January 2011
3 tags
Mikie and Chris Shop for Records
It was a cold day in January,. Mike and Chris had left the library and were walking slowly through the downtown. They came upon a record store and went in.
Mike: “Do you know what you’re looking for?”
Chris: “No, just looking.”
Mike: “I can’t believe this place doesn’t have any G. G. Allin.”
Chris: “And for that, we should be...
4 tags
Wittgenstein is Alive and He Lives in Northampton
the snow is piled high and deep
up to my chest in places
and the paths
are muddy
acidic
water holes
the ice and salt
making the trek
to work
like wading through a trench
on the Italian front
I think of being an Austrian there
back in 1915
standing beside Wittgenstein, perhaps
I suppose I could think of being an Italian
at the Italian front
But they didn’t have Wittgenstein
the rock star...
4 tags
Steely Dan: "Countdown to Ecstasy"
I’m not the world’s biggest Steely Dan fan. In fact, for a long time, I didn’t like the band much at all. Yes, I could tolerate overplayed fare such as “Reelin in the Years,” which, I’m sure is playing right now on a classic rock station somewhere. On the whole, though, I thought the band sounded like elevator music. However, I’m willing to admit...
4 tags
4 tags
Mike and Chris and Abbey Road
It was 7:30 pm. Mike and Chris had been drinking for a while, as grad students often do. As everybody often does. Chris had been reading too much Bukowski. Mike didn’t know much about Bukowski, but he had lived something like that before he knew Chris. Abbey Road was winding down. Mike went to turn it off.
“Argghh!” Chris yelled. Loudly.
“What?!” Mike...
2 tags
Confessions of a Netflix Customer
The red envelope has been sitting on the TV for five days now. Its voice is tiny, but full of mockery. “When are you going to get around to watching My Fair Lady, eh? What about The Wild Bunch? You said you wanted to watch a classic Western. Then you started flipping around the tube instead, eventually settling on a nature show about skunks.”
Shut up, Netflix envelope! Okay,...
6 tags
4 tags
3 tags
Paul McCartney: "Ram"
Some days you want some Paul. Other days you want some John or George. I’m not sure when you want some Ringo, but today, it was Paul. Paul looks on the sunny side of life. Paul is the chipper friend. Dad being goofy. The person that buys you a beer or a cup of coffee.
I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with Ram. It has some stuff I really like. It also has some moments I absolutely...
