January 8th, 2010 at 2:10 am
by sillyjoe (Adventures in Randomosity, Life and Introspection, The Movie Corner)
How much does your life weigh? Imagine for a second that you’re carrying a backpack. I want you to pack it with all the stuff that you have in your life… you start with the little things. The shelves, the drawers, the knickknacks, then you start adding larger stuff. Clothes, tabletop appliances, lamps, your TV… the backpack should be getting pretty heavy now. You go bigger. Your couch, your car, your home… I want you to stuff it all into that backpack. Now I want you to fill it with people. Start with casual acquaintances, friends of friends, folks around the office… and then you move into the people you trust with your most intimate secrets. Your brothers, your sisters, your children, your parents and finally your husband, your wife, your boyfriend, your girlfriend. You get them into that backpack, feel the weight of that bag. Make no mistake your relationships are the heaviest components in your life. All those negotiations and arguments and secrets, the compromises. The slower we move the faster we die. Make no mistake, moving is living. Some animals were meant to carry each other to live symbiotically over a lifetime. Star crossed lovers, monogamous swans. We are not swans. We are sharks.
That quote from Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air covers Ryan Bingham’s entire philosophy of living. All of his possessions are in the luggage on wheels and the wallet in his suitcoat. He carries dozens of keycards for hotels, car rental companies, airlines, etc. He lives on the road and in the sky. Ryan’s family accuses him of self-isolation. Ryan counters “I’m not isolated, I’m surrounded.” But it becomes fairly clear that the random people Ryan encounters in planes and airports aren’t enough. Without even realizing it, he’s seeking relationships. Community. He meets Alex, a fellow constant traveler with similar philosophies, and they form a sexual connection. But that isn’t enough for Ryan, and it’s a joy to watch him realize that. I won’t go into where the relationship goes, and there’s so much more to this film I didn’t bring up, but I love the way this film depicts the difference between living in isolation and living in community. The final scene of the film is filled with interviews of people Ryan has “fired” telling how they made it through the ordeal. Each of them depended on their family and friends to get them through it. That’s what we need. God made us to be together, not alone.
Comments
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:13 am
by sillyjoe (Adventures in Randomosity)
In an effort to keep with this whole blogging more in 2010 thing I’m trying, I thought I’d dig out a short story I wrote a few months ago (well, a month or two ago) for a challenge a friend of mine laid out. The challenge? Be creative, and include eggs. So I wrote this story extemporaneously. There’s a bit of profanity, so sensitive minded folk be warned and be aware that this is a story about real people who maybe don’t have the same standards as you. It would be false art to not let them speak the way they would speak if they were real. That is all. Hope you enjoy. Feel free to critique…I’m a tough guy.
Read the rest of this entry »
Comments
June 25th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
by sillyjoe (Adventures in Randomosity, Music)
This week Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and the King of Pop Michael Jackson all passed away.
I’m a little too young to have been greatly affected by any of the three of these celebrities’ work, though I’m not sure there’s a non-Amish soul in America that hasn’t been at least somewhat affected by Michael’s music. I learned of Michael after he had already started to go crazy and turn himself into a white woman, so I feel like my experience with his music has always been a bit tainted. That said, there’s nothing like putting an old jam from Thriller, Bad, or Off the Wall and trying to moonwalk.
The man was crazy. We all know that. I just hope the legacy left is the music and not the insanity.
Comments
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:31 am
by sillyjoe (Adventures in Randomosity)
I’m so tired of fighting.
of being right.
of being a know-it-all.
of living with know-it-alls.
of losing patience.
of finding myself not sleeping.
of dealing.
of scary dreams.
of trying.
of lying.
of holding on.
of letting go.
I’m tired.
Comments
February 11th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
by sillyjoe (Adventures in Randomosity)
This one’s about 15 albums that have changed your life…
Think of 15 albums, CDs, LPs (if you’re over 40) that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life. Dug into your soul. Music that brought you to life when you heard it. Royally affected you, kicked you in the wasu, literally socked you in the gut, is what I mean. Then when you finish, tag 15 others (or more!), including moi. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill.
Alright. Here we go, in no particular order.
1. The Avett Brothers – Emotionalism: Anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with the Avetts. This album is the one that pulled me in. I’ve tried to come up with a way to describe the guys to people who haven’t heard of them, and the best I’ve come up with is that if the Beatles were from Appalachia instead of Liverpool, they’d sound like the Avett Brothers.
2. Caedmon’s Call – 40 Acres: This album owned my ears for a good part of my life. Caedmon’s was my favorite band for most of my teen years, and I remember listening to Derek Webb sing about singleness and praying I could someday have that kind of falsetto.
3. The Beatles – Revolver: I didn’t really start to absorb the Beatles’ music until the past couple of years, but it’s amazing to think of how influential they’ve been when you listen to albums like Revolver. I can listen to this album and point out a hundred things that I’ve heard in other albums that have been recorded since, that I now know have totally ripped off the Fab Five.
4. The Normals – Coming to Life: This is the first cd I put in my first car cd player in my first car. It stayed in there for a lot of my late teens. The songs “The Best I Can” and “Coming To Life” were huge themes for me at the time, and still are. And “Black Dress” is just epic.
