Runaway Future

I’ve been writing this in my head for a while. You could say that part of it is already in my first post. You could say it’s part of everything I write. I touched on it a bit more in my last post.

It’s my future and my indecisions. Lately, the chapter has been the office.
In light of many recent staff departures there, I’ve prematurely thought about how long I would be there and what I would do if I left.

First the facts, I’ve been working for three months. I’m making more money then I have ever made. I’m having fun, both at work and at home. I’m spending like a sailor, but also saving some. In another three months, I get benefits, life, dental, health, vacation time and $200 bucks for a curling club membership or a gym membership or something.

The college wants me to come and speak to the students who are in second year IT:Programming. Apparently, it’s because I’m an NSCC success. Anyone who went to college with me should be laughing their ass off right now.

If I ever left Sport NS, what would I do? Another job? There’s been some possibilities already floated from the IT world. Go back to school? Pay lots of money for something that seems less and less what I want. I can learn how to write without getting a piece of paper. The problem is making the leap from me now to me future.

I can’t see myself going back to school right now, simply because of the mindset I am in. As much as I want to say different, I am perfectly alright with my 9 to 5. Yes Murf, I am a square. I have no problems with not having homework. I get paid to read Wired.com and play with web friendly color codes.

That being said, I’m feel that I am spending this time well. I’m writing and I’m reading. I’m also having fun, more then usual. I’m living up my good fortune and reveling in the opportunities in front of me. It costs me, but I can’t be miserly and sit at home reading and practicing my craft.

Hockey’s Future is upsetting me, because it’s becoming too strict, schedules and deadlines dominate what was once a hobby. I want to stay there because of the experience, but I keep find myself being so critical of the changes that I fear one day soon I will be asked to leave.

I bought some relevant books.
If You Want To Write – Brenda Ueland
Bookmark Now – A collection of essays on the state of the art of writing in the modern world
Why I Write – George Orwell

I read the first chapter of the Orwell book, before putting it down because I already have a novel on the go. It starts scarily similar to my King’s application essay. Cut from the same cloth?

To sort of add to my previous post, this part of the Wired interview interested me greatly:

The one thing that you have control over is the content of the show. But how people are reacting to it, how it’s being shared, how it’s being discussed, all that other stuff, is absolutely beyond your ability to control.

I have been thinking profusely about trying to find a way to get my blog out there. My blogroll is a shameful grab at some sort of Google ranking (nothing so far). I usually put the URL in my MSN name after an update. I’ve been thinking about commenting more at some of my favorite blogs and trying to drum up some traffic that way.

Then I read that quote and it made sense to me. I can’t force people to read these words. I can only write them. And so, that’s what I’ve been doing. Hopefully it grows on it’s own, or maybe it won’t. Is an author still an author without an audience?

I’ve received three letters from important people accusing me of losing my calling because of my decision with King’s and my moves since then. It hurts and I don’t know how to respond, so I haven’t. Yet.

I like the Daily Show, I really do. It’s probably my favorite show on TV at the moment. I stay up late and catch it each night. I then have a hard time getting up in the mornings. But it’s all worth it.

That being said, I’m sometimes confused by the show and the direction it is going in. The show has often been hailed as a breath of fresh air and sometimes truth (covered very thinly with satire). The only way they can get away with what they get away with is by laughing it all off at the end of the day.

Meanwhile, Jon Stewart has been a vocal critic about the current state of the media and journalistic integrity. He was the driving force behind the cancellation of CNN’s Crossfire and the release of Tucker Carlson. Robert Novak is next.
The current state of journalism is failing. People are losing trust in the anchors on TV and the words in the newspaper. And for good reason. But in all of this, the Daily Show has thrived and been embraced.

But here comes the problem I have with the show. Despite the excellent platform and the obvious views of Stewart and the show on the current state of affairs, they go for the joke sometimes too much. I’ve seen Stewart pull off a serious, poignant interview (for example the Bill Moyers interview on the state of public broadcasting) and then I’ve also seen him completely blow a interview that could of been very strong and basically ignore the guest and go for a laugh (John H. Richardson’s interview about his book on his father being an outed spy during Vietnam, Stewart kept trying to compare it to Valerie Plame).

Perhaps there is pressure from the network for the Daily Show to be funny? They are on Comedy Central after all.

