Archive for the ‘Ava A Bore’ Category

Life Support

Friday, May 5th, 2006

A few weeks ago, I was asked whether Fan’s Complaint is dead. My answer was, “Pretty much.”

I realize I’ve taken long breaks before, but this time it felt different. I’d been doing a lot of writing, and it actually felt like I was getting somewhere.

These past few days though, the writing has been more of a struggle than it had ever been. Sure, there have been times in the past when I went nearly a year without really writing, but that was when I wasn’t trying at all. Never in my writing “career” have I experienced so much frustration after such an intense and sustained effort.

I am supposed to leave New York indefinitely in, oh, let’s see, about 28 hours. I’d told myself that come hell or high water I’d finish this damned story before I had to hit the road. I’ve gotten three pages done this week. When the story started, I was having fun writing it. It was work, but it felt rewarding. Now, it just feels as though I’m artlessly putting the characters through their paces, very visibly pulling their strings, and I don’t think it does them any justice whatsoever.

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Spaßmachen!

Thursday, March 9th, 2006

Here’s some German vocabulary that I haven’t forgotten:

Taschenrechner - Taschen (bag), rechner (counter) - Calculator

Staubsauger - Staub (dust), sauger (sucker) - Vacuum cleaner

Armbanduhr - Armband (arm band), uhr (clock) - Wristwatch

Kühlraum - Kühl (cool), raum (room) - Refrigerator

Lebensraum - Leben (life/living), raum (room) - Poland/Czechoslovakia/Russia

***

enjoy!

Lies! All lies!

Thursday, February 16th, 2006

Arena

(known to self and others)

intolerant, irresponsible, unhappy, childish, overdramatic

Blind Spot

(known only to others)

violent, glum, insecure, lethargic, withdrawn, selfish, cynical, brash, loud, unethical, insensitive, self-satisfied

Façade

(known only to self)

inflexible

Unknown

(known to nobody)

incompetent, timid, cowardly, aloof, stupid, simple, vulgar, hostile, unhelpful, needy, unimaginative, inane, cruel, ignorant, irrational, distant, boastful, blasé, imperceptive, chaotic, impatient, weak, embarrassed, vacuous, panicky, passive, smug, rash, dispassionate, dull, predictable, callous, inattentive, unreliable, cold, foolish, humourless

All Percentages

incompetent (0%) intolerant (25%) inflexible (0%) timid (0%) cowardly (0%) violent (50%) aloof (0%) glum (25%) stupid (0%) simple (0%) insecure (25%) irresponsible (25%) vulgar (0%) lethargic (50%) withdrawn (25%) hostile (0%) selfish (25%) unhappy (50%) unhelpful (0%) cynical (50%) needy (0%) unimaginative (0%) inane (0%) brash (25%) cruel (0%) ignorant (0%) irrational (0%) distant (0%) childish (50%) boastful (0%) blasé (0%) imperceptive (0%) chaotic (0%) impatient (0%) weak (0%) embarrassed (0%) loud (25%) vacuous (0%) panicky (0%) unethical (25%) insensitive (25%) self-satisfied (25%) passive (0%) smug (0%) rash (0%) dispassionate (0%) overdramatic (25%) dull (0%) predictable (0%) callous (0%) inattentive (0%) unreliable (0%) cold (0%) foolish (0%) humourless (0%)

Created by the Nohari Window on 16.2.2006, using data from 4 respondents.
You can make your own Nohari Window, or view PhilbertAlmond’s full data.

You like me, you really like me!

Thursday, February 16th, 2006

Arena

(known to self and others)

complex, intelligent, knowledgable, reflective, sentimental

Blind Spot

(known only to others)

able, accepting, clever, idealistic, ingenious, modest, observant, powerful, searching, self-assertive, self-conscious, tense, trustworthy, witty

Façade

(known only to self)

caring

Unknown

(known to nobody)

adaptable, bold, brave, calm, cheerful, confident, dependable, dignified, energetic, extroverted, friendly, giving, happy, helpful, independent, introverted, kind, logical, loving, mature, nervous, organised, patient, proud, quiet, relaxed, religious, responsive, sensible, shy, silly, spontaneous, sympathetic, warm, wise

