tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86193821046415912622024-02-20T11:59:50.323-05:00Doppelmänia!People who I think look like other people.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-51002151580156694582009-07-07T10:04:00.002-04:002009-07-07T10:20:13.820-04:00The Jon-aquin.My neighbor Jonathan clued me in to something the other day. He didn't even know of the existence of this blog at the time, but after he told me what I am about to share with you, I assured him that it was profoundly important that he immediately e-mail me photos so I could expose this new doppelgänger trick to the public. Please be warned, what you are about to see has me at a level of terror heretofore unexperienced in my short but eventful time in my service to the cause of Doppelmänia.<br /><br />Here is Jonathan and his Jon-aquin:<br /><br /><a href="http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/?action=view¤t=251_2276-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/251_2276-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Assessing how absolutely terrifyingly much it looks like him:<br /><br /><a href="http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/?action=view¤t=251_2277.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/251_2277.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Tricking the Jon-aquin into thinking he loves it instead of fearing and loathing it:<br /><br /><a href="http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/?action=view¤t=251_2278.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/251_2278.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />You can see the malice in its stare:<br /><br /><a href="http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/?action=view¤t=251_2279.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/251_2279.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />So there it is. It's a whole new level now. They are toying with us. I don't know what the plan is here, or what's next, but I urge everyone to inspect every mannequin they come upon, to scan every single store window display for doppelqüins of people they know. We must be prepared for whatever they decide to spring on us next.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-24614029618628351152009-05-29T09:08:00.002-04:002009-05-29T09:11:10.184-04:00Holy Shit.<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WijMCSfX0RA&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WijMCSfX0RA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This is from a list of "10 Creepy Machines from Robot Hell" that I am reading, for reasons not entirely clear, at 9:09 am on this rainy Friday morning. The caption next to this video says: <br /><br />"Geminoid: Designed as a realistic, robotic doppelganger for Hiroshi Ishiguro, a professor at Osaka University, the Geminoid can be remote controlled from anywhere—allowing the professor to, essentially, be in two places at once. [Wired]"<br /><br />ROBOTIC DOPPELGÄNGER. Think about that. We have just entered a new level of terror.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-64023059497296328992009-04-14T13:35:00.002-04:002009-04-14T13:40:45.890-04:00Pathetic.I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but it's not because I've been slacking off. Granted, it has been my Spring Break, which means I am still working but not attending school for a week and a half. But that isn't why there haven't been any postings. Simply stated, I haven't seen any dops. Maybe they have gotten wind of this site and are specifically avoiding me because they know I will expose them for the whole world (and by whole world, I mean the three of you who read this) to see.<br /><br />I think this means that we all need to be extra-vigilant in the days to come. I fear there is a dopstorm a' brewin'.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-27644205112963439802009-03-25T11:23:00.002-04:002009-03-25T11:31:38.175-04:00Dop SearchFirst of all, I should say that I didn't find any dops in the D. R. I did get a tan, and about 50 bruises...so it looks like I've been fighting dops all week long. <br /><br />But today I want to talk about an important new tool in searching out doppelgängers. There is a Facebook group devoted to it!<br /><br />FIND YOUR LOOK-ALIKE IN THE WORLD: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=66706361078&ref=share<br /><br />At first I thought this must be a trap for the doppelgängers to find us. They do have a history of infiltrating some of the most popular entertainment spheres. However, after thinking about it for, oh I don't know, 30 seconds, I decided to risk it and join anyway. Maybe my vacation and subsequent breakdown upon my return have given me a new, less cautious outlook on life. Maybe if we all join we can get to know our doppelgängers and neutralize this war between us. Maybe getting to know our doppelgängers and forming a peaceful existence with them is essential to our evolution as humans, like on BSG with the cylons. Or, maybe someone will get mad about someone else's dopplegänger killing their stupid ugly wife and the whole fragile truce will end in a flaming inferno of gunfire and blood. <br /><br />I guess we'll see what happens.