Politics #1: DEBATE, DISGRUNTLED, LET'S TALK!

EVENT

DEBATE

I read four pages of the New York Times on the debate tonight, and a bunch of commentary.
I was going to write something on the subject for this post... a "look for this" or "stream-of-consciousness musing," but frankly I've heard so much about it before the fact, I'm already tired of it.

Actually, I do have one observation, and it is this: evidently those who tune in closely to commentary on the debate draw vastly different conclusions than those who evaluate the debate on its own terms. Yes, this seems to hold when demographics and political affiliation are controlled. So let's pay close attention for any media bias as well. Who do you think wins?

That comment was a non-partisan freebie, by the way.

Watch the debate tonight!

DISGRUNTLED

I'm not strictly towing the "party line" by the way, as much as trying to address what I think is likely to be one of the BIG THINGS of this decade in my life. The DNC has already let me down. They asked for my hands and hours. I offered both up, freely. They've since taken advantage of neither. They've emailed me for money, which they already know I do not have. My voice, however, which actually has some credentials attached, is sitting here, unused.

So I'm going out on my own. I'm doing it freelance. You can do it too. My offer to open this blog up thru the election still stands.

LET'S TALK

Michael Kennedy and Skyler Moran have agreed to add their voices to the conversation.

They are welcome! I will email them password info tomorrow.

I'd like to open it up a bit more... demographically and politically. Mike, Skyler, and I are, as far as I can tell, solidly liberal white guys. Anyone of a different stripe want to add a perspective. I might even take a resonable, thick-skinned conservative or two. Leave a note or email me to get the hookup.

More tomorrow.
Much more tomorrow.

~ Connor

My Strategy

EVENT

There I was, last Sunday, all pumped up and ready to go write letters for the DNC Media Corps.
When I left the rally, they said there'd be an email in my Inbox when I got home.

I've yet to hear from them...

Okay. I'm going to continue blogging about life and art, but as I said, I'd like to see politics emphasized a bit more, at least through the election.

Re: politics, I'd like to open this blog up to other contributors. Since I'm a passionate liberal, I'd like contributors to be essentially "left." How to define, left, however, is your choice. I want to hear from the most stubborn centrist to the most adamant commie, and everywhere in between.

If you are interested in this, send me a personal email, and I will authorize you to post on Blue Skies Falling through November 2nd. At that point, I'll reevaluate where we stand.

Sound good?

Anyone interested?

~ Connor

The Need to Breathe

CONCEPT

it as it is...


Jeff Danziger

I've displayed the same political in the three posts for two reasons.

The first reason is SYMBOLIC.

Today I went to a rally for the DNC in Skokie.
While I still don't want to stick my neck out too far in terms of party affiliation, I don't want to not get caught telling my kids that I was involved in this election.

See?

I am now officially part of the Media Corps, in charge of all sorts of letters to the editor. I'll be writing aggressively. It is a job I am... enthusiastic to perform.

I'm also applying with MoveOn.org/PAC. I called on Friday. I'll follow-up tomorrow.

Expect this blog to become sharply political in the upcoming weeks. That's kind of what I've wanted it to be all along, actually.

~ Connor

PS. The second reason is ATOMIC. Fusion, due to humor and aptness. Veritible explosions of energy.

The Obsession with Telling

DIARY

it as it is...


Jeff Danziger

from my Journal:


8/26. 1 PM. Kopi Cafe.

"I've been appt. hunting all day... The reader (sic) doesn't come out until tomorrow. :(
They're playing Radiohead."


8/31. ~4 PM. Premier Yachts Co.

"THURSDAY. Night. Jess and I showed Mr. J. Millennium Park."

"FRIDAY. Jess' graduation. Her parents came, so we freaked about how to [get everyone tickets].
"Speech. Very bolitical. >:( Boring. :( Etc. |o But she graduated and we were so proud. It was Connor, Caitlin, mom, dad, Jess, Mr. J., Becky, and Bill. We went to the Med. Got pizza, then talked a long time. Drove Becky and Bill to the METRA then Mr. J., Jess., and I tangled w. traffic back to Hyde Pk.
"I got us pop at the Coop. Went back to Mr. J's Ramada, and drank pop while Jess swam. We talked politics. Mr. J came out and we all talked some more. Inside. Pop. Monk. Talk.
"Jess drove me back to McKinley Park."

"SATURDAY. The Keep, by Elisabeth Blair, chapters 1-11. And tea.* Then. Dragonlance on the ride out to Bill's family. We stayed late. Ish. 4, 5 hours. It was a great night. A nice ride back to Chicago."

