As far back as I can remember, I was puzzled by how noisy people were. Being someone who cherishes peace and quiet, I felt completely separated from so many members of my species. And now the science is settled: All that noise is designed to distract the noisemaker from what’s going on in his or…
In opposition to the thundering herd
June 29, 2014
Sometimes it’s hard to remain optimistic. It seems like everyone is in a race to the bottom. What I’ve discovered about myself is that the worse people behave, the more import it is for me to stand against the thundering herd. I refuse to adopt the attitude of Charles Oakley, the murderer in Alfred Hitchcock’s…
But what does it say about YOU?
June 24, 2014
Yesterday I changed. Permanently. It’s neither a good nor a bad change. However, it was necessary. I didn’t intend to change; June 23, 2014, was going to be just another day. But something happened that set in motion a whole series of thoughts and conclusions, and by nightfall I was a different person. I would…
Kabuki for dumbasses
June 21, 2014
The worst part about my first trip to Japan in 1983 was having to sit through kabuki shows. I hated them. Yes, I know, I know: It’s art. You’re free to love kabuki. The fact that I hate it says everything about me and nothing about kabuki. But I absolutely despise it. The music, the…
Sorry, Becca Pilkington. You made your bed.
June 18, 2014
Today I got a funny message. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for the person it was intended to help. I’m in a trough. Oh, I’ll climb out; I always do. But yesterday I realized that the rest of my life is going to be as unpleasant as its been up to now….
Things I never did because I knew they’d kill me
June 13, 2014
Today I got a World War One postcard from Estonia. The envelope had a stamp on it that reminded me of the time I didn’t listen to the little voice in my head that warned me to not to be an idiot. I paid for not listening. The few times I ignored that voice, I’ve…
Frigging dumb limbo mumbo jumbo
June 9, 2014
One of my favorite films is Altered States, starring William Hurt and Blair Brown. It’s about a man who searches for meaning and feels entirely cut off from everybody. I love Charles Haid’s epic rant that ends with, “I’m not going to listen to any more of your cabalistic, quantum, frigging dumb, limbo mumbo jumbo!”…
A role I never envisioned for myself
June 7, 2014
As a child I wanted to be a stuntman. Then I wanted to be a cop. Then I lost my bearings and careened from one desire and occupation to another. There was never a method to my madness; I just had no clue what I was supposed to do or be. And now I occupy…
The D-Day movie to watch
June 6, 2014
Today is the seventieth anniversary of the Allied invasion of Europe. If you’re in the mood, I’d like to recommend a D-Day movie. The reason it’s so great is that it’s a deeply serious, low-key look at the decision to launch an operation that would cost untold numbers of lives. In case you don’t know,…