Every time I move, I count of the number of boxes I use for books. In my last two moves, I ended up with 12 boxes of books. This may not seem like a lot to some people but for me, it's huge. I'm one person and have amassed 12 boxes of books. It seems insane. This is even after I do a book purge as one of the phases of packing. I don't even have the appropriate space in my apartment to house all my books. Books are stacked on my coffee table (there are 15 books there now: ten that I haven't read yet, one that I just purchased yesterday and sort of started, one that's in progress but no where near finished, and three Paris related books). My two bookcases are seriously stuffed, books stacked in all different ways. I guess they're cozy.
Back in December, I read this review in The Washington Post about books about books. I was shocked by the first sentence - the average American reads four books in a year. FOUR BOOKS!? What is wrong with America? (Don't answer that.) I've been trying to wrap my head around this statistic since I read the article and have shared this with numerous people (also avid readers) and I still don't get it. Now I know we're all busy people and have various levels of access to books (in real book form or electronically) so maybe reading four books in a year is totally normal and I need to just stop thinking about it. But I can't. Much like I don't understand when people tell me they don't like music, I don't understand people who don't read. And I said "don't" not "can't" - literacy is a completely different issue. This is a topic for another day.
Reading is fundamental friends - it makes us better writers, communicators, and humans. Even the fluffiest piece of chick lit has the ability to take you out of the normal of your daily life and make you believe in love and meet-cutes. Reading is magic.
My mom once commented on the old FB that my brother and I both carried books around like stuffed animals when we were younger. This is an image I can get behind although I seem to remember having some stuffed animals I carried everywhere too. I loved summer reading more than summer itself - I would read through my list way too fast and then the librarian would have to find other books for me to read. Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, and Ann M. Martin were early favorites. Having an older brother meant that not only did I get to learn about The Cure and Metallica before most of my friends, I also got to read Stephen King before it was probably appropriate.
My ideal bookshelf
One of the books mentioned in The Washington Post review is a book called My Ideal Bookshelf. I picked this book up before I read the review and it's a lovely tribute to the books people love. In 2007, artist Jane Mount began a project chronicling people through the books they love. She paints the books arranged as a bookshelf. Jane joined forces with Thessaly La Force to create a book that combines the illustrations with interviews conducted by La Force. Among my favorites chronicled are Dave Eggers, Drew Gilpin Faust, Kim Gordon, Pico Iyer, Chuck Klosterman, Patti Smith, Mira Nair, and Thomas Keller. Each shares their "ideal bookshelf" and talks about the books and the influence they've had. I like that I've read lots of the included books. I also ended up with a two page list of books I "need" to read. I even tweeted a picture of my ideal bookshelf to the authors (as they encourage you to do so at the end). They retweeted and commented that they weren't aware of one my books and were going to check it out. Success! If you're thinking ahead to my birthday and are wondering what to get me, I would suggest this.
One of the other things that came out of this review is my new obsession with tracking the number of books I read. In January alone I read more books than the average American reads in a year. I also have an "in progress" list (since sometimes I stop books in the middle but come back to them) and a "need to read" list that is a bit staggering in volume.
The count so far:
January - 6
February - 4
March - 4 (with two days left in the month - I'm in the middle of Jennifer Egan's A Visit From the Goon Squad and could potentially have it done later today)
Not only am I tracking my books, I'm also tracking actual versus Kindle books (4 out of 14). Getting a Kindle was either the worst thing I've ever done (it was a lovely gift from my parents) or an excellent life choice. I haven't been able to decide which. I like the ease of traveling with a Kindle but I miss the smell of a book and the heft of reading an actual book. Also, cover art is awesome. I feel about book art the way I feel about album art.
I guess this all just means that one day I'll be an old lady surrounded by books and albums and CDs. And probably cats - lots of cats.
"I am constantly roving about, to see what I have never seen before and shall never see again."
-Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was an incredibly well-traveled man. His travels are reflected in his writings, his home, and his beliefs all manner of things from governing and liberty to architecture and gardening. When he traveled he often took the following with him:
While my random knowledge of American history is pretty vast, I didn't just know this about Thomas Jefferson. I learned it at Monticello, the first stop on my most recent road trip. I like to think that I was as prepared as Jefferson with my cell phone (also my GPS and camera-multiple purposes! Jefferson would have loved it.), a notebook and pens, a book just in case I stopped somewhere for coffee, a car charger, and an iPod filled with an epic mix/playlist entitled "Postcards from Charlottesville."
