Archive for April, 2003

93387542

Monday, April 28th, 2003

LIFT: MAGAZINE FOR BODYBUILDERS
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS, ISSUE 1

WHAT:
LIFT is a paper and xerox ink magazine that intends to document and espouse the intense creativity that I see in the people around me daily. Too much is slipping past us. What have you made lately? What have you written? What is your output? See this as a new venue for your ideas.

WHY:
Why now? Why not? Because you’re thinking. Because I’ve got no job and I’m going to put it all together. Why paper? Because the internet sucks. Because paper has weight.

FROM YOU:
Anything you want down on paper in black and white. Articles, fiction, interview, photocopy art, statements, drawings, criticism, collage, photography, schematics, anything. If you want to design a page or few, go for it. I don’t want your shitty livejournal entries. I probably don’t want your poetry. No ads. Write about something you’re passionate about. Interview someone cool. Explain something that you know how to do. Check out Kurt Schwitters. Do something.

MORE INFO:
Size: 8.5×5.5
Due date for submissions: May 26.
Put this next to your typewriter.
Submssions accepted via
Email: mbingama@students.depaul.edu
Post: Mike Bingaman, 2323 Kenmore, Apt. 2, Chicago IL 60614
Hand.

If you want ideas talk to me. I have some.
Do nothing if you want but I won’t be your friend.

