June 2007
Half alive – Whenever someone says he doesn't take himself too seriously you can be absolutely certain that he does take himself too seriously, because in order to make such an assessment he would've needed to th
June 2005
Bent double – I'm not what anyone would call an easygoing guy. Maybe Udo Kier would, but nobody else. I'm not chill and I won't chill, don't ask me. I would like to but I cannot. I'm not a dude and I won't chill. I
Direct deposit – Look at that sunshine, let's fall in love. Let's not lower our eyebrows once during dinner. Let's separately tell the same men's room mirror: I am a good listener. Let's each of us refrain from dwelli
I surged twice before breakfast – I am inexplicably wielding great emotional brawn today. What talent for existence I feel. I am completely and confidently filled out like a comprehensive survey. What power I have, what outlandish str
Is this spree eaters – I'm not one to stride confidently down institutional corridors, sticking my head into rooms and asking is this spree eaters, is this babyshakers anonymous. I'm a wallhugger and a signreader, an arrowf
It's only natural to find me rocking – I have a rocking chair and I don't care who knows it. I rock often and rock contentedly. I was rocking just a moment ago in fact. I come from a family of rockers. You should've seen my grandmother and
Let's not get carried away – One of the whorled knots on the side of the cheap unfinished bookcase next to my reading chair resembles a small brown galaxy, a kind of wee chocolate galaxy, which occupied my thoughts for a short wh
The D in Little Debbie – Consolations and distractions, stimulants and starches. It's helpful to resolve our most persistent needs into easily managed categories. Reduce and simplify, these are the keys to mental stability. T
Vivid but mistaken – After a few bong hits with B, featuring the usual giggles and some comically false assumptions regarding the placement of a door and the functioning of a light switch, I fell asleep and dreamed I was
What I've done today so far – A few weeks ago when I rearranged my office I hung the large blue-framed mirror on the wall between the windows. I like this mirror, it's a handsome mirror and really helps the room. I've mentioned th
Wild kingdom – The other day I left the house and was surprised at the unseasonable coolness, the brisk and chilly wind. My first thought was to fret over my lack of an anorak, despite the fact that I'm not exactly
June 2004
A brief filmography of Veronica Rondo – As movie buffs know, Veronica Rondo got her first taste of public notoriety with her relatively small but memorable turn in 1924's Cunning Little Bastards, with Conrad Nagel and Adolphe Menjou, one of
Banana chips – These banana chips are dry and very nearly flavorless. Chalky and unpleasant in texture. Yet I love them and like all profound loves the reasons are mysterious. I love their varnished appearance. They
Bookshelf mysteries – For years I've owned this book, The Traces of Thomas Hariot by the poet Muriel Rukeyser. Why have I never read it? A person could do a lot worse than reading a book by Muriel Rukeyser. Furthermore, I
Detached retina – Conrad Overion has seen people reading his books everywhere. A chiropractor's waiting room in North Platte, Nebraska; the funicular between Obstfelderschmiede and Lichtenhain; several North American a
Fall short – The beginning of a new month is just another opportunity to learn the wrong lessons from the previous month's personal disasters, to clumsily redress past failures in such a way that everything is mad
Gassy commentary – Today in Laurelhurst Park someone stopped to pet Albie and said "beautiful dog" and I said "thanks!" and immediately wanted to kill myself for saying such a dorky thing. Thanks? Clearly it's appropria
Guided tour – Hello! Thanks for coming, it's so nice to see you. Let me take your coat. You've never been here before have you, would you like to see the house? Shall I give him the old grand tour, honey? Ha ha. We
Hawthorne Street – I live in the Hawthorne area of Portland, which is not really a neighborhood at all but a so-called shopping district. It's also frequently referred to as a shopping mecca or destination, as if those
Mail-order disappointments – As a child I once ordered, built, and launched an Estes model rocket, and learned the important adult lesson that spectacular personal failure can briefly masquerade as roaring success and soar above
Neva Orinoco – Dr. Neva Orinoco is a psychiatrist, of stern mien, who at the beginning of your first appointment pulls out a pack of Gauloises and asks if you mind if she smokes, and if you say yes she dismisses you
Paging Conrad Overion – We have another member of this charming but offbeat household, a floofy white Samoyed named Albion. I sometimes walk Albie in the middle of the night, it's like being led by a ghost on a leash. Some
"When does winter really begin?" – An unknown person visited this website as a consequence of the search engine query "When does winter really begin?" I find this question to be extremely poignant, even poetic, and I regret that sublet
Why my day was lost – Yesterday was a lost day, for several silly reasons. I was the last person to go to sleep, how I hate that, I am never happy being the last one awake as this pushes onto me some great mysterious respo
June 2003
Another pop culture daisy chain – The Smiths' eponymous first album has a picture of Joe Dallesandro on the cover. Post-breakup, The Smiths' Morrissey recorded a song called "November Spawned a Monster", which featured wailing banshee
Beep beep, who got the keys to the Jeep? Vroom... – A nice car ride to nowhere. You have to be a little lucky with the music, and we were. James always surprises me with the songs he knows. A nice time of morning too, just before dawn. Every hour has i
Cinema of the Mundane double feature – Chest of Drawers. (1998) It's an ordinary chest of drawers. Or is it? Grandmother gave it to us, it's in the spare bedroom. How long has it been there? Does anyone remember?? We keep linens for the gu
Everyday sensations – Auditory: Buzzing, whooshing, faint distant percussive rhythms (as of machinery), footsteps, occasional gurgling/air sucking as from one of those dentist's droolsucking tools, muffled handclaps (as i
Sam and Bill – My cat Sam is a remarkable individual, and he's someone I've always wanted to know better. Being a cat, though, he tends to keep a lot of himself in reserve. I feel a distance. Other times he appears
Sofa life – Watching television, as we know, is both a colossal, soul-destroying waste of time and completely unavoidable if you want to know what people are like today. There are two kinds of viewers. First, you
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