Showing posts with label pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pain. Show all posts

Tuesday Bluesday

Ugh. Bad morning. Still fighting a lingering flu bug going around; knees killing me; sleepy as hell; and a lot of little tasks are taking up my time.

All in all, not a great start to the day. I hereby proclaim that we rename the days of the work week:

Monday = Mournsday
Tuesday = Bluesday
Wednesday = Grimsday*
Thursday = Hurtsday
Friday = Sighday

*That works surprisingly well, since Odin (Wodan/Wodan, etc) is precisely where we derive Wednesday from, and Grim is one of his appellations. So, in that spirit, Fuck It. Let's listen to Viking Rock, shall we?



Amon Amarth, Danish purveyors of Cheesiness. But, there is something about this song that I do love, very much. I love how the singer guy here has the Hammer of Thor when, as we all know, his ass would have been a farmer, along with the abiding majority of Norsemen.

We like to think it would be all pillaging and razing towns, but if you want to see what happens when you give Germans/Danes/Swedes/Norwegians the opportunity to not go a-viking, think "Dakotas".


Lord, it's going to be a weird day.



-d.s.
READ MORE » Tuesday Bluesday

Happy Wednesday MFers...

Or, as I call it, "God, this week has flown by; it's the middle of the Work-Week Day already". Weird busy week. New Secretary started, emergencies dropping like dead birds all over the place, and here we sit on Hump Day and I have surprisingly little done.

Time to throw some elbows on the day...


Slut's "Wednesday"...I really like this video, and the lyrics are none-too-cheery either. Just the thing to kickstart some existential angst...







-d.s.
READ MORE » Happy Wednesday MFers...

The bittersweet dream...

Of a big bore V-8 speeding down an endless ribbon of highway, wind whipping caressing me like a lover, the painted desert further painted on the reflection of her sunglasses, her bright red lipstick and tousled hair, a radio that never sounds bad. She half-climbs into the backseat of the black convertible, as the wind worries at her dress.

We are young, reckless and utterly "ima wo ikiru"..."being", living in the moment with no past and no future, and an aimless, rudderless love for life itself.


Mood music. The excellent Danish punk, gothabilly band, Volbeat.



The first car we've encountered on this lonely highway, speeds us by. The driver's tie is at half-mast, bags line his eyes which show a far-away look of deep concentration on the road and whatever else lies heavy on his mind. In the backseat, a bored child's face is pressed against the glass. I try to smile at her as we pass, but no light comes to the little girl's eyes, and we're quickly forgotten.

And then the dream dies around me. What was perpetual sunset, is now a descending darkness. I feel the night's chill set in, and realize that I brought nothing to keep me warm. I begin to become consciously aware of the heavy lump in my pocket where an empty wallet lies. I worry as the gas needle drops faster than gravity would seem possible. What once was whimsy on her face turns into a cold distance, and furrows unconsciously gather in her brows. There grows a distant pang somewhere in the pit of my stomach that isn't attributable to growing hunger alone. I start to think about -not this moment- but the moment's that must come tomorrow, and the preparation that must be done now so as to live in that future, rather than this moment.

And, it's a dream. A bittersweet one; an irresponsible one; an impossible one. 

It is, in short, Rousseau's notion of the liberated individual; the spirit freed from the strictures of everyday society. And it leaves me gasping for breath as I choke against the tethers that I only occasionally feel, but which I've leashed about myself in an effort to stave off uncertainty.

A dream juxtaposed against a very real sacrifice. That is what I'll tell myself today, anyway.








-d.s.
READ MORE » The bittersweet dream...

Thursday is in the doldrums...

And, what better way for an aching Thursday than with a Snow Patrol double feature. A fitting start to your day, I hope.


Set the Fire to the Third Bar.
Probably a bit commercial, but an interesting juxtaposition of the vocal parts.
* * *
Run.
Easily, one of my favorite songs of the past 5-6 years. Easily. 
The chorus alone is worth the price of pain for admission.