93077134

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2003

Interview #8
Dan Quinlaven
Anthillz: �make my nipples hard?
Matt Roan: You know what, want to hear a funny story, this is one of the funniest�
A: This is an interview with Dan, let�s just�
MR: Oh fine.
A: No, I mean you can tell your story but�
MR: Nope.
Eric Himes: Well what�s your funny story?
MR: Well it�s not a funny story it�s really just sad, I once bought a record, namely the New Radicals, because Dave Holmes of Mtv said it was the best pop record of the year.
Dan Quinlaven: Dude, Dave Holmes?
A: Dave Holmes didn�t know what he was talking about, Pinfield knew what he was talking about.
MR: Pinfield knew what he was saying, Dave Holmes was just the poor man�s Matt Pinfield. I�m like New Radicals, that sounds radical. Might as well get it.
DQ: He took Jessie�s job.
MR: Jessie Camp? Cause Jessie Camp was way too fucked up for that.
DQ: Cause Jessie Camp won. Like I don�t know if you remember Jessie Camp won, but then Dave Holmes just ended up working there.
EH: No, but he was a liar. He didn�t do anything he said he was. He said he was homeless and he wasn�t and�
MR: Wait, what was the name of his band?
DQ: Whatever, The Fifth Street Boys.
MR: The Fifth Street Boyzzz with a Z?
EH: I heard the album is really good.
MR: I heard it was really good too.
EH: But Dave Holmes told me that. I�m serious.
MR: Dave Holmes was like this is the sweetest pop record of 1994.
EH: No he was like I wanted to hate it out of everyone, but it was really good. I don�t know.
A: They had a feud?
EH: Of course, he got his job.
DQ: He took his job.
EH: A 14 year old girl stole his job.
MR: But that dude�
A: It was the people�s choice.
MR: He was on Mtv for a long time after that.
DQ: Dave Holmes?
MR: Yeah, doin karaoke and shit
A: I think he still is.
DQ: I think everyone just tries to take the next step. Like Serena, who�s now on CNN.
EH: Oh, Serena.
MR: Such a cute girl.
DQ: I like Suchin.
MR: Oh, I�m in love with her.
A: Serena takes the cake.
EH: It�s Serena man.
MR: I don�t know man, I think it�s a pretty close call. That�s kind of my scene.
A: Suchin Pack?
EH: Weird looking girls?
MR: Wait what?
EH: Oh nothing.
A: What did you say it was for me to interview myself?
EH: Narcissistic.
A: Narcissistic?
DQ: You�re very critical of yourself.
A: Exactly.
EH: No, no, he loves himself. An interview with himself on his own website. I don�t know man.
DQ: Well as opposed to just a journal entry? It�s just like, what�s the difference?
A: It�s more interesting.
MR: But you argued with yourself.
EH: Yeah.
DQ: He just showed the thought process though. You know? Like a journal entry is just like, you know�
EH: Here�s the deal�
A: You have the biggest head of anyone I know.
EH: No, no, no, here�s the deal�
A: No?
EH: Mike starts out�well physically maybe�Mike starts out with this website and then all of a sudden becomes M. Knight Shaylman, and starts quoting himself all over the place. I�ll interview myself, I�ve figured out how to make the perfect movie.
A: The perfect post.
MR: The perfect post. They said it couldn�t be done.
A: You�re just mad because I took your tape recorder.
EH: You took it and you ruined it.
MR: Squandered it.
DQ: I make the trksurruple like McCartney once interviewed himself. I�m gonna say it�s OK then.
MR: If McCartney did it you know it�s cool.
EH: Linda McCartney?
DQ: What?
MR: Linda.
EH: That dumb old broad.
MR: Hey. Bless her heart.
EH: Rest in peace.
DQ: Yeah seriously, hey who�s bass is it that I play?
MR: That�s the garbage picked bass.
DQ: Like, is it mine? Can I�
MR: No, it�s Eds�
EH: No, he hasn�t paid for it.
MR: I never paid for it.
DQ: Can I buy it?
MR: Yeah.
EH: Yeah, will you please and shut him up, cause he�s been asking for it for months and months and he really is hurt about it.
DQ: Who�s Ed?
MR: Ed, our roommate Ed with blonde hair.
DQ: Oh who wears�
A: He needs money to buy keys.
DQ: �Breakaway pants? How much does he want for it?
MR: To buy keys.
EH: A respectable amount.
MR: Like 50 to 100.
DQ: Oh yeah. Cause I wanna put a McCartney picture on it.
MR: OK.
DQ: Like prominently.
EH: Like airbrushed?
A: Screenprint, screenprint.
DQ: Just a prominent picture.
MR: Oh dude you know what we need to do is go to the thrift store and get some sweet gear, we�ll have like, proper Written in the Sand t-shirts. We gotta get some sweet gear to silkscreen for Chris and sell ridiculous shit.
DQ: Sorry you don�t want us to talk about band business on the interview.
A: No, not really. Well, if you want. How�s the band going Dan?
MR: No that�s not it. We�re talking about instruments and that came up, that stuff comes up.
DQ: Sorry. I really just wanted to talk about McCartney. That�s mostly what I want to talk about.
MR: In life.
DQ: Yeah. Like a lot of mine time, like a lot, is thought of when I�m walking and stuff, and on the train, a good 40%, McCartney has something to do with it. Is that weird?