"SUNDAY. I got the goods for roleplaying and the party. Roleplaying was cancelled. I was irritated, then got in a huge phone argument. ... I cleaned. Jessica came over. Hallie arrive. Sam arrived. Then Colin and Nora. Then Ed and Carmen. We drank, ate burgers, and tortilla chips. Played Werewolf and Taboo. Then all left but Sam, and we talked and went to bed."


9/7. ~5:45. On the Red Line.

"Blinking is thinking. Blinking is thinking. Last week.

"MONDAY. Sam and I called and checked out 3 apartments. 2 in Edgewater and 1 in Rogers Park. In the evening... cleaning?"

"TUESDAY. Sam and I applied to jobs all day. Updated resumès, rode the Orange Line, got copies and coffee, and applied at Barbara's Bestsellers, Broadway in Chicago, and the Lego Store, finally yachts. Sam got the job, but I didn't apply. We called and got the apartment [we wanted]. It was nice, albeit "roached." Edgewater Beach. We walked along the beach. Made 2 trips to/from McKinley Park. Then Sam took me to Hyde Park, and we hung, watched School of Rock. Role-played. I made Incan food."

WEDNESDAY evidently disappeared into the void. I think I might have spent the whole afternoon cleaning in McKinley Park.

"THURSDAY. 1 more trip. Dealing with bugs. In the morning, blog and job apps and electoral-votes.com. In the evening, beer, de Roaching, and playing Worms. Got Colin's truck. Working 'til 4 AM. McKinley Pk. Sam helped. We ate at the Archview."

"FRIDAY. Cleaning appt. w/o enough time. I got there a few minutes past noon and scrubbed hard 'til past 3. :( I WAS LATE! Picked up, packed up Jess, tho' the appt. in McKinley Park wasn't completely clean."
"I like Jess' studio. We moved her futon in and I met her crazy cool landlady. The interior of Scholars Corner is Pink and Black. Jess is happy about the exercise room. There are lots of trees outside, and 20 feet to METRA tracks, whereas Sam and I can hear the Red Line powerfully."

"On Thursday we climbed up on the roof [in Edgewater Beach] and surveyed the neighborhood. Our beer. And haze. Late summer is always bittersweet. Because it's all just right, and we don't want it to end so soon.
"I like worms. It is a fun game.
I like Werewolf."

"We (Jess and I) returned Colin's truck [and I forgot to turn off his lights, killing his battery], and finally went back to her Drexel place. After awhile Elisabeth picked us up. We left Chicago by - the - back - door.

o o o

The ride to Michigan went fast.
"It usually does with company.
Jess slept early on. Elisabeth and I talked about Tea and the Keep. Got to Michigan. Talked about music (?) politics (?) what? We stopped for McDonalds in southwest Michigan and Jess woke up. Started talking. ...


9/8. ~8:05. St. Thomas. (Waiting for the 8:30 Mass...)

"We got back to Flushing circa midnight, and the house was filled with those bursts of energy I love. Or not bursts... continuous light and noise. Different voices. It was Elisabeth, Jessica and myself, my parents, Caitlin and Craig. Elisabeth got some coffee, then left shortly, and soon after, the others headed off to bed. I slept in cody's room. I discovered his Aphex Twin CD I got him, but no cord for the player."

"SATURDAY felt eventful, though it doesn't seem to be in words. Jess, mom, Peg, and Caitlin went out so that Jess could try on wedding dresses. I stayed home and worked only and on my blog. Dad mowed the lawn. At 6ish they got home, and I had to sit and watch Four Weddings and a Funeral and My Big Fat Greek Wedding But at least there was pizza."

"Afterwards, Jess and I drove home, then went for a ride into Flint. Flushing to Chevrolet to 2nd to zip about downtown. Actually, no. We took Flushing to MLK to Court to 2nd to East Village. We parked where Sue's house is south of Court and walked down to Woodlawn Park. She mentioned the eerieness of the one white streetlight, but I shared my memories. I pointed out the bridge over Gilkey and showed her the outline of the big oak tree before the passage to Burroughs. ... We discussed telling ourselves in the past and the future what our lives would be like, and what were the important parts."

(Later. 1:15 PM. Red Line.)

"I twirled her around on the grass just off the path, and it was cool and the wind blew. We walked up the low, wooden stairs amidst the trees, and down and up some streets. Lynwood. Gilkey. Back to the car. We rode home. I stayed up late, reading about the election. Coming up. Went to bed about three."