5. Blue Merle – Burning in the Sun: Blue Merle is the band I associate with college. I found them during the year I attended Carson-Newman, and a mutual love for their music cemented my friendship with my good friend Sam. I was so sad when they broke up after only one album.
6. Dave Matthews Band – Under the Table and Dreaming: Like most guys who play the acoustical guitar, I had a Dave Matthews phase. If I ever meet Dave, I’m going to thank him for changing the way I approach playing the guitar.
7. Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker: His best album, in my opinion, and for me, the most cathartic. “Come Pick Me Up” and “Oh My Sweet Carolina” are perfect.
8. Ben Folds – Rockin’ the Suburbs: Another college-associated record. Ben Folds has such a way with melody and with phrase. I once read an article that talked about the way Ben juxtaposed beautiful music with vulgar lyrics to capture the tension in life itself. I think that’s a great idea, but I also love his music just for what it is.
9. Matt Wertz – Somedays: This isn’t the best Matt Wertz album, nor is it my favorite. But this album is the one that introduced me to independent music. I had heard of John Mayer, but I wasn’t interested. This guy interested me. And I got pulled in, and it’s been a great ride. Matt (and his counterpart, Dave Barnes) has been continually gaining steam in the music business since I first heard him, and I couldn’t be happier for him.
10. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: The album that broadened my musical horizons. When I lived at Carson-Newman with my roommate Andy, he talked and talked and talked about this band Wilco, who was supposed to be amazing. I’m glad I listened.
11. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – Once: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: It seems strange to include a soundtrack on this list, but this album is that good. Hansard, lead singer of the Irish band the Frames and Irglova starred in the movie together and wrote/performed all of the music. Some of the best songwriting I’ve heard in ages.
12. Dave Barnes – Brother, Bring the Sun: If Wertz’s Somedays was the album that introduced me to indie music, then this is the one that submerged me in it. I found Wertz first, but Dave’s the guy I still follow. My hard copy of this cd won’t play anymore. It’s too worn out. “Until You” was the first song I sang to my girlfriend.
13. Mute Math – Mute Math: Epic. There’s not much you can say about these guys without seeming hyperbolic, but it would all be true. They’re too great for words, but you have to see them live. This album is a ride.
14. Boards of Canada – Trans Canada Highway: This little EP got me into electronic music. There was a time (my folk-music-elitist days) when I categorized all electronic music as “techno” and smirked at all of it. Now, it’s probably about 1/3 of the music I listen to.
15. Bruce Springsteen – We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions: I was never a big fan of the Boss. I just didn’t give his music that much of a chance. It’s not that I didn’t like him, just hadn’t listened. Then this album came out. I thought “Man, that’s a cool concept,” so I picked it up. There’s a reason they call him the Boss. I dare you to listen to “O Mary You Don’t You Weep” more than once without singing along on the second and third times.
I’m going to try and write individual posts about most of these albums and why they had such an effect on me, maybe turn it into a series.
Who shall I tag? Hmm… Geof, Jeff, Michael, Travis, Andy, Matt, and Scott…you’re up.
2 Comments
February 7th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
by sillyjoe (Adventures in Randomosity)
Here’s 25 random things about me…
1. I am addicted to used book/movie shops. There are two here in Knoxville that I spend way too much time at.
2. As #1 might hint at, I’m an avid collector of both dvds, books, AND cds. My friend Matt has called me a pop culture sponge.
3. I am double jointed in almost all of my fingers (just not the thumbs).
4. My dad’s a Baptist preacher. He’s been a bi-vocational pastor most of my life, but now ministers as an Associate Pastor to Senior Adults full time at his church.
5. I won the school spelling bee in 5th grade, and came in 15th in the county bee (out of about 80). I went out on the word “pachyderm”
6. I have a closet full of random T-shirts, which during the fall and spring I love to wear over one of my many thermal shirts.
7. I have an usual love of martial arts films, especially the older films of Jackie Chan.
8. When I was in middle school, I wanted to be a lawyer. I read all of John Grisham’s books in a few months time. Then as soon as I got into high school, discovered the guitar, and realized I was a slacker, I left lawyering behind.
9. I’ve always had a secret desire to become a con artist. Not the kind that steals from old women, but the kind who pulls long cons and grifts…I think I could totally pull it off.
10. When I was in college, my friend Sam and I stayed up all night and watched the movie Almost Famous on my laptop just to have an excuse to skip our Philosophy class.
11. My dad and I almost got into a fight with some drunk guys at a Knoxville Speed hockey game when I was like 14. Well, dad almost got into a fight, but I totally had his back.
12. I am obsessed. OBSESSED. with the Avett Brothers. They’re the greatest band in the universe and everyone should know it.
13. My friend Matt Cheney and I used to eat pizza out of pizza boxes in the hall trash can in college (yes, I stole this from his list, but we did do it together). One time we found crazy bread. Score!
14. I think McDonald’s Sweet Tea is entirely too good to come from a fast food place.
15. Some of my friends and I have a tradition where we go to Waffle House on each others’ birthday. We always listen to “El Paso” by Marty Robbins and “Picture” by KidRock and Sheryl Crow on the jukebox.
