Rumors

No, not the Fleetwood Mac album. But, in case anyone is interested, my life-size wax replicas of Fleetwood Mac did survive the moving process and have been properly enshrined in my kitchen.

The rumor in question is regarding my health. I am sick. Again. But I am doing much better than last year, where I got sick about four times in one semester. All in all, it's not so bad. Just some kind of cold-thing.

Jamie was kind enough to point me toward this Detroit Freepress interview with Mason Proper's frontman Jon Visger. The band's "Noise/Effects" man is long-time friend of the Gargoyle Matt Thompson. It's an interesting read, a little light on facts and criticism, but I like these guys so I feel I should plug 'em.

LINK.

Now, to drain my sinuses.

A Journey

Sometimes I forget that the primary purpose of this blog is to reassure the world that I am, in fact, still alive.

I am mere moments away from climbing aboard Bucephalus and embarking on a journey westward, to the quaint village of Chicago Town. Claire has arranged tickets for me to see an opera featuring Rene Flemming (sic), and so the journey begins.

UPDATE!
1. The Gargoyle is done! Issue four is ahead!

2. My classes have all met at least twice now and things seem alright. Sure, I have complaints, but it's not going to be too painful a semester.

3. It's lunch time!

So I had better eat.

More upon my return!

New Year's Resolutions and Their Progress Thus Far

1. Keep better track of my money.
As always, the thing I really hate to do is to buy food. Specifically, prepared food. Unfortunately I have had to do an awful lot of this recently, on account of having consumed the entirety of my fridge before leaving for break.

2. Drink 1 pop per week.
Doing very well on this one. Last week's pop was Jone's Soda Berry Lemonade. Delicious. The downside has been trying to find acceptable substitutes at the aforementioned restaurants. Most of the time this has little to do with my own taste, but the quality of the alternatives. "Light" lemonade is, for instance, disgusting. Also, the "Organic" Iced Tea at Noodle's and Company tasted like eggs.

3. Stop biting the inside of my mouth.
I am very good at acquiring bad habits. In 2004/05, I successfully stopped biting and chewing my nails. I realize now that I only replaced this habit with a much weirder one: biting and chewing on the inside of my mouth. It's basically the same as nipping at your own cuticles, except more disturbing. Anyway, this is going pretty well. But nervous habits are hard to kick. Maybe I can replace this one with pen-chewing?

4. Take 2 long walks per month.
I don't get out enough -- it's a fact. I haven't really touched this one so far, and I feel it to be the weakest of the list. If one has to go, it will probably be this one.

5. Go out with Claire at least twice a month.
Because of School, Claire and I haven't had a lot of opportunities to hang out together. This one will see a lot more mileage (especially in the bowling and billiards categories) once Gargoyle Issue 3 is finished.

6. Read one book (or four New Yorkers) per month.
I got a New Yorker subscription for Christmas! Thanks Jim and Sherri! Anyway, I don't read enough (this might have to do with reading so dang much for my major). It's bothered me for a long time, and makes me feel pathetic around other English majors.

7. Eat Better, Eat Regularly.
This one is hurting right now, especially because of The Gargoyle production schedule (Two twelve-hour shifts!). However, I think this one is the most important on the entire list.

8. Stay In Touch
Make more calls. 24-hour turn-around for emails. More blog posts. Going pretty well so far, I think.

----
Gargoyle goes to print on January 11th. It's the first conceptual issue that I have done since seizing power two years ago. It's not a "theme" issue, like "The Holiday Issue" or anything like that. Instead, there's a unified artistic approach taken to the layout of each article, as opposed to the article's contents.

----
ps.
I was a straight "A" student last semester. Do I win?

2008

The radio is playing The Beatles.

Maybe we'll get through this.

Happy New Year!

A Moment

I think I am going to take a little bit to continue kicking back.

Back soon -- promise!

A Quick Word

Classes are over. But the fun continues!
I only have one exam left (ENG 350), but it's harder compared to my "eXtreme Weather Exam." Thankfully, I have read 50%+ of Paradise Lost, a little Fairey Queen (Spencer is lucky he's dead so I can't kill him myself), and all of Marlowe's Faustus. I think I am in good shape.