Here's hoping your day is off to a less bleak start than mine. And, on the upside, it's a holiday for many of us (not I, alas). So, enjoy...before winter comes in earnest.


-d.s.
READ MORE » Thursday is in the doldrums...

Tuesday, full on in the grind...

...And, plagued by migraines, but that's neither here nor there...




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READ MORE » Tuesday, full on in the grind...

Killing One Human Being is Killing Humanity as a Whole...

No snark, pithiness, or asshole commentary. Seriously, just an excerpt of the Turkish ambassador's speech to the UN Security Counsel yesterday, in the wake of Israel's murderous piracy in international waters. I am just as sick to my stomach as humanly possibly.

The full speech is available at Ankara's paper of record, The Hurriyet Daily:


Mr. President,
I appear before you today as a result of a very sad and tragic occasion where one state member of this august house has committed a serious crime in total disregard of all the values we have vowed to uphold since the establishment of the United Nations system.

I am distraught by the fact that the Israeli Defense Forces stormed a multinational, civilian endeavor carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza in international waters, 72 nautical miles off the coast to be exact, killing and wounding many civilians. This action was uncalled for. Israeli actions constitute a grave breach of international law.

In simpler terms, this is tantamount to banditry and piracy. It is murder conducted by a state. It has no excuses, no justification whatsoever. A nation state that follows this path has lost its legitimacy as a respectful member of the international community.

The multinational civilian flotilla composed of a few ships and a total of around 600 people from 32 countries, carrying humanitarian aid to impoverished Gaza was unlawfully ambushed early today. The sole aim of this civilian mission was to provide much needed relief to the children of occupied Gaza who have been under illegal and inhumane Israeli blockade for years. The ships were hardly a threat to the State of Israel or any other state for that matter. Humanitarian aid was on its way to children who have been stripped of their opportunities to live as children and enjoy all the basic amenities that your and our children take for granted. These children do not know where their next meal is coming from. They either have no shelter or live in extremely deprived conditions. They receive no education; they have no future where they can contribute to a peaceful and stable Palestine and region.

Mr. President,
The ships carry amenities and facilities such as playgrounds that would remind the children of their childhoods. They carry very basic needs like cancer medication and powder milk to enhance child growth and health in the absence of milk proper. The international community has been a witness to this humanitarian tragedy for years, failing to act. And today this is where we are. Today we have observed through live coverage an act of barbarism where provision of humanitarian aid has been punished through aggression in high seas, 72 miles from international waters. Today many humanitarian aid workers return in bodybags. And Israel has blood on its hands. This is not off the coast of Somalia or in the archipelagos of the Far East where piracy is still a phenomenon. This is the Mediterranean where such acts are not the norm. This is where we need common sense. This is where civilization has emerged and flourished and where the Abrahamic religions took root. These are religions that preach peace and teach us to extend our hands when others are in need.


Fuck Israel, fuck the Likud, fuck the bankrupt and immoral occupancy of the West Bank, fuck the immoral and bankrupt blockade, and fuck Washington for coddling this state sponsor of terror and band of pirating, war criminals. Shame on you all.





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READ MORE » Killing One Human Being is Killing Humanity as a Whole...

Thursday has to study, study, study...

Of the most miserable, abject moments of this life, I count the Bar Exam among the top two or three. Alas, Hawai'i requires all persons to take their version of this nightmare. And, while it's not much different from any other state, you'd be absolutely amazed at how much useless esoterica you forget after a few years (esoterica, FWIW, that has nothing to do with the actual practice of law).
I think I'll just resume hard drinking...
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READ MORE » Thursday has to study, study, study...

Your teeth are not tough...

 Bobby Clarke; Philadelphia Flyers great, Hall of Famer, Stanley Cup winner, and poster child for all toothless hockey players throughout the ages.



