Good Luck

I have some issues that much is true. I get agitated at some little things in life. I hate being patronized, for one thing. I also don't like false positive thinking cliches used when I call bullshit bullshit.

One of the most innocuous things that can be said recently has driven me to almost to madness and that's the phrase "Good Luck". It's been said to me a lot these days and always because of the fact that I'm struggling to figure out how to get a good job and move on in my life. I know the reality that the next six months of my life is going to suck. "Good Luck" was said to me by my boss after he fired me. "Good Luck" was said to me by a recruiting agency that wasn't going to use my services. "Good Luck" was said by my friend after I spilled my guts on my anxiety of what the future holds for me.

Good Luck. I ain't never had good luck outside of the good luck of not being in poverty or chronically ill. Good luck is what I need because reality isn't presenting to me any good opportunities. Looking for work in the papers and the recruiting web sites seems to be a dead end. I have been networking as good as possible, but my networking connections are limited and my employment record is borderline hideous, no wonder Scangirl left me. So luck, or divine intervention needs to interfere because I lack the ability to get a good job. My resume and my portfolio is out there sent to hundreds of potential employers. Luck would determine that a forgotten job I applied to months ago would call. It happens with the crappy restaurant jobs, why can't it happen to the better graphic design jobs I apply to?

Anyway, "Good Luck" is like "Niagara Falls" in a Three Stooges routine or "Susquehanna Hat Company" in an Abbott and Costello routine, to me. I don't need luck I need a good job.


Whine!

I'm Wishing for A Good Day

I know I continue to whine about my life, but man my days are awful, some days are worse than others. Today was one of those days. I spend too much time by myself, still hoping that the front door will open and the woman i still love will walk in, but I know that will not happen. I wonder if there is anything i can do to make that outcome occur, knowing full well that it won't and that i probably should hope it doesn't.

Job wise is not much better. i will have a new job within two weeks, but I'm not gonna like it. It may potentially be a great opportunity but the next six months of my life is gonna suck. I just hope my brain doesn't destroy me in the meantime.

Anyway it's Friday night and I'm not feeling alright.

More Classic Rants

I did this rant right after Charles Schulz died. my life then was similar, I was getting over a tough breakup and felt a little bit more empty that day.



GOOD OL’ CHARLES M. SCHULZ

I cannot begin to express my feeling of loss at the death of Charles Schulz. I was wandering the streets of Seattle late Saturday night when I saw the headline on the very top of the Sunday paper announcing his death. I did a double take because this was the very day that the last original Peanuts strip was printed. I thought the timing was eerie. The last few months have been filled with tributes to Charles Schulz since he announced he would retire. Since he did his strips weeks ahead of time, many cartoonists were able to pay tribute to him in the comic pages. There was a CBS special on him the day before he died along with a tribute on Nightline. Eerie.

I cannot recall which I saw first, seeing Peanuts on TV or reading the strip in the newspaper. I know that by the time I was 6, I was fully aware of the magic that is Peanuts. I had the little 60 cent paperbacks and would take out some of the more expensive collections from the school library. It is the main reason why I aspired to be a cartoonist. I read and enjoyed other comic strips but my first love was Peanuts. Peanuts was deceptively simple, enjoyable on many levels. It had some slapstick that kids enjoyed with many cultural references adults could appreciate. My favorite characters changed over the years. I loved Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and Peppermint Patty from day one. It took me years to appreciate Lucy and Linus although I always loved the song that was named for them. I never liked Schreoder much, however he was always an essential catalyst to some of Schulz most unique gags.

Many people have criticized Schulz for rehashing the same gags over the years, even going as far as to accuse him of using assistants to churn out hackwork. Although Schulz reached a peak back in the late 60’s and early 70’s , he had not reached his nadir until the early 80’s. This was the point when Schulz linework had become shaky and his use of Snoopy to embrace trends was laughable in a sad way (Flash Beagle anyone?) This was when I had stopped reading it regularly. Many really funny strips had exceeded Peanuts at this point. Bloom County, Calvin and Hobbes, and The Far Side were at their peak and interestingly are all gone from the comic pages.

It is worth noting that none of these strips lasted more than 15 years. Peanuts had not reached its peak until 20 years after its inception. It took Schulz nearly ten years before he hit his stride. Calvin and Hobbes ceased to exist after 10 years. It was 8 years before Snoopy would walk on his hind legs. It was 9 years before the introduction of Sally and the Great Pumpkin. It took 12 years before the most famous image of Peanuts (Snoopy on his doghouse) appeared. Snoopy as the Red Baron appeared three years later. Peppermint Patty did not appear until the strip was 16 years old. This actually would be the first time that Schulz introduced a character that was independent from Charlie Brown’s circle of friends. And finally it would take a full 37 years before Schulz broke the rigid format of 4 panels of the same size that he had done from the very first daily strip. This allowed for a new approach for Schulz to explore his characters and got him out of his rut. Peanuts was less funny but Schulz never stopped challenging himself with new art techniques and finding new ways to develop old characters.