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-21250807103220848982009-03-12T09:24:00.002-04:002009-03-12T09:45:07.526-04:00Dominican DoppublicThe day after tomorrow, I will be leaving for my vacation in the Dominican Republic. Before you become outraged at the abandonment of my post for a week of sun and alcohol, and begin desperately gibbering about who will save you from the doppelgängers while I tan, pleasure read, ride horses on the beach, engage in non-motorized water sports and eat and drink as much as I want as per the all-inclusive package I have purchased, please be calm. No matter what else I am doing, I am ALWAYS on the lookout for doppelgängers. Don't you think they exist in other countries?? And with the high rate of emigration from the Dominican Republic to the U.S., your Dominican Doppelgänger could be preparing to move here as we speak!! Think about it: you are pale, run down, disgusted and depressed from the long, cold winter. Your muscles are atrophied from months of hiding under blankets. You are in a weakened state that your doppelgänger is just waiting to prey on! If he or she has been living in the Dominican Republic all this time, growing strong playing baseball in the life-giving rays of sunshine and bathing in the warm, calm waters of the Caribbean, you are at a major disadvantage and in much danger!!!!<br /><br />That is why I am going on this trip. Relaxation? Yes. But also, reconnaissance. In my absence, I urge you all to be vigilant, but rest assured: I will find these doppelgängers and expose them before they can come to our country and hunt you down. My powers of observation will be at their sharpest with no work or school to distract me. For example, I was reading the Wikipedia page about the Dominican Republic during my pre-trip research and I noticed a very important clue: their currency, the Dominican Peso, is abbreviated "DOP".J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-8449388718354489132009-03-03T14:53:00.003-05:002009-03-03T15:25:07.802-05:00More American DoppelsWe all know that doppelgängers are tricksy. But I didn't realize until recently just <i>how</i> tricksy. I thought it was a fairly bold move when they placed one of their own on the most popular show on TV, but now I have discovered that one was hiding there in the open all this time! <br /><br />Randy Jackson, as you may or may not know, played with Journey for a short time back in the day. During that time, he looked just like the dude from the future in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure". Since then, Jackson has changed his style drastically, shaving off the signature flattop hair and putting on a couple hundred pounds. Do you see the lengths that people will go to escape their doppelgängers?!<br /><br /><br /><a href='http://mine.icanhascheezburger.com/view.aspx?ciid=3571622' ><img src='http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/3/3/128805836823336559.jpg' alt='funny pictures' /></a><br />moar <a href='http://icanhascheezburger.com'>funny pictures</a>J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-30093234283236930332009-03-02T10:07:00.002-05:002009-03-02T10:19:18.728-05:00doppelsübmissionApparently I tapped into something pretty intense in my friend Corey with this blog. Last week I received this doppelsübmission from him:<br /><br /><a href='http://mine.icanhascheezburger.com/view.aspx?ciid=3560250' ><img src='http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/3/2/128804801306718788.jpg' alt='funny pictures' /></a><br />moar <a href='http://icanhascheezburger.com'>funny pictures</a><br /><br />Although I can see a vague resemblance, I don't really think the Sun Maid is my doppelgänger, especially given that she is a cartoon character created to shill raisins. Nonetheless, I appreciate the heads up. We should all be on guard for any and all possibilities of doppelgängers. It could be that while the Sun Maid herself is not one, she may be based on a doppelgänger of mine that is acquainted with someone in the SunMaid advertising department! Another lesson that we should take from this is that it can very difficult to spot your own dopp; lacking objectivity about your own appearance can cause you to focus on differences, not resemblances, and this could put you in danger. It is good to have friends who are on constant alert for your dops. You should have their backs as well.