We mythologize about how tough hockey players are, and the toothless hockey player has become iconographic in those (largely White, cold) countries where the game is loved. But, dentifrice-be-damned, all of those frozen rubber discs smashing into the mouth at 100 mph takes its toll; mentally and certainly physically.



Ian LaPierre with another day at the office. Bonus points for the New Jersey fans cheering inadvertent violence and a shitload of blood.



Today, Yahoo's hockey blog Puck Daddy linked to an older story from the Globe and Mail about the dental horrors associated with the game. It is a fascinating read, and really goes to show that no matter how tough and manly these guys are, at the end of the day they are human: They fear the pain, they are scared when they get hit in the face, they are in a great deal of pain, and, yes, they regret the sacrifice. The whole article is worth reading, but here are some choice nuggets (emphasis added:

Tkachuk’s injury is an extreme example of the damage that sticks and pucks inflict on players’ mouths, but even minor blows can create a mess. Roughly half of the players in the league are missing at least some teeth, according to team dentists, with those 30 and over more likely to have had restorative work done.

Root canals are common, even for star players. (Tkachuk has had seven.). And because the inner areas of human teeth have the highest density of nerve endings in the body, catastrophic injuries can be more anguishing than broken limbs or torn ligaments. 

As a result, the team dentist is vital, and 19 NHL clubs list one or more on their website. The Chicago Blackhawks have four. On average, dentists have to evaluate a player every two or three games and do significant work about once a month.Some newer arenas even have a small dental suite in them.

Perhaps the busiest dentist in recent years has been the Washington Capitals’ Thomas Lenz, who helped repair former captain Chris Clark’s broken palate bone in 2006 – “it was basically sitting in the back of his throat when I got to him” – in one of the more horrific dental injuries.



All in all, a fascinating, if not painful, story and well worth the read.



I repeat, you are not manly.





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READ MORE » Your teeth are not tough...

Set the wayback machine to Exams

 Get that paper, lawya'



So, this morning, on the Daily 'Tubez, I posted Bone Thugs n' Harmony's First of the Month. That got me thinking about all the various study aids I used, without fail, throughout my life. I can't guarantee that they'll work for you, but they were damned helpful on this end:



High School: I was an absolute fuck-up and ninny in high school. I barely studied, and when I did, I was more often high or half-drunk.




 "Sweet leaf, I love you..."




 I was broke and had no taste...Boone's Farm was the staff of life though. Especially Apple and Strawberry Hill,


College: I had a bit better sense in college, and actually paid attention more and/or studied. However, I was also working two or three jobs, double-majoring, double-minoring, and writing two Honors' theses. Needless to say, I was stressed and exhausted...but still broke.


Like I said, I was broke. Nevertheless, my college sweetheart and I would knock back a 1/2 case of this vile swill every night, needless to say, my bowels hated me.


Good ole' Dexedrine. If you're tired, and have a 22 hour day ahead of you, roll with some black market speed.




 There is no German music heavier or more intense than the original gangsta' Mozart and his Requiem.




Your mouth does get a little nasty with all that Natty Light, cigarette smoke and speed...throw one of these in the fridge, and drink it all before you pass out.


A pack a night, every night you're studying...Makes a nice side dish with the speed, Natty light and black coffee



Grad School: By grad school, my tastes had improved somewhat, and I had a little more money, so Natty Light was shunted, as was Diet Coke. Not to mention, the stress level increased, and old-school speed just couldn't be on the menu anymore.



She's missing the coconut, but otherwise, yes, this is how you make a delectable Blue Hawaiian. The wussiest drink ever and my secret shame.




Here's a secret, unless you're on speed, or really high, Diet Coke is nasty. Diet Dr. Pepper is the schiznit.
You'll be stunned to know this, but I'm kind of a squirrelly, fidgety, overwrought Type A: About that time, my panic attacks went Mt. St. Helen's explosive. Enter my new BFF, Klonipin. 