MR: McCartney factors in.
DQ: Yeah, 2 out of every 5 seconds, is McCartney or McCartney�s just like peoooooow, something about me is just�
A: He�s like sex for you.
DQ: Yeah.
A: Guys and sex, and you and McCartney.
DQ: I might think�No, I�m not, no probably not.
MR: What?
EH: You think about McCartney during sex?
DQ: I should.
A: It would help things?
DQ: Yeah. It�s like in Singles where the guy is having sex and he just thinks about Xavier McDaniels, and Xavier McDaniels is just like, Greg, don�t come yet. That�s the funniest thing in the movie.
MR: Xavier McDaniels.
DQ: Yeah dude, the X-Man?
MR: I know, I totally have his fucking old basketball cards.
DQ: Great cameo, that�s like, I�m pretty sure that�s his only movie appearance and that�s a great legacy.
MR: That is a good one to leave behind.
DQ: I got some McCartney filming.
MR: What�s up with Seattle and being into basketball players? All that Pearl Jam stuff? All of that is weird.
DQ: Well like I said, when I make my coming of age movie, it�s all about the early 90 Bulls and it�s also going to be about the cicadas.
MR: Dude, I was totally on the news when the cicadas came into town.
DQ: Wouldn�t that be a great setting for my coming of age film? I think�
EH: Yeah. I�m going to steal that.
DQ: Cause the next year, the Bulls won their first one.
MR: Hey, you know what, for real, no, hey�
EH: He said I could.
MR: He�s done, you�re done, Dan needs to put some copyright shit on this conversation. That�s intellectual copyright. That is golden.
EH: He also said that I could use it.
A: You can use it in fiction work that won�t be turned into a movie. It�s his movie and your book.
EH: Maybe like, you inspire me and then I inspire you. It�s helping.
DQ: Yeah.
MR: Oh man, that�s a great setting.
DQ: Like Pet Sounds and uh�
MR: Do you remember how the grass was just moving there were so many of them?
EH: I hated those things.
MR: It was so creepy.
DQ: It would start with just the beginning just the sound.
EH: The sound.
DQ: And then one falling and then walking.
EH: Yes, they won�t die.
DQ: It wasn�t like all of a sudden like pshhhhh, at first there were just a few, the beginning would just be like my street�
EH: I like your vision.
DQ: And then a cicada falling and it walking and me being like hmm?
EH: What?
MR: I don�t know about that part.
DQ: That would be the first part. Then I would go play basketball.
EH: With�OK.
DQ: We had a mini-hoop and I could dunk on that.
EH: A Jordan Jammer?
DQ: No, no it was a full court but it was like, a mini-hoop.
MR: A playschool hoops like I�ve got in the basement?
DQ: No, you know how your hoop is adjustable? It was like two of those, a good amount apart.
MR: Yeah totally, we used to do that in the driveway, that�s a good time right there.
DQ: Well no, I didn�t do that in third grade though. What�d I do in third grade? Cause they came out when we were in third grade. I think I played football mostly.
MR: Football?
EH: He�s got good hands.
A: Did you collect the shells?
MR: Yeah, oh yeah.
A: It was gross.
MR: And they just would crunch into nothing.
DQ: I never ate one
EH: Exoskeleton, man.
DQ: I knew people who ate one.
MR: I knew people who ate them but�
A: Like the shell or the whole thing?
MR: No the cicada and they said it was good.
EH: You fry them.
MR: That�s like the shit that keeps me off of, not that I would ever be on it, but stuff like those Survivor and Fear Factor, I can�t handle that stuff, it makes me want to just puke.
EH: I think cicada�s are just Satan�s way of saying I�m still here. Check it out guys, look at these disgusting bugs. So you don�t forget.
A: Satan.
EH: Every 25 years.
DQ: Seventeen.
MR: Seventeen.
EH: Seventeen.
MR: Oh dude, this guy Llloyd that lived on my block was this totally weird Hessian dude with a mean handlebar moustache and long hair and he wore those reflective cop glasses and tank tops and short shorts.
A: A Hesher?
MR: He was straight up a creep, like he would go to people�s doors and flash them, he totally got arrested. He lived down my street and they interviewed him about the cicadas. He�s like, man I remember cicadas back when I was a little kid, this is great, it was like bringing back all these memories. He was on WGN because they sent them to our street, oh god, that dude was a riot. And his family would rake the leaves in the fall and I was out late and I saw the dad rake all the leaves into a garbage can and walk across the street and dump it in the other person�s yard. They were the shadiest family, how can you do that? It�s so good. Oh man, Lloyd. What a name.
A: Lloyd in the tanktop. He could be a character in your movie.
MR: He could totally be a character in your movie.
EH: Yeah.