Anyway, the Daily Show is on, so away I go.

Here’s a link to the recent Wired Feature with Jon Stewart and Executive Producer Ben Karlin.

Here’s Jon Stewart’s Opening Monologue after the September 11th tragedy in 2001.

Here’s the Daily Show Website where’s there’s a number of videos, including the Moyers interview but not the Richardson one.

I should really be going to bed right about now, but there’s a number of things I wanted to comment on.

First off, from the BBC,
the Piano Man has gone to Germany where he is allegedly from. I followed this story since it broke in May, a man mysteriously appearing, didn’t talk and had no identification, when given a pencil and paper he drew a piano which he played wonderfully. Very interesting story, although undoubtably embellished more then a little bit by the press.

Merck was found negligent in the Vioxx suit, CNN Money.
Paying a hefty price of $253 million, with many more lawsuits to come. Of course, Merck will never actually pay $253 million.
Interesting fact though, Merck are the same guys who over the past 30 years have donated about $700 million to cure riverblindness in Africa. Hopefully Carol Ernst is just as nice with her new nest egg and after paying legal fees, buying new house, etc, she honors her husband’s memory by helping out her fellow man.

Meanwhile, anyone miss the CBC?
Then check out CBC Unplugged. This all goes back to a radio interview I heard with one of the guys at the local chapter. They’re not on strike, they want to work, the CBC isn’t letting them. Keep that in mind.
Anyway, here’s the link to a locked out CBCer, Todd Maffin’s blog.

Finally, OIL!
a commentary

I watched tennis today. Holy cow… TV coverage of tennis has to be the most pretentious sports related drivel I’ve ever seen in my life. Seriously, TSN’s Rod Black giddy and moaning about what to him must be the most important thing on the face of the planet was too much to put up with.

So my mind wandered and I thought about the startling similarities between the Simpson sisters (Jessica and Ashlee) and the Williams sisters (Venus and Serena). Both had one sister who was sucessful and then the other showed up on the scene. Both are American and at one time or another were hailed as dominant in their respective industries (the shine of the Williams sisters have faded, Ashlee has withered and Jessica….well we can hope). Both have crazy fathers who have pushed them to suceed (allegedly the Williams sister were instructed to take turns winning tournaments). Both scare the crap out of me: the Simpson schnoze and the fact the Williams sisters could kick the crap out of me. Yeap….that’s what goes through my mind when I let it travel.

Speaking of pretentious, I was reading the Wishbook and they have Lord of the Rings action figures. You know, that’s all cool and stuff, cashing in on the marketing appeal. Here’s where it becomes ego busting: there is a Peter Jackson as a Hobbit action figure. I mean seriously? James Cameron took the success of Titantic to become some sort of one man marine preservation machine. J.K. Rowling is the head of a freaking empire about a Phillip Pullman knockoff. George Lucas has an ego that is fueled by one hit almost 30 years ago that he’s still milking. But do any of them have an action figure? Is there a J.R.R. Tolkein action figure? Did Peter Jackson write the Lord of the Rings? All that Peter Jackson is is a fanboy who was crazy and persistent enough to make a movie. Great he’s a director. Where’s my 6″ tall Spielberg with karate chop action?

And while I’m still on my pretentious rant against reality, does anyone take American Idol/Canadian Idol seriously at all? Alright, they hype it up like these kids will be stars (especially funny for the Canadian flavour because there’s no such thing as Canadian music stars (Avril notwithstanding)). Seriously, who won Canadian Idol and American Idol last time around? Who’s watching it? Is there anyone buying the CDs? Christ, the William Hung guy actually got a record deal until someone realised he was in fact a terrible singer.

Which leads me into my next subject. I think the music industry isn’t run by whether the artists are good or not or whether the songs are well written or contain any talent. It’s all advertising and the media surrounding it. Eventually if you are beat with something over and over, you believe it. That’s the basis behind the success of Gwen Stefani’s shit being so bananas. If you’re some honcho at Muchmusic (I’ll use Much as the example because MTV doesn’t play music. Much mainly doesn’t either, but once upon a time….I digress), and there’s some sort of incentive from Universal music, wouldn’t it make it a little easier to push Mariah Carey up the top 30. Who’s in charge of the countdown and what people see? Someone must make those decisions and those are the decisions that influence public opinion and record sales.