Law School: No one wants to be the Natty Light drinker in law school. But, everyone is still desparately broke (most people, in any event). So, we put on airs and drink shit out of our budget...and a lot of it.



Good ole' Beck's Dark; still my favorite mass-produced dark beer. And, my dog. I love dogs, and played with my puppy and munchkin a WHOLE lot to destress.







Klonipin usage damn-near Doubled. These things were like Tic-Tacs for three years!




 Anyone who claims they got mad-laid in law school is a goddamned liar. You're too tired, too stressed, and too disinclined to have a sex drive, much less a sex life. Enter fervent, shameful, glum masturbation as needed.







Bonus: Bar Exam!!!



Trick question. Nothing helps for the bar exam...you can't drink enough, smoke enough, pop enough pills, or fuck enough to help with this monster of a test: The hardest exam administered in America. All you can do is throw on another pot of coffee and cry in the shower.



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READ MORE » Set the wayback machine to Exams

You do NOT want to be this poor bastard...

Meatballs...for no reason, really...


Via the UK's Mirror, comes this cautionary tale about --HOLY HELL-- the worst possible way to fucking kill yourself. Ever.

A window cleaner died after stabbing himself in the groin repeatedly with a jumbo souvenir pencil, an inquest heard.
Jeffrey Burton’s family and friends were baffled by his bizarre death, which was recorded as an open verdict because there was no evidence he was trying to commit suicide.
Mr Burton, 57, was found by police in a blood-soaked room in his house in St Leonards, East Sussex, on September 27.

 The coroner gets extra pain points for this line: “It seems to me that it can’t have been a single stab wound. He seems to have worked on it. The pencil was blunt.”

That's right. He stabbed himself to death. In the balls. With a giant fucking pencil you get at schmaltzy places for souveneirs.


Yea, one of THESE...


Chalk this up as the most painful way to die that I could ever imagine. This is the testicular version of staking a vampire, but --owing to the location of the stake-- far, far worst. At least a stake to the heart kills pretty much instantly.

As the Inquest magistrate so blithely, if not wittily, commented: "It’s a mystery to me. If you were choosing to take your own life, that’s not the way you would do it."





Pretty much my reaction to this story...




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READ MORE » You do NOT want to be this poor bastard...

To heal a broken heart...

 
You sucked HOW MANY dicks?!
(Thank you, Kevin Smith) 



One of the worst things about breakups is the "freedom price", roughly defined as all the material possessions and goods that are in the hands of the ex; whether they are appropriating the goods, it's by consensual agreement, or -more often the case- you just don't want to deal with the pain/awkwardness/restraining order of having to see them again.



Ummm, yea, I think I left some stuff over at your place. No, just keep it or throw it away. Whatevs.



Well, there is a performance artist in NYC who takes care of that for you...The Death Bear. According to the Death Bear's website:
“We all have someone or something we would rather just forget. Things fall apart. Love hurts. Dreams die. But when you summon Death Bear to your door, you can rest assured that help has come.
“Death Bear will take things from you that trigger painful memories and stow them away in his cave where they will remain forever, allowing you to move on with your life. Give him an ex’s clothes, old photos, mementos, letters, etc. Death Bear is here to assist you in your time of tragedy, heartbreak and loss.”



Sure, it's a great idea, but ummm...
 Didn't you kill Mozart in that "Amadeus" movie?!


This really does strike me as an awesome idea. Most people don't thrive on confrontation, and certainly most people don't like the awkward and damned painful first encounter when a relationship ends. It's as though everything the past months or years have just slowly drained out from beneath you like quicksand. You need time to regain your footing, to take stock. And, if the Death Bear helps in the healing, bravo to him, and to those brave enough to soldier on.

Viva healing.



No, you can't put it back together again, but you can go on. Trust me.


To read more on the Death Bear, as well as the positive impact it has had on people's lives, check out this little nugget from MSNBC.





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READ MORE » To heal a broken heart...

