one thousand and one

A new local brewhouse opened up this year, downtown, near us.

We thought it would be fun to go, plus you know, we’re beer people.

It turns out, we had to eat at the Thai place down the road (which is fine, their General Tao’s is fucking amazing).

See, we went, and not only do they have a terrible selection (they literally list OV as one of their featured beers, and in quotes beside it, wrote “old vagina), their kitchen decided fuck it, it’s Sunday, let’s go early, ignoring all the people coming in with reservations or watch a game or whatever.

And there were a few people. It probably was worth it to stick around for a fledgling business.

But whatever. Shit happens.

The weirder part was the vibe. It was a weird cross between typical hipster and neo-Nazi. Like, there’s beardo with a beanie when it’s eighty degrees out and the WNBA playoffs are on all the screens. So, you know, typical liberal hipster.

But then, there was all the dudes with the neck tattoos, and the street thug vibes (which are honestly, probably just normal things for kids these days, poser shit because tattoos are whatever and kind of boring now).

It wasn’t so much the style of dress, but the way these guys carried themselves, like if I went to the back, I’d walk into a Second Sons rally or something.

Anyway, weird vibe, no food, bad beer.

It’s a shame when things disappoint, but hey, that’s why we’re actually the Maple City, and not Crow, like these out-of-town Johnny-come-latelys want us to be.

Because it was considered cool in Toronto doesn’t make it good, bro. City folk have the worst opinion of themselves. Maybe lose the animal heads off the wall. It’s conflicting with your WNBA vibe.

Maybe I’m just hungry (nah, I hoovered that General Tao’s like it was lifeforce.)

Target: 1700 words
Written: 2007 words, novel: Father Lightning

Read: Proof Of Conspiracy, Seth Abramson
Comics: Strange Tales: Dark Corners 1, Marvel Knights 1-3 (what the fuck is this crap?)
Music: The Hard Way, Cameron Whitcomb (I like Options, so shoot me)

one thousand

You believe that shit?

Yesterday, I crossed the last milestone before the manuscript milestone for Father Lightning and today, I realized that it’s been a thousand days since I laid out this gigantic series of goals and focus and wrote a little haiku called Birds Fall.

Now, I’ve written a novella, a novel, most of another novel, five more poems, eleven short stories and eleven more comics.

Man.

A few days ago, there I was, ready to give up.

And now?

I guess I’m on it.

Golf clap for me. I’m not doing too bad.

Target: 1700 words
Written: 1771 words, novel: Father Lightning

Read: Proof Of Conspiracy, Seth Abramson
Comics: The Mutant Misadventures Of Cloak And Dagger 16-19
Music: Hard Volume, Rollins Band (holy fuck, when I say something is genius, or that it sucked me in, or is absolutely transcendent, I'm talking about Joy Riding With Frank - what an experience hearing that for the first time)

muddy waters

Who doesn’t love the blues?

I mean, it’s kind of my thing – feeling the full pain of the world, of life, of everything that goes on inside me like a relentless typhoon of crazy, and just… being with it.

Letting it be.

This is why I don’t believe in prescription drugs that numb out the emotion.

I believe in drugs that shut off the crazy, for at least a little while. Mushrooms, psylocybin, a well-made beer, a nice bottle of wine.

Whiskey, or scotch, on the rocks, in the sunlight with a beautifully-scented cigar.

I’ve tried them, don’t get me wrong.

Every one of them left me unable to feel, unable to practice the radical acceptance that is the only way through.

Every one of them made me want to kill myself, and left me without the strength of will or the faculties to stop it.

The only thing that ended that torture was to stop. Cold turkey.

Meditate. Think. Use my brain. Feel what there was to feel, fully.

Let it through. Embrace it.

Channel it.

And ultimately, let it go.

The only way out is through is the truest thing ever said about how to live.

The people versus the power.

Never forget.

Do not let them anaesthetize you. There’s nothing wrong with help, but if all they want is for you to be numb?

That’s not through. That’s stuck.

And stuck sucks.

Target: 1700 words
Written: 1645 words, novel: Father Lightning

Read: Proof Of Conspiracy, Seth Abramson
Comics: The Mutant Misadventures Of Cloak And Dagger 12-15
Music: Hard To Explain, The Strokes

left/right

Whatever political scholar created and/or popularized the spectrum of political leanings did the world such an injustice, placing it on a spectrum as though the beliefs of left/right were equally valid.

It has never been left versus right.

It’s the people versus power.

And if you look at it in that context, you’ll immediately see that that scale should always be tilted toward the people, and away from the greedy and powerful.

So, stop using left versus right, and put it in its proper context – people vs. power.

Do that, and you’ll never have a side but us versus billionaires ever again.

Billionaires are a crime against humanity.

