Walter says that I don’t draw very good cars – i.e. I don’t
draw things that look like real cars. I agree. Walter is an industrial designer
and his own notebooks are filled with meticulous illustrations which had very
neat block lettered text next to them. Everything is properly labeled and
explicated. My idea of a car is just something that triggered a vague ‘Ah, a
car?’ type response. This is all that I require, while Walter wanted you to be
able to recognize the make, the model and the year and thought the illustration
color should match OEM specifications. There would be no need for questions for
every details would have been provided in the accompanying text. Walter asks
Linda where she things Mr Yellow Pants gets his outfits and told her that he
and I wanted to get similar matching outfits.
Since she worked in an upscale dress shop, he considered here and expert
on fashion. “No!”, she replied, more a command than an answer. Then Walter
asked me if I knew were the word “Zoot” came from, “as in Zoot suit?” “No,” I
replied, “but I know a place in town where you can buy Zoot suits.” But Walter
wasn’t really interested in getting a Zoot suit; no more than liked accordians
or goats. He says that he don’t really like accordians or goats, he likes the
idea of accordians and goats. I ask Walter, “Why do they run bases
counterclock-wise in baseball?”
Sometimes he’s a cheat and a quack, but he is trusted and
respected. He carries the news, the undercurrent gossip from house to house and
that is worth the few extra pennies, even where they’re hard to come by –
Theodore Enslin – Then and Now – 1999 p31
On average each American tosses away 7.1 pounds of trash a
day (102 tons per lifetime) – the average Dane generates 4 pounds and the
average Japanese only 2.5 pounds a day. New York City spends $2.2 billion
annually on sanitation of which $300 million is for shipping trash out-of-state.
An application of judicial power that does not rest on fact
is worse than mindless, it is inherently dangerous – US District Judge Jed
Rakoft – 11/28/11
The largest land fill in the US, Los Angeles’ Puente Hills, produces enough methane to
generate electricity for 70,000 homes.
America’s “grown-ups” as the political class likes to think
of itself, have never had much patience when it comes to the “children”, as its
mere citizens are known – Paul Rosenberg – 11/29/11
Nights in the woods can be lonely but the morning after is
rewarding especially when then sun begins to clear the tree line. At last then
there is hope for warmth to arrive. Freezing toes and numb thumbs can be
invigorating but it is not what I would call fun. Something is hopping around in
the leave litter behind me; probably birds pecking for insects. Rodents would
never be so noisy – not if they want to survive. There is an owl up there in
that tree. He is taking no notice. A rabbit hops through the brush. “Float
Camp” means accessible only from the river. All those campsites along the
Current looked enticing on the map but I can’t get to them. I find an
accessible camp-site (identified by the nomenclature, “Recreational Area”). I am
the only camper. Vehicles come down the hill, cross the bridge and then go back
up again. Trucks use their jake brakes. It quiets down after midnight and then
starts up again about six in the morning. It’s a whoosh (down) and a rattle
tattle (across the bridge) and a shoosh (back up) in the dark. Except for these
noises these woods would not have been that different from the ones the Roman
Legions marched through into Germany – the creaking of leather of 1,200
legionnaires marching like the rustling of leaves on cottonwood trees. Fatigued
men marching in the dark in the woods have no need to chatter; it will not relieve this gloom and of course
they have no pills to make pain go away.
A music / a music / an echo of music - / Sound not a sound /
in the quiet north country - / the snow – Theodore Enslin – Then and Now – 1999
p20
The last time I’d seen him he had been down his luck. He is
addicted to day trading. He was a mud hen. I had seen him downtown in a street
front brokerage office watching the monitors while the latest stock prices post. His
clothes were tawdry and he had a three day growth on his face. Now things are
going better or at least at this moment – he’s got himself a rice doll and he
is all dressed up in a gaudy mauve suit. She is hanging on for her life in on precarious
spin with her fingers of her left hand tucked into his left back pocket and her right arm draped over his right
shoulder. He was not getting away from her so as long as he still had any
money left. He seemed to have a lot of friends. Mostly I had seen him when he had
none.
Anyone brave enough to risk his bourgeoisie contentment at
an early age will spend the rest of his life wandering if it was worth it –
Durs Grunbein – Bars of Atlantis, 2010
p107
Sunday afternoons drives.
Loaded into the car and out into the country along gravel roads fussing
and fighting and arguing all the way. Mom finally has enough – turn around and
head home. She had made the threat half
a dozen times, “Now you kids settle down and behave or we will go home.” But it had been to no
avail. Now we are headed home. The next time she will be left at hone and she won't complain (not audibly at least). Where are we going today? Where’re we going? You’ll see when we get
there and rarely did we ever (actually go anywhere). There sis no destination for a Sunday afternoon
drive. Later on the old man just got in the car and left. Not a word to anyone on Sunday afternoon. Not a
word gone. He was home by supper time.
Whoever expects the arts to overwhelm him externally with
the force of thunder… will never get his money’s worth from poetry – Durs
Grunbein – Bars of Atlantis, 2010 p123
All unions of people for the purpose of solidarity or cooperation
are ultimately, if sustained, insurrectionary
I’m so scared of this anti-Wall Street effort. I’m
frightened to death. They’re having an impact on what Americans think of
capitalism – Republican strategist Frank Luntz
The aim of art is to construct cultural Trojan horses, something
that it rarely manages to actualy do.
In the lonely business of sand castle construction, one
learns that everything built by human hands is ephemeral. Accordingly,
architects would be those people to whom the early experience of loss failed to
stick… And the Writers? To all appearance, they have renounced the fight and
cast their vote on the side of the sea – Durs Grunbein – Bars of Atlantis,
2010 p197
I write a poem
Every day
Whether it’s needed
Or not
Once, maybe twice,
It actually was
But I can’t remember
Which ones
Those
were
The dream, as you discover when you write, is the fully
authentic self – Durs Grunbein – Bars of Atlantis, 2010 p114
Those with boats are already on the lake. Breakfast is de rigeur
with coffee and juicy juice. From now on for the rest of the day the heat will
prevail. Beer and soda pop on ice are the drinks of choice. Bud lite must be
kept ice cold or it tastes like horse piss. Be sure to put on lot of sun screen
for your day out on the water.
The lights in the box have gotten brighter and flashier… but
the truth dimmer and dimmer – Dan Rather – 11/22/11
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