I used to be funnier

This Woman’s Work // 3 of 3 // A Series for the Face The Fear group
Originally uploaded by Lady Vervaine

So to celebrate the fact that I'm still free of tumors I went back and read my blog from the beginning. And the weird thing was that it was pretty funny. Sure you could pick up on the frustration but you could also pick up on the engagement. I was noticing things. I was meeting new people. I was thinking about life - rather than thinking about how to convince people that any vodka is better than the next.

So I've decided to do that again. To listen to conversations. To take buses (there is no subway here). To get in touch with my inner Alan Bennett and attempt to find warmth in bleakness.

That said this ain't the funniest of posts - is it?

Oh Idol. I get more hits when I talk about American idol than when I don't and I'm a hits whore. So here we go. Last night was Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night. Which I think translates a "we can't get a celeb" night. Instead the four remaining contenders were asked to pick two songs each from the big old Cleveland jukebox which they'd then murder.

David Archuleta - the singing Bobblehead in the magic pants was very good by all accounts. I can't really remember what he sang. Other than "Love me Tender". I actually liked this choice of song as it was cast in a new light by the fact that he seems obsessed with masturbation. Want proof? Check out his favorite quote on the Idol site - "You'll never be lonely if you learn to befriend yourself"... I tell you the boy is only a week away from "The man with the child in his eyes", "Feel it" and "Turning Japanese". Oh he did "Stand by me" too - doubtless some kind of Mormon Circle Jerk reference.

Syesha Mercado went from cut priced Whitney to low rent Tina with her copycat "Proud Mary" though her "Change is gonna come" was a lot better. I'm actually warming to this girl, even if she's all varnish and no nail.

Jason Castro was truly appalling. First he believed that having dreads qualified him to stumble through Bob Marley. He stuttered, he swayed, he looked ashamed, my Marley span fast enough to plow a furrow in the field in which he is buried. Then he decided that as a follow up he'd forget the words to a Bob Dylan song. If only he'd forgotten his way to the stage he'd have saved a remarkably lucid Paula from having to grope for a positive thing to say about his heart, his spirit and his authenticity. Watching Castro you had to feel for Carly the bat winged bruiser and lizard spouse -- she was in the audience with "I lost to this?" written all over her face. I'd not be surprised to see it tattooed there tomorrow.

Finally David Cook. His Hungry Like The Wolf was off key, shouty and rather dull. His Baba O'Reilly was much better. And he seems to be losing weight. Which will be good practice for losing the final.

Okay - so noy funny but the hits will be up and I'm already hanging out at the water cooler in search of inspiration.

I don't have cancer

CT Scanner Breath Indicator
Originally uploaded by elledeegee

Just got the results of my CT scan

And I don't have cancer

Again

Which is good

Though I'm still not great at holding my breath for the time needed to get a decent scan.

Not a bad trade off though.

The days just fly by

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Originally uploaded by stevenjude

I'm really busy at work at the moment - and enjoying it so much that I often check my watch and find that it's way past the time that the canteen has closed and that I've missed lunch. While this might not be the healthiest way to diet it's certainly effective - and over the past week I've lost 3lbs.

My weight, I've decided independant of any real evidence, is corrolated to just how interested I am in the world around me. The more engaged I get - the thinner I get. Ruts show on my waistline.

Of course the last time I was really enjoying myself was on a pitch - and that was when I was told that I was full of tumors that may kill me. But the tumors were, I insist, a physical manifestation of the resentment I felt at being 'trapped' in a job. I get weird like that sometimes - I blame Sydney. It was a very Crystals and Tantric Chants kind of place.

Feeling the need to visit Sydney right now. Have an old friend opening a wine bar in The Rocks that looks fabulous and I'd like to be there to see the opening ---> as well as to have the opportunity to see Chris and Ray's little slice of heaven taking shape.

Only problem is time. With Cyprus in a couple of weeks, friends in in august, my parents coming over, Uganda in December and a possible trip out to Asia to meet up with some people who are moving in that direction.

