The Lone Democrat

so i wasn't planning on necessarily blogging right when i got home about the debate, but i just can't help myself. first let me say, i'm glad that i went. besides the fact of if i didn't go, i would have been donating all that money to the repubs without getting anything for it...so i went. i got there very early, to be sure i could find a great seat near the aisle for quick get-a-way, if necessary.

so of my favorite moments from the debate:

1) there were a couple of good ol' boys behind me discussing the candidates and other political issues. apparently they got the tickets for free, which made me feel like an asshole in the first place. regardless...one of the first things they said was about ron paul (who brings the same type of disgust that clinton does among SC voters)...they remarked while reading his bio in the nifty book that was provided..."that ron paul, what could he offer us...i mean, he's a gynecologist." And this last word they drew out to indicate their disdain for that type of work. it made me realize that apparently anything that has to do with women is weak and disgusting. they then proceeded to discuss the demographics of the audience, which surprisingly (heavy on the sarcasm) was white. they remarked that there weren't many black folks in the audience, then the other friend (just as brilliant) remarked, "well, just wait until the one in a couple of weeks." (note: he was referring to the democratic debate. i swear i almost fell out of my chair.)

2) the emcee for the evening was brian wilson. no, not that one. the fox news one. apparently, we have differing opinions on what an emcee does, as i spent a couple of hours bored, without entertainment. regardless, the few entertaining remarks he made were completely asinine to me. but what i really hated was how he talked about the south. the things that he said to provide a "connection" with the audience was to discuss southern accents, sweet tea, and grits. fuck me. seriously. is that all the south means to anyone?

3) there were all sorts of things that happened technical wise. the rain, like only a myrtle beach rain can do, came pouring down and drowned out the sound. also causing a bit of mass confusion among attendees.

4) there were a few moments where the words "liberal" and "democrat" were used with such contempt that i was sure i would be "outed". and then thrown out, accordingly.

5) it was interesting to watch the interactions when ron paul spoke. i was NOT in the ron paul section, though i started to believe i should have been. i like many of paul's opinions, on the side of what is referred to as "conservativism"...i would have to say that he has some good ideas. regardless, any time paul spoke, the folks around me rolled their eyes...and even the candidates would denigrate him with their raised eyebrows and confused looks. if this didn't communicate to the world that they were not ALIGNED with paul, they also made comments about how weird and wrong his opinions are. there was even once that romney commented about how he didn't even know paul's views on immigration (at which time i said aloud, "read the paper")- mostly because i believe if you are running for president you should be aware of all other candidates positions. i mean, you expect us to educate ourselves on the issues, then i would assume you'd do me the honor of doing the same. of course, i think that romney knows...he was just taking another cheap shot at paul. it was then i realized why all of paul's supporters sat together (and loudly clapped often), it is because safety comes in numbers...and the regard the folks around me gave to paul, i realized this might not be a safe place to respond to his comments.

6)there were many kids at the debate. not kids like college kids, but kids kids...like under 18 kids. now, this is a great way to inspire your children to be part of the political process, but most kids were decked out in shirts and stickers to support a particular candidate. adolescence can be pretty confusing as it is, i'm not sure politics is necessarily a good idea- nor do i think a ticket costing me $150 would be well spent on a kid.

7)i also like huckabee out of the bunch. i mean, i have some issues (obviously) with many of his opinions, but he is a likeable guy. he has those dimples, he jogs (even in myrtle beach) every day, he has a sense of humor (as exercised tonight), he is a self-earned type of person, and he is generally respectful of people's beliefs...note, i said generally. i get the impression at times that he would be fine with a little nihilistic, atheist like me. he would most certainly disagree with my beliefs, but he seems to lean on the side of how religion shouldn't necessarily be part of the presidential job. of course, this does run contrary to the evolution discussion. and perhaps, abortion, gay marriage, war, military.

8) tim asked me a few weeks ago which republican i would be the most scared of...and i wasn't too sure at the time...but i do believe i figured it out tonight. i think john mccain scares the hell out of me. besides his likeness to cotton on king of the hill, i think the support of the folks around me and his stances on issues makes me feel a little nervous and jittery.

i think i better stop here. there were all sorts of interesting things that happened...their discussion of immigration and war, but hopefully you watched the debate- so no observation is necessary here. i do have to say that it felt very awkward to me to sit in this audience. i was surrounded. i started feeling claustrophobic at times, primarily when they were denigrating liberals and democrats...but i survived. i don't know if i was just confused about where i had been for the previous 4 hours, but when i left the building- i was so disoriented that i had trouble finding my car. and no, i wasn't drinking. i couldn't find the beer line. but i was thinking that it would have been a helluva lot more entertaining with a little alcohol at the event. but then again, some folks would say that everything might be a little more entertaining if alcohol was offered, like church for example. is that right?

Klosterman and The Republicans

You can reference my other blog (www.musicismemory.com) to find out what I've spent my last 24 hours doing...I'll let you know, I was reading Chuck Klosterman's Killing Yourself To Live: 85% Of A True Story. Why would I blog about it twice? Well, for one, I try to reserve my book blog for more professional postings about music and memory...but on this one, I can be a bit more true to form.

Here is a quote from the book that demonstrates part of what I absolutely adored about it...the subtlety.

"I'm still half wasted when I awake, which is better than being hung over (but just barely)." -Chuck Klosterman

There are many other things I also enjoyed...the usage of the band KISS to organize and explore his romantic relationships.

