EMAIL FROM THE FUTURE!!!

MY DAD: Technological WIZ KID!

He chats. He emoticons. He reads blogs. He online banks. What can't he do?!?!

Here are some highlights from the inaugural dadChat:

Dad: The other problem is you can send messages in the middle of someone elses message. Do you need to say "over" or somethiing like that?

Dad: I'm starting to appreciate not using caps or punctuation
me: haha i know!
it's so much easier
also there are tons of great graphics on gchat
like all the emoticons are animated
put a left carrot <
Dad: Where are they
me: and a 3
next to each other
and just watch
Dad: <3
me: !!!
isn't that neat?
Dad: Awesome what are some others is there a list somewhere

Dad: i can feel my typing skills improving every minute
me: it's thrilling, isn't it?
Dad: and my grammar and spelling skills fading fast

Life Like "Art"

Tonight when I drove home the song "Blinded By The Light" came on and just as it did some asshole with his brights on rounded the corner and I was, you guessed it, blinded by the light. Then "Dancing In the Moonlight" came on, but the moon was shrouded behind thick clouds, so I didn't even bother scanning the shores of Lake Michigan for possible revelers. THEN a homeless beggar woman on the side of the road pulled out a bag of cocaine after approaching each stopped car for change. In summation, my twenty minute ride home was more eventful and exciting than that 4 hour-long Oscar ceremony. Take THAT, The Academy.

I Couldn't Possibly

Being unemployed affords one a lot of time to do things. In my previous life, I always found myself struggling to do things I really needed to do. I'd say to myself 'Jeez I really have to clean my room/wash dishes/pay bills, but I'm so tired from working so many hours at my tedious job I just cant' be bothered right now.' That's not a problem for someone who is unemployed.

OR IS IT?

Here's a funny thing about having endless amounts of unstructured time. IT IS PARALYZING. Today I had a list of things to accomplish. They included:

1. finishing an art project
2. working on an art project I just started
3. applying for jobs
4. submitting work to several exhibitions and festivals
5. reading some articles in the New Yorker

When I woke up this "morning", I had best intentions to do all or some of these tasks. But then I thought, 'Why do them today when I can do them tomorrow? Or the next day? Or the next day?' And the answer is, there is absolutely no reason to do things today versus tomorrow. I have the same number of unfilled hours every single day. The rub is -- and I think you can see where this is going -- you never wind up doing those things at all! So despite the copious amounts of time with which to FINALLY achieve the tedious tasks of life, you wind up doing less than you would if you had a job taking up 55 hrs of your week.

Don't worry though. In the past 24 hours, I was able to do a few noteworthy things.

1. I received a gchat from Zara which contained a link to a real viral video winner. Definitely one of the best I've seen recently.


2. I made a mixtape! I was thinking it'd be cool to actually make a tape tape. And decorate it and whatever. But now that that's on my list of things to do, well, it surely won't be done. Download it HERE

3. I made bolognese sauce. It contains veal, pork AND pancetta. It's pretty good. I want to make homemade tagliatelle to go with it, but we'll see. Unfortunately pasta sauces (especially with meat) don't photograph well unless you are a professional. Despite my having received "training" as a photographer for 4 consecutive years, I succeeded in absorbing none of that information. Here is kind of what I want you to picture when you think of my bolognese:


4. I took a long walk to get Banh Mi on Tuesday. It was a very brisk walk.

Weirdly, not as good as they look.

I know. I was surprised too.

I CONQUER MAGIC EYE

After spending the better part of the 90s trying to master this needlessly complex trompe l'ouille, I finally "saw the hidden picture" with the help of my awesome Mom. THANK GOD I AM FINALLY FREE.

STRONG BL**K PRESIDENT

I still can't believe it. I can't believe that a vast majority of people in this country voted for a man named Barack Hussein Obama. This country that we've been ashamed of for so many years just became something to be proud of again and I am overcome. This start at chipping away THE cancer that has plagued our country since its inception is incredible. All kids in this country will grow up with a black man as president. The minority voice is THE voice in America finally and it's so inspiring. I rarely feel this uncynical and wholeheartedly awed and impressed, but what we all did yesterday takes my breath away.

Here's Fidelis (far left) trying to catch a glimpse of Barack at their polling place.