I’ve tried with varying intensity over the years, to generate traffic to this blog. I’ve long imagined that consistency – primarily in the frequency and regularity of updates, but also in subject matter – would be the key to generating traffic. Apparently, I am incapable of either of those types of consistency, so I still don’t know whether this hypothesis is true or not. And I may never know.
Author: futurepilgrim
Offense Taken
I’ve spent the past month-or-so, in part processing the demise of my relationship with Zachariah. Zachariah, who I’ve blogged about previously, is an 11-year-old black boy who – while we were spending time together – was living with his brother and Great Grandmother (along with various other relatives) in a small apartment in South Central LA. We were paired up by a well-known mentoring organization that arranges for men and boys to spend time with one another on a regular basis.
Christmas Is Coming – part 6 – Copping “Bat Dope”
After 15 endless minutes – mostly spent trying to decide who in this crowd is going to rob me when I leave – I reach the Plexiglas wall at the front of the check-cashing place. I shove my paycheck, all two hundred and sixty five dollars of it, along with my Massachusetts driver’s license through the little scooped out divot carved into the counter. The stone faced, rail-thin and straight up tough-looking, black woman on the other side of the glass examines the check and then pushes my documents back to me, along with a ballpoint pen with an extra twelve inches of grey duct tape extending from the top of it. I sign my check, noticing the stream of heated air coming through the hole. It feels nice. The proprietor of this establishment must not feel compelled to provide heat to us – the animals – on the other side of the glass.
This is the 6th entry in a series. It stands alone or you can start from the beginning. Find part 1 here and part 5 (the previous entry) here.
Continue reading “Christmas Is Coming – part 6 – Copping “Bat Dope””
Roid-Droid
In another life I write, produce and direct videos. I hope you enjoy this one. I am quite proud of it. Enjoy.
Christmas is Coming – Part 5
And with those words from my boss, “See you.” I’m done. My work responsibilities are over and time itself becomes something different. Time is a resource, something to be viewed dispassionately, to be used to solve my problem. That problem, as always, being how to get hard drugs into my body quickly.
This is the 5th entry in a series. Find part 1 here and part 4 (the previous entry) here.
R.I.P. Harris Wittels
The LA comedy scene is mourning Harris Wittels today, the writer/comedian who passed away yesterday, presumably from an overdose. I too am mourning. I knew him – or more accurately – have met him several times. My heartfelt condolences and sympathy goes out to his family and friends.
Christmas is Coming – Part 4
The walk to work is endless in the bitter cold. I must will myself forward, re-commiting to the journey with every step. I so badly want to call in sick and just lay around the apartment watching tube – high – but I have to make it to work. I have to get that paycheck, have to get it to the check-cashing store, have to get the drugs in order to get right. Choice has nothing to do with it.
This is the 4th entry in a series. Find part 1 here and part 3 (the previous entry) here. Be forewarned the following is a 4400 word entry (although it’s worth every second).
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by David Shafer – a book review
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot – David Shafer – (actual words on parchment) 7/10 – I had read some endorsements of this book on facebook and asked for/received the book for my birthday back in August. It sat on my nightstand for 5 months until I finally cracked it and read it in less than 2 weeks.
To summarize, it’s a kind of conspiracy theory adventure novel with a love story thread woven in. It’s skillfully done and quite original in many respects. Continue reading “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”
You know who really sucks? Dave Grohl, that’s who…
Dave Grohl is guilty of ‘betraying one’s punk rock roots.’ A high crime in my book.
So what, you say? There are a million shitty bands that aren’t worth paying attention to. And life is too short to waste your breath on something one deems not worthy, correct? Well, you’d be right about that, but Dave Grohl was in Nirvana! And Nirvana was my favorite band. Ever. Of all time. As such Dave spent years in close proximity to my favorite artist.
Like a Vietnam vet, “He was there, man!”
Consider reading the first installment of a new fictional piece I am writing Kurt Cobain Lives In 1994 Kurt Cobain faked his own suicide. 22 years later he’s ending his self-imposed exile.
Continue reading “You know who really sucks? Dave Grohl, that’s who…”
Books I read in 2014
So… This has not been a good year for me, reading wise. As I’ve contemplated putting this post together over the last couple of days I can’t help but feel like I’ve forgotten a title or three somewhere, but, after two days of mulling I suppose if the missing tome(s) hasn’t shaken loose by now then I’d better just get on with things and do the math.
It appears I have read only 18 books in 2014. The previous year (2013) that number was 25 and I thought that was a poor performance. I also listened to 9 novels on Audible in 2014. Listening to books is a new thing for me and being old fashioned, I feel like it doesn’t really count as reading. But, as I need the help with the numbers I’ll say I’ve “read” 27 books.
Futurepilgrim's Blog 