I hadn’t been in a courthouse since I was in college, fighting a parking ticket. I emailed a lawyer friend, asking if I needed to wear a suit, because I really didn’t have a clue. (His answer, should you be interested, was that anything was fine as long as it didn’t disrespect the court. He then related the story of an idiot who wore a “fuck you” t-shirt to a municipal court date and received 30 days for a traffic offense. It is not wise to trifle with a judge.)

So there I was in divorce court. It was interesting what an assembly-line procedure it was. All the cases were with the same lawyer, to speed things up, I’m sure. The first couple cases involved other lawyers and were basically a matter of setting a later date with the judge for what I guess would be more of a trial. Then the routine cases started up, 20 or 30 of them. The lawyer had advised me when I checked in with him that I was next to last.

So I settled in on the wooden pew to watch the parade of perfectly ordinary people answering mostly the same questions over and over again: name and address, have you been a resident of Missouri more than 90 days?, are you or the respondent currently serving in the armed forces of the US or its allies?, is the woman pregnant?, and so forth. If there was real estate or children involved, there were additional questions, mostly to make sure that an agreement was in place as to how it would be handled.

Most of the marriages had lasted only a few years (mine was one of the few with a date before 2000), though one couple had been together since 1993 and another since 1984. A few couples came together and seemed civil to each other. Two or three women brought guys I’m guessing were their current boyfriends. The case whose announcement snapped everyone to attention was “John Smith vs. Jacob Smith.” When the judge read the particulars, it was “John Smith vs. Jacob Smith, formerly known as Jennifer Smith.” Ah, I see. John Smith seemed like a nice guy who had been through a lot, though I’m sure I’m reading more into that than was really visible.

It was interesting how people reacted when they received their papers and left the courtroom. Some were relieved, almost happy. Most of the women were sad, the guys about 50/50, I suppose. How did I look? I don’t know. I do know I cried on the drive home, tears running down my cheeks and not caring who saw it. When you get married you don’t think it’s going to end, but of course it does, one way or another, as everything must. At least when I got home there was an email from Elise, telling a funny story about something that happened earlier. That made me feel better, to know we’re still friends.

I’ve been going through the house, cleaning out stuff she left behind, to send to her or give away. As it happens, tomorrow I have a routine colonoscopy (I know, TMI) so today I’m on clear liquids and laxatives. By the end of the week, at the new moon, I’ll be squeaky clean, inside and out.

It’ll be a new world. What kind of world, I don’t know. But it will definitely seem new.

Posted by pat at 01:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

I’ve got a post with pictures from a really fun show I saw last Sunday (Les Marteaux Pikettes, Joey Skidmore Band, Les Fossoyeurs @ Fred P. Ott’s), but just can’t get time or energy to write it. So instead, here’s another meme. Feel free to play along!

One-Word Meme

Not as easy as you might think. Now copy or forward, change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers. [Well, that’s what the poster said. To me, that’s what made it interesting]

1. Where is your cell phone? here

2. Your significant other? divorced

3. Your hair? scraggly

4. Your mother? missed

5. Your father? deceased

6. Your favorite thing? love

7. Your dream last night? gone

8. Your favorite drink? depends

9. Your dream/goal? security

10. The room you're in? home

11. Your hobby? cogitating

12. Your fear? poverty

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? wealthy

14. Where were you last night? working

15. What you're not? secure

16. Muffin? bran

17. One of your wish list items? microphone

18. Where you grew up? Wichita

19. The last thing you did? recording

20. What are you wearing? neutrals

21. Your TV? neglected

22. Your pets? numerous

23. Your computer? Mac!

24. Your life? confused

25. Your mood? uncertain

26. Missing someone? usually

27. Your car? green

28. Something you're not wearing? crinoline

29. Favorite store? Sweetwater

30. Your summer? coming

31. Like someone? sure

32. Your favorite color? combinations

33. When is the last time you laughed? hours

34. Last time you cried? months

35. Who will resend this? you

Posted by pat at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tomorrow is the second in the series The Sounds of Silents at the downtown KCMO library. This month’s selection is a 1925 documentary called Grass: A Nation’s Struggle For Life. The local public radio station, KCUR, ran a story on it as part of its Friday arts coverage this morning. Since Jeffrey and I did minor edits to the movie for the DVD to be shown, I can tell you it’s an amazing piece. The movie was made by the guys who later did the original King Kong, and tells the story of the migration of 25,000 people and half a million animals across rivers and mountains in search of (literal) greener pastures, in what is now Iran. There are many unforgettable scenes. I know the sight of nomads hacking a narrow path up a mountain through knee-deep snow in their bare feet (their crude shoes were too slippery), the thin line of thousands of people and hundreds of thousands of goats and sheep winding for miles behind them, will stay with me a long time.

