I love the word “spelunking.” It’s far more imaginative than the prosaic “caving.” I was a spelunker until 2012. Instead of crawling around in caves, I did it under my house. Never once was it my idea to go under my house, except for today. There were photos that had to be taken. The reason…
On Losing Everything, Part Two
June 3, 2014
So, what are my thoughts on Ryan Kelly Chamberlain’s letter about losing everything? I think it’s a joke. He’s a joke. Don’t get me wrong: His depression is certainly real. But how he handled his problems is sickeningly self-indulgent. Today a fat, fabulously wealthy bastard told me I was too angry, and I need to…
Why a cat made me believe in reincarnation
May 31, 2014
I’m currently feeding a family of feral cats. I don’t want to, but I don’t see that I have a choice. Today, the cats themselves pretty much told me that I have to keep doing it. I’ll explain what happened. And then I’ll tell you how another cat made me believe in reincarnation. Five days…
That’s not therapy. THIS is therapy.
May 28, 2014
The Isla Vista spree killer was in therapy since the age of eight, including almost every day while in high school. That’s total baloney. He didn’t undergo therapy. THIS is therapy, what I will now tell you about myself. In 1998 I was at the end of my rope. My career as a music journalist…
Saint Catherine’s flamethrower boys
May 27, 2014
What a weird, weird, weird, weird day. First I had a run-in with California’s next spree killer. Then when I came in to sit down and write, I thought that my bowels had given way without me knowing it. It turned out that as I fed the feral cats, I stepped in some of their…
A first for me
May 20, 2014
I HATE commercials. The main reason is the music and the actors. Since I don’t watch TV, I see commercials only on the Internet. They drive me crazy. For whatever reason advertising companies use ukulele music or jinga-jinga-jinga acoustic guitar music or tinkly piano kindergarten music or smarmy Wal-Mart slop. And the actors are always…
The truth will set you free, but—
May 19, 2014
Like almost everything, there’s a caveat. The truth will set you free, but only if you can take it. I don’t begrudge anyone their desire to spare themselves terrible knowledge. We’re under no obligation to know the truth. That’s different from lying. Here’s how I look at it: The truth is behind a closed door….
The price of secrecy
May 18, 2014
For over a year, I looked for an artifact that I found yesterday. In the process I sorted through thousands of photos. One box came from my Great-aunt Clarinda, sister to my paternal grandmother Angelina. Every photo in the box is unmarked. I have no idea who these people are. The price of secrecy is…