It is once again another Sunday night and I am internally cringing at the thought of another work-week commencing at 9am (which means that I have to wake up about 7 hours from the moment I am typing this sentence, which will probably mean much less sleep than that by the time this is posted and my mind shuts the fuck up), but after recently being grabbed by the shirt collar by my unhinged boss (he seriously has issues) and then offered a half-assed promotion/raise (one of those issues is that he is a cheap fuck) when he realized that I was about to walk out of there (if I had ANY money, I would have walked out anyway, but times being what they are… I sadly need this job just a tad more than my self-respect.  At least for a little while longer.  Hopefully when summer is over, something will appear), it means that if I show up to work, I will earn (on average) an extra $16 a day, which doesn’t sound like much, but on a two-week paycheck, it’s significant.  After even a paycheck with just two days of the new position, it made a difference.  Not much of one, as I’m still too poor to pay all my bills, but I’m getting closer.

I am trying to post these on the regular again, which is hard with all these weddings and summer things going on (2 consecutive Saturdays and 2 consecutive weddings down and one more to go), and the excessive drinking that comes with being unhappy with oneself while people around you are getting married, having kids, getting actual decent jobs, etc.  Regardless, I will write myself out of this rut and that begins now!

I was looking over possible candidates for letters to publish tonight, and this one caught my fancy, because the second paragraph in my initial letter is exactly the kind of writing that comes out of me when I am in the zone, and it makes me almost remember how awesome I’m supposed to be.  Also, she wrote back, so it proves that sometimes, these things actually happen.  I then wrote her back, but after that…nothing.  I wish I knew what happened, and I wish there was a profile still there.  Somewhere out there is a Kate I almost went on a date with, and yet, I do not know what she looks like anymore, should I ever pass her on the street or at a Sonic Youth show (see this post, which I thought I posted somewhere on the internet, but couldn’t find).

Also, I know what many of you are thinking – “One American using ‘cheers’ in an email is bad enough, but TWO?  Those tossers deserve each other.  To hell with the lot of them!”  And then maybe you’re also thinking I went a little overboard on the music nerdery, and in this instance, I would concur.  I found myself cringing just a tad when I got to the paragraph about Billy Childish.  But that show WAS AMAZING!!  I was sitting two feet away from the man himself!  I know I have one friend who probably hates me for having been there.  Oh and for anyone keeping score, I’ve definitely heard the Vivian Girls in the ensuing four years since this message was sent, way back in the days when I had a decent job, an apartment in Brooklyn, and there was a stupid frat boy in the White House whose awesomeness at his job led to all of that disappearing.

Hi there,

60% strikes me as odd when you compare our interests and favorite bands (although to be fair, I didn’t properly list my favorite bands on here, so the fact that I’m heavily into C86 and the Wedding Present doesn’t show up, but there are no questions about C86 on this site), love of banter and repartee and food. Does this mean that you can’t judge a person by what they like, but what they’re like? Because I find when I meet people who may have similar dispositions, but dissimilar tastes, I don’t know what to say or talk about.

So, you’re into a lot of the same stuff as me, but perhaps you eat babies (well, to be fair, when it says “likes children” on the sidebar, it doesn’t exclude “…for breakfast.” Now, I’m not saying you eat children, because why would I cast aspersions as tot he character of a lady I haven’t met? But I must say, you probably don’t get too many emails from strange guys wondering if the reason for such a low match rating is cannibalism.

Anyways, I hope you have a lovely day. I’m gonna go see Sonic Youth. Yippee.

cheers,

J

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Hi J,

You know what bugs? There will forever be that differentiation between the Baumbach and Ferrell Kicking & Screaming. I do that all the time. One of my favorite movies (Chris Eigeman is an eternal crush). Which local bands do you like? Tell me about your label. I’m working on a piece about Vivian Girls and Crystal Stilts, both very C86/Flying Nun.

Where did you live in Seattle? I moved from there last summer. (Lived in Lower Queen Anne. Sigh. Miss that apartment.) Thanks for the note, and enjoy Sonic Youth & the long weekend — I’m envious! I never did get to McCarren for a show and it looks like that was my last chance.

Cheers,

Kate

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Helloooo Kate,

I totally hear you about Kicking & Screaming. I remember when the WIll Ferrel movie came out, I was all indignant about it. Also, Chris Eigeman is one of my favorite actors ever. I just noticed how all the Whit Stillman movies were on your favorites list. Then again, how can they not be?

I saw Crystal Stilts open for The Vaselines at Southpaw and thought they were amazing! I had really low expectations. I’m kind of a snob when it comes to music. My label is called ESCHE (stands for Example Such Cloth Hammer Engine – it came to me in a spam email) and I’ve put out releases by The Repercussions (the Long Island garage rock band, not the 70’s soul band or the shitty DC punk band), Space Robot Scientists, Trashed On Fiction (they have a new one coming out soon, and are still together, unlike the previous bands mentioned. please check ’em out at myspace.com/trashedonfiction), who are amazing and The Lord Humongous (also from Long Island and not a shitty Maryland punk band)…I’m still working on getting proper distribution and whatnot. I LOVE Flying Nun stuff. Also, I own the C86 comp on LP. It is one of my prized possessions.

I used to live in the U District (I worked at the Tower there for almost 3 years), and I miss going to shows at the OK Hotel (RIP) and the Breakroom. I saw Billy Childish do a reading there, followed by a semi-acoustic Thee Headcoats set. One of my favorites songs right now is the solo version of “You Make Me Die” on the cd “At The Bridge” – plus, my iPod likes to play The Buff Medways.

Oh, the Vivian Girls opened for SY, but I missed them. Haven’t heard them yet. But I own the Monks of Doom cd with the song of that name on it.

wow, i could probably talk forever about music and movies, etc…and my friends’ band is supposed to go on at 11 and it’s 10:45 and i’m still in williamsburg. they’re playing at Lit. yikes.

maybe we should meet up for coffee or drinks and chat it up?

hope your weekend is awesome (although it can’t be as awesome as mine because Sonic Youth played “Making The Nature Scene.” Sorry.

Oh and Josef K is the bomb. I just played them for my bff and she went apeshit.

–j