Blog

Dan and I were in a restaurant on the lower east side somewhere. It was called "Hug" and was pretty fancy, but we figured we would splurge and eat fancy for once.

Our waiter was really uptight, and was kind of rude to us. Probably because we weren't ordering the really expensive things on the menu - we were keeping to about twelve dollars apiece, when it would be easy to spend double or triple that.

So we finished and took a look at the desserts, and they are also expensive. All of a sudden we have this apple dessert in front of us, it looks like little shells filled with apples, and a dipping sauce. Dan tried it, but said it was uncooked and really bad. Then a brownie plate came out, and it seemed like an extravagant little debbie cake. I tried it and it was really good. Dan said he ordered that one since the apple was so bad. The menu said that they charged extra for tip on the dessert, but I didn't want to pay for it since our waiter was not very good.

Our check came and it was about thirty-six dollars (which doesn't seem completely absurd to me now, but it did at the time). We paid, but twice the waiter came back and said we had extra charges - one for desserts, one for a "service charge". I got really upset, and gave him another twenty dollars even though they didn't deserve it. He gave me a dollar change, and I was still really mad. Then I unfolded the dollar and it was fake! It't proportions were stretched out.

So I went to the counter and I started yelling at them - I don't even remember what I said. I threw the dollar at the women while she was calling the waiter that gave me the dollar on a headset. She said, "Franco, can you come help us out, this customer is off the wall." Then I thought it's not even worth fighting over the dollar, so I went to get Dan, and he was eating a bowl of soup with little hot dogs in it. I asked him how he got that, and he said, "Hey, I deserve it." I think he took it from somewhere, because I decided to walk out, and while doing that employees were saying "But I can smell the turkey..."

I walk outside, and there is a chalkmarking on the wall that says "Hug Years."

I didn't realize how late it was we were there, but it's very dark, and I'm on Rivington Street, but I don't really recognize it. Some guys were hanging out next door, and one started following me with a gallon milk container. He is following too close to me for me to be comfortable, and I then see the container is frozen water. I wanted to run, but I didn't want to look scared, because I was sure he would chase me and hit me with the block of ice and rob me. Then a police car came around the corner, and I thought I'd just go talk to them, but they don't stop, and then I woke up.

Last night, was the Dream Bitches CD release party. It was a great show all round. The ISSUE gallery was perfect for the show, I wish that I could always perform and see shows put together like that. Yoko had to put a lot of work in to it, and I think it was all worth it.

The Cheese on Bread set was fun - I broke a string during The Soundcheck Song. It's amazing how spoiled I became after playing two shows with good monitoring. I was strumming way too hard - I have to try to keep calm in these situations.

One of my favorite things was playing Yoko's song from when she was fourteen.

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Today, I'm in New Jersey: my mother's birthday is tomorrow. It's fun talking to my parents, I haven't done that in person in a little bit.

Saturday, I will be back in New York to see The Gates with Yoko and her parents.

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On my way to work today, a man got on the train with his daughter, maybe two/three years of age (I have difficulty quantifying most things, and non-things alike). They sat down across from me, and she said in her developing voice: "Wha da," pointing above me, at an advertisement.

Her father was a bit surly, a bit short with her. "What's what?" She points again, "Tha." "Those are chicks." It's a scene of model baby chicks at a subway station. They then started talking about how her mother was at work today.

It took me a minute to realize that he wasn't really surly. He was treating her like an adult, having a normal conversation (as normal as a three year old can have). I was impressed by them. I sometimes can't do that with people my age.

Whenever I see people do things in front of other people in any performative capacity (radio, television, on stage, recordings, etc.) I always get a little frustrated when people make excuses for things going wrong. I think the only times people really notice something going wrong is when it's pointed out to them. Since they don't need to know (and it's not harmful that they don't since it's only a one-way interaction) telling them is only negative for the person doing the telling.

I've never really thought about websites as performative, but I am now. And I feel a bit silly for putting things up here that say "Hi, ignore this, I'm just testing it out."

If I was good, I never would have written things like that. But I'm bad, so I broke my own rule above. However, right now I'm breaking it twice over: once because I'm making excuses for things gone wrong, but twice for making excuses for making excuses. So I kind of feel like I've redeemed myself.

I'm testing out my web interface for updating my website.