In my off-hours, I am working to rewrite my ENG 425 paper entitled "You Will Not Be An Astronaut." It's arduous, since I have 20 3-or-more-page reviews of it, plus my professor's comments. For me, re-writing is hard enough. Having to do it for a grade and on a time schedule is also straining. But I do have a week left, and I also have some idea of what I need to work on, so it's not all bad.

Also, out of a yearning artistic desire (but mostly fear), I wrote two pieces for the Gargoyle. The first chronicles the adventure of Joseph with Jesus, the bratty step-child. The second is a soliloquy delivered by the Miltonic Satan as he orders chinese food (spoiler: he uses "Stygian" a lot).

A busy time to be sure. The exams and the essays will be out of my (gorgeous) hair by the 20th, which is fantastic because I need more time to focus on the Gargoyle. We're going to print on the 11th of January, but since this is what I can safely call an "artistically experimental issue" it might not be enough time.

But it has to be.

---

X-Mas plans are as follows: Back in the Troydizzle after the 22nd but before the 24th. In Indiana on the 26th. Possibly further south if time allows? Who knows.

Liked Spam, A Lot

It's been a busy few weeks in Max-land.
With classes winding down there's been papers galore, and what few exams I have require studying. Or at least requisite fretting.

This past weekend, Claire and I sojourned to East Lansing to join my family in glorious celebration of my father's birth. East lansing was chosen as the site of such festivities because:

A. It is the home of El Azteca, Mexican restaurant famed throughout the land for gigantic salads.

and

B. Spamalot was playing at MSU's Wharton Center for the Performing arts.

Spamalot is, if you are unawares, a musical spin-off of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I say "spinoff" since it is certainly not an adaptation of the film. The play goes in different directions than the movie, and very much it's own production. Where the film focused on lampooning campy King Arthur movies, the play spends most of it's time mocking broadway productions (spec. "The Song That Goes Like This," and "You Won't Make It On Broadway (If You Don't Have A Jew)") as well as a myriad of broader, more topical points. Though Spamalot occasionally draws on the film for familiar gags and plotpoints, it does so with a fresh new spin. The "Anarchic Peasants" scene from the movie is re-imagined as the origin of Sir Gallahad, and takes a moment to mock The Phantom Of The Opera along the way.
Despite it's success, the play is certainly under the shadow the film, and making comparisons between the two is inevitable. The taunting by the French is a scene so familiar that it's difficult to see it done anew. Yet it's author, original Pythonite Eric Idle, and director, Mike Nichols of Nichols and May, seem aware of this and have clearly strove to not let the play be just a remake.

It's great for fans of quality satire, people that enjoy a fair amount of cursing and lewd material in their plays (me! me!), and anyone with a sense of humor. If you're looking to test your knowledge of python material, and are one of those people that insist on reciting the "Knights Who Say Nee" sketch verbatim, then don't go to this play. And stay out of my house.

Anyway, the play was fantastic. You should all see it. Don't buy the soundtrack, though. You have to see the play to really appreciate it. Claire and I had a great time (apart for the hour where I got lost in East Lansing), and so did the rest of the family.

Happy Birthday, Dad! You're awesome!

---

At this moment, I am in the basement of Cafe Ambrosia, waiting for my study group to arrive. Keith was in from DC where he works professional weiney burger starer. Awesome! Matt Thompson, of Mason Proper fame, was here too! Cool!
Me and Claire are going to try and see The Golden Compass tonight! Fantastic!

---

Just saw Golden Compass! Fantastic!
Also: I guess George C. Scott really needed the money!

Thanksgiving

Thanks was gave and food was had -- an excellent time.

I went home on Wednesday, after having a lovely visit with Kris and Claire completing her GREs (she did quite well) and the next day we ate together with the Lyons' at their their house in Rochester Hills.

On Friday I journeyed southward to West Lafayette Indiana. The trip was especially notable since I won a game of Monopoly -- against Phil no less!

The trip back was pretty lousy. I hit foul weather around Ft. Wayne, and it just kept coming. The truck handled pretty well in the snow (and the rain, and sleet, and the freezing rain, and the hail(?)), to my surprise, and I made it back alright.

Winter has finally come to Ann Arbor. Today, I actually had to get out my big black coat and floppy-eared hat. Winter is a good season for me, despite the driving issues. Hopefully this last winter in Ann Arbor will be a nice end to my time here.