I haven’t heard the music yet, of course, since Jeffrey needed the DVD to compose to, but last month’s installment was wonderful and well-played. Really, if you’re looking for something to do Saturday afternoon, this is pretty hard to beat: 3:30 pm, at the beautiful downtown library, 14 W. 10th Street. Admission is free, and they even provide snacks! The movie is about an hour long. They do recommend reservations—call 816.701.3407.

Posted by pat at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In honor of National Poem In Your Pocket Day, here’s one of my favorites. By Robert Frost, if you’re not familiar with it.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden fell to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Posted by pat at 05:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Since this is from MySpace, probably so. Oh well, I’m tired but not ready to go to bed, so here goes.

What’s the last thing you spent more than $100 on?

Besides bills? Actually I’m buying a headphone amp for my studio, since the old one crapped out last week.

Where did the shirt you are currently wearing come from?

A band I used to play with last year, Rockhill.

Name something that was on your Christmas wish list?

I didn’t have one. My brother and sister-in-law gave me an Amazon gift card, and that was nice.

What color is your toothbrush?

Mostly clear, with some blue here and there. I think. I’ve got a cat on my lap and don’t feel like looking.

Last restaurant you ate at?

Korma Sutra, with Shenon. We were emailing and I mentioned Indian food; she’d never had it, and on impulse we met for lunch.

Last person you made a birthday card for?

I’ve bought a bunch, but making one? It’s been awhile. I made a Flash animation for Elise several years ago.

Name a magazine you subscribe to?

Tape Op, the creative music recording magazine. It’s free, and amazing!

Your favorite pizza toppings?

Probably pineapple & Canadian bacon, but I’ll eat about anything.

Who’s number were you looking up the last time you used a phone book?

That’s “whose,” not “who’s,” you illiterate imbecile. Anyway, it was some business I had to drop something off at—don’t remember now. I use Google and Mapquest a whole lot more than the phone book.

What is the last thing you ate?

For dinner I had a salad and yummy meat tortellini.

What were you doing 30 min ago?

Mixing a song for the Issues demo. I’ve got to get this done! and revamp our promo materials.

Are you good at math?

Compared to most people, yeah. But that’s a pretty low bar these days. I had two semesters of calculus in college, though I don't think I could solve an integral to save my life these days.

Have you ever been in love?

Several times, yes.

Last board game you played?

Pictionary, with the Venus Envy women and their spouses at Shenon’s birthday party at Christy’s house last December. I sucked at the game, but it was fun. BTW, they’re playing at the Record Bar this Saturday, and you should go see them.

What was the color of the bridesmaid dresses of the last wedding you went to?

I don’t remember the last wedding I went to, but I play several weddings a year. Let’s see, I think they wore light blue. All I really remember is that we played “Tupelo Honey” for the dollar dance, and it was about 15 minutes long. <shudder>

What house cleaning chore do you hate to do the most?

Probably cleaning the refrigerator. But there are so many chores I never even get to…. This house really needs cleaning!

It is your birthday. You hope the cake is..?

There :-) Probably chocolate, but I don’t really care.

What is the 6th text in your inbox?

“The link regarding copyright my neighbor is circulating”—it came up in a phone conversation.

Who was it from?

Stephanie. That’s who I was on the phone with.

How many siblings do you have?

Three. An older sister and two younger brothers.

Do you have a crush?

Yeah, sort of. Maybe more than one. Sort of. I’m not sure I trust my feelings right now. It’s a weird time.

Where is your phone?

My office phone is about two feet away. My cell phone, I’m not sure. Maybe in the bedroom.

Do you own an ipod?

No. I’ve got a MacBook Pro with iTunes, and that’s about as portable as I get.

What cd is currently in your cd player?

CD? Who plays CDs? I have, let’s see, 8404 songs in my iTunes library on the desktop G5. I do have a stack of CDs to import that Michelle from OK Jones gave me (thanks!)(she and Richard are so nice!). Let’s see, the top one on the stack is A.C. Newman, The Slow Wonder. Haven’t heard it yet, but I love the New Pornographers and he writes for them.

Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?

Chocolate. I won’t usually drink milk straight, only on cereal or whatever.

When was the last time you had Starbucks?

It’s been years. There are so many small coffeeshops I’d rather go to.

Can you whistle?

Oh yeah. I’m self-conscious about singing, but boy will I whistle.

Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoo?

Nope.

Do you sleep on your side, stomach, or back?

Side.

What are you listening to?

At this moment, Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club’s version of “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Much more rocked out than the Buggles version. Bruce Woolley co-wrote the song with Trevor Rabin if I remember right.

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?

Shenon, this afternoon, about the band we’re putting together. She keeps coming up in this survey, but we’re just friends, really!

What did you dream about last night?

I was on the road somewhere (Minneapolis?), waiting to go home.

Does anyone dislike you right now?

Maybe, but they haven’t told me if they do.

Do you dislike anyone right now?

There are a few people who irritate me, but I’m not sure I’m around anyone I actually dislike.

Do you know anyone who's married?

Uh, yeah, I’m older than high school. Come to think of it, I’m technically still married for another two weeks.

What's your favorite number?

