November 17ths (That Was Me)

11/17/1998

Linda Tripp/Lewinsky tapes released. Now we are all eavesdroppers. The whole Clinton scandal/Starr investigation creates a whole new paradigm in the way people relate to one another and makes publicizing one's feelings a more plausible event. Stopped at library, reading current issue of Harvard Business Review. Fascinating articles. Interesting to see how the business mind creates the engines of capitalism. The buzz words are knowledge, relationships, networks.

[11/17/2024: In retrospect, you can see how the neoliberalist agenda was going off the rails, and with the advent of the internet, more talk of networks, perhaps leading to isolated tribes].

11/17/2001

Writing in diary. 

[That was me 23 years ago]

 

 

 

 

 

 

11/17/2004

Interesting observation/existential moment: A twenty year-old musician dressed in tight black leather, getting off the El with his girlfriend, slinging his bass, getting home from a gig at 7:30 a.m. I felt so old. That was me 25 years ago. 

Converted to lyrics:

That was me
25 years ago
That was me

Tight black leather
Going to a gig
25 years ago
Discovering yourself
As you go along
You set the rules
You’ve written the song

Being alive
And in your body
Struggling in the moment
And getting through

I overheard an actor talking about improvisation in theater—following impulses, making arbitrary choices, discovering characters as you go along, you set the rules and go—like improvisation in music. "The theater became my church", comedic "evangelism" (Convincing people to believe you're funny); Doing comedy is physical work—being alive in your body and in the moment; "Struggling in the moment and getting through." (the audience respects you for it); Learning when to "turn the lights out" (or turn them on). it makes people react.

[11/17/2024: Excellent didactic takeaways for the current moment: “evangelism” as described as being “convincing”, both the hard and the soft sell to get people to “make the purchase”, sign on the dotted line, only to regret the choice. You were conned].

11/17/2009

On the "Car Kabob" (Spindle) in Berwyn: Interesting: Art can be temporarily disassembled and recreated and gathers historical narrative ("moss").