I had to take some time off this month (it's use it or lose it time for PTO) so I decided that I would do a bunch of random things with my time including a day trip...somewhere. I usually go to Baltimore but I wasn't really feeling Baltimore this time around. Instead, I decided to take the 2-ish hour drive south to Charlottesville - home of Monticello and the University of Virginia. It's also the setting for one of my favorite books, Love is a Mix Tape. I've talked about this book before and will now admit something a little crazy: I have read this book 12 times. I can't help myself - it's just that amazing. And sad - you know how I like sad things. I sort of idolize Rob and Renee so this trip was a bit of a homage to them. The playlist (100 songs, 6 hours of music) was inspired by Love is a Mix Tape and includes songs referenced in the book as well as my own takes on the artists and songs I thought that Rob and Renee would love. It began with Frankie Valli, Liz Phair, and Martha & the Vandellas - always a good way to start a day.
I decided to start at Monticello because Thomas Jefferson is my favorite Founding Father and he's certainly my favorite part of the musical 1776. He wrote the Declaration of Independence (which is amongst my favorite government/historical documents). Yes, I have a favorite Founding Father and favorite historical documents. That's perfectly normal.
I like the tone of the Declaration of Independence and the boldness of its statements. I haven't been to Monticello since high school so it felt like time to visit again. There are several ways to get to Monticello from Arlington. I opted for the route that goes through Chancellorsville and the Wilderness battlefields and connects to the Constitution Route (VA-20). As I entered the Chancellorsville battlefield, the first Big Star song played on my iPod. Big Star is the band that brought Rob and Renee together (and they happen to be responsible for one of my top five songs). I took this as a sign of a good day ahead - Big Star would be sprinkled throughout the day but for my favorite song to be so early in the trip just felt right. If I had been so inclined, I could have stopped and seen the place where Stonewall Jackson's arm was shot off by his own men during the Battle of Chancellorsville (it was an accident). There's a white historical marker on the side of the highway so you can stop. I was not so inclined today. I also did not stop at the Battle of the Wilderness historical shelter but I did enjoy "Ring of Fire" as I drove through.
One of the things I love most about road trips is organizing the music (in some cases this is the absolute best part of a road trip). I'll be honest, I may have taken this trip just to organize this playlist. I sang along to "I Am...I Said" (not realizing just how sad this song really is until today), belted out "Stand By Your Man" as I turned toward Monticello, realized that Steven Tyler sounds nothing like Steven Tyler anymore, and came to terms with my complicated feelings towards Sir Mix-a-Lot's opus "Baby Got Back". I also finally decided that I am Kate Pierson (if I have to pick a B-52) and that both "Dance the Night Away" and "My Little Corner of the World" would be excellent first dance songs (for a wedding) despite the fact that they are probably really terrible to dance to in real life. I don't think Thomas Jefferson would have been offended that Missy Elliott's fantastic "Get Ur Freak On" was the song playing as I drove up Monticello Loop to the visitor center. I thought it amusing when "I Feel Like Going Home" came on as I kept getting turned around trying to leave downtown Charlottesville (stupid phone navigation). Even more amusing was the fact that "Supermodel (You Better Work)" came on just as I was passing by the exit for Stafford on my way home (amusing because this weekend I go back to Stafford to try on clothes for a "fashion show" that I'm in later in April). I think I'll just keep RuPaul in the back of my head while trying clothes on tomorrow (something I dislike doing) and while I actually participate in the show. It'll keep me amused.
I made it through 87 of the 100 songs before I got home (and I didn't skip or repeat any songs). Had I actually hit traffic either way, I might have made it through the whole list. Roxy Music's "More Than This" was the last song I played and it ended almost exactly as I pulled into a parking space at home. I turned the iPod off so as not to start a new song. I didn't get to the Notorious B.I.G. ("Hypnotize") or Tom Cochrane or Lou Reed or the last Big Star song or the saddest Matthew Sweet song I've ever heard ("Your Sweet Voice" - I think it's sad although it's probably not). And that's okay. The remaining 13 songs will be played before the end of the weekend.