16. I’ve never been drunk, and I didn’t taste alcohol until I turned 21.
17. One snowy night in college, my roommate Andy, our friend Sam and I played in the snow at 3 in the morning. It was magical, and we thought there wouldn’t be school the next day. But there was. Also, Sam tried to slide down the sidewalk that cuts through Henderson lawn and he totally faceplanted. It was awesome.
18. The 23rd of this month, my girlfriend and I will have been together 10 months. That’s bananas.
19. Speaking of my girlfriend, our first real date was to Waffle House. She’d never been there.
20. I started playing guitar seriously when I was 15.
21. I realized I could sing when I was about 10. I started singing songs a capella in church.
22. I read every Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys mystery I could find when I was in middle school. I had a crush on Beth.
23. I have catchphrases. I don’t really know how they start, but certain phrases find their way into my vernacular and stay there. Examples: “I’m just sayin’,” “true story,” “look it up,” etc.
24. Two of my best friends and I have a band. We’ve only played two shows, and we call ourselves the Jesus Cowboys. We are awesome.
25. I’ve only been to Hooter’s once. And it was with my old roommate Andy. Our waitress had pink hair. It was only slightly awkward. Okay, it was a lot of awkward.
Comments
December 27th, 2008 at 2:53 am
by sillyjoe (Adventures in Randomosity, Life and Introspection)
It’s late again. I’m fairly sure that isn’t much of a surprise to anyone who might read this blog. I’m not what you’d call a “morning person,” although I suppose that depends on your definition. It’s morning now, right? Yesterday was Christmas, for those of you who hablar Espanol, which means “more Christ.” I think that’s beautiful. We celebrate this day by giving and receiving presents and putting electrical gadgetry on nature’s least fireproof organism, the tree. Also, we drink eggnog and sing songs about a fat man in red and white who orders around a bunch of flying deer and little people. They don’t like to be called elves, it’s not PC. The more festive folk also like to string up electrical gadgetry on the outside of their houses. It’s a strange culture we live in, but I digress. The reason I started this post was to tell you why I’m lucky. I must first apologize to my father, for if he ever reads this blog he will surely scold me for my use of the word “luck.” My dad would say I’m not lucky. That chance has nothing to do with where I am now but that God in his grace and mercy and benevolence has decided to bless me. He’s probably right. He’s smarter than I am, although he would try to tell you otherwise. Just because I’m the only one in the house who knows how to work the electronic gadgetry we depend on doesn’t mean I’m the one with the brains. Again, I digress. Why am I so lucky? I’ll tell you.
Three days ago was the eight monthiversary of my beautiful girlfriend Ashley and me. I think me is right. It might be I. Don’t shoot me grammarians. Ashley spent Christmas Eve evening (redundant much?) and Christmas morning with my family and I. She met much of the extended family on both my paternal and maternal sides. They all love her and she loves all of them and I must tell you how amazing it felt to watch the person I give the most of my love to bonding and getting along with the people who’ve known me the longest. Christmas evening (last night) Ashley and I went to her mother’s house to have Christmas with her family and it was pretty great. I feel like I’ve assimilated into her family just as well as she fits in with mine. I’m so glad.
I wasn’t particularly worried about this, mind you. In fact, I hadn’t even considered the thought but to see the interactions unfold, to see the happiness on all faces involved. It was, what’s the word? Satisfying.
I have much to say, but not enough energy to say it tonight so until we meet again…
Comments
November 20th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
by sillyjoe (Adventures in Randomosity)
It’s great to have a day off. I just wanted to say that. Today, I didn’t have to set an alarm. When I got up I didn’t have to walk immediately to the bathroom, hop in the shower, and hurriedly get ready for my day. In fact, when I got up I came into the office, opened the blinds, turned on the computer, and lazily greeted the day. It was beautiful. I wish all days would be like this. Of course, if all days were like this, there would be no job, and if there was no job, there’d be no computer, and if there was no computer, there would be no office, just a room with a desk.
I’m fairly certain there were more than a few superfluous commas in that paragraph, but I’m okay with that.
Comments
November 14th, 2008 at 12:57 am
by sillyjoe (Adventures in Randomosity, In-television, Life and Introspection)
The title to this post is from a song by Willie Nelson, whose music I’m drawn to for some strange reason this evening. I was listening to his album of demo sessions when this song came up, and I remembered it from an episode from the first season of Lost (my favorite TV show for those who don’t know me). In this particular episode the survivors of Flight 815 break up into two factions. Part of the group heads to the caves with Jack to dig in and try to survive. There’s fresh water at the caves, and shelter. The rest stay at the beach with Kate and Sayid to keep the signal fires burning, hoping for rescue. I remember watching this episode and trying to decide which group I’d be in. I don’t think I ever decided, and I’m still not quite sure about it. I’m at a place in my life where I have to make this kind of decision. Do I dig in and hope for survival, or do I keep the signal fires burning and hope for rescue? The truth is, I’m not sure I’m where I want to be, Willie.
Comments