Racism is weird

Im in a cab with an african cab driver. Nigerian i believe. Will find out in a bit. Not likely born here. Amazing though, to look at him, and hear him, and interact with him, for anyone to respond in a hateful way. Or even to think him that different aside from language. Where does this nonsense come from?

New bike idea?

I wants this.

It's Complicated (you know, like the FB status, yeah, I referenced)

Got reminded tonight about a girl, a lawyer in fact (stopped making that mistake), that I stopped trying to see after one date, not even one full date, because of politics. It wasn't even a Republican, it was an old school, upper class democrat-type, but with some rather conservative and in my opinion, horribly wrong economic ideas. People making over a certain amount of money should in fact be taxed a little more.

I kind of miss those days sometimes! Timing sucks. I like it black and white and well, I can't have it that way, at least not yet. I especially miss the days where romance won or lost? Or at least, I wish I could whip together something poetic, tell someone that there's something special happening inside my stomach, and they're so into how fucking cheesy and cute I got, we're boyfriend and girlfriend and we can grow together more.

Officially speaking, I'm against it, though maybe not quite as much as your typical liberal/way left-wing kind of guy.

Aside:
I have my own hypocrisy when it comes to the death penalty, but...I don't understand it when people say "how can you be pro-life, but pro-death penalty?"

I mean, the very concept of the death penalty builds in the idea that you've done something to forfeit any sanctity there is to your life, etc...

The stress of the complicated

Im not really a believer in the idea that simple and easy are better and indicative of anything special. That said, the complicated always seems more stressful, and more mentally exhausting. Uncertainty is a huge part of life...but dealing with it lingering on every touch and word can make you want to wish it all away.

Bogus phrase...

The universality of the phrase "it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game" is totally lost on me. All that matters is whether you win or lose! Apply that to your personal relationships and tell me you can be happy and understand things, and be ok with it, because you "lost?" Every loss you are emotionally damage, rejected, cast aside, or not reciprocated.  Yet we tell ourselves, at least we cared, at least we tried, at least we put it out there. Nonsense! That's all well and good, but to say that it doesn't matter, to say that we played is enough...that is to say that we don't need to grow and learn and understand things better. It is to say that my self now played, and lost, and well, at least I played. NO! You must ask yourself, what can I do to make myself better. What have I not thought about. What is plaguing me now. I am not perfect, nor can I ever be, but, I can always be better. I can always learn. That is what is crucial. It isn't enough that you played, ever. It is only enough if you played and you took notes. That you said, "forever, and ever, I can always grow more and learn more, and nothing is just a game."

Thinking at Work

I've always tried to do some creative thinking while doing boring work. I realized today though, it's very image focused. I can imagine what a city in a fantastical world looks like, or a magical tree, but plot-lines and dialogue are significantly harder, nevermind poetical projects.

A string which is fixed at both ends will exhibit strong vibrational response only at the resonant frequencies

Sometimes my heart feels like a guitar string.

Revolution Brewing hosts the Chicago History Museum

Here's the details below, follow the link to buy a ticket.

Punk ‘n’ Brew Beer Dinner

Monday, April 9, 7:00 p.m.
Location: Revolution Brewing, 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Join us for an evening of history, punk music, and rockin’ good food. We’ll enjoy four courses and beer pairings inspired by punk music. Learn about Revolution Brewery’s punk connections while rocking out to a kickin’ playlist. Price includes four courses, beer pairings, tax, and gratuity.

Menu

First Course
Canned Food
House Made Cherry Jagerwurst, Maple Rosemary White Bean Ragout, and Michigan Cherries Soaked in Coup d etat. Beer Pairing: Coup d’état
Second Course
Jonny Rotten Ramen
House Made Ramen Noodles, Soy Egg, Pork belly, Smoked Beach Mushrooms, Leeks Spinach, Toasted Nori.
Beer Pairing: Barley Wine
Third Course
Fried Burrito
Coriander refried beans, braised beef, avocado emulsion, La frère camembert, gorgonzola sour cream, and house made hot sauce. Beer Pairing: TV Party
Fourth Course
The Mohawk
Beet ice cream, spicy brownie, bourbon chocolate shell, blood orange brittle and caramel. Beer Pairing: Repo Man
Cost: $60, $55 members

Potato Artichoke Salad

Copied from Coconut & Lime, one of my favorite food blogs. I'm going to make the shit out of this the next day a cold salad is appropriate. I'm thinking of adding some fresh garlic to that dressing. Chervil if I can find it, otherwise, a mix of parsley and the green part of fennel.

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked, finely diced potatoes
14 oz (canned) artichoke hearts in brine, drained and quartered
1 large shallot, minced
1 stalk celery, finely diced


dressing:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon Dijon
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon chervil
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon celery seed

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, artichoke hearts, shallot and celery. Drizzle with dressing. Stir to evenly coat the potato mixture in dressing.

Another Mix

Arovane - Tides
Darkstar - Under One Roof
Oneohtrix Point nEver - Replica
Emeralds - Double Helix
Boards of Canada - The Beach at Redpoint
Moderat - Rusty Nails
Four Tet - Angel Echoes
Apparat - Black Water
M83 - America
Fridge - Cut Up Piano
Cave - High, I Am
Arovane - Windy Wishy Trees
Calla - Rise
Burial - Ghost Hardware
The Antlers - Parentheses
Palm Skin Productions - Condition Red
Lindstrom - No Release
DJ Shadow - What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 1 (transmission 3)
Delarosa & Asora - Paz Suite 3
The xx - Shelter
Telefon Tel Aviv - John Thomas on the Inside is Nothing...
Isotope 217 - La Jetee
Mira Calix - Woody
Tristeza - Are We People?
Foals - Spanish Sahara
Hood - Enemy of Time
The Mercury Program - The Church of Cause and Effect
Juno - High Noon
Kurt Vile - Space Forklift
Phantogram - Mouthful of Diamonds
Radiohead - Lotus Flower
Red Stars Theory - A Sailor's Warning

Writing in codes

I got to think this morning. Dangerous, I'd not yet imbided any coffee.

1 - I am arrogant enough (not the adjective I'd wanted before, but it slipped my mind) to share with the world the things I like and the thoughts in my head, and I don't give a shit if people wish I'd do it less.

2 - Partially, because, I don't really think we owe anything to anyone. Maybe? I'm not sure how much I really stand by this thought.

3 - I try not to write in codes. I do try to write in an aesthetic style, one that is vaguely confessional without being overly detailed. But, I'm not hiding anything, I'm just assuming if you end up here at all, it's because you know me and wonder what I might say or reveal.

4 - Biggest artistic project idea right now. A series of philosophical poems. Each one is titled with an -ing word, in a series. They go from the meeting of two people, to the dance of courtship, to some end process. It won't be a simple hidden love story (no codes, fuckers, no codes), but will attempt to show how in the act of meeting people, we actually go through identity-defining philosophical processes.

5 - Strangely emotional today. Things keep making me tear up, but all in a good happy way.