That’s a weird question. Let’s say i, the square root of -1, an imaginary number. No, wait—let’s say pi. Everyone likes pie!

Where are you going to be at 8:00 tomorrow night?

In an edit/mix session with Howard Iceberg.

When was the last time you cried?

Wow, come to think of it, you’d think with this whole divorce thing I would have cried a bunch. But I haven’t, quite. Great. I’m probably due for some big meltdown or something. Thanks for bringing it up….

Posted by pat at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There is a really helpful and clarifying article on Iraq in today’s Boston Globe online, written by Middle East expert Juan Cole. It’s no wonder Iraq is confusing—as Cole points out, there are three major wars going on there, and American troops are mostly involved in only one of them. The article succinctly summarizes the players and the issues and what’s at stake. I have been following this stuff fairly closely for some time, but it’s still really nice to see it explained so clearly. Most news coverage of Iraq has been superficial at best, simple flag-waving at worst.

There are many reasons why American media have done such an appalling job of covering this war: news departments concerned only with the bottom line keep cutting back on overseas staff, the idea that extremely complicated issues must be reduced to bumper sticker-sized sentiments, the way real substance is constantly trumped by celebrity worship and the pettiest of personality quirks—it goes on and on.

Of course it doesn’t help that our government is lying through its teeth for political motives, both as a CYA move and to bolster support for an attack against Iran. In a related post on his own site, Professor Cole says administration claims that the (nationalist) Mahdi Army is a tool of Iran “is like calling the Minutemen vigilantes in Arizona tools of the Mexican government.” Muqtada al-Sadr’s group’s whole purpose lies in rejecting outsiders like the US and Iran. Who do the Iranians support? The al-Maliki government, which US troops helped bail out a couple weeks ago in Basra as they tried to defeat the Mahdi army. So we are helping the Iranians even as we attack them verbally, and quite posssibly prepare to attack them militarily.

I almost wrote that attacking Iran is one of the few things that could make the situation in Iraq worse, but of course reading Cole’s articles illustrates there are many, many ways it could get worse, and almost certainly will. We’ve landed with both our big flat feet in the middle of a hornets’ nest and done nothing but kick and flail blindly for five years. What happens now? Whether we stay or leave, we’re going to get stung, and I fear, stung badly.

Posted by pat at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

All week long I’ve been hearing and reading rave reviews for the new Martin Scorsese/Rolling Stones movie, Shine a Light. I have to admit I’ve never been much of a Stones fan, though I certainly appreciate what they have done. And if you prorated my career income by removing all the Stones songs I’ve played, well, it would be a significant hit.

As it happens, the cover band I play with on weekends just the other day worked up “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” By “worked up” I mean we figured out an ending, otherwise we wouldn’t have had to even play through the song once. Everyone has heard that song so many times it’s, like, inscribed in your DNA. We listened to a live version to hear how they ended it, and everything sounded wretched. I had all sorts of snide things to say about their live sound (ha! now I remember I went to see them in 1981 because I wasn’t sure how much longer they’d be playing).

And then, a little while ago, I saw this YouTube video from the movie. And maybe, maybe even for the first time ever, I get it.

Posted by pat at 03:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by pat at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wow. I just ran into this from a drummers’ mailing list.

You can take your Ringos, your Mick Fleetwoods, your Charlie Wattses—you can take the masters of taste and restraint, your Jim Keltners, your Russ Kunkels, your Jerry Marottas. Sure Sly Dunbar can lay down a groove so deep an elephant could tiptoe in it, sure Terry Bozzio can do impossible solos over an ostinato pattern—but could any of them play like this guy? I think not!

I have no idea if non-musicians will think this is funny, but I was howling after the first verse.

Posted by pat at 09:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Several projects I’ve been working on went live in the last few days. So what the hell, I’ll link them here.

The coolest thing, which I had the least to do with, is Charles Barsotti’s cartoon blog at the New Yorker—he’s the Cartoonist of the Month for April. He will have a new image up every weekday all month long. Please be encouraged to send him email about what you think. He’s been working with one of those Cintiq monitors, the ones where you actually draw on the monitor rather than a tablet, and it has resulted in a radically different style from what most people associate with him. Personally, I think it’s cool as hell, but I’ve worked with him for about twelve years now and he’s a good friend as well as a client. And he never fails to crack me up.

All I did on that project was to provide some technical help and help translate one side to the other.

Another project is a revamping of Doug Medlock’s voice talent website. The boy is poised to do big things. Art work and audio are by Doug; I just put things together into a Flash site.

Finally, the Dorfman Plumbing Supply website redesign went live last week. Plumbing supplies don’t sound very exciting, but these guys do high end spa equipment (as well as about everything else) and their showroom is a thing of wonder. There are a couple parts of the site that are still waiting for content, but you can get the idea. I did the design and built everything; photography is by the incomparable E.G. Schempf, whose normal stock in trade is photographing art for museum catalogs.

We now return you to my usual ranting and raving.

Posted by pat at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)