not really's New Writeups

Pnin (thing)

2002-11-29T08:01:50Z

For those of you who acknowledge the existence of spoilers, be advised that they may exist below.

Short novel by Vladimir Nabokov, published in 1957, between--chronologically speaking--Lolita and Pale Fire, his most comercially successful and most critically acclaimed novels, respectively. Though not perhaps as ambitious, nor as momentous a literary achievement, as either of those works, it is, like all of Nabokov's works, a masterpiece in its own right, serving just as well as his more famous books to induce what Nabokov called (in, incidentally, his afterword to Lolita) "aesthetic bliss," the induction of which is (sez Nabokov) literature's true purpose.

Originally conceived as a collection of short stories, Pnin consits of a series of vignettes--anectodes, of sorts--concerning Timofey Pnin, Russian expatriate and professor at Waindell College. Pnin is, at first glance, a comic character, something of a buffoon,…

What is punk rock? What is the blues? (idea)

2002-11-13T01:44:46Z

Altered 12/14/02

I dig this (the above) node / have been in possession of what you might call an interest in this (these sorts of) question(s) ever since I began to familiarize myself with both concerned musics, which wasn't, probably, long ago, but seems like it was. Here, accordingly, are some of my own observations, the (specific) topics of which I will choose as they enter my mind. All of the caveats cited, by kareneliot, above, necessarily apply to the following observations as well, as will, perhaps, become obvious shortly.

Is punk rock the blues?
I start with this topic both because it's an interesting question and because the answer is taken, above, for granted. It seems, to me, to boil down to the question of whether art movements (in this case, punk rock and the blues) have definitive "beginnings" and "endings," or if they can be said to live on thorugh their influence on later movements (as, in this…

Dream Log: July 10, 2002 (thing)

2002-07-11T00:29:00Z

I was on my way to English class, following close at the heels of one of my classmates. Together, we zig'd and zag'd through the hall, and at one point I noticed the teacher of said class walking in the opposite direction. Also, just before entering the room which was our destination, we encountered a friend of mine, who said something--I don't remember what--to me, provoking the following response from my classmate:

"Jew!" she said, or perhaps, "Jew off!" It was, in any event, meant in the spirit of, "Shoo!" or, "Bug off!" This wasn't, in retrospect, clear at the time, but I understood. Anyhow, my friend responded by smiling, I by saying something like, "Hey! He is a Jew!" It was true--this particular friend was (is) Jewish.

She said, in an amused manner, "Yeah, well, go away, you fanatical Jew!"

My response was cartoonishly horrified and, in all, not very well thought-out. After this exchange, we both entered the classroom,…

La Batea (thing)

2002-01-11T23:16:30Z

This is a political song from Chile concerning the revolution (that is, military coup) that took place in 1973, through which Augusto Pinochet was placed in power, replacing the ousted Salvador Allende. Los cuatro pinganillas refers to Pinochet and his men (also including "el merino," "Mendozo," and "Gustavo:" not sure who they're supposed to be, exactly), who are ridiculed throughout. "La batea," in this case, refers to a ship, to which Chile is being compared; it's said to "shake" (Como se manea): a reference, clearly, to the political turmoil present during the time which is being described.

I'm unsure who wrote the song, or when. /Msg me if you know, I guess. Also, I'll leave the task of translating the lyric to someone with more knowledge (what with the slang and such), or to no one at all.

Estribillo:
Mira la batea,
como se manea,
como se manea,
el agua en la batea

Mira la batea,…

Dream Log: December 7, 2001 (idea)

2001-12-08T00:45:44Z

I was near the intersection on Barbur & Hamilton. I don't specifically remember seeing any of the familiar landmarks--Swan Mart, the Church, etc.--but I had a distinct impression of where I was; maybe it had to do with the lay of the land. Anyway...

It seemed to be on the way home from school; I was, in any case, wearing a backpack. Approaching the intersection, I noticed a sizable crowd of people. In the center was a man brandishing a shotgun, apparently holding hostage another man. The general hubbub surrounding the event was accentuated by swerving cars, shouting pedestrians, and general chaos. I can't remember any of what was said, but at some point the man with the gun shoved his hostage into the fray. The crowd seemed to disperse, and the man turned to me, pointed his gun, and fired.

Darkness. I got the impression that I was in that dreamlike post-death state I'd heard about, where my body was dead while my psyche lived on. My sense of wonder at this was quickly diminished, however, and I woke up.

Doo Rag (thing)

2000-11-20T02:33:40Z

Great now-defunct two-piece from Arizona that played delta blues at its most primitive, rawest, and (in my own opinion, of course) best. Its members were percussionist Thermos Malling, who used all sorts of found materials as percussion instruments, and Bob Log (who has released two solo albums under the name Bob Log III), who played guitar and sang, often through telephone speakers and microphones affixed to the end of vacuum cleaner attachments, and was also famous for wearing a large helmet during shows. They have played and/or toured with the likes of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Beck, Ween, and Sonic Youth, and they've performed songs by Mississippi Fred McDowell, Sleepy John Estes, Muddy Waters, and various traditional folk/blues songs. If you haven't heard them, you really should.

Discography:

Singles

Hussy Bowler 7" (Westworld, 1993)
Trudge 7" (In The Red, 1994)
Swampwater Mop Down 7" (Drunken Fish,…