I have a friend who doesn't see the point in road trips. For him, travel is about a destination not how you get there. I don't agree - I think that's a simplified argument and leaves out a lot of what goes into traveling: the nuances and navigation of travel, the need to communicate to fellow passengers (if there are any), getting lost. Every travel writer I've read or have heard speak doesn't ever just focus on the destination - they'd have no story to tell if they did. Interesting things can happen along the way to somewhere. Or to nowhere. That's really the point that my friend is missing - sometimes there isn't a destination at all. Sometimes it's just a journey. You might stop at places along the way but it's really about being out in the world and not really worrying about where it is you'll end up at the end of the day or road or whatever.
As long as you have one more song to listen to, you'll be fine.
I've had one of those weeks where I just felt off. Everywhere I look it's people having babies and getting married and buying houses and inventing something awesome and going on a road trip to figure out their lives. Friends who are dong all these thing: I love you and am happy for you - please don't be offended. Sometimes, it's just a bit much. And the time changed too - why do we even still do this?
To top it all off, I had a realization: I suck at being an adult. Now mind you, I'm super responsible, highly organized, try to make smart life choices, and am a good citizen but there are certain things that I'm terrible at and don't ever believe that this will change. I had this realization while sitting in a health care benefits session at work. It had absolutely nothing to do with the presentation itself or our benefits (which are awesome). I had this moment where I just didn't care so I started making a list of the reasons I suck at being an adult. Because that seemed like the right thing do to.
So here are reasons I suck at being an adult:
I can't do my own taxes. Math is not my thing and taxes are like math on amphetamines so I get nervous.
I don't really understand health insurance. I mean, I get why one needs it. I understand what a deductible is but I really don't get it. There were people in this meeting that got it and they asked these complicated questions. My only thought was if I get scurvy, it'll be okay.
I haven't been saving for retirement as well as I should be. Again, I have a retirement fund and I make contributions but I don't actively engage with it. I know, I'm terrible.
I don't take vitamins. Not even in gummy form.
I'm terrible at scheduling "wellness" doctor's appointments. I have an aversion to doctors and dentists (although I did go to the dentist this year and have a follow up appointment on April 2).
I loathe the gym. This is not so much me sucking at being an adult as me hating the gym on general principle. Like most people (don't act like you like it because you don't).
When people use phrases like "action item", "bandwidth", "pain point", and "white space" I don't just want to punch them, I want to give them the appropriate punk rock beat down that they deserve.
Car maintenance makes my head hurt. Sorry Dad.
My lip gloss collection consists primarily of Lip Smackers. My favorites are Dr. Pepper, Vanilla, and Strawberry. Because I'm 10. Did you know they have Girl Scout cookie flavored ones?
I swear like a sailor - not the captain of the ship but a sailor.
I don't own a vacuum. I'm borrowing one from my parents (yes, they have two because they're adults).
I don't floss.
I don't own property. Yes, I "own" my car but making car payments isn't really ownership.
I'd rather watch reruns of Jem and the Holograms than the news. Last year when a counselor called me a "gem" during a training, I wanted to respond that I am truly, truly outrageous.
I probably overuse the words "awesome" and "whatever".
I haven't balanced my checkbook in years.
I wear socks with owls, hedgehogs, and foxes unironically.
Occasionally I like to have what I call "eat like an 8 year old" day(s). The menu includes Kraft mac and cheese, applesauce, Cap N Crunch, Goldfish crackers, chicken and stars soup, and strawberry pop tarts - not all at one time but usually within the same day. There's comfort in eating like an 8 year old.
When I got home from work the movie Overboard was on. I happened to turn it
on exactly when Goldie Hawn says to Kurt Russell: "I want you to take
up some of your grown-up responsibility." His response is something
about earning money. I have grown-up responsibility but that doesn't
make me the best adult. As I've said before, I know there's not one thing that makes a person an adult. (And PS - I lied in this previous post. See if you can find the lie.) Some people would say it's age or experience. Others might say that it has to do with feeling grounded in your career or life. I currently feel none of these things. I still haven't figured out being an adult or a grown-up. I guess I have to decide if I care anymore.