Target: 1700 words
Written: 1757 words, novel: Father Lightning

Read: Proof Of Conspiracy, Seth Abramson
Comics: The Mutant Misadventures Of Cloak And Dagger 8-11
Music: Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes, Social Distortion

must be nice to be pretty

I’m not pretty; I’m not a looker.

I’m overweight, and unkempt, and my fashion sense is non-existent, because I think fashion is mostly ridiculous window dressing, unnecessary for anyone of substance.

Why waste time on clothes if you’re not a model or going to a wedding or something?

Of course, it’s a biological thing partially, to attract potential mates, and an ego thing partially to make one feel better about at least one’s outer appearance.

Me, I’m a comfy clothes kind of guy; I can’t be bothered to tuck in.

Ever. Not since I was a child, when I would be forced to do so, and would untuck immediately, as quickly as possible.

Anyway, not pretty.

Would be nice to be.

Maybe people would treat me better.

I hear that happens for the good looking. And they get paid more.

How fair is that?

Nice jawline, bro, have an extra ten grand a year. Great butt, here’s twenty. Nice smile, bright eyes, high cheekbones?

Thirty, forty, fifty.

Great tits, six pack abs?

A hundred!

Life is real shitty for the uggos.

Target: 1700 words
Written: 1522 words, novel: Father Lightning

Read: Proof Of Conspiracy, Seth Abramson
Comics: The Mutant Misadventures Of Cloak And Dagger 4-7
Music: A Hard Day's Night, The Beatles (fucking masters)

toni

Antonia, I only met you twenty years ago, and I spent more time with your daughter and her husband than you, but still, you always greeted us with a smile.

Your ascerbic wit and no-nonsense bluntness was absolutely endearing.

We’ll miss you. Mazy will miss you.

I know you loved her dearly, and she loved you.

Rest peacefully, dear.

You will be missed.

Target: 1700 words
Written: 1002 words, novel: Father Lightning

Read: Proof Of Conspiracy, Seth Abramson (required reading to understand just how corrupt this whole Trump/Iran/Israel/Russia/Mid-East shit is)
Comics: The Mutant Misadventures Of Cloak And Dagger 1-3, Power Pack & Cloak And Dagger 1
Music: Happy Live Surprise, Sum 41

you know, you plans things

And you think, man, light schedule, a morning off, easier work, very time limited, etc.

Should have gotten lots done.

Instead, I went to a funeral, drank and ate too much after, and lost two days to feeling like absolute shit.

Well, that’s a fuckin’ bummer.

Target: 1700 words
Written: 2158 words, novel: Father Lightning

Read: Proof Of Conspiracy, Seth Abramson (you know, in light of everything going on now in the Middle East, this actually sheds a whole lot of light on the behaviour of both Trump and Netanyahu, the pricks)
Comics: Strange Tales 13-15, Cloak And Dagger: Predator And Prey 1
Music: Happy Hippie Hits, Discs 1-5, Various (man, for a thing that was supposed to be full of hippie music, there's an awful lot of not even close, especially the Merle Haggard Okie From Muskogee, which is explicitly anti-hippie.  Weird.)

holy hell, a whole day

Like, legit.

A whole day, no chores, no outings, nothing in particular that takes up any time except what I need to get done.

Editing, reading, relaxing.

Enjoying life, for once.

Silence is golden, and silence without need even better.

Target: 1700 words
Written: 2136 words, novel: Father Lightning

Read: The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufmann
Comics: Strange Tales 9-12
Music: Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Sonic Youth (no, it's not. I'd ban all guns, if it were up to me.  I see no need for them in a civilized world.)

to speak low, but not a whisper

This is the bane of my existence.

I am a soft-spoken guy. Apparently, I come across to a lot of people as chill, even though I’m typically in the midst of a depressive episode or existential crisis, brought on either by circumstance or introversion.

An old boss of mine was shocked when we were out having beers one night and I told him I didn’t smoke weed.

I guess he thought I was permanently stoned, which probably wasn’t helped by my personal email address at the time, which was intended to mean most evolved monkey, or the opposite, and had nothing to do with drugs.

I’m not anti-drug. I just don’t like the effect weed in particular has on me, and with my particular blend of emotional turmoil and addictive personality, I know that trying something addictive, even only psychologically, is probably a pretty slippery slope for me.

I do love mushrooms.

Psylocibin is the shit.

But it’s been probably almost twenty years since I last had any, and so I guess I’ll stick with a glass of wine or a nice craft beer. A well made cocktail is nice too, but only in moderation.

Everything in moderation, including moderation, if you ask me.

Target: 1700 words
Written: 2199 words, novel: Father Lightning

Read: The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufmann
Comics: Strange Tales 5-8
Music: Happiness... Is Not A Fish You Can Catch, Our Lady Peace (good Canadian boys)