<br /><br />Also, despite my questioning of Corey's first submission, I truly admire his commitment to the doppelcause. I'd like to share an excerpt from his e-mail to me:<br /><br />"Clearly your work is an important first step, but there are so many out there undiscovered. Additionally, there are fundamental questions whose answers elude us. Are we all dopplegangers? Do tracing dopplegangers teach us about our beginnings?...I will make regular submissions. Is it possible that the CIA is also dopplestudying? The environment is taxed, nations are bankrupt and food is scarce. In order to simultaneously survive and maintain genetic diversity we need to eliminate redundity. Only one among a doppleset is doppleworthy and the other(s) is just a drag. So the government has to pick one dopplesurvivor and then allow the rest to doppledie. We need to identify our dopplegangers and be more worthy than them before they get us. But I fear some will choose the doppledarkside and resort to murder to eliminate their doppletition."<br /><br />These are questions that I urge to you all consider today.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-89465591978333887192009-02-20T13:42:00.002-05:002009-02-20T13:47:49.839-05:00Sad story.Today I want to take some time out from the important work of exposing doppelgängers to remind us all of a sad anniversary: it was four years ago today that Dr. Hunter S. Thompson chose to leave us.<br /><br />The Good Doctor had no doppelgänger; he was one of a kind.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/?action=view¤t=auton2088.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/auton2088.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-79456433457924273472009-02-19T11:25:00.005-05:002009-02-19T11:34:15.300-05:00American DoppelThe Doppelgängers have found the most effective way to infiltrate the public: American Idol. They have planted one of their own as a contestant on the most popular show on television. His name is Danny Gokey, and last night he won his way into the Top 12. He seems to have a good voice, but what he also has is Robert Downey, Jr.'s face<br /><br /><a href='http://mine.icanhascheezburger.com/view.aspx?ciid=3465873' ><img src='http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/2/19/128795343631047328.jpg' alt='funny pictures' /></a><br />moar <a href='http://icanhascheezburger.com'>funny pictures</a>J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-47640632437629097012009-02-18T09:58:00.004-05:002009-02-18T13:48:22.715-05:00Arrested Doppvelopment?Ever since I started watching "Arrested Development" and saw the new, more mature-looking Jason Bateman, I have thought that he looks very similar to the lead singer of one of my favorite bands, Neil Finn of Crowded House. <br /><br /><a href='http://mine.icanhascheezburger.com/view.aspx?ciid=3457241' ><img src='http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/2/18/128794427836977478.jpg' alt='funny pictures' /></a><br />moar <a href='http://icanhascheezburger.com'>funny pictures</a><br /><br />They could have had Neil come on the show for the last episode to sing "Don't Dream It's Over," one of his band's two American hit singles (they are much more popular in Australia and Finn's home, New Zealand).<br /><br />And assuming that Bateman's development is not arrested, we can see what he will look like in 10 years. The future doppelgängers are the most telling.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-7387168363900646792009-02-13T14:32:00.005-05:002009-02-13T15:19:52.404-05:00new and improvedI got at an account at this I Can Has Cheezburger? site (thanks, again, go to Sandy for telling me about it) and they have a Totally Looks Like page which is hilarious and awesome (I added a link to it on the side under "These People"). I made my first doppelcreation with their Look Alike Builder. This will be a powerful weapon in the war against the Doppelgängers.<br /><br /><a href='http://mine.icanhascheezburger.com/view.aspx?ciid=3410793' ><img src='http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/2/13/128790270961051311.jpg' alt='funny pictures' /></a><br />moar <a href='http://icanhascheezburger.com'>funny pictures</a>J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-12041329396773360002009-02-13T13:51:00.002-05:002009-02-13T13:55:17.327-05:00doppelking!I think, thanks to my friend Lorenz, we may now have a clue to the identity of Queen Doppelpoplous's consort, the Doppelking!<br /><br />He has been masquerading as the Burger King!<br /><br /><a href="http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/?action=view¤t=burger-king.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/burger-king.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />But he's really...Kevin Kline!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/?action=view¤t=kevin_kline.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/kevin_kline.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-82137178720278662472009-02-11T10:51:00.003-05:002009-02-11T11:02:39.165-05:00our first submission!Today I received my first submission for Doppelmänia from my friend Zane. She saw this man on the street and asked him to take his picture because he is another Robert doppelgänger. Obviously Queen Doppelpoplous has been mustering her minions in preparation for a strike.