While I could write something, I could just do nothing, which is what I've chosen to do at this point in time.

here is a less than <
and a greater than > a greater than!
Sorry.

Here's some things I've read:
A study done on artists' earnings and copyrights - copy rights. hoo ha
Computers are getting faster, why don't they feel it? - computers run their clocks 1000 times faster than when i started using them a lot, but they don't feel 1000 times faster. this says why. interesting.

I'm quite tired. I've got a big weekend ahead of me though. I'm excited about Saturday evening, a person by the name of Bob Wiseman is playing at the living room saturday night. I've been listening to his record a lot. My Canadian friend Chris gave it to me, and I like it a lot. This is going to be the first time (in a while) that I'm going to see someone perform who I haven't met before, but have heard their music. Uhh... did that make sense?

A month ago today I took a train to Canada.

At my school, there is a "Milk and Cookies" club.

Our school offers money to students to begin clubs. I assume there is a bunch of bureaucracy that the students have to go through to justify the existence of the club, but once they do, they have a budget of one thousand dollars with which to run their newly founded club.

When I heard of the Milk and Cookies club, about two years ago, I thought it was a great idea. I met the characters in charge of it. I was glad that people were around like them to poke at the school and the things they were doing. I don't know how they justified a milk and cookies club, but I liked that these guys did it, and were getting funded by the university for it.

Over the past two years, I haven't been so involved with the events at my school. A move to Brooklyn and finding a community of people outside the school separated me a bit from all that. However, this past Monday, I was making a visit to one of the school buildings and talking to some friends I haven't seen in a while, when Mr. MilkandCookies shows up. He starts talking about how he was trying to get sponsorship for the Milk and Cookies club to hold some cookie eating contest, and how he had to prepare someone else to take over the club after he graduates this semester. He needed someone that would still be willing to "take advantage of the system."

Knowing that this guy was doing work (granted, probably not much) just to "take advantage" of what was being offered to him was kind of upsetting. Especially since there are plenty of highly productive things he could be doing. I'm surprised it took me two years of being outside of school to realize that doing things just for its "ironic" qualities is ineffective.

After a month and a half hiatus, Cheese On Bread has been up to more work.

Two Saturdays ago, we performed at Galapagos, which went very well. We'll probably be playing there more in the future, which is great since it was the best situation we've ever played in. The band seems to be more charged now - probably since we're actually active now.

We had rehearsal this past weekend, which was intertwined with numerous other activities. Dan and I arrive in Philadelphia Friday evening, and met with Gregg to check out various First Friday galleries. The things I enjoyed the most were the expensive clocks made out of various tin cans and pieces of trash... er... "found objects". Afterwards, we stopped into Ortlieb's Jazzhaus which was a lot of fun. Four years ago, one of the reasons I wanted to come to New York was to be near various jazz clubs. This is the first one I've been to. Funny how plans change.

Next day was filled with rehearsal, followed by a delicious vegetarian haggis, served up by Matt's roommate, Tami.

The next day, more rehearsal, and preparations for the superbowl, featuring the Philadelphia Eagles. I prepared by escaping Philly. Good thing too - the Eagles lost. And even though I haven't heard about any riots or anything, I haven't heard from anyone in Philadelphia since then, so I'm not sure what's really going on.

This one time I was at school and I had a terrible stomachache. Perhaps I had digested some bad food. So I did what any intelligent student would do, and I stopped into the bathroom.

I had to search for a clean toilet. I don't know why public toilets in private buildings ever become gross, but it happens nonetheless. So I found a satisfactory toilet, and relieved myself of the pressures of my meal. When done, I'm about to flush the toilet, but there's no lever. Or button. Or any type of trigger for flushing. Just an infrared light. Which would not be triggered.

I hate leaving things messy, especially when I had to seek out cleanliness myself. But I didn't have a choice in this situation.

That's when I realized, that machines would be the end of us - not because of artificial intelligence but because of unintelligent human design.

song for download: rocky's

original recording remixed and posted 2005 02 06.

I missed last week's recording, but began working on one tonight (and also did some on Monday). Two different songs, a new one and an unrecorded one I did a couple weeks back.

Listened to Dan's new record with him. It's going to be good.

Looking forward to the upcoming Dream Bitches CD release as well. Cheese On Bread is playing there.

Yay

done

lovegetable soup
i wish that i could eat you
but i'm missing you