to do something with it while I was on the side of the road staring out into space.
One thing I will note is — I would like a tick-tok on the specific events (from a neutral observer ) as to when Munn started dating Mulaney. Usually, when someone goes through a break up, you at least wait a little bit before you swing through for a booty call. But, from what I can tell, Munn was on Mulaney’s doorstep with flowers and that tight ass of hers the moment she knew he was separated.
Anyway, the point is — while I’m still very empathetic to Mulaney’s situation, given how Olivia Munn kind of swooped in as soon as possible — the whole thing is just icky. Though, unlike some very opinionated people on Tik-Tok, I think he did the right thing by going on Late Night to talk about what happened. It was better to slice that particular boil ASAP, rather than have the mystery linger in the public’s mind.
I hope someone is keeping a close eye on Ms. Tendler. Severe grief is almost like a drug in its own way. It definitely changes your self-perception, no matter what. But she’s tough, I’m sure she can bounce back a lot quicker than me. It’s been over 10 years and I’m still rattled by the failure of ROKon Magazine.
I feel so bad for Ms. Tendler. Because of what happened between me and the late Annie Shapiro in Seoul, I can, in my mind and heart, kind of square the circle of what is going on between she and her ex-husband and his new baby mama. I can see in my mind, in three dimensions what’s going on in this tragedy. Anyway, I’m very inspired by her devastating photography and, hence, here are some lyrics. I don’t know anything about music. From my point of view, this is just a quick hit of creativity that elevates my serotonin. I would also like to note that Prince is an amazing lyricists. I used Nothing Compares 2 U as a guide as to how to write these lyrics and it was TOUGH!
Dinner In March lyrics by Shelt Garner @sheltgarner Please give credit if you produce or perform
hang my head in shame wondering if I’m being way too lame dinner is set time marches on like a drumb it’s just me now I’m afraid for this dinner in march
I eat my dinner alone now at any time of day I can start it at noon and zoom right through or day drink myself into a state of disgrace
while the wine flows I whine to myself about what could have been was I good enough (for you) was I too good (for you) how could I have changed it all for the better, for the better
(bridge) april will come you’ll be by my side or not I’m going to have to let it slide while I eat my dinner in march alone
dinner in march dinner in march dinner in march dinner in march dinner in march
Very few people read this blog — or pay me much attention. And, usually, those who are paying attention to my rantings have grown extremely tired of me talking about novels that I keep talking about how great they’re doing but they have nothing to read.
Add to this how I seem to misspell important words — even in titles! — or use the wrong word or forget a word, and it’s easy to see how I can easily be seen as an Internet crank.
Yes, yes, I know.
Ok, I get it.
But my momma always used to tell me I was “special,” and, as such, besides being obsessive and prone to hyperbole, I’m also delusional. And, to top it off, as the late Annie Shapiro said when she was mad at me, I’m a “delusional jerk with a good heart.”
So there.
But there is something I do know about myself — I draw attention to myself, sometimes without even realizing it. And over the years, I’ve gotten the sense that maybe (maybe?) a few people of note may have followed me on Twitter using burner accounts. (This doesn’t even begin to address the occasional mysterious person from NYC or LA — or that one person who seems to bounce around the country a lot — who pop up in my Webstats.)
And…yet…I try not to get too worked up about such things. It’s too easy to give things a narrative that doesn’t exist. I’ve done such bullshit before I’m still smarting about it.
Just because you have a vague hunch about something, doesn’t mean it’s true.
The British like to try to make us believe that they’re so concerned with class that they don’t have time to think about race. But, guess what? Wrong! Just take how often the limey’s across The Pond freak the fuck out about this or that twitch from Megxit.
There are a few things I would suggest to Prince Harry Windsor-Mountbatten do if he really wanted to piss his snooty royal family off. One — look into becoming an American citizen. That would be ha-ha funny.
I would also suggest he host Saturday Night Live.
Though, I know it’s one of those things that sounds really cool on paper….but would probably be a big old dud in real life. It would be historic, but not…very funny.
Anyway. Ignore me. I’m the guy worrying that Tik-Tok may be reading my mind.