<br /><br /><a href="http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/?action=view¤t=1_robert.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/1_robert.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-84585583005147023352009-02-05T09:52:00.002-05:002009-02-05T09:55:12.460-05:00doppelpüpsI have to thank my friend Sandy for reminding me of this site she showed me earlier this year. It is destructive. The one that kills me the most is the hotdog dogs.<br /><br />http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2008/09/matchingks-dppe.htmlJ. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-33518045796561537472009-01-31T16:13:00.003-05:002009-01-31T16:21:20.690-05:00moderate successI delivered on my promise to try to get some surreptitious class pictures of my Dana Carvey dop professor. The pictures are not great because it was very difficult to find a moment when he wasn't looking--the class has grown from 10 people to 20 but that's still not very large.<br /><br />At first I was a little nervous about not only him seeing me, but the two girls sitting next to me. At one point one of them whispered, "What are you doing?" Not being able to quickly think of a more reasonable answer for what I was doing, I decided to go with the truth and replied, "I think he looks like Dana Carvey and I want to show people." She quietly laughed and agreed with me.<br /><br />I wish that I had been able to capture him making a particular face with raised eyebrows and shrugged shoulders that I really feel exhibits the most Dana Carveyness, but I had to work with what I could. Hopefully the endorsement of my fellow Research Methods classmate and these photos are good enough.<br /><br /><a href="http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/?action=view¤t=IMG_0169.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/IMG_0169.jpg" border="0" alt="dana 2"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/?action=view¤t=IMG_0168.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/IMG_0168.jpg" border="0" alt="dana carvey?"></a>J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-68076158433008558472009-01-29T09:25:00.004-05:002009-01-29T09:54:10.367-05:00new directionDue to my ambivalence about this blog and one (1) request, I have decided to take it in a new direction. My last two dopplemania blogs have been enjoyable to me and have inspired me to make the entire thing about the amazing phenomenon of some people looking like other people. <br /><br />As Robert has pointed out to me (and ridiculed me for) several times, I seem to have an affinity for finding similarities in people's appearances. Often when we are watching TV or movies, I say, "Doesn't that guy look just like so-and-so?" Most of the time he disagrees with me, even when it ACTUALLY IS THAT PERSON who we know in real life and happens to have landed a small role in that week's episode of Gossip Girl.<br /><br />So, with the creation of this blog I will now have an outlet for my talent. Whenever I see someone who I think looks like someone else, I will do my best to obtain pictures of both and post them here for the evaluation of whoever is reading this. Also, if you think you have spotted a doppelgänger, please feel free to share your discovery--don't save it for Queen Dopplepoplous.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-41689931212166502622009-01-28T11:51:00.003-05:002009-01-28T11:57:19.354-05:00dopplemania revistedMy new professor looks somewhat like Dana Carvey. There are only 10 people in the class, of which apparently I am the only one who wants to respond to his questions, so surreptitious picture taking will be difficult. But I will try.<br /><br />In the meantime, here is a picture of Dana Carvey, just for the hell of it:<br /><br /><a href="http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/?action=view¤t=tvweek_dana_carvey.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/entrophyoenix/tvweek_dana_carvey.jpg" border="0" alt="dana carvey"></a>J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-25995259894680550372008-09-05T10:12:00.004-04:002008-09-05T10:25:47.129-04:00dopplemaniaSo...my new stats professor looks like my boyfriend.<br /><br />He is like the Russian version of Robert. I don't even really know what to say or think about this. I did, however, surreptitiously take pictures of him during class with my iPhone so that I could provide evidence to back up my doppleclaim.