September 16, 1996

I can’t figure out if you think I’m being too colloquial or not colloquial enough.

August 30, 1996

I said about two words of German before lapsing into English, and one of the people who was about to occupy the compartment said (in German) something like “Well, his German book didn’t get him very far, did it”, thinking that I would not understand that I was being made fun of, but I did! So there! Well, I had to get that off my chest.

February 11, 1997

Shopped at the suburban-style Dominick’s on Ridge the other day. Suburban-style means there is no fence around the parking lot to keep you from stealing carts. Also the selection of roach bait is smaller.

On sale: fresh pineapples, two dollars! I just ate one. I didn't mean to eat the whole thing but suddenly it was all gone. Honey tangerines are back in season — I’m in citrus heaven. (Though, I have two free grapefruit on my desk which I don't think I'll eat. Grapefruit are bigger than normal fruit like apples, but smaller than big fruit like melons. Which is disturbing. Plus, they are no particular color. Also disturbing.)

The new Veggie Fajita Wrap at Taco Bell gets a lukewarm thumbs up, but I still think they should bring back the Chicken Club Burrito and lower the price on the "Big" Beef Meximelt (smallest thing on the menu).

Grated parmesan: tastes better stale!

May 31, 1997

“It is better to stay indoors and not mess around with useless experiences.” — Rudolph Wurlitzer, Nog

May 18, 2003

• Homework grader
• Newspaper sports desk phone operator
• Sports writer
• Chemistry lab tech
• Copy shop worker
• As office temporary: secretary, data entry clerk, word processor, spreadsheet operator, desktop publisher
• Computer typesetter/desktop publisher
• Pizza deliverer
• Psychology experiment subject
• Computer lab attendant
• System administrator
• Research assistant
• Software developer
• University computer science instructor
• Music writer (two concert reviews for SonicNet)
• Music festival driver (normally I don’t get paid for this, but one year the festival did really well and I got $50 or so)

I think that’s everything I’ve ever been paid for, but I’m probably forgetting something.

December 2007 update: Photographer (The Wire paid me for a few photographs once)

February 3, 1998

I saw Loren Mazzacane Connors and Alan Licht. They both kind of look like you. I pretended they were both you.

July 31, 1997

“...For instance, today I listened to Chinese Classical music—which I really didn't dig too much, but I’ll listen to it again—I listened to Islamic chants that really knocked me the fuck out. And just single voices. I listened to Duke Ellington’s Orchestra circa 1945—there was one piece that was just amazing. I listened to Victoria de los Angeles singing Purcell’s “Diedere and something or other...” and then I listened to Gary Grafman playing the first movement of the Brahms piano concerto. Brahms, boy I tell you—then I listened to Leonard T. Price singing the last movement of Richard Strauss’ “Salome.” Boy—what what a—wheeew—boy, that guy—I have to go to see that guy. A lot of shit was up. And then, of course, of course—I listen every day to something by Ligeti. Today I heard “Ramifications” and this choral piece, and “Atmospheres.” Then I listen every day to [he chuckles] Marvin Gaye, of course. Then I put on Sarah Vaughan, then I put on Xenakis—oh, this fucking guy—this orchestra piece, and then I’m—god, I mean I practiced the piano four hours today. I spent two hours completing another section of this poem this morning. I cooked, I mopped all the floors in this house, and I’ve done all this stuff. And not one cigarette. I can’t understand it. No champagne, anything... I’ve been listening to this Kathleen Battle, and this guy who’s the head of the Met Orchestra, he was interviewed by Charlie Rose the other day, and he said a couple of things, but anyway he’s playing with Battle—she’s singing Sshubert lieder--and she [he chuckles] no, it was Schumann—I don’t know—Schubert, Schumann, whatever. Anyway, boy, boy, o boy, wow—mmm-mmm-mm. Such music. Then I listened to Billie Holiday singing, and I started laughing because I’m having such a good time. Oh! I listened to Etta Jones today, she was wonderful! I mean, you know, all of these...” — Cecil Taylor

February 10, 1994

I typeset a funny resumé. The woman was a sorority type named “J— Zipp!” (without the exclamation point, but I imagine it that way). She was desk clerk at a dormitory and claims she “strove for the ultimate satisfaction of residents”. She was also a bagger at Jewel where she “feverishly endeavored to please customers”. (Italics mine.)

December 2007 update: I Googled her name just now and she and her mom both got free Pontiacs on Oprah.

June 6, 1994

The one who sat next to me was nice enough, and kept feeling my hair.

November 2, 2006

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June 7, 1994

Josh: Thanks for all the Scelsi info. I'll read it when I have about 4 hours to kill. Maybe perhaps you could trim it down to three or four essential sentences?

Scelsi make-um music, one note. Scelsi no like-um, take photograph. Scelsi composition titles heap weird.

January 24, 1994

S— had a psychotic older brother. His nickname for S— was “Shithead”, and his favorite leisure time activity was to get a carving knife from the kitchen, pin S— to the floor, hold the knife to his throat, and keep him there like that for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, usually with Pink Floyd blaring in the background. While this was going on I would sit and play “Cosmic Avenger” on the family TRS-80.

June 22, 1998

Don’t tell L— I told you G— told B— L— told G— J— told her this.

August 23, 1998

“The unknown reason why a form would be there and look just like that and not meaning anything particularly, would, in some haphazard way, be related to something else that you didn’t plan either.” — Franz Kline

January 19, 2000

That Ayn Rand crap is a laff riot!

October 11, 1995

My favorite of the artworks, pointed out to me by J—, was a life size full length photo of a young man standing wearing ordinary clothes and facing the camera expressionlessly. After you look at the photograph for a while you notice that there is a long dark stain down one pant leg. The photo is called “I Wet Myself”. Now that’s art!

December 7, 1995

He thought for a moment and then said: “‘Noise guitar’ seems to bring in a lot more people than ‘squeaky violin’.”

July 15, 1995

As I entered, the doorman was giving J— a little lecture about how he should be more “outgoing” and not apologize so much.

December 27, 1995

There are many Canadians.

February 23, 1996

“Punya tisue enggak?” “Punya, Pak.” “Ambil. Lap dulu keringatmu.” Zino tambah tegang. Dia gemetar mengambil tisue di atas lemari arsipnya.

Apparently “tisue” means something in some weird language!

December 19, 1996

James Brown, Love Power Peace, live in 1971. James introduces his own organ solo by shouting “Some organ! Some organ! Some organ! Some organ! Some organ! Some organ!”

August 23, 1998

Josh: I went to Pease Park [...]

Did you witness a murder, like in Blow-Up? Or did you see a couple licking each other’s feet, like in Mondo Trasho? Which was it?