Everyone it seems is doing interesting stuff. Jude is saving the world, we have friends travelling the world, friends moving to and living in Africa, friends moving to Asia to do innovation, friends taking time out to learn about fashion before heading to Brazil, friends opening bars in australia, friends setting up sculpture parks, friends in bands and friends with books on the shelf and movie deals in the works.

What I need to do next is get interesting again

One for my mom

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Originally uploaded by stevenjude

My mom hated the last pic of Jude that I posted

So here's one taken today

And they say I don't listen

Short term-ism

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Originally uploaded by stevenjude

There's a real rush, especially in Europe but growing in the US to hit the car manufacturers with the blame for Global Warming and all of the associated evils that come with it.

You can see why - cars are a very visible symbol of the pollution that we're so worried about. But of course what we drive contributes a relatively small percentage of the CO2 in the air. Sure car companies have to get better and we, as the people who buy cars, need to get smarter about both what we buy and how we drive. But the truth is that we're stupid.

We'll buy a Prius because we think that it has a lower environmental cost ---> without looking at the lifetime energy cost of the vehicle. We don't look at the cost of manufacture and disposal; just at what comes out of the tailpipe while we own it.

It's the same with Plug Ins. We'll buy them and feel superior as we hum around town with zero emissions - whilst hundreds of miles away our pollution is displaced and churned into the air buy the giant power stations doing the dirty business of giving us our 'clean' energy.

I'm all for a 'lifetime energy cost' or 'total pollution' label being added to everything we buy. Show the footprint of Fiji Water and see how sales do (I find the idea of flying water to countries that have an abundant supply horrific)

I know that it's a lot to ask that we get smart about how we think of the planet ---> but it's only an understanding of the supply and manufacture chain that will allow us to make choices that make sense.

Okay - off my soapbox. And back into my 4.0L car (oops)

Gorgeous

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Originally uploaded by stevenjude

It's gorgeous here - so while Jude plays golf I'm going to take the dog for a run (buggering her hips and my knees as we go), take some pictures and prepare myself for an afternoon in Ypsilanti.

Now Ypsi calls itself "Ann Arbor's Brooklyn" - which is a little like me calling myself... well you get it. It has 3 bars. It's not Brooklyn. But the bars are scruffier and edgier and have more space, less polish and more affordable menus. So in that regard it's Brooklyn. I guess.

There's a car thing on in Ypsi this afternoon. I'm gonna try to get people rather than car shots. We'll see what happens. Meanwhile - it's off to run I go (4lbs down, 7 to go)

Ouch

Blogspam
Originally uploaded by ncomment

Woke up this morning with my neck and shoulders feeling as though they belonged to a post 'incident' Monica Seles. Just horribly painful. Plus they're creaking and groaning like Victor Meldrew playing the ghost of Christmas future.

And I woke up EARLY - which never helps on a weekend but seems to always be the way - especially when you have cats who are perma-hungry and an apartment with no doors or walls. Grrrrr.

Not masses here this weekend. Going down to a hotrod drive tomorrow and to watch a man eat roadkill live on stage tonight as hula hoopers strip behind him and his friend has 'contributions' stapled to his face by audience members. Yup, the FreakShow is happening all over again and I'm intrigues to find out why.

Anyway as I type I hear the less than delicate banging and crashing of my wife in the morning. Time to dash.

So long virgin queen

Brooke White
Originally uploaded by destiny53

Brooke White went on this week's Idol.

The 'celebrity mentor' was Neil Diamond - the result... everyone sounding as though they were on between the salmon and the cutting of the cake at a ritzy wedding at which at decoration had substituted for beauty and extravagance for taste.

Brooke made the mistake of leaving the comfort of her piano. I liked her as a poor man's white bread Tori Amos.

Still we won't have to put up with her Cheez Whiz, Gee Whizzery anymore. So there is a silver lining - though I'm sure that any day now people are going to find out that silver linings are toxic.