"SUNDAY. Got up tennish but didn't get to the Ren. Fest. until about noon. Jess, Caitlin, and I stopped at shops, circling the Eastern half, and then the west. We caught the Zucchini Bros. show at the Crown stage. Of course, I was overwhelmed. The place is a visual/aural/olfactory feast. All drawn and decadent and populous pre Labor Day to the tune of 20,000. Incense. Cicadas. Laughter. Shorts. Dust. Literally heaving bosoms. I remarked several times that 'I don't normally feel threatened by breasts, but..." Spice. Flashing banners. Sparkle. Straw. Mud. And so on."
"I met elisabeth at 2 at the Childrens Dell, and we grabbed coffee, then met up with Caitlin and Jess. We spent most of the day wandering form and trying to catch shows we (mostly) couldn't hear: Rick Rock. Ded Bob. The Joust. And shopping.
"The Festival has gone Far Down. The shows declined. Fewer street characters. No Academy. A greater age seg regate. Even the shop-keepers seemed more clannish and business-minded than I remember. Am I dressing it down? I took pains to objectivity. The people are still there... there is still great appeal, even at $17 a pop. But the place is tangibly less "fun," more mercantile.
"Still, we sat in Sky Chairs, listened to Door Harps, looked at privies, ate, drank, and privied. Looked at fancy weapons by the Tree Top. It was here that"

9/9. 4:48. At the Bryn Mawr McDonalds

"Wasn't sure if I should come here. Then, Man on the Moon played, and I knew."

"I learned from a program that people I knew did work at the place. Brian Spurling. I went on a hunt to find him. I finally did, but it involved trekking all about the grounds and then he called me a bastard. Soon we caught up with Chris Jones and Todd. They were so in costume and in character, and freaked out meeting Jess. And Ryan jumped on me and we talked and swapped emails, and Jess, Caitlin, and Elisabeth laughed and the cannon exploded. We walked the long walk back to the cars. I raced Elisabeth, my wheels vs. her feet, but she won. And we drove North into the September haze. We stopped at McDonalds in Grand Blanc for drinks. Because we were so thirsty. And Elisabeth followed me along Hill to 23. And then we went home."

---

"And here we are in Chicago, and everywhere is poignant.

---

"After just a bit I got in the car and from Mt. Morris 75 to Dixie and down to Camp Jellystone and snuck in. Down to the fire. I felt awkward, but talked to a girl named Kim and Steve arrived with his wife and new daughter and I was given a cider, and everyone was shocked to see me."

"{I was there because while singing, we met Trevor, who directed us to Steve, who has a manor in Lansing and is rolling in the dough. He invited us out, but only I came.
"{It was gray, that twilight there. All in all the Festival didn't look that different. But dark later on.}"

"They sang Herbie the Worm
Shine
and Connor's on the Fire"

"I. Junmped. Over the fire.
Steve tired. Left. Shook hands.
Then Chuck spat fire about 20 minutes.
Just as I began to meet someones, we had to leave.
Driving. Wending. Like Vertebrates backwards. I get it now. I know why I work on Vertebrates now.
'Everything was dark.'
I
... have
... ... shivers.
"I finally turned off Saginaw at Coldwater. Got gas. Got home."

...

MONDAY "Jess and I had a nice visit with Grandma Coyne. Got [Jess] shoes.
"Caught Elisabeth and we rode cross state via Grand Rapids to Holland. Visited my Grandma Mascroft. She gave us some money for dinner, but we got tangled up in Holland on the way out. Played games: 20 questions and Death is Not an Option. And we stopped to let Jess out, and I was tired back in Edgewater.
Life returned..."

"TUESDAY. Two days ago, but I barely remember a thing. Helping Sam with the couch to the hall. Then... ah yes! We spent noon - 4 finishing cleaning up in McKinley Park. I gave Jerry my keys and he gave me my $600. Said he was sorry to see me go. But the South Side has crumbled, while the North Side is fresh. Or something like it. Not merely diverse... integrated. And pricey. >:( SUCK! And bigger than you thought. We got back. Gave up on the cough. 6. Rode the bus to Jess'. Meridith is gone now. It was weird, I said. In the end, after fish, corn , and stuffing, Jess felt tired and ill. I read her Dragonlance.
"Yesterday I did job stuff at the Reg. First I went to Daily Mass at St. Thomas (the night before, Jess and I walked to Dunkin Donuts to get me a coffee and Mary a muffin. September!windy!cold! Watched a Gilmour Girls repeat. Then Dragonlance.
"The day was off to a good start. I walked and talked with Janet. She's got a new job now up by me.
"After Reg I took the train back home (stopped at Divison to deposit my cheque) and unpacked, or rather, papered my walls the rest of the day, with breaking trips to Dominics for tape, scissors, and Bourbon. ~ 3 PM. The sun setting, playing Worms with Sam, Jess visiting, more of the same, and a trip to Dominics for more tape and Walgreens for more cellophane at 3 AM. Played Wormed with me. And slept by 6:45.