Another post after I finish this essay on the demonic in Paradise Lost and The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus.

Ps.
Some of you may remember me talking about The Challenge. I ordered it at the Sunrise Cafe in West Lafayette, IN. It's basically a giant pile of eggs, biscuits, has browns, bacon, and possibly more meat, all covered in delicious sausage gravy. I ate the whole thing in one sitting.

Now, there is finally proof.





These surprisingly good pictures were taken on Phil's cell phone. I don't think they really do The Challenge justice -- this thing was massive. Sadly, there are no photos of me and Phil destroying Mank Rage's couches, which happened shortly after my finishing The Challenge.

Das Untersee Prius

Did you know that China is building super-quiet electric/diesel hybrid submarines?

I bet they get great highway mileage.

Oh, also: it seems that those billions we spend on defense isn't good enough because we can't tell where these things are and they can just pop up right next to the U.S.S. Kittyhawk.

It's probably not news to you, but I don't have a radio.

Concerts and Comics and Football

I've been going to a lot of "cultural events" recently. Partly, I think, because it's my last year at the University and I want to get my money's worth.

Two weeks ago, I attended my first football game. It was both disappointing and exciting -- I feel rather torn about it. I suppose my problem is that everyone I met had been building it up for me.

"Oh man, you never forget the first time you walk into The Big House," my co-worker had told me. He said that he felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of people and marveled at the feeling of being part of something so large.

I did feel something like that. I often complain that since moving out of the dorm I've felt separated from the University. Being at the game was the first time in a long time I have experienced the sensation of being part of a community, a group that shared emotions and experiences. I think we must be hard-wired to seek out these kind of feelings, which is probably why we value family and create our own groups of friends.

I did not have the awe-inspiring psuedo-religious experience that I was promised. I did, however, enjoy a very good game.

Last week, I saw the Russian Patriarchate Choir performing church music and a few folk songs. Less harmonic than a gregorian chant, the singing is as you would probably imagine. Soulful and heavy it filled the room with something like pious joviality.

It was interesting since generally I don't listen to music just for the music. Opera, for instance, is interesting to me not because of the amazing arias or the contra-tenor singing them. I enjoy the plots as much as (if not more so) than the pretty music.

However, the Russian choir was in a totally alien language. Also, I feel like most liturgical music isn't really saying anything all that original. It's generally a lot of praising, and what not. My experience of the music transcended lyrics, and content and was solely about melodies, harmonies, and voice. It was a truly excellent experience, even if I didn't get the jokes that everyone (or rather, every Russian speaker) was laughing at during the folk songs. I suspect some of the members of the audience to be Kossacks.

Tonight, I saw Madeline Peyroux. The concert went pretty much as I imagine. I tried to think of some clever similes to describe it.

"Like drinking the best coffee out of a mahoganey cup."

No? How about:

"Like drinking hot chocolate while sitting in your robe, watching the rain spray across flame-orange trees on a grey autumn day."

I guess it's easier to just say that it was the most mellow experience of my life. Peyroux, who sings like a Frenchier Billie Holiday, was backed by jazzy quartet consisting of a keyboard/pianst, electric guitar, electric/stand-up bass, and drums. The end result is that I felt warm and sleepy the entire time.

Lastly, I found the artist who did my favorite comic from the Flight collection I bought three years ago. It is completely fantastic, and you should all read it.

I haven't forgotten the promises I have made to this blog, but I keep getting distracted. Sometime, soon.

BIO PIC'D

The evidence clearly shows that Martin Scorsese will not stop until he has made a Bio Picmovie about every single artist that was in his record collection in 1974.

It does look kind of cool though.


---
Edit: I didn't like my use of "Bio Pic." Really, only the Dylan movie was a Bio Pic. I suppose it's open for debate. The title is staying, though.

Things I've Said

I know, I am way off the schedule that I hinted in the last post.
But I have a really good excuse this time.

The whole alum thing last week dominated my time, but it was completely awesome. I love the alums - there will be more on this later, and I do promise that.
Anyway, the Alums were here and Kris was staying with me (RAD!) but that meant we got no work done on the issue that weekend. So we've been burning the midnight oil all week to layout the issue and also do fun things -- like carve pumpkins.

