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taking notes on the road

Bliss Notes

visiting an LA nightclub, Bliss, at Melrose and La Cienaga

all ordinary people
here skin wrapped like sausage

the waning days of a "hot" club
conscentual hallucination
exclusivity creates status

I pause during my second ginger ale and sit on a couch and wait for my date: soon after i'm surrounded by red velvet ropes and told i'll be asked to leave when the reserved party arrives

people too cool to be friendly?
a race to defrost through chemistry to reach for warmth
only out of reach from fear
a massive economy build on the fear of rejection
shaping of self for others who are all busy morphing themselves

what is sincere - the hunger
and maybe play
these are mostly willing, witting participants in identity drama for fun and profit
and maybe its their blustering confidence, their embrace of insincerity that is so defying
what do they know?
how did they choose?
what was their opening move?

this kind of analysis ignores the individuals involved
david and liz gathered for a birthday party - babysitter with their four kids out in suburbia.
two young women from beverly hills but finding this place a bit "boujy"
j.maxwell - fashion designer with "anton" - caught in a self-designed ostrich skin coat and abrupt to depart after explaining his career path

I must either be coarsened or withdrawn
or bemused I guess
alternately talking and taking notes
in search of a sense of humor

recalling stories of patti smith on the curb at max's kansas city in nyc
- suburban poet longing for a scene connection
here I see nothing to long after, no new culture fabrication
only the enactment of old mating rituals

roddrigo from brazil, manicly encourages me to realize its all an illusion
these people are all plastic, and fake, he says
that, and he hopes I get laid tonight

one effective strategy for fun here seems to involve ready traffic in small lies

what's the difference between this and a sock hop?
booze, silicon, standards of beauty

July 23, 2004 23:55 | Comments: 2 | TrackBacks: 1

Game time

At a Cub's game with George and Mom

A shocking 2 run homer in the 2nd
we fly to our feet.

one Old Style beer
too fast to stand:
cheering, celebrating with nearby friends
ecstatic group feeling
the baseball psychedelic experience

July 20, 2004 14:23 | Comments: 0 | TrackBacks: 0

Hanging with Howard

Hanging with Howard, in the garden, the day before his birthday

Ellington's jazz is classical music played recklessly

in their mid-teens, Howard & gf Poola shared early dates at an AZ public library researching Buddhism

I say "google it for me" to people I'm driving with

speaking of drinking
Howard says I have in-the-moment charm, like an alcoholic
his recommendation: don't stay in one place and drink alcohol


Maybe I should interview my USC professors about their work, as a way to understand them and see what I have to learn from them.

Howard's Reed Professor and friend Jim Webb left small notes in books and dishes and shelves around Howard's office and greenhouse. Howard continues to discover them after Jim passed from the earth.

Carry clothes in my car - things to change into, outfits throughout the day.

Howard recommends this meditation: "notice you can't control your thoughts"

I should really see the film Slackers

I said "our friendship is a small support group" - he was amused by that.

July 6, 2004 17:22 | Comments: 0 | TrackBacks: 0

Everything LA

new relationship for me:
new residency
everything is a metaphor for Los Angeles

so tonight I went to a new dojo, to practice my young martial art
aikido
the teacher she was agressive collegial agressive
bent wrists in demonstration - wow! the techniques were fast displayed and scattered around a point I didn't understand.

go back for more? aggressive style
or find another dojo, elsewhere in the big city.

June 17, 2004 21:29 | Comments: 0 | TrackBacks: 0

With Edward & Sharon

eating at Gaby's Mediterranean
with Souris and Silvio's avuncular artists Sharon and Edward

be sure to do the Hollywood Bowl this summer. bring dinner. leave 1-2 hours early
also check out the Ford theater
we love Malbec wine
visit the Getty

talking to all the folks who refer to themselves artists in LA -
could be a barber today, and a producer next week
LA - never say "No", say "I can't commit"
Sharon came here saying "No"
people said, "No? Why is she so negative?"
from outward to inward focus
easy to stay busy
Sharon on USC, a kind command:
"you go there and make 100 mistakes"

June 16, 2004 22:29 | Comments: 0 | TrackBacks: 0

Rims

My car needs new tires. Why not track down some blingtastic spinning rims? I like the idea of extraneous moving parts on my car.

Turns out they don't make these kind of rims yet for a VW Jetta. Mostly for luxury cars and American cars. Here's my car's wheel specs if I want to track them down: 5 bolt holes by 100 millimeters across
15-18 inch wheel.

The guy at the tire shop works to transform my curiosity for spinning rims into the sale of some more staid bronze rims. When I realize that this vanity excursion will cost $1000 extra dollars ("a deal"), I balk. But they make it seem so reasonable!

June 12, 2004 12:32 | Comments: 2 | TrackBacks: 0

by Justin Hall - About | Archives