Today, I was walking around and the movie “But I’m A Cheerleader” briefly passed through my mind for some reason.
I resemble that remark.
I never mentioned this event to anyone. I did not write it down. Nothing. No outward indication that this occurred other than I softly chuckled to myself. Flash forward and I’m using Tik-Tok.
And what do I get pushed?
A video about that very movie.
That’s just spooky. If Tik-Tok is reading my mind, it’s not through any magical mystery alchemy — it’s being done using technology that, to date, is the stuff of science fiction. Or, at Arthur C. Clarke would posit, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
So. I’m very, very open to this belief being debunked. And I’m willing to believe there’s something I’m missing, some way that it was just a random co-incidence. Ok, that’s very possible.
But that specific, obscure movie being pushed to me within a few hours of me thinking about it…..is spooky.
I know that I sound hysterical. I know that seem to love peddling my own version of “fear porn” and “doom shit.” But we have to admit that no one is going to save us. There will be no “boom” that takes down the entire rotten, fetid Trumplandia edifice. (That this is a mirror image of MAGA Far Right discussions on Twitter about The Durham Report should tell you something.)
But one thing that is going on all around us is our politics has frozen up. We’ve reached a point in negative polarization where the two sides are absolutely opposed to anything the other side supports. As such, outside of a few highly educated NeverTrumper thinkers, there is no and will never be common cause against MAGA. There will never be a broad United Front formed to save our faltering democracy.
In short — we’re fucked.
And there are two, maybe three endgames to this. Either we slide peacefully into autocracy, a military junta takes over…or we have a civil war.
It’s this last option that MAGA New Right thought leaders become so giddy over. They keep saying that because “liberals won’t leave them alone,” they are going to have to turn to political violence. Their thinking is — liberal progressives are all soyboy milquetoasts who will be crush by their Alpha Male prowess.
This is such a fucking dumb thing to think.
I say this AGAIN because human nature is such that even a “sissy boy” is going to grow a lot more “alpha” if things grow existential. So, it seems to me the MAGA New Right cocksuckers who think Blue States will “collapse like a rotten door” will be in for a pretty rude awakening if things got so bad that we had a civil war.
But there is one thing to consider — WMD.
If we have a civil war, we’re probably going to bomb ourselves into oblivion.
The reason why I think is, it just seems a little bit too on the nose for this tale of star crossed lovers. It seems like just the thing for Tendler Stans to get all worked up about on Tik-Tok. It’s a revenge fantasy for girls like this:
Or not. Maybe I’m wrong.
But I also went through — in a very, very small fashion — a similar high profile breakup (with Annie Shapiro in Seoul) and we were very very vicious to each other within the expat community. It’s easy to imagine her allies planting such a blind item knowing that John Mulaney would see it and it would tear him up.
Again, I’m probably wrong.
The only reason why I keep writing about this is the United States is careening towards a potential autocracy or civil war and, lulz, this is a teeny-tiny bit less weighty than that clusterfuck.
Ugh. Fucking Insurrectionists. I live within driving distance of D.C. and now I have to think about being “forced” to drive up to the nation’s capitol to see if those idiots have it in them to do it AGAIN.
I only didn’t go to the January 6th attack because it was — wait for it — too cold. And, long term, it was that attack that has caused me to want to buy the best digital camera I can buy so maybe I can take The Picture I know I have in me. Something for the ages.
But I’m still debating things. It could very well be the whole thing will be a dud and I will have wasted all that time, energy and money for nothing. (By “nothing” I mean, thankfully, no second attack on the Capitol. As of the moment, I think I’m not going. )
Back to the future.
I’m going to wait this one out.
There will always be another historic event within driving distance of me, and by that point, I will hopefully have the camera I want / need. I will note, however, that I’m notorious for saying that, only to turn around and do the exact opposite thing when the time comes.
But maybe not this time. I want to hold tight until I have that camera. I just don’t see much point in going up to DC with just my smartphone. If I’m going to cover a potentially big event like that, I’m going to do it with a great camera that will serve me well.
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