We just finished. The issue is entirely done. We're doing the copy-edit corrections Friday afternoon, and it will be sent to the printer's before end of business tomorrow.

I'm going to sleep so well.

The Wes Anderson Situation : The Second Line

After my post made directly after standing in line for the quickest five hours of my life, I did not in fact fall asleep.

Actually, I went to Midas and had my car repaired. I'm not saying what exactly I had done because it was embarrassing. I will say that it cost me $5.11.

A little later, I was lounging in the Gargoyle office. Mostly sleeping and pretending to read The Argonautika. Zack, the man for whom I was standing in line for that morning, dropped in and quickly grabbed the coveted wrist band with only moments before the interview with Wes Anderson was scheduled to start at Borders. He returned, glowing, half an hour later.

He said his life was better.

It's hard to describe what happened next. There was a lot of going back and forth, yelling, and negotiating. I'm going to try to get this across to you, gentle reader, as succinctly as I can.

Cathy Fisher, my friend whom I spent the morning in line with, called me from the new line forming outside of the Michigan Theatre. She, like me, had obtained a pass to see The Darjeeling Limited. She had also taken one of the Gargoyle's coveted bombs and had Jason Schwarzman as well as Wes Anderson sign it. Their names will live on in history, along with both members of They Might Be Giants. But I digress.

Fearing that the bomb might get damaged (or worse confiscated) in the theatre I quickly ferried it back to the safety of the Office. However, upon my return I found that they had begun to bring people into the theatre from not one but two lines! Within seconds, the flow stopped with between 50 and 100 angry people still outside, hopelessly waving colored vouchers. I was among them, though perhaps far less vocal than the rest.

Tempers were high, to say the least. Curses were thrown. Managers and underlings were berated equally by the crowd. Someone would come out from the theatre, inform us that it was hopeless and that we were wasting our time. Shouts would rise from the back of the mob about promises, about how much time they had spent in line, about the questionable parentage of the manager. No fewer than three people on behalf of the theatre came out, and left noticeably deflated by the angry throng.

I felt bad for both sides, really. Borders had bungled the whole thing by passing out numbered, signed, but apparently worthless vouchers to the first fifty people in line. The Michigan Theatre had not anticipated the popularity of the film, and had obviously given away far too many vouchers, and also had no system in place for sorting the people waiting to get in.

There was visible disagreement within the theatre. A man in a camel-hair suit, who towered over the underlings that came out to speak to the crowd was seen shouting, or at least talking sternly, within the lobby. Eventually, a man in a pinstripe suit emerged and ordered all "purple vouchers" against the wall - a certain number of us would be let in. With some jostling, and quick reflexes, I made it inside.

FRIDAY: The People I Met, and the Movie Itself!

SUNDAY: Wilco At the Fox

This weekend, the Student Publications building is being rededicated as The Stanford Lipsey Publication Building. Guess who dropped 3.3 million on the project! There will also be the odd-year Gargoyle Alumni reunion. Pictures and stories to follow.

Announcement!

On December 25th, 2006 I received a Wii for Christmas. Along with this whopper of a gift, I also received a copy of "Zelda: Twilight Princess."

On October 21st, 2007 I beat Twilight Princess.

I think I might be the last Wii owner in America to do this, but this is the situation.

Two Things

1. I still need to talk about Wes Anderson. There's not much to say, really, but it was such a big deal that I need to wind it up.

2. I cannot say enough good things about tonight's Wilco show. It was fun, it was dead on. The band went all the way back to A.M. and hit every album in between (save for, oddly, either Mermaid album).

So there's a lot coming. I have some more reading to do, and a paper to work on, but I be sure to fill all of you in.

Thank you, Gentle Readers.

It Seemed Better in the Dark

I woke up at 4am today. I want that up front, since that might explain everything that happens from here on in.

A few days ago, my friends and I noticed a sign in the window of the local Border's. It announced the coming of acclaimed director Wes Anderson, who would be speaking and presenting a screening of his new film The Darjeeling Limited. My friends, Cathy and Zack planned to get into line very early this morning in order to get passes both to the film as well as the lecture/Q&A thing.

