Pardon My French

It's only taken me two years, but I've finally got it. The original title (Like Me - A Commentary) was always a working title. It was shortened to Commentary, but it never felt right. I was doing some valuable wikipedia research on Paris and France and French people and things and came across the phrase Pardon My French.

Perfect.

Remember when Costanza said that he tried to get a girl by telling her that he coined that phrase?

Now I'm back in it. I've got the story and the characters and everything in my head. I can't get it out. Thank you.

I'm listening to a free podcast by Hollywood Saloon titled Art of Commentary.

The End of History

I only heard about this guy because I'm cheap. I always take advantage of the free downloads on iTunes, because songs are expensive. And I don't know what I like. So this is how I came across Fionn Regan.

Now I can't get enough. He is the product of one of my favorite album covers.

He also has one of the best YouTube music videos ever made.

Congratulations, FR.

My biggest fear

Boring people.

This can be taken either way. I'm afraid of being stuck in a boring conversation and I'm afraid of boring other people.

I'm reminded of that dude from Almost Famous, who talks about himself as a musician.

I get people off! And I find the one guy who isn't getting off, and I MAKE him get off. Actually, THAT you can print!

p.s. I did enjoy this part from the movie:

I must create a system or be enslaved by another mans;
I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.
-William Blake

All I know is
If you don't figure out the something
you'll just stay ordinary
And it doesn't matter if it's a work of art or a taco or a pair of socks
Just create something new
and there it is
and it's you
out in the world
outside of you
and you can look at it or hear it or read it or feel it
and you know a little bit more about
you
a little bit more than anyone else does

Stole this from a movie. But you'll have to click on this link to find out which one. (It was even a little too chick flickish for me...but I still liked it).

This one goes out to all the teachers who told me I'd never amount to nuthin'

Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis
When I was dead broke, man I couldn't picture this
50-inch screen, money green leather sofa
Got two rides, a limousine with a chauffeur
Phone bill about two G's flat
No need to worry, my accountant handles that
And my whole crew is loungin'
Celebratin' every day, no more public housin'
Thinkin' back on my one-room shack
Now my mom pimps an Ac' with minks on her back
And she loves to show me off, of course
Smiles every time my face is up in The Source
We used to fuss when the landlord dissed us
No heat, wonder why Christmas missed us
Birthdays was the worst days
Now we sip champagne when we thirsty
Uh, damn right I like the life I live
'Cause I went from negative to positive
And it's all good
...and if you don't know, now you know
-Notorious B.I.G. "Juicy"

Things to do before I die

"Plant a tree, write a book, have a son."
-José Martí

I don't have a lot of crazy dreams. Sure, I'm an ambitious guy. I want to accomplish things and inspire people and become great and blah blah blah. But my list of things to do before I die is pretty short. Creating a list like this seems abstract and overwhelming. Should I list measurable things (make a million dollars, jump out of a plane, go to Wrigley Field) or should I have nobler, more generic dreams (be a good father, forgive someone, love unconditionally)? There are realistic, practical dreams (be an enthusiastic teacher, be the next great offensive football mind) and there are irrational, idealistic dreams (change the world, cure cancer, register to vote).

I'm not ready to fully tackle questions like these right now.

So I'll just reveal one thing on my list:

Visit Paris.

White Rappers

I don't speak
I float in the air wrapped in a sheet
I'm not a real person
I'm a ghost trapped in a beat
-Eminem "Bad Meets Evil"

Since 911 we're still livin'
And lovin' life we've been given
Ain't nothing gonna take that away from us
Were lookin' pretty and gritty 'cause in the city we trust
-Beastie Boys "An Open Letter to NYC"

(That's all I got. Did you really expect the list to be longer than this?)

Ain't writing peace? Actually, no.

Thanks to some good peer pressure, I finally watched the Coen brothers' movie, Barton Fink. I enjoyed it very much. I think I'm just a sucker for any movie about writing or with a character who is a writer. It's the reason I watch movies. Whether it's Melvin Udall struggling to finish his 62nd romance novel or Donald and Charlie Kaufman discussing The Industry,
I'm hooked. I even latched on to Joel Barish, who really only wrote in his journal.

Anyway. Here are some one-liners I wrote down while watching the flick. Forgive me if they're not verbatim.

Can you make us laugh? Can you make us cry? We need more heart in motion pictures. We're all expecting great things. What kind of scribbler are you? What do I write about? Good question. That's the point! We all have stories. Theater becomes as phony as a $3 bill. Writers come and go. But we always need Indians. When he can't write, he drinks. It's my work. I get so worked up. In a sense, we're all alone in the world. Life of the mind- no road map. Can be painful. Pain most people don't know about. Ain't writing peace? Actually, no. Writing comes from an inner pain. Shouldn't your first obligation be to your gift? That sonofabitch. Don't get me wrong. He's a fine a writer. A little lift? Good thing they bottle it. Maybe I only had one idea in me. I am a creator! I am a creator! This is my uniform. This is how I serve my country. I tried to show you something beautiful.

Cinco de Miner

Happy Birthday Harold Miner. Dude's 37 years old today. I'm starting to get the feeling that maybe he's not coming back to the NBA. (Though MJ came back to play for the Wizards when he was 38. And Dikembe's still blocking shots at age 41. And George Blanda kicked a few field goals at age 48, for crying out loud)....hmm....maybe he could still come back. I'm going to keep hope alive for a few more years.