If I'm not around one morning, this will be why.

I will have finally done what I should have done a very long time ago. That's cool, though. Really.

I've spread my genes (multiply, apparently), and the kiddos are healthy, happy, loved.  I've been in a signed band; I've been a professional artist; I've been a published poet and author; I've achieved some degree of academic notoriety in my chosen profession.



Pic un-fucking-related, but I will miss this...



I've also dragged myself up from fuck-all nothing; I've survived cancer...three times, including the last one which should have killed me (even down to planning the spreading of the ashes); I live in excruciating pain everyday, be it complications from Chemo, the crippling drug-induced arthritis, or the fibromyalgia (which, they think may be Lou Gherig's, but I'm too big of a pussy to affirm that death warrant).  I've never condemned or judged anyone for embracing that emptiness that must surely greet us all one day, and I would ask none in return.



 
Shit...too late for this one...


This is rock bottom kids, and I don't know if I can carry on. So, this is not some horseshit call for help or whatever they call afternoon specials these days...sometimes I'm just disinclined to go on.




 
Put a fucking fork in me...I'm done.


Manic? Depressive? Chronic, crippling, life-altering, mind-distorting pain? Guilty as charged. But, this is my life, this is my therapy, and neither have worked thus far. And, I reserve the right, as my own rational agent to do with it what I may. That's my self-determination. Christians are big on free will. Try this one on for size motherfuckers.


I will be cremated, but my tombstone (if Monkey has enough $$) will read "He wanted to enjoy life...it just didn't work out).


BONUS:  Lyrics go now:

Fool enough to almost be it
Cool enough to not quite see it, doomed
Pick your pocket full of sorrow
Run away with me tomorrow, June

We'll try and ease the pain
Somehow we'll feel the same
Well, no one knows
Where our secrets go

I send a heart to all my dearies
When your life is so, so dreary, dream
I'm rumored to the straight and narrow
While the harlots of my perils scream

And I fail
But when I can, I will
Try to understand
That when I can, I will

Mother, weep the years I'm missing
All our time can't be given back
Shut my mouth and strike the demons
Cursed you and your reasons
Out of hand and out of season
Out of love and out of feeling so bad

When I can, I will
Words defy the plans
When I can, I will

Fool enough to almost be it
And cool enough to not quite see it
And old enough to always feel this
Always old, I'll always feel this

No more promise no more sorrow
No longer will I follow
Can anybody hear me
I just want to be me
When I can, I will
Try to understand
That when I can, I will 





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READ MORE » If I'm not around one morning, this will be why.

Today. Existentialism at its finest

Or, nihilism is the more correct word.

Today is a total and complete wash. I'm fucking despondent, frustrated, hurting, cold, lonely, underworked, and generally not in a good mood. So, yea, about Tuesday, for now...Fuck it. Motivation may be regained after I knock a few drinks back. Because booze never lets you down, unlike the entirety of the human race, the human condition, and the tiny, insignificance that comprises our lives.


 
And, even if I could, I wouldn't give a shit...






READ MORE » Today. Existentialism at its finest

Thank you...


You know who, but you know not what for...In any event, thank you for all of the headtrips, and random drop-bys; thank you for being charming, funny, and even elegant -as occasion may merit; thank you for being beautiful, and staying that way forever in my mind; thank you for the bad, and for good; thank you for teaching me how to feel again. But, most importantly, thank you for something that hurt me so long ago, and which now is a lesson you must learn...thank you for simple contentment with the one who loves you -warts and all, human frailties and all.
That is a far better consolation than the lover we could ever conjure in our minds or fantasies.





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READ MORE » Thank you...

Saturday is never drinking again....


But, that's what we always say. Nevertheless, I am comfortable stating that I won't be doing that shit again. Ever. I have not been as drunk as I was on Thursday for very, very many years.

Drink up, and chase away everything with "Margarita-ville"
READ MORE » Saturday is never drinking again....