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gEu9Rg3YpDE/SMFBKaCzajI/AAAAAAAAAHI/NChZT-yBNbM/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gEu9Rg3YpDE/SMFBKaCzajI/AAAAAAAAAHI/NChZT-yBNbM/s320/photo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242543088281545266" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gEu9Rg3YpDE/SMFBWwODXXI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/Az5eqzcBqOo/s1600-h/photo-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gEu9Rg3YpDE/SMFBWwODXXI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/Az5eqzcBqOo/s320/photo-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242543300392738162" /></a>J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-53542815733209343462008-08-08T08:41:00.001-04:002008-08-08T08:43:27.074-04:00recognitionI just read on the Owl Farm Blog (http://owlfarmblog.com/) that "The Friends of the Library of Montgomery County System, in Maryland, have reclassified Hunter's work from Journalism/Politics to Classics."<br /><br />That puts a smile on my face.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-1899319577176248292008-07-18T09:06:00.003-04:002008-07-18T09:17:45.220-04:00GonzoI've been thinking about the film I saw last Friday, "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson." Although I enjoyed watching it, something was bothering me about it and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. But after talking a little about it with friends, and after reading this short piece last night in New York Magazine (http://nymag.com/arts/books/features/48517/) about it and him, I think I know what it is. <br /><br />The thesis of that bio was that Thompson let his own myth supercede him and eventually destroy him. I think that's generally true. Most people I've met who say they are fans of his are really fans of Duke, not Thompson. He himself said that he felt he was "in the way" of his own writing. But despite the film's recognition of the destructive influence of Hunter's myth, it still chose to FOCUS on that myth, rather than him as a man or him as a writer. It showed us Hunter as a Public Figure. That's why, as someone pointed out to me, they left out the Air Force, the Rum Diary, Puerto Rico and South America, the "major, personality-forming parts of his life." These were the times that shaped him as a writer. Inventing gonzo writing was a major achievement...or a piece of dumb luck, as I'm sure he'd admit...but interesting and important either way. But I think what is missed is that BEFORE gonzo, he was an incredible writer. The gonzo stuff is hilarious and biting, but truthfully, I am far more often awed at the pieces of straight journalism he wrote.The insight, the detail, and the rhythm of his words are unequalled in anything I've ever read.<br /><br />So I think what was most disappointing about that film was that it did sort of leave Hunter out of it. His political influence was great at that time...but it neglected to point out why he even got interested in politics in the first place. It sort of touches on it with the Freak Power campaign but it made it sound less serious than I think it was for him based on what I've read. I think when people are focusing on the Myth of Hunter, they are missing out on understanding some really essential characteristics, namely, that he was really and truly a believer in freedom and in people's ability to make change for the better. Something I've read that he said often was that "politics is the art of controlling your environment." But then so much went wrong to show him that they really didn't have that control...they came close in Aspen, but no cigar. And then Vietnam, and Nixon, and McGovern, and so many failures to achieve what he saw as the vast possibilities of what this country could offer. So I think a far more important aspect of his life that could have been focused on in the film, rather than the Myth, rather than how many drinks and drugs he could gobble and still stand straight, is the sincere disappointment in his writing, and his constant struggle to understand and articulate What Went Wrong. For a long time I didn't understand that speech at the turning point in Fear and Loathing about the wave. In the middle of this drug-addled spree, here was this rare introspective moment that always jarred me. Now having read so much that he's written, especially his letters from that time, I think I understand it as much as anyone can who didn't live through it. That, to me, is a much more edifying thing to focus on, something we can learn from him. He was disappointed and dissatisfied with what was going on, and he, more than almost anyone I can think of, constantly lived his life trying to change it and come to grips with it and ultimately, just live on his own terms. I admire that so much about him, and I wish the bios would talk more about that.<br /><br />Today's his birthday. Let's all have a toast tonight during our Friday revelry to the Good Doctor.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-26913286257893411262008-07-11T12:02:00.002-04:002008-07-11T12:03:18.417-04:00criteriaNew criteria for being close friends with me:<br /><br />The ability to, with unfettered passion, listen to the same song on repeat for the better part of the day.