Charles Schulz had worked on the strip by himself from day one. He worked well ahead of his deadline. When he would be ill, this allowed him to recover and catch up without resorting to reprints or assistants (This was during the shaky line period). When he announced his retirement, it occurred to me and my aunt that he must be dying. He had worked through other illnesses, so his colon cancer must have been terminal for him to quit the very lifeline of his existence. I think he let go of his life when he knew the final strip would be published. I like to think he saw an early edition, smiled and passed away content with his contribution to popular culture.

Schulz was a humble man. A Christian who was not strident. He knew his limitations and developed his deceptively simple style over the course of a dozen years. His creations became world icons will live on for eternity. I am glad that no one will take over the strip. Things need a conclusion. Everything has a natural lifespan. I am tired of seeing the same old comics being drawn by third generation hacks. How long do TV shows last? How long do rock bands stay together? 50 years? No way. Let some new people get into the comic pages. Do not be afraid of something different. This may be the daily newspaper’s best chance at attracting new readers. Pipe Dreams would liven up the page.

Thank You Charles Schulz.

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Where's the Live Version Of Maybe I'm Amazed?

I went on I-tunes today and was excited to see that Paul McCartney and Wings are finally available on I-tunes! Now, everyone has been waiting with baited breath for the Beatles to be available on I-tunes, and feel they have to settle for just Paul. Me, I'm the opposite. I have no need for the Beatles to be on I-tunes. I have every Beatle album available on CD and have uploaded them on my Ipod. for those who don't have the CDs, they are readily available at any store. The Beatles don't have too many redundancies to have to scour through, except maybe the either of the two Yellow Submarine soundtracks. So, I don't worry about the Beatles I-tunes availability.

Paul McCartney on the other hand is hard to find many of his CDs. Many are out of print and others are bad copies. I like his Wings stuff, but his albums have too much filler that would have been complimented by some of the better John Lennon solo material. I have the two Paul McCartney compilations and I have Band on The Run, so I got the best known songs from his catalog. So far I have uploaded the non live version of "Coming Up" from McCartney II.







As far as I know, it looks like every album Paul McCartney released since his Beatles days is available. Including the compilations. So, if I take the time I can probably upload some gems from the more obscure albums. There is one album missing from the I-tune collection and it is "Wings Over America" a live album I had bought back in the 80's that I think has never been released on CD. It's a good album which includes Beatle songs and one Moody Blues song sung by Wings member Denny Laine. The highlight of the album for me is the live version of "Maybe I'm Amazed", probably Paul McCartney's most famous solo song. I like the version on McCartney but I love the live version. It was a hit in 1976 and has only been available on this album. I'm bummed that this isn't available on I-tunes. Yes, there's a live version on "Back In the USA" but that doesn't cut it for me.







This version was Paul McCartney at the top of his game. The tour in 1976, was his first since his Beatles days. He was itching to go on the road on his terms, singing his expanding catalog of solo hits. It was an opportunity to sing his songs with a sound system worthy of his talents. And judging by the footage at the Kingdome, he succeeded. Now make it available to download already! I pay!

Now it's time for Ringo to get his catalog available.

Ring Damn You!

I was talking to my dad the other day when he said a curious thing. He said that it was a good time to receive a phone call. I get like that sometimes. Like today. I'm out of work. I am doing my best to get new work. I am mostly looking for work in the garment licensing industry. I send out a huge amount of resumes and have sent out examples of my work to the best places I want to work at. So, after I exhausted all the options that I am aware of, I then wait back hoping to get a call. Now, with all the places I applied to, i think of all the possible scenarios that may lie ahead, good or bad. This makes me stressed, in many ways, because it also involves where I might live. so, I call my friends, many of whom I wish would call me unsolicited.

Anyway, the irony is, I hate talking on the phone!

Anniversary

It was 40 years ago today that the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Heck, I remember twenty years ago today when it was only twenty years since the album which begins "It was twenty years ago today" came out.

I just blew my mind but not in a car.

I Have Too Much Time On My Hand...

I was trying to find some of my lost rants from my old web site when I came across this blog. It seems someone read an old cartoon of mine involving blue lint and did a whole blog dedicated to it. It makes no sense but it's kinda cool.