"Got up TODAY 11ish. Called off my interview for [a job I don't want]. Showered. Left. To the internet cafè where I emailed and blogged, but mostly applied to more jobs. Left ~4. Saw Sam's note that he has bomberd the apartment because of the roaches (no exterminator 'til 9/16). So I can't go in 'til 8."

"Which is why I'm at McDonalds."

. . .

"There I'm caught up.
And I just noticed that
I'm not tired!
I'VE
FINALLY CONQUERED
SLEEP!"

That took me through about 10 days ago.

And I don't really need to go into these past 10 days in detail.

1) I've been applying for jobs hardcore.

2) Fending off hate-mail from Canaryville residents. It's strange. There've been several who've supported me strongly, and I think a lot of the hate comes from word-of-mouth. They site factual errors, which are probably reasonable objections, but I think what they're really angry about are my opinions. I know what it feels like for one's home to be called a "shithole." But I can't change what I feel. And if they listened, they'd know I'm not calling their home a "shithole." If they listened... Anyway. I don't get paid for this. And I'm not getting published yet. My self-respect is about the only thing making the endeavor worthwhile. I won't tolerate rudeness. I'll have conversations instead, and only.

3) Killing roaches.

4) Unpacking. Readying my room.

5) Going to church again. Jess and I had a lovely dinner with Tom and the two Michaels.

6) Working on the wedding.

7) Working towards graduate school

8) Volunteering for the Kerry campaign (see next post)

And that should just about cover it.

The Ache for Frequency

DIARY

Jeff Danziger

But I want to post frequently and passionately. I want this blog to be an echo of the best of what's in my head.

Here I am: I've got my beef ramen and my coffee. I've got Dante Dorsey and the Utah Saints. I've got everything I need except insomnia.

It was such a wonderful tool, but I used it took exclusively through high school and college, and now, twenty six is a sort of incessant tiredness. It's been that way awhile. It's been that way long enough that I have trouble remembering it otherwise.

A lot has happened lately, and I haven't written about much of it.
But it isn't that dramatic in the telling, so if I breeze through, perhaps you'll forgive me.

...

Back to Canaryville Blues

CONCEPT

Well, Euphemism is actually generating some attention these days, though not in any way I had expected.

Apparently Google and Yahoo searches of "Canaryville" take people to the contexts page I provided for "Canaryville Blues," and I've received a flurry of emails ranging from praise to irate.

I've written two statements (the first two "official" statements for Euphemism) to address the issues raised, primarily issues of accurate data and a wholesolme depiction.

Of course, if anyone wants to subsidize Euphemism fully so I can work on it FT (I'll need about $300 a week, at least) I can get data right the first time round. Of course, I've responded to complaints in part by explaining my intention is not a "wholesome depiction."

If you are interested in the Euphemism statements, they are here:

Statement 1: On Fact and Opinion

Statement 2: On why writers should write about places they have not lived. Something I should've noted about 8 years ago.

~ Connor

The Greatest Month of the Year

DIARY

This is the greatest month of the year, and here its almost half over!

I need for something exciting to happen. Now!

Email me about exciting happenings. Do it!

~ Connor

Bad Roads

EVENT

Andrew Heller has called for nominations of bad roads in Flint, since Parkside Drive (the crown jewel of Woodcroft Estates, ie. Miller Mansions), where the mayor lives, is getting a do-up.

Here are my two favorites, based on narrative and personal experience:

Gay Towfiq said: "I am nominating Fifth Avenue. Not long ago, my elderly mother fell injuring her back and was taken by ambulance to Hurley Medical Center. It is not pleasant hearing your mother scream in pain as the ambulance bounced around Fifth Avenue. The streets around all of the hospitals should be as smooth as butter and not torture devices for the injured and sick."