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-84925858044672569892008-06-19T15:47:00.003-04:002008-06-19T15:56:26.026-04:00know thyselfI am always on the road to further self-discovery. I truly believe that knowing yourself well is a good path to happiness, or at the very least, strength.<br /><br />In that regard, I learned something about myself today. I learned that I love Fleetwood Mac even more than I thought I did.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-68107471854738508802008-05-12T17:50:00.004-04:002008-05-12T18:35:14.131-04:00In RainThis weekend I went down to D.C. to visit some friends and see Radiohead play at the Nissan Pavillion. The visiting was very fun and relaxing; the show was a horror.<br /><br />Any of you who were feeling bitter or jealous about missing the show this weekend will be happy to hear that you were better off at home. This was without a doubt the worst concert experience of my entire life. <br /><br />We knew going into it that the forecast was calling for rain. However, the radar seemed to predict that the worst of it would be early in the evening and that it would potentially slacken later on. No. Our generous and extremely helpful friends, Jason and Heather, who we were staying with, outfitted us with rain gear in preparation for the worst. They had given us hats, ponchos, wind-breakers, fleeces, and dry socks to change into. Before going to the show, we had spent much of the afternoon phoning local retailers to find a pair of cheap rainboots for me to wear since I only had my Chucks, which will get soaked in a drizzle in about 5 minutes. With a quick stop to Macy's on the way out to where our friends would pick us up, we got a pair that had been put on hold. We then met up with Dan and his friend Steve and got on the road. This was around 5:30 pm.<br /><br />We arrived at the concert close to 9 p.m., after driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic down the one-lane road that takes you to the Pavillion and ends in a disorganized mess of gravel parking lots. We could hear Radiohead already playing when we got out of the car. It provided a nice soundtrack for trudging through the gravel, mud, lake-sized puddles, and then what seemed like hundreds of stairs to get to the actual venue. All around us were the other late-arrivals, in varying degrees of preparation for the weather. Some were more prepared than us with heavy-duty tarps; some were only wearing shorts and flip flops. Luckily the temperature was not too too cold in the low 50s, but the rain was bad enough. It did not slacken as we squelched our way through the slippery, demolished hillside to get to a place to stand for the show where our feet would only sink in ankle-high. Those rainboots turned out to be the best $20 I've ever spent in my life because despite standing in a mud puddle for an hour, my feet remained (mostly) mercifully dry. The rain continued throughout the entire concert in a steady, demoralizing downpour. We had our huge golf umbrella up and so did most of the rest of the crowd, which accounts for me not having seen the stage even once the entire time I was there and only getting a few glimpses of the screen. It kept us from getting further drenched while we stood still but all areas not covered by the ponchos (like our legs) were completely soaked through. We stood out there for close to an hour. We heard a couple of really good versions of some songs (I barely remember the set list, but I do remember singing along with the "rain down" portion of "Paranoid Android"), but overall it was frankly a lackluster performance. At one point Tom Yorke took a stab at being a human and said something of a diffident apology for all of us having a terrible day. Usually I go to a concert with a hope that I'll get to hear a few favorite songs, but all I really wanted to hear from him were two words: "Thank you." Just a "thank you" to all of these psychotic people who came out in the pouring rain just because they love their music. <br /><br />Immediately after the last song we left. We could hear them playing "Karma Police" as we found our way back to the now almost completely-flooded parking lot, incredibly grateful to be in the car again. That was a sensation that was to wear off as we spent the next THREE HOURS (no joke) sitting in the car, waiting to leave the parking lot. It was a complete and total clusterfuck. No movement whatsoever for 2 hours, followed by an hour of jockeying and 4 cars trying to merge into one ill-defined lane, with no traffic control except for one cop in a poncho perfunctorily waving a club in the direction of the exit. Still pissing rain outside, now trapped in the car in various states of undress, wet clothes sealed to our clammy skin, cramped joints and muscles, we slowly began to become deranged. The collective brain damage suffered by the 4 of us in that car is beyond description. <br /><br />FINALLY we got out of the parking lot, onto a highway where some more cops were forcing traffic in the opposite direction of the one we needed to go. Luckily the car we were in had GPS and we were able to navigate into free-moving traffic. We ended the night with a crazed search for a 24-hour-McDonalds and a frenzied pigout. It was the best moment of the entire night.