Homer Simpson and Notes on Life.
This Wednesday, Nikki, gave me phase one of my makeover, a haircut! I stopped by her apartment, which is just a few blocks south of mine; she greeted me at the door, gave me a brief tour and sat me down. She started searching for her 'favorite' tools. Scissors and comb in hand, she looked at me in the mirror, smiled, started to say something but then kind of interrupted herself, and said, "Ok, you trust me. Right?"
I smiled and said, "Completely and totally. Do whatever you like."
Nikki is quite the impressive girl. We talked about lots of things from photography and art to Norah to restaurants and back again. As it turns out, Nikki moved to NYC from Japan a little over 10 years ago. She spoke almost no English, knew exactly ZERO people upon arriving here, and.... she had a 20 month old son with her!
She is one of the sweetest people I've met in a long time, a very talented artist, in painting and hair & makeup. Nikki is a hottie, and looks like she is around 27, but in reality that is about how old she was when she moved to NYC. Her son makes straight A's and watches the Simpsons for inspiration on his homework assignments (to the disapproval of his mother I might add).
After Nikki was finished snipping and shaping my weave into perfection, she gave me easy styling tips and a can of DAX Wave and Groom (Especially Formulated for Short Hair). Upon initial inspection of the said DAX Wave and Groom, I concluded if you could collect half cup of earwax, it might look very similar to this substance. Also the smell was not super appealing to me personally, however every girl that I have seen actually hold and sniff the contents, my roommate's girlfriend and her roommate, has said they really like the way it smells.
Nikki instructed me that it is extremely difficult to get out but if I use it every day, then I won't really need to get it out. She then explained that she cut my hair very cleanly on the sides, so in order to keep everything balanced, I need to mess up the top. This is where the DAX comes in. Apply liberally to palms and fingers of hands, rub together and then scratch head vigorously. Once an even application is achieved push, pull, spike, twirl, matt, and all around fuck-up said hair. "Anything messy will look great." She says.
Blanket Warning: Be careful ladies, Clint is on the prowl. I've got a can of DAX and I'm not afraid to use it!
Thank you Nikki!!
Recently I have started doing something some people might find weird. I started making notes on my laptop during the day for tidbits of information to update this website with. I know this is totally 100% blogging, but that's ok. That is basically what this website is anyway. So I am just going to post some of my notes from earlier this week.
Why do I have an insatiable hunger to not only make money.. but be on top of technology and have a clear picture of what is going on globally? Why can I not just accept that I'll never know everything that is going on, and be rich? Maybe I can.. I have to.
I think I am going to succumb to Corporate America, hit the Starbucks up the street and sit there for awhile with a cup of coffee, my laptop and a sketchbook. This should be fun.
Walking out of my building on the way over here I ran into an older woman sitting on the leather couch in the lobby. I was friendly and said hello to her. She then started to ask me where I was going. I said I was going to the coffee shop to do some work for a photo shoot I will be working on tomorrow. She asked me what photo shoot, and if it was for television. I said no it was for magazines, still photography. Well what magazine she asked. I said it was an advertising campaign for Avon and that I would be using Photoshop. She had no idea what I was talking about but recognized the name Avon as the cosmetics company. She asked if I was going to do homework. I said no, I have been out of school for over a year. She wished me well and said good luck. I thanked her and walked outside.
I wish I was outgoing enough to run into someone, say hello and ask where someone was going. I would be too embarrassed and feel overbearing. Then again, I guess if a 6 foot 200+ lb dude with slick sideburns and a goatee was sitting on a couch in some building lobby and asked me where I was going, I probably would react slightly differently.. as opposed to a nice old lady anyway.
I crossed the street and was kind of amazed at how many people are outside. It's a very nice day out despite it being a tad cold.
I'm sitting here in Starbucks now and there is a guy sitting to my left studying for something. When I came in he had two Indian girls bugging him about something. They have since left. He really didn't seem too interested in either of them. There is also a girl to my right who is fairly cute. She has books and papers scattered all over the tiny circular table, including multi-colored flash cards. She was working intently as I sat down, but is now chatting and laughing on the phone about an exam she has to take this week. Her cell phone has a Verizon polyphonic ring tone that sounds like a real old-timey telephone.
Here I am typing about everything going on around me and no one knows, I should wear at t-shirt that says 'I'm blogging this'. I am looking at each person here and taking in what they look like, who has a laptop, a book, how old people are. Do people really do this? I am one of the only ones? It's fun, I feel like I am accomplishing something.
Ok a dog just entered the place and is now barking. Wait, it's a couple dogs.
Jesus they are loud. Annoying some people. The girl in front of me is looking in the dogs' direction shaking her head with displeasure.
At this moment I am completely blank minded.
I am looking around the place and seeing all of the cute girls that are here. I wish I had the courage to go talk to one of them.
I want more than anything to own something. I need to make an investment. Something more than a laptop, something with real value, a house, land, an apartment. I can see my reflection in the door. I' wearing my Virginia Tech hat and my laptop is creating glare off the glass door. The girl sitting next to me is still on the phone but it sounds like the conversation is winding down.
I need a project to occupy my time, a clear vision, a goal. I would like to paint a mural on my wall, however I can't decide what I want it to be. A dog? A forest vision? Definitely something that brings peace.
Expect nothing and you'll never be disappointed.
All right this Asian guy sitting across from me staring out the window, keeps putting drops in his eyes. It's freaking me out! He does it every 5 minutes! Ok, I am starting to get hungry and bored. I think it is time to pack up and head out, maybe work on my wall.
I just saw Homer Simpson outside on the street. It was A guy in a wheel chair handing out flyers with a rubber plastic mask on. It was weird.
What was weirder was my instant compulsion to pull out my cell phone and take a picture. I looked stranger than Homer did.
One day last week during lunch I had a moment of clarity and slipped into a deep focus state of semi-unconsciousness. No, I was not high or drunk, I just had a lot on my mind needed to clear my head and think of something fundamental.
What I came up with is that there are two basic things that drive the human psyche. Logic and Emotion. Which of these intangibles is more important? Could a human exist without either? I decided that it is possible to exist without logic. You would be just overtly emotional and sensitive. You would cry at sunrise and sunset because it is beautiful and there is no reason not to. A person with no logic would live but not function in a normal day-to-day setting.
Emotion however you cannot do without. If people were 100% logical there would be no marriage, no hunger, no religion, no laughing, and no crying. People would die and be born with no consequence. There would be no speeding, no stealing. We would be organic machines, senseless, odorless, and tasteless. We would have sex for procreation, not pleasure. You would not enjoy anything.
If it were possible to override basic emotions, we would no longer exist as a race. It's emotions that drive the human race to improve and grow. Without them, we'd all come to the logical conclusion that there is no purpose in continuing to live, since there is no logical reason why life should exist over its lack of existence. It's emotions that drive us.
Sometimes we search too hard for answers that are right in front of us.
Notes on Stuff
Sunday, October 26, 2003