Stephen Oparka said: "How about Riverside Drive as it passes under I-475 to Lewis Street? This road is a connector for the Flint River Trail and is by far one of the worst roads I've seen around here, especially when you are trying to navigate by bicycle."

Objectively speaking, Riverside drive is the worst road in Flint. I can say this because I've probably toured 60% of the city's asphalt as some point or another. It's a kind of bizarre and neglected neighborhood on the Eastside. If you want a tour, the easiest way to find it is to turn west off 475 onto Hamilton and hang a right onto Riverside. Keep to the left then. It's a bit hard to find, but it's just before the river.

Here's the rest of Andy's article:

http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/andrew_heller/index.ssf?/base/news-0/109474333832030.xml

~ Connor

A Friendly Wager

EVENT

From this New York times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-security-pakistan-osama.html

Pakistani media Sunday quoted Cofer Black, State Department coordinator for counter-terrorism, as saying that the United States and its allies have put the al Qaeda leader on the defensive, increasing chances of his capture soon.

But Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Black's remarks were a "political statement."

"We don't have any information about that," Ahmed told Reuters by telephone from Saudi Arabia where he is accompanying Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on an official visit.

Sam and I have placed a friendly wager as to what day, if any, Osama bin Laden will turn up. He says October 26th, which I admit, is as good a choice as any I can think of. I went with Halloween, for more whimsical reasons. If one of us wins, the other must buy him a six-pack of quality beer. I'd opt for Guinness or Harps my self. Sam'll go for something German I wager.

Now I realize what we propose is statistically unlikely. After all, they've been looking for bin Laden for about three years now. How likely is it that he turn up the week prior to the U.S. national election? The odds in that time would be, statistically, about 1%.

So I don't necessarily expect it.

But nor would it surprise.

And anyway... there's nothing to lose with a bet like this.

Any other predictions?

~ Connor

Late August #2: Medici, OutFoxed, Millennium Park

DIARY

Within a couple days of getting back, I had a day with Jessica and Elisabeth.
We met at the Medici at... eleven? Noon? Sometime like that.
We were seated by Michael Kennedy, and we sat on the patio.

It's a gorgeous space... one of my favorite places in Hyde Park. Partly because the Medici itself, with patrons crowded between the kitchen and walls and among dark brick columns and vaguely tasteful art pieces, is so cavelike. You enter. You climb a flight of stairs. Wend your way among tables. And then you're there. It's like emerging from a cave into sunlight in an almost inaccessible space. The floor itself is red brick tile, and a wooden fence reaches around an area dotted with white plastic tables and chairs and umbrellas. Through the slats in the fence you're looking at other peoples' gardens and back porches. Above, the sky is partly obscured by green leaves from black oak leaves.

And they never open the place unless there's a throng waiting for seats, so the place is always chattering with noise and conversation. We heard coffee cups break. I drank a bunch of coffee. We talks about NaNoWriMo and other things.

I will talk more about NaNoWriMo and my plans for it soon...

After that we walked to the #6 which we took to the river, then walked another mile to the Esquire theater where we saw Outfoxed. I'll say what I thought a little later... but that's a political post, and this post is a diary entry. I'll give you a short version now, though: As so happens with me and these left-leaning documentaries, I agreed entirely with the point, but thought that the presentation was flawed. It would be easy to accuse the film of hypocracy, which is disappointing, giving the obvious care in selecting sources and developing a well-rounded, reasonable argument.

After that, we walked back south through the new Millennium Park.

I don't have pictures now, but I've taken plenty, and plan to upload them very soon.

I love the park.

The project had gone way over budget and way behind schedule. Originally, the park had been the site of a largely defunct rail yard, and the park was to be funded through converting the yard into a parking lot. But given the effort to pave over and redesign the land, then shell out for flawlessly engineered sculptures of stanless steel as designed by world famous architects, things got a little out of hand.

Millennium park is not remotely emulative of the flagship parks of other major cities. It has a sheen and glow, a polish, that is a stark contrast to the formality and age of say, Central Park or Detroit's Grand Circus. The effect is somewhat like walking through an early computer animated landscape. Things are almost a little too polished. You don't know how anything early could be so clear and clean.

But the park isn't soulless. As we walked through the Great Lawn, we found it filled to the head with concertgoers listening to a classical performance. On other days, the space will fill with blues and jazz. An of course, there's the romance of the Cultural Center, the Santa Fe building, the Aon Center and Prudential, and behind these, the Sears and John Hancock tower, as well as the epic gray of Lake Michigan off to the left. The park isn't soulless, because its intended design was to be an empty vessal filled with the soul of the city outside.