I love this particular scene in Almost Famous. I don't know if this was a thing people did when Tommy came out (since I wasn't alive) or maybe Anita was only able to communicate with music because that's how teenagers are. Either way, there's value to what she said and wrote to William and to the music she left behind. The power of great album or a great song can be such that you do, in fact, see your future. I think you can tell a lot about a person when you know what music they love and hate. Music is a little window into someone's soul. This is why I've never understood it when someone tells me they don't like music. It feels like they're missing an entire part of their being. I would be lost without the music I love.
In a recent post, I described introducing a person to a band you like as being sacred - Anita believes this too. She and I would definitely be music friends if she was real. She wants William to be moved by what he hears and have it become an essential part of his life and future and being (like some people feel about religion). I want the same thing when I share music with someone. I make a lot of mixes for people and I'm always anxious about the process, even a little shy when I think about sharing music with a person. Will they get it like I did? Will they love it? Will they think I'm insane? Will they toss the mix aside and never listen to it but then pretend they did so they don't hurt my feelings? Spreading the musical gospel is a stressful but important part of life.
Everyone has a cool aunt - the one you can talk to about anything and you want to be like when you grow up. My cool aunt is my Aunt Pat. Aunt Pat introduced me to David Bowie (and other very important to me music) when I was younger. She never said to me, "You should listen to this" but it was on all the time and she talked about him with reverence. I knew what we were listening to was important. Of course this meant that I was going to listen to Bowie. Eventually. It's not like I was 6 years old and knew all the words to "Space Oddity" or "Suffragette City" (although I'd really like that 6 year old version of me).
As with most things in my life, I had to find Bowie on my own terms. I had to work my way through boy bands before I could truly appreciate the awesome that is David Bowie. Once I moved past the boy band stage in my musical journey, I settled on glam rock, 70s punk, and morose British bands as my essentials. Bowie became the centerpiece of my musical world. I could recite lyrics and knew all the characters he played. I was mostly into his albums from the 70s; most of the stuff from the 80s just didn't do it for me although I really do like "Modern Love" and "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)". Around the same time, I got into reading about the Pop art movement and Warhol and The Velvet Underground and, of course, became obsessed with Lou Reed. And then there was Iggy Pop and MC5 and Patti Smith and Richard Hell and Television and Blondie. Basically, everything awesome happened before I was born. I've come to terms with this (I think).
Bowie is an icon and has an incredibly cult-like following. His albums were (are) innovative and creative and definitely not your normal rock and roll. He's very good at reinvention in his music. (How many personas did he have? How much eye makeup did he wear? Have you heard the Berlin albums?) His onstage personas were outlandish and unique - everything a teenage rock fan wants to be. He wasn't afraid to be weird or different (at least on stage - read Marc Spitz's biography Bowie for more on the actual person not the persona). That was as true in the 90s (when I started really listening) as it was in the 70s. It's probably why I liked Bowie so much as a teenager. I felt like an outsider (because all teenagers feel that way) and he made it okay to be one. I remember the first time I really listened to the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and songs like "Space Oddity" and "Life on Mars?" and "Heroes" from other albums. I was a girl with mousy hair. I felt alone sometimes. I thought no one got me and I leaned back on my radio. I wanted to kiss as though nothing could fall in the shadow of the Berlin Wall. And then David Bowie told me that "you're not alone" (actually he shouted it at me) and that we're all wonderful. All you had to do was listen.
His first studio album in ten years comes out this week. The Next Day is amazing. He recorded the album in secret and used the occasion of his 66th birthday to announce its existence to the world. Outstanding. I listened to it for free on iTunes last weekend and am counting down the days until I can buy it and listen to it over and over again. There are songs that I think I will come to love as much as the classics. Rob Sheffield's Rolling Stone review is pretty spot on - my favorite line (about the song "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)") "It's like Bowie decided to fuse "Heroes" and "Space Oddity" into the same song, a feat he's never attempted before. Holy shit, David Bowie." I couldn't agree more.
And also there is this post about the album artwork. This, my dear friends, is why I still buy CDs and actual albums. Yes, iTunes is more convenient but liner notes and album art are extraordinarily interesting artistic statements. Reading the liner notes is part of the fun of buying new music. I have to listen to The Next Day at least four more times before I'll have any real opinions but my first listen made me happy. I felt a lot like
when I first really "discovered" Bowie in my teens - I'm just older and you know, wiser. Just like David Bowie.