<br /><br />We got back to our friend's apartment at 3:30 a.m. We had left at 4:30 p.m. The entire commute time for the concert (that is time in the car, not counting the one hour of actually watching the show) was almost 8 hours to get to and from a venue that was approximately thirty (30) miles from the city. We realized that our friend could have driven us home to New York and back home again in that amount of time. All in all, it was a truly impressive experience on many levels. Impressive amounts of rain. Impressive amounts of dementia. Impressive lack of foresight, planning, caring, or intelligence on the behalf of the builders and proprietors of the Nissan Pavillion. Impressive that Radiohead was suggesting that people take public transportation to the show in order to reduce the carbon footprint of their tour, while at the same time booking the performance at a place in bumfuck Bristow, VA, which is impossible to reach via any other mode of transportation than car. Impressive amounts of (at least seeming) indifference on the part of Radiohead to the devotion of their fans. But, there was also an impressive amount of fun with the company I had: many thanks to Robert, Dan, and Steve for sharing this horror with me and for all of us ending the night with smiles on our faces.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-13228922825605738672008-03-27T08:43:00.002-04:002008-03-27T08:52:29.127-04:00employee reviewIn anticipation of the totally pointless annual tradition that is the "Employee Review", my job requires us to fill out a "preappraisal form" with a bunch of asinine questions that will supposedly shape the discussion during our review. Below are the answers that I would like to put on my form:<br /><br />1. Does the attached job description accurately reflect your current duties and responsibilities? If not, please cite any discrepancies.<br /><br />My job description does not list "getting jerked around by socially-incompetent troglodytes" or "dealing with a manager with the<br />emotional age and haircut of an 8-year-old as he nervously taps on my cubicle in abject fear of me".<br /><br />2. What do you consider the strengths of your performance this year?<br /><br />Some babble about streamlining schedules and getting more organized. <br /><br />3. Do you have thoughts on how your performance might be strengthened?<br /><br />I think if I cared more about such important distinctions as whether a sentence should read "in light of" or "in the light of" instead of wanting to do something worthwhile like being a neuroscientist my performance would improve.<br /><br />4. Are there any other comments regarding your job, your progress, your unit, or the MLA that you wish to make?<br /><br />I wish to make the comment that I find it despicable that the personal whim of one person can dictate what I can and cannot wear to work, when the spirit of the organization (being non-profit) and the attitude of the office (excepting that one person) obviously are not corporate. If I could wear my jeans I would be a lot less of a malcontent and would probably smile at people more in the hallways, in addition to taking less breaks during my work to play Scramble.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619382104641591262.post-79550794366807044682008-03-21T15:20:00.003-04:002008-03-21T15:32:55.546-04:00avalancheThe following wreckage was strewn across the wasteland of a gmail chat box that has no one on the other end (you know who you are):<br /><br />Most of the conversations in my life are with people who leave in the middle of them with no warning and no indication of when they will come back. This will, inevitably, add to my psychosis. Despite understanding that others have demanding jobs that may take precedence over chatting on the computer, the impotent rage that is being built layer upon layer like a core of hot magma in my stomach will no doubt have lasting physical and social repercussions. <br /><br />I think that there is a general lack of understanding of just HOW MANY words I have in me. There are a lot. Think of the most words you can think of and then double that. And once they start, particularly when someone gets me going on a topic dear to my heart, like Labyrinth, or atrocious 80s music, or the Good Doctor, they don't stop easily. They spew forth from my brain to my mouth with incredible number and alacrity. And one day, all the dammed-up ones from thwarted IM conversations will finally overflow, drowning all of you who lack the etiquette to give me a simple "brb" in the avalanche.J. Fliphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05726841466200155954noreply@blogger.com2