DQ: Well also it�s gonna be, there was a guy, kids in West Wilmette didn�t know, but kids from East Wilmette, there was a man named, well we called him, the Dog Man. And he had a van, this was like really frightening when I was 8. And he was weird, I couldn�t understand it, he would drive along in his van, and everyone knew it was his van because he had a canoe on top, and he just had tons of dogs in his van. Maybe it was more than I thought, but he would just stop, cause we�d always play in alleys cause that�s where we could be bad, like parents couldn�t see us. And he�d only drive through alleys with the thing and we�d see it and be like oh shit the dog van and he�d stop. And I don�t remember his face, I have no recollection of his face, I just remember hearing the dogs in the van just like ruff ruff, ruff ruff. And he used to try to steal people�s dogs. He tried to steal my friend Andy Pickett�s dog.
EH: No�
DQ: Yeah, fuckin Andy Pickett said so.
EH: What kind of dog?
DQ: It was a black lab.
MR: Andy Pickett doesn�t lie.
DQ: He had a twin sister, Jenny.
A: Pick it up, that phone doesn�t even work. Pick it up.
MR: Pick it up, who could it be?
EH: Where is it?
MR: It�s on the wall. I see your ass, as usual. For god�s sake make it work.
A: It�s not even plugged in.
DQ: What�s ringing then?
EH: Our destinies.
DQ: Nothing�s ringing now.
EH: Dude, *69.
A: I�m about to
EH: It won�t work.
A: Oh.
DQ: Yeah you could stick a pencil down there.
MR: If I had a pen, it would be down there already.
DQ: How did that happen?
A: It was just ringing�
DQ: Fuckin Dog Man. Ruff ruff. Ruff.
EH: He�s on the phone.
DQ: That freaked me out.
EH: Oh one thing I wanted to bring up was every communication book has a Cathy cartoon in it. They think that�s credible, they�re like, ok this is a bogus major, let�s just throw a Cathy cartoon in it.
MR: Dude, fuck off with your bogus major.
EH: It is.
MR: How is English more proper?
A: It�s harder.
EH: English? You know, literature.
MR: I know but�
EH: What did communications produce? Hollywood Squares?
MR: No, well yeah.
EH: That�s good.
MR: But I bet someone probably wrote that show, think maybe they were an English major?
EH: No.
MR: No, what do they do?
EH: They wait tabers. Tables and stuff. Tabers. Don�t put tabers on it. Tables. Can you please edit it.
MR: Come on, that�s some necessary shit. I don�t know, I�m not going to argue about it. I mean granted the communications major is a fairly simple one to get, but I don�t think it�s any less valid.
EH: Well you�re still in college for four years.
MR: Whatever, I�m not arguing with you.
EH: Our books are the same. They cost the same.
DQ: Can I have some Tostitos?
EH: If tabers ends up on there, I�m going to be pissed. Look, I went through years and years of speech class and sometimes when it gets really late, I go back to fourth grade.
DQ: Yeah, when I get excited, I just can�t talk. If I have a lot of things to say, it�s just like�
A: Before all the therapy?
EH: Mr. Lindbergh.
DQ: I just got made fun of for years, for trying to say, you remember the guitar playing Yngwie Malmsteen?
MR: No.
DQ: Like the hair metal guitar player?
A: Yeah you do, you know him.
DQ: Spells like Yingwee. Well I said it weird once like like Yingwai Malmshteen or something goofy and people used to make fun of me a lot for that. They remembered it.
MR: That�s a ridiculous thing to remember.
A: I�d make of you for knowing.
DQ: Yngwie? Whatever, I read guitar magazines.
MR: Yeah, you were one of those kids. Did you like sit in your room? I know that�s not really your instrument but it�s like kind of your instrument.
DQ: I didn�t�
MR: I thought you started playing piano.
DQ: I�ve never played piano, I�ve never had a piano in my house.
MR: Really?
DQ: No.
MR: Oh.
DQ: I started playing piano my first year at U of I when I started practicing in practice rooms. Just because I couldn�t practice in my dorm room because that would just piss people off, so I�d go there and there�d be piano�s and stuff, so Oh I�ll play that.
MR: Righteous. Now you play ragtime like none other.
DQ: Yeah, I always think it�s weird that I taught myself piano and that�s what I taught myself. I�m like I�ll learn ragtime.
MR: Seems as good a genre as any.
DQ: I want to go to a psychologist and be like, why? Why ragtime, explain. My next movie after my coming of age drama will be a psychological�I�ll wake up and be like why?
A: Doodoo doo doo doo doodoo doo doo doo.
MR: The Sting plays in the background.
A: I think we gotta stop this before it gets too far to write. Any last words from anyone?
EH: We have to leave on a funny joke not like a ragtime story.
A: I said doodoo doo doo doo doodoo doo doo doo.
DQ: Hey could you put an mp3 at the end, be like�
MR: Click here for ending?
EH: No. I can�t say that.
DQ: We�ll just end it with tabers.
A: Say a joke Himes.
EH: Well it�s a repeat. I should have saved it, I just shouldn�t have said it.
A: Spit it out.
EH: It�s the one about Roan making out with funny people.
MR: Oh.
EH: Doo doo!