Please play this song at my funeral - not because it's sad but because it's comforting.
Other than my birth and the introduction of the Happy Meal, probably the most significant event to happen in 1979 was the theatrical release of The Warriors and America's introduction to the only movie about gangs that really matters. I was in my early teens the first time I saw this movie probably on USA Up All Night or WGN midnight movies. I watched a lot of random and age inappropriate movies when I was in my early teens. Since I've started writing this blog and revealed more of these things, my mother has been horrified. I think she should take it in stride; I could have done drugs or had a kid or been arrested (or all three at the same time). Watching age inappropriate movies seems tame.
The Warriors is one of those odd movies that I feel everyone should know but I always have to explain it to people. I do remember meeting the husband of a former co-worker and immediately bonding over our mutual love of this movie. I ended up being one of the few people he ever spoke to at work social events and usually our conversation returned to The Warriors. I will totally be your friend if you like this movie even if we have little else to talk about (or lots to talk about-it doesn't really matter).
I've been wanting to write about The Warriors for a long time. Unlike other movies I've written about, this one is not particularly funny or uplifting. Don't get me wrong - there are some hilarious things in this movie (themed gangs?) but it's not funny. After reading Bad Shakespeare's recent post about thinking about movies like we do literature, I realized that this is ultimately what I do with movies I love. I spend a lot of time analyzing and dissecting these movies. It's like I think I'm going to be graded on my critique of the themes in You've Got Mail. I liked Bad Shakespeare's point about filmmakers constructing novels on screen. That's what The Warriors is for me, a novel on screen.
Around the same time I first saw this movie, I was very into reading Greek and Roman history and mythology. At the time, I had no idea that this movie had source material very closely related to what I was reading but now that I know that it all just makes sense. Both the book (yes, there was a book first) and the film are based in part on the Greek story Anabasis by Xenophon, a student of Socrates. The story is about the Ten Thousand Army, a Greek army of mercenaries, marching to seize the throne of Persia. They ultimately fail and have to march back home. This will all make sense once we start to discuss The Warriors in more detail. Here are two important words for you to know:
Anabasis: An expedition from the coastline into the interior of a country
Katabasis: An expedition from the interior to the coastline
Armed with this knowledge, are you ready? Can you dig it?
It should be dark when you watch this movie. It's filmed almost exclusively at night so watching during the day is wrong as an experience and makes it hard to see.
The Michael Beck conundrum: I previously wrote about Michael Beck and the movie Xanadu. In this movie he plays Swan, the gang's second in command and was poised to become a much bigger star than he actually became because of The Warriors. However, he donned roller skates (and very tiny shorts) and pined and pouted for Olivia Newton-John's muse Kira and (more than likely) the silliness of Xanadu canceled out any credibility from The Warriors. I love both movies equally but I can see why Mr. Beck would be bitter.
The Warriors all wear vests. I probably don't need to say any more but I will. These men can wear vests. Gentlemen, take note. Learn from the masters.
Cleon establishes the hierarchy of the gang (through an odd assortment of flashbacks) and the Warriors leave the confines of Coney Island (the coastline) to go to the Bronx (the interior) for a huge gang meeting. Instead of marching, they take the subway. I like to imagine this is how Greek armies would travel today.
I'd like to point out that Cleon uses the word "conclave" in the opening sequence.
Themed gangs! We've got mimes, guys in fatigues, and the Baseball Furies (more on them later). Is this how gangs really work? If I had a themed gang, our theme would probably be characters from musicals. Except Cats. I hate Cats.
Many of the gangs actually buy subway tokens to get to the conclave. Like proper gentlemen. And then thousands of gang members converge in the Bronx. This is
probably better than thousands of hipsters converging in Brooklyn.
"Can you dig it?" Seriously, Cyrus (the leader the Grammercy Riffs and the gang leader of gang leaders) is the greatest. If I could say "Can you dig it?" like him then my life would be very different.
Of course, Cyrus is not with us for very long. His death starts the whole thing off and a Warrior knows who did it. The Warriors, not actually realizing they're being framed for murder, do exactly what anyone else would do: they regroup in a cemetery. The plan: make it to the subway platform at Union Square. Once the Warriors get there, they're home free.