Zack, however, felt that the appeal of the director would be limited and decided to go home and try to get tickets a few hours before the presentation. Last night, Cathy convinced him of his folly.

This is where I come in.

I like Wes Anderson, and I think that his films are great. However, I saw no purpose in my going to see him speak. I had decided that my involvement would be limited to scoping out the venue the night before to see if a line was already forming. When Zack decided to come later, however, I offered to serve as a ringer -- to stand in line for him so that he could see Wes Anderson speak and I could see the movie.

The decision was made. I met Cathy outside Border's Books and Music around 4:10am, Monday.

3pm Monday : Zack should arrive in Ann Arbor
6pm Monday : Wes Anderson speaking event
7:15 pm Monday : Film screening

I don't know exactly how all this will go down. Judging how the line was this morning, I can't imagine that it will too awful.

Details as they develop.

PS.
I neglected to mention what I got from Writing as Business Symposium (apparently, it was a symposium).
Basically I learned that:

1. Copy Writing sounds like a good job
2. Advertising agencies hire english majors
3. "You are not reading enough."
4. "You are not writing enough."
5. You can get a job in the field without a graduate degree -- this was key. My current thinking is that I do not want to go to Grad School until I am sure what I want to do with the degree.

There was also an interesting, but less practical discussion, on the role of critics and reviewing. More on that, some other time.

Open The Mysterious Bag!

Thats right, kiddies. I got a hair cut, and this time its pretty serious.



But all in all, I am very happy with it.



It was time for a change, anyway.

My friend and former roommate Hyatt has told me several times, "Max, the day you cut your hair is the day we have to grow up."

Immediately, I thought of "Tall Buildings."
Don't worry, H-Man and everyone else, I am certainly not any different. Just much, much more attractive.

I do think I kind of look like Matt, though.

Hair

A Question!

What is in this mysterious black bag!?

Find out at 5pm, October 4th!

New Apartment and Symposium

In order to alleviate the fears of loved ones, I will be attending 'The Business of Writing Forum' today. As near as I can tell, its a bunch of old, successful foggies talking about how great they are. Im a little disappointed that its not, in fact, a symposium. Im not sure what the difference would be, but I have always wanted to experience symposia.

Also, I am pretty well settled into my apartment now. Its a cozy little thing, a little ways back from the road. I'll try to have some pictures up by this evening. I still don't have my TV, on account of my TV being in (I believe) Grand Rapids. Hopefully that can be worked out soon, because I have got me a hankerin' to play some Wii.

Before I forget, the address here is:

334 East Madison, Ann Arbor Mi 48104

The Photos From Iceland

Many have asked, "Sir, hasn't our breath been baited enough? Are we not worthy of your many, many pictures of Iceland?"

Children, you have waited long enough.
Behold, I give unto yee (the little people) these pictures.

Trip To Iceland (And Beyond)

I chose only the best, least rock-related photos of the 541 primarily rock and landscape based photos to be posted. Each has what I hope to be some kind of explanatory caption, but do ask questions using the comment feature on each picture and I will use my encyclopedic knowledge to answer it.

I'd like to take a moment to explain just what happened to yours truly upon his glorious return from the Land of Ice (and Vikings). Claire and I came into New York, where we were met by Ba and Mare - my wondrous aunts of legend. After a night in the Casa De Everett (home of Rick Everett, man about town), we sojourned on to New York. Our two-day mission was to aide in moving Claire's sister Hannah into her new home at Columbia University.

After a few minor, less viking-related adventures in NY (sadly, not involving Justin Kavoussi) Claire and I headed back to Ann Arbor - the Big Sleazy. She left later the next day, and then I was on my own. Homeless and alone, but at least gainfully employed, I staggered through the next ten days. On the 31st of August, I moved into my new domicile and then immediately left for Indiana.

Since then, I have started classes (more on that later) and the Gargoyle has kicked into gear for the year (more on that later, also rhyming). The only real obstacle between me and getting back into semi-regular contact is the sheer lack of internet in my house. Despite my best efforts to steal it from neighbors, I have been without internet in my life since the 21st of August. I miss it, but according to the voice on the other end of the line a modem should materialize on or around the 11th of September.

Now take some time to enjoy the pictures. Its very late, and this Max is off to bed.