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Archive for August 2003 I mean, all right! Last week on the ELO mailing list, "Does Jeff like Star Trek?" Someone replies that he was asked this very question on Rockline about two years ago: This question was asked directly of Jeff Lynne on the 2001 Rockline interview. Jeff's response was (paraphrasing from memory), "Yes, I like Star Trek. I'm not crazy about it, but I like it well enough. It's just that fantasy stuff, like science fiction, make the lyrics easy to write." Someone on the Showdown list, I don't remember who, attended the taping and said that Jeff and Rosie rolled their eyes when the question was asked, as if they thought it was a bad question. I get a kick out of this because I know goddamn well who wasted everyone's time with this question. He kind of harassed Melissa, as I recall, through some ELO channel unremembered by or unknown to me. I envision an overweight, slouching webmaster with an odd '50s buzzcut and huge glasses, fingers sticky with modeling glue used in his ST:VGR vs. ST:ENT diorama. And so here's Jeff on the phone, and we're getting a question like "do you like Star Trek?" Christ, why didn't he just ask "will you validate my pitiful existence?" I imagine upon hearing the answer he collapsed in a paroxysm of ecstasy -- Jeff Lynne said "Star Trek!" I was pissed off because here he could ask something we all wanted to know, and he uses it to service himself. It's like (forgive the analogy) the president of the Goldie Hawn Fan Club being permitted to ask God one single question, with the answer to be shared with mankind, and he asks "Did you see Housesitter?" I read the papers this morning I saw your photograph You look good in the movie It must be so much fun Letter from Spain From someone I once knew Letter from Spain I got a letter this morning (you're doing very well) Postmark said it was from Spain (never thought you had the time) Your writing is so very strange (to think of me and write) I guess it always was that way (I'm glad you're doing fine) Letter from Spain From someone I once knew Letter from Spain Letter From Spain If you look at the phrase "Letter from Spain" long enough, it starts to lose its meaning. One thing I sometimes think about is misspelled search requests. They make me feel some deep-seated inner anxiety or sorrow, similar to the kind I've described here once or twice in the past, the part of me that is terrified of wasted or forgotten human effort. I will occasionally find one of those "look at how dumb they are" collections of misspelled search engine requests ("britteny spears," "books about dinasaurs," etc.), and I see people who needed to find something, but didn't have enough of the ability to communicate their need. It's a failure of interaction, of communication. Did they find what they wanted? Or, more likely, did they go away missing a piece of themselves? I just... I just wanted to learn more about dinasaurs. I was trying to understand, but I didn't find anything. I was turned away. This may run through the person's mind at the most base level, not even remotely consciously. This is such a minor thing. But I guess I'm never really moved by big things, big events, big losses and failures and triumphs. Here is a failure no one else will ever see or have any consideration for, that not even that person will remember. Likewise, similar successes exist. Or efforts. I did the same thing the other day, except my car was made from lasers? And pornography. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/photography/poy2003/poy_anderson7.htm This is about the saddest goddamn picture ever. |