92961528

Sunday, April 20th, 2003

Interviews, back by popular demand.
Anthillz: Name?
Mike: Mike.
A: So, why have you been neglecting the site?
MB: Well, I’ve kind of had my plate full. If I have a minute, I’m probably going to be studying, reading or listening to music rather than updating this thing.
A: Yeah right, what have you really been doing?
MB: I know what you’re getting at here, but I haven’t been drinking that much and let’s not start any rumors here, please.
A: Whatever that’s weak.
MB: So be it.
A: Still weak.
MB: What do you want me to say?
A: Oh hey this song is pretty good.
MB: Yeah, people seem to think that the Flaming Lips were breaking all this new ground with Yoshimi, but actually their old stuff is just as impressive, this song is off of Transmissions from the Sattelite Heart, and that’s like 93 or so. Good as hell.
A: Isn’t She Don’t Use Jelly on this?
MB: Yeah totally. But Soft Bulletin is definitely their masterpiece though, Yoshimi doesn’t really stand up to it I don’t think.
A: How was your Easter?
MB: Good, I slept in instead of going to church, then I had a bunch of ham, then I went back to bed. It was sweet.
A: That’s what I did too. How’s class?
MB: Pretty good, I’m in two classes that bore me, math and science really doesn’t do anything for me anymore. They’re electronics and information systems. I just think I have very little patience for learning about things with no history anymore. How has computer science really effected the world? Well, in the last 50 years yeah, no shit, I’m talking about that it’s only been around that long though you know? That’s no history, that’s all I’m saying.
A: Uhh, yeah, yeah OK I could see that I guess. It’s still relavent though.
MB: Oh for sure.
A: But what you’re saying is that there are other things you could be studying that have been around a lot longer and maybe would hold more water for you right now.
MB: Yeah, history, literature, art, that’s where it’s at. I think I also have a good art teacher too. He gets me excited about that stuff.
A: You don’t get jobs studying that stuff.
MB: True. Then I’m also in Interpersonal Communications which is pretty damn easy, but also pretty damn useful.
A: Yeah, you definitely do suck at interpersonal communications.
MB: Hey, it’s not my strong point, I’ll admit it.
A: Do you think the class will help?
MB: I think it will help me sit in the corner and analyze communications without talking to anyone. I’m never going to become all outgoing or anything.
A: That’s Jungian bullshit.
MB: Without booze, haha. Well, I’m not closing myself off to change, I just happen to be an introvert. I think most people can figure that out. I’m a thinker who would rather be a sensor.
A: Yeah, you get hung up on sensor’s sometimes. Now this is McLelland bullshit, this isn’t going to make sense to anyone.
MB: I think that’s what people sort of liked about the other interviews though, I wouldn’t have thought any of that made sense to anyone and you’re always talking about how it’s an interview. Personally, I thought they were sort of lame.
A: Yeah, this one isn’t really funny at all.
MB: It’s sort of clever though if people get the overall gist of what’s going on here.
A: Tell me a story.
MB: OK, one time I went to a party where we got to wreck the house because it was getting torn down anyway. It was all very surreal and primal.
A: Thanks, professor.
MB: Don’t get on me for how I’m describing it, you weren’t there.
A: Yeah I was, it smelled like spray paint and it was dark. Surreal and primal, you sound like an ass.
MB: Whatever. I smashed a wall in with a baseball bat.
A: That rules.
MB: I have to get back to flow charts.
A: Sounds exciting. Any shout outs?
MB: Hi Jeremiah, have fun working in the art gallery.
A: Didn’t Himes apply for that job?
MB: Yeah, haha.

92701412

Wednesday, April 16th, 2003

Just some quick notes for the purpose of procrastination:
My mood is often determined by the weather. It’s nice out.
Sometimes I have to hear actual awful music to realize that I must get a lot of amazing music advice rather than what I was thinking before, that I just like everything.
Kites rule.
Shoes and socks are optional.
The zine is in preplanning. I need articles. Anything. I’ll post a full post on this when I write up more of a mission type deal.
It’s called Lift: Magazine for Bodybuilders right now. The Lift part will be really big.
Like my muscles.

92479379

Saturday, April 12th, 2003

It’s a bad scene here when what I ought to do, what I want to do, what I’m going to do and what I think I’m going to do, what I think about, what I should have done and what I’ve done are so far from being the same thing and the sun is coming up.

92198281

Monday, April 7th, 2003

I always thought that the guitar was about to be made obsolete but I guess not so I’m finally getting around to it.
Oh Comely=easiest song ever.

92011103

Friday, April 4th, 2003

“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of State and corporate power.”
-Mussolini

91957302

Thursday, April 3rd, 2003

I just remembered that when I was in New York I saw a guy riding one of those Segway things around Central Park. It was hilarious. I haven’t told anyone that story yet.
This quarter should be good.
Here are some links:
antiwar.com news every day.
The poetry of D.H. Rumsfeld
Neal Pollack on the war

91789499

Tuesday, April 1st, 2003

Humans know so much!

91765104

Tuesday, April 1st, 2003

The spring time bike rides after the rain, after watching baseball, after thinking I’m so old, they give me this profound sense of personal history. I have lived. I have been here before. The wheel is moving. Sometimes winters make me forget these things.
Design makes me content.
Imaginary conversations do not accomplish anything.
Wondering how people are at 3:30am doesn’t help.
I am not ashamed of my emo past.
I’d rather be outside.
I’d rather be in a summer basement with all the doors to the house swung open in the dark at a computer with a warm draft.
I’d rather walk on sand.
I’d rather think less.
I’d rather be in love.
On another note, there is a time and a place for bad music and it’s called high school.
At some point you have to realize that these guys are adults and they’re still singing about teenage relationships, so yeah, you identified with it, but these guys are either emotionally stunted or just catering to an audience that they know has plenty of money.
I hate marketing.
I hate people who never change at all.
I wonder if they’re for real.
I wonder about the things that get said among people who are more comfortable with one another.
I’d rather be sleeping.