All Percentages

able (25%) accepting (25%) adaptable (0%) bold (0%) brave (0%) calm (0%) caring (0%) cheerful (0%) clever (25%) complex (50%) confident (0%) dependable (0%) dignified (0%) energetic (0%) extroverted (0%) friendly (0%) giving (0%) happy (0%) helpful (0%) idealistic (50%) independent (0%) ingenious (25%) intelligent (25%) introverted (0%) kind (0%) knowledgable (25%) logical (0%) loving (0%) mature (0%) modest (25%) nervous (0%) observant (25%) organised (0%) patient (0%) powerful (25%) proud (0%) quiet (0%) reflective (25%) relaxed (0%) religious (0%) responsive (0%) searching (25%) self-assertive (25%) self-conscious (25%) sensible (0%) sentimental (25%) shy (0%) silly (0%) spontaneous (0%) sympathetic (0%) tense (25%) trustworthy (25%) warm (0%) wise (0%) witty (50%)

Created by the Interactive Johari Window on 16.2.2006, using data from 4 respondents.
You can make your own Johari Window, or view PhilbertAlmond’s full data.

4 hours 16 minutes later…

Sunday, February 12th, 2006

screendoor.jpg
I had trouble opening my screendoor because the snow had piled against it.

blizzard06-1.jpg
The wheels of the car are no longer visible.

Will have to shovel at some point.

DEATHSTORM 2006

Sunday, February 12th, 2006

blizzard06.jpg

The Countdown Begins

Wednesday, January 4th, 2006

I will be turning 25 in a week. I’d meant to do all this sooner, with the flurry of best-of-lists flying around, but I’ve only just gotten back from Benderland.

Actually, the truth is that my internet was out for about two weeks, but I like lying and exaggerating about hard partyin’ lifestyle.

The above is a list of the top 25 songs, ranked by playcount, of 2005. I wish I’d done this at the end of 2004, but the current playcount tally only goes back to the last time I had to rebuild my computer, which was January of 2005. I do remember the last version of this list having Cherry Blossom Girl at the very top, but cannot remember much else.

Love Will Tear Us Apart coming in at number 2 should give you a pretty good idea of how my 2005 was. Judging from the four days of this new year, that song will have climbed to first place in a year’s time.

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ZoomZoomLive

Thursday, November 10th, 2005



ZoomZoomLive

Originally uploaded by hfan.

This might just be the best picture of me since the one with the gun.

I really look like a serious wheelman here. The look on my face says, “Let’s see of those coppers in their Crown Vics can handle this move!”

This particular Miata I’m driving has a stick-shift, by the way. Unfortunately, the course was set up to be run entirely in second gear, so I did not have a chance to display my AWESOME HEEL-TOE TECHNIQUE, which I’m sure would’ve just floored the girl sitting next to me.

Chicks dig driving fast, right?

Well, at least it wasn’t a bucket of fried chicken in the passenger seat.

Things to throw out of your car before letting a girl in

Tuesday, November 8th, 2005

1. That horrible porno mag you bought in Lompoc, CA, when you had to rush because you didn’t want to be seen buying porn in front of children.

2. A pack of condoms you bought months ago, when you had mistakenly thought you would soon be getting laid.

Vanity

Monday, October 24th, 2005

The following will NOT go up on craigslist.

this is in or around williamsburg

MC w/British girl@Rosemary’s Greenpoint Tavern on Sat. Night

Me: Asian guy looking dejected
you: British girl with blonde-ish hair needing a light

You saw my lighter and asked if I’d ever been to Paris.
I tried to make you laugh by asking you ridiculous questions: “Would you be offended to know that I refer to you guys as ‘my british masters?’” “Are you guys as enchanted by our accents as we are by yours?”

Your friends came outside and I got scared off. I wanted to ask for your number. I wanted to do something silly before going back in, like kissing your hand and saying, in a horrible approximation of your accent, “Would your ladyship be so kind as to grant me the pleasure of her company in the near future?” But this Ugly American had only had 3 or 4 drinks and lacked the courage.

Please write me and undo the horrors wrought by British Colonialism on this Chinaman.