I'd tell you more about it, but you should just find out for yourself, if you haven't. I also love the feeling of discovering a new author for the first time. I can remember when I discovered Milan Kundera, Nick Hornby, Jeanette Winterson...and it always feels amazing. You prepare yourself for a personal relationship with them, as you plan a trip to the bookstore to pick up EVERYTHING they've written. It's a lovely feeling.

But yes, I'd tell you more about the last 24 hours, except...I am attending the Republican Debate tonight. Yes, in person. I'm nervous and freaked out about the whole event, though I know when I'm sitting in my chair, looking around while people smile and commend the candidates broad sweeping attempts at votes...I'll be happy (and a bit disenchanted). I'll let you know what happens.

theatre for old men...and women

so...i finally took the plunge. i saw no country for old men today. as much as i've heard about the movie, i was starting to believe that it had been built up too much- but surprisingly it wasn't. it has been a very long time since i've gone to a 1:00 matinee by myself...and i think it might become a regular occurrence for me. regardless, the movie was excellent. i haven't read the book yet, but i loved the movie so much that i considered driving home, grabbing tim's copy of the book, and spending the entire night reading the book. hell, i still might.

i don't want to say too much about the movie, because i don't want to ruin anything for those who haven't seen it. overall, i very much enjoyed the movie. funny thing is that seeing a matinee on a week day in myrtle beach- means, well, it is you and every other senior citizen in the neighborhood. as they filed in, i thought, this is cool- i mean, given the trailer of the movie, i was surprised to see people of this age wanting to watch this type of movie. well, they do love suspense, don't they?

but as i watched the previews, commercials, and 30 minutes of other weird shit that plays before the movie officially starts- which by the way, why is this happening? are they postponing the beginning of the movie because people are typically late? they didn't use to do that. you could always count on 3 previews before a movie, but i swear- this is getting fucking ridiculous. back on point, so i was watching these commercials thinking how awkward it must be to be elderly. everything that was shown was totally generated toward young people. i even overheard a conversation about "that lindsey lohan" and her drug problems. ha.

another priceless moment was at the end of the movie. one good thing about the elderly is that they are respectful movie-goers, generally. they sat very quietly watching, with the exception of that one old couple in the back who kept saying, "uh oh, here he comes again...." they may be generally quiet during the movie, but they are not afraid to very loudly exclaim their opinions after the movie. the flippin' moment the movie ended, they were all exclaiming how they didn't like the ending. and then "that was a very very weird movie". i'm still trying to figure out what they thought they were going to get. and i'm sure the coen brothers would love to hear their thoughts on the ending.

2-0-0-8

i know, i was suppose to blog much earlier than this after the new year. to try to catch up with my happenings, there was a trip to atlanta for the band of horses show. the entire evening was fantastic. besides the show and dinner, i had a grand realization. we had some drinks at the hotel bar before dinner and got along famously with the bartender. now, i know that bartenders exist primarily to get along with their clientele...but within the first sips of my drink, i realized that we had a better conversation with our bartender than we have with most people that we have met in myrtle beach. yes, i know. i enjoy the beach. well, actually, the beach proper, not necessarily the town, but the ocean, the sand...yes, it is all very beautiful- but i've realized quite suddenly, actually that the area here does not offer many opportunities for new friends, interesting experiences, etc. so, this trip at the end of the year opened my eyes to the fact that it is time in fact for a move.

i do understand that this goes completely contrary to my new years 2007 resolutions...which after reviewing i have realized that i'm a planner. i like looking ahead to my next step. i like thinking of what is next. so i will continue to do this in 2008. part of this plan is to move within the next 5-8 months. i've applied to phd programs, so we'll see how this plays out. if it doesn't, i most certainly will be moving SOMEWHERE. ANYWHERE.

beyond that, i had a great time with my mother. i watched her during the show. i watched her sing, throw her arms in the air. i realized that sometimes it is difficult for children to realize their parents have their own happiness. i've been fortunate enough to grow up very close to my mother, so we've always been best friends, but i do hope that my brothers can realize that my mom isn't always "mom", but rather a very wonderful woman. that is her above, enjoying some breakfast at the majestic in atlanta.

so what did i do for new years? well, tim, patrick (our neighbor), and i went out to a bar up the street from the house. the whole scene was hilarious. there was a dj with people dancing to songs from C & C Music Factory. after a few beverages, we came back to the house for champagne. later, we went out on the beach for the magic moment, to watch fireworks and toast one another with plastic cups. the picture below is all three of us at the bar.



since the new year, i've been attempting to get everything in place for the beginning of classes. that is right- my extended vacation is almost over. i've been watching tons of movies, including the show, arrested development. jennie ann also came to visit for the last couple of days. i'll have a picture up soon enough. we had a great time, talking, drinking, and listening to music.

starting today, i'm on my own here at the beach, while tim spends his finally week of residency at school. he graduates on saturday. having the next few days alone is interesting. i start out with a list of items to be accomplished. the unfortunate thing is that i obnoxiously completed most of my activities in the first couple of hours...yes, i should learn to pace myself. i'm sure that could be said about a number of my favorite activities.

what am i looking forward to in the new year? the yo la tengo show, the wilco show, another band of horses show...working on my book and short stories. i also think that instead of listing out resolutions for the next year, i'm just going to take it as it comes. things seem to change so quickly every day for me, so i don't necessarily want to make a list now. i'll keeep you updated.