Entry #7: Cult films, cards, and concerts

My battery is running low.  Let's make this post a challenge.  I'll see if I can finish it in twenty minutes.  Now, where to begin...

A pretty relaxed day today.  I just finished watching Empire Records for the first time via my Instant Queue.  I'm not sure I totally understand the genre of "cult" films but I at least understand why it's a fan favorite.  It's raw, full of emotion, not to mention pretty easy to relate to on various levels.  Also, the film tested a younger Liv Tyler's acting range, and honestly and thankfully I was not as disappointed as I thought I might have been.  

In the mail today I received my rental; another film I have not seen, but have been curious about for a long time: Saw.  It was not as much of a horror as it was a psychological thriller; slow to start, but gained momentum throughout.  Overall, not a bad film.  After I watch all of Season Three of Six Feet Under, maybe I'll work on the rest of the Saw franchise.

Other various postal deliveries within the past 7 days included:

- Special Amazon.com "Big Box" edition of Dominion

- 500 personalized business cards

- Two packs of Dominion promo. cards

I am also awaiting the arrival of my newest addition to my assortment of musical instruments: A Schoenhut toy piano!

As a followup to a previous post, the preparation for the Summer of Concerts 2011 continues!  So far, I have gotten tickets for:

- Pomplamoose (6/22) in Philly

- Sia (8/1) in Philly

- Tally Hall (8/13) **Need to get rid of.  Performance dates for my musical revue were switched unbeknownst to me when I bought these tickets.  I have two to sell to a good home, ASAP!**

And I'm working on getting two tickets to see Weird Al for the first time since his Poodle Hat Tour, which was probably sometime in 2005.  It has been too long.  The show is in Lancaster in July and I can't wait!  Speaking of which, his new album entitled 'Alpocalypse' (which I recently pre-ordered) is being released this month, on the same day as Tally Hall's new album, 'Good & Evil.'

Followup #2: As for my status from the previous post, I am, in fact, still lonely for a number of reasons.  I also want to clarify that this is a space to expound my thoughts, feelings, and ideas; NOT a place to hold pity parties.  I'm sure anyone that reads this does not want to hear "woe is me... my life sucks..." etc. etc. and trust me, I wouldn't either.  That is not what I'm here to do.  I know my loneliness will be resolved in time, but as the great Harvey Dent once said, "The night is darkest just before the dawn.  I promise you: the dawn is coming."

Final thought:  I have such a desire to get out and perform the ol' Broadway repertoire concert-style like my friend Ryan and I used to.  Unfortunately he is unavailable this Summer, so I am in need of another accompanist, but I have one or two in mind.  Also, I would love to start finding venues immediately that will consider booking me.  Any venue suggestions and details you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

FYI - Challenge failed.  But not to worry, a valuable lesson can be learned from this shared experience; any quality post should not be written in haste.

One for love.  Love for all.

Vince

P.S. - If anyone would like a business card or would like a few to distribute in an effort to help promote me, just comment or contact me.  I would be much obliged and would greatly appreciate it!

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Original haiku of the day:

Dreamers imagine,

Their silence is deafening,

And then the page turns.

- V. Rostkowski

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Entry #6: Six Feet Under

Hey guys.

I can't sleep, so I figured I'd blog.  I have to be up in three hours anyway.  There was no premeditation before doing this particular post, so I have no idea the direction this will take or how long the entry will be.  I cannot guarantee a consistent fluidity because this time around, I'll be following my thought process, so strap in.  That being said, here goes.

1. First of all, I almost don't want to name this entry because I don't really consider it so much a formal entry but rather an observation of random thought.  Naming this post as I did kind of makes me feel like I'm titling a Janet Evanovich novel.

2. Speaking of novels, is anyone else excited for the release of Stephen King's new novel, 11/22/63?  To date, I have not delved into the fascinating (or so I'm told) world of Stephen King, but I do find the premise of this particular release intriguing and therefore may use this as my 'in' to begin exploring his brand of literature.  I'm not often one to be incredibly enthralled with history (American, world, or otherwise) but for some reason, two topics always manage to spark my interest: JFK, and Nazism.  I'm not sure why.

3. My favorite punctuation mark is the period.  I love it because it is definitive, concrete, declarative.  It says, "This is what I mean.  This is my thought.  End of story."  It is a powerful thing; the amount of difference in impact a sentence has when affixing a period to its conclusion compared to, say, an ellipses can be phenomenal, when appropriate.  Even back when I was in a tribute band, I always included the period at the end of the band name because I felt it to be more effective, more powerful.  All this talk of punctuation brings to mind the very famous comedy skit called "Phonetic Punctuation," written and performed by the late great Victor Borge.

3.5 By the way, as a writer, I edit as I go.  There is no real 'method to the madness' but I re-read a lot of what I've written so far in each entry I compose and the I go back, alter, rearrange, and omit where I feel appropriate.

4. I don't know how many people read this blog; hell, I don't know how many people even notice or care of its existence, but nonetheless, I'm glad to have it.  It's almost like writing that therapeutic letter to someone and never mailing it.  We all have those moments in our lives where we wonder about our current state, ponder our life's path for the future, and reflect on how our past has made us who we are and how it contributes to where we are at the present.  This is just my way of channelling some of those thoughts and feelings to get them out in the open, when I don't feel like sharing one on one with others.  I'm an 'open book' and always have been, but certain events and occurrences in my life thus far have caused me to retreat a bit.  It's not an enormous setback, but it does take a toll on my self esteem, my confidence, and my thoughts of self worth.

5. Hi, my name is Vince, and I am lonely.

6. I know we live under hard times economically, wondering where employment can be found, wondering where is affordable to live, not to mention all of the employed who constantly face the threat of the chopping block every day.  Pile that stress and worry on top of daily tasks or family life and you have a lot to deal with.  I get that, but as a result, combined with the typical American codependency on modern technology (mainly cellphones) I worry that one day, which I believe is nestled not too far into the future, that we will collectively, permanently, adopt or further develop a solipsistic society.  Naturally, this would stem from the human tendency to dislike, or show hatred and intolerance toward new or unfamiliar philosophical points of view, but in addition would also stem from one's emphasis on self rather than the collective.  There are already too many selfish, sociopathic people in this world that all want a piece of the proverbial pie but are not willing to share.  Personally, I may not be where I 'should' be currently in my life (by traditional standards) but I know I will never turn out like that.  I'd rather stage a Bed-In for world peace and equal rights.  Speaking of which, keep a look out for my campaign this Summer which I assume will take place primarily in the Lehigh Valley, once I find suitable locations.  It's nothing violent, I promise, so don't worry.  You might even be welcome to join me once everything is squared away.  I think it's something that will positively impact society, even if I only come in contact with one person in a day.

0. & 7. My initial and final thoughts: The reason why I called this entry 'Six Feet Under' is because I have been steadily watching Season Two of the HBO television series (I know, I'm way behind) and through my viewing I have gained a profound respect for the project as a whole.  Ever entry it seems like I am plugging something that I am into, but believe me I would not share these things with you if I did not think them beneficial in some form.  I have so much I could say about this series, but that's not what this post is about.  Instead, I will leave you with 1. the recommendation to watch this series, and 2. the two words that instantaneously came to mind as soon as the credits began to roll at the end of Season Two:

"Fucking brilliant."

One for love.  Love for all.

Vince