The place was thronged with people. First we saw the Wrigley Square and Millennium Monument, which was the site of an exhibit entitled Family Album, featuring life-sized captioned photos of families from all over the world. The exhibit was sprawling and seemed continentally to reflect population, although I wish more countries had been represented, and I wish more information had been provided on each family than the pithy, sometimes trite little anecdotes. It was still fascinating.

From there we went along Michigan to the Crown Fountain, which I also find visually striking, although the images actually projected onto the fountains were a little silly. The most exciting thing about this all, of course, were the numbers of people milling about. The fountains rained out all this water and there were dozens of kids running back and forth through it, while music trickled in from an opera and jazz groups playing on the street.

From there, we walked along Monroe and entered the Lurie Garden. Which I also went in for. Other people would probably find this to be the least interesting part of the park, but the design, binding back thick groves of conifers with metal bands, and a fountain running a long line that resembles the curve of sandstone... it was peaceful to me. I would like to read a book there. And also, I think it's wonderful that the flagship park of Chicago would make an honest exhibition of Chicago's scenic environment, even something considered generally unexciting like open prairie. It was neat to look out over scrub grass at the Sears tower. I was reminded of pictures of Brazilia and New Delhi.

From there we went to look at the BP bridge, which is also gorgeous, but doesn't really lead anywhere, and has a dumb name.

And then, the Great Lawn and Pritzker Auditorium. We couldn't get inside, because of the opera. But earlier on, when I had been here alone, I had loved this space most of all, because of its openess and because it creates an impression of being simultaneously inside and out.

Finally, the also dumbly named SBC Plaza, and partly because SBC is such a buccaneering enterprize. In the middle stood Anish Kapoor, and all I can say is that it's much cooler than it sounds. From far away, it resembles a silver lima bean, and from closer, a sort of silver donut. The whole thing is grafted of stainless steel welded together along curves, and while it is easily forty or fifty feet from tip to tip, only touches the ground at two points, probably sever square feet. So you can get very far under in the middle, and look up at a sort of dome above you, where you look back at yourself, reflected in several places. From outside, the curvature in the middle is such that the reflection takes in almost a fulled 180 degrees. So standing several feet away, you're looking from Navy Pier to Adler Planetarium. And then you realize you've been straining and your eyes are a little sore.

We walked south, and took the bus back home.

Late August #1: After Ojai

DIARY

I began a series of entries on the last several weeks, when the computer froze up and I lost several hours of work.
Plus, I don't want to cover everything in tedious detail, even though the last several weeks have been somewhat extraordinary.

Instead, I'll try to cover a lot of ground quickly so I can write about now instead of then and get political, which is what I'm feeling like doing.

HOLLYWOOD... the day after Ojai, I wandered Hollywood and Runyon Canyon.
I will post more on this when I have the photos developed.

8/18/2004

"Headache. Blue. In a funk.
"Yesterday (Tues.) Jess and I quarreled incessantly. She's stressed about graduation, finances, and life. I'm irritated to be back in the midwest, specifically Chicago.
"So we sniped at each other all day."

"When my flight got in, the morning had just begun and the sky turned Chicago gray.
"It rained the whole Blue line ride, and finally slackened while I waited for my bus at State and Jackson." It was a long wait because the #2 hadn't started running yet. The people surrounding me we dour and frowned and sulked. "I rode the #6, then walked 57th to Jessica's.
"I gave her the gifts I'd given her."

"Coming down is always its own particular ache...
"Today I took my time waking up.
"I got to the Reg at noonish, and wasted an hour. I'd planned to write my cover letters, revise my resumè and apply to jobs. I visited Jess at work, and browsed extensively at 57th St. Books." The travel section. "I'll feel fine -> shitty -> exhilerated -> shitty -> fine -> blue -> happy. I went to the Med and drank coffee."

"Coming down is hard because up there we have hope. The horizon is far and bright and possible. Coming down, we're mired in reeds and trees. And I don't fairly care to polish my resumè for the 100th time. Whatever. I have to do this shit.
"I HAVE TO."
"As the plane landed, I thought a thought" that startled me:

Now that I'm back, I can go anywhere I want.

"Because I've been here in the past and it meant something to me then. Esemplay." Make it mean again.

Which Edward Gorey death will you die?

DIARY

Here's me:


You will sink in a mire. You like to think you're
normal, but deep down you really just want to
strip off your clothes and roll around in
chicken fat.


What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?
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