Quite possibly the greatest DJ voice of all time: Lynne Thigpen. Yes, she was also the Chief on Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego? - but this is just so much better. She dedicates the song "Nowhere to Run" to the Warriors.
Tony Danza was originally supposed to play Vermin but took the role on Taxi instead. I'd say he made the perfect choice because I could never take this movie seriously if Tony Danza was in it.
"When we get there that's when we made it." Wise words, Swan, wise words.
The Gramercy Riffs (Cyrus's gang) is taken over by Masai who begins to get creepy updates from random stooges. Like the Nome King in Return to Oz.
So Luther, the actual bad guy. Luther is that dangerous combination of stupid, psychotic, and mean. All I ever want to do is punch him despite his oddly photogenic hair.
Ajax (my 3rd favorite Warrior played by James Remar) says the best line of the movie: "When did you turn into a fucking diplomat?" Swan makes a face because that's what he does.
In addition to conclave being used, Swan and the Orphans use the word "parlay" like they're pirates.
Enter Mercy. Every movie has to have a love interest and so we have Mercy. And her shoes which trouble me the entire movie.
One of my favorite moments is when Swan throws a Molotov cocktail like a boss. And a car explodes. That's how you make an exit.
You know that part in The Wiz when they're in the station and it comes to life and tries to kill them? I always think of that every time the Warriors enter any subway station. And yes, Fox does get thrown in front of a subway car. By a cop. I did not just hallucinate that moment.
Holy cow, the Baseball Furies. Greatest gang concept ever. The director, Walter Hill, is an avid baseball and KISS fan so this gang was his homage to both. What I find creepy is that none of them ever speak. I would have loved if they had spouted KISS lyrics in their taunts. But that's probably not really appropriate for this movie.
Never trust a group of women hanging out in the subway late at night or one woman just randomly sitting on a park bench. Gentlemen, think with your brains. That is all. And yes, that is Mercedes Ruehl.
The Lizzies - the girl gang. Seriously, boys are dumb (except Rembrandt since he knows this ain't right). My larger question about this gang is how does one acquire a gang lair? Do you have to pay rent? Are you responsible for damages to said gang lair? Because that's going to suck for the Lizzies.
Mercy: I can't go in there. It's a men's room. Swan: Are you kidding? Given their earlier conversations about Mercy's profession, this just makes me laugh and laugh.
If you're keeping track, the Warriors have defeated five gangs by the time they get on the train home to Coney Island: the Turnbull ACs, the Orphans, the Baseball Furies, the Lizzies and the Punks. Remember, the Warriors were here.
The scene where the prom couples get on the subway and sit across from Mercy and Swan who are filthyand beat up. Mercy goes to fix her hair and Swan stops her because they don't need to prove themselves to anyone.
The sun rises on Coney Island and it is magical. "This is what we fought all night to get back to?" says Swan with a hint of disdain. He then launches into a weird conversation about leaving Coney Island. I'm guessing he was thinking, "I'll move to California and be an artist. And fall in love with a muse."
And of course the most famous quote of the movie: "Warriors, come out to pla-ay." Luther continues to creep me out no matter how much time passes. And the bottle thing is just annoying. Seriously, I want to punch him.
Which brings us to the last stand on the beach at dawn. Very Greek epic of the Warriors and the Rogues. Luther proves he is one crazy dude, Swan throws a knife like a boss (this is my favorite way to describe people), and the Gramercy Riffs arrive to exact justice on the Rogues.
And the Warriors walk off into the sunset and do whatever it is gangs do when they're not fighting (Nap? Play cards?) all while "In the City" by Joe Walsh plays in the background.
Did you get all that symbolism? Are you going to start using anabasis and katabasis in your daily conversations? I had something like 10 pages of notes from watching the movie but distilled it down to the essentials. I think for my birthday this year (in addition to wanting an a cappella group to follow me around all day singing my favorite songs), I'd like to host a double feature of The Warriors and Xanadu - two of my favorite movies, both featuring Michael Beck, both including Greek mythology/stories as major plot points. This sounds like an excellent birthday to me.
If someone wants to come as a Swan/Sonny combo (including roller skates and a Warriors vest), well, you might be my new best friend.
Next time: In anticipation of the new David Bowie album, I discuss my love of all things Bowie and wish that I had been born when cool things happened. Like David Bowie. In concert. All the time.
