Communication Breakdowns | johnozed

I never really cared for Joy Division, though I did prefer New Order. Maybe I just didn’t like Ian Curtis’ voice. I still don’t. Maybe 2 or 3 songs by Joy Division and that’s about it. Right now I seem to be ina Manchester bands mood, mainly the big 3. New Order, The Fall and The Smiths. But that is most definitely neither here nor there. So since I have nothing at all worthwhile to say, it’s time for some navel gazing, or for a certain few, navel grazing.

November 2, 2005 was all about Sandra Bullock. That was when I was being kind about the one later called Bleedin’ Hope. It was definitely a stretch and true to my old self, I lurched into surrealist territory. That’s where I found my bearings when I was but a twenty something youth in Asia. The Sandra Bulwark was last spotted in San Francisco selling hand bags and glad rags to women with too much money. I gave up the ghost years ago and her mention here is merely a byproduct of what happened 6 years ago with my Breton inspired pen.

November 2, 2006 had me working at Wolff Olins, getting out early to see a dentist who gave me quite an exorbitant estimate for some work. I balked and skipped away and came home and readied myself to see the Slits at Maxwells that night. The Slits were phenomenal and I regret today not going up to Ari Up and thanking her for everything she had done for me and for music. I was quite happy to see them and it was a good evening at Maxwells, seeing a few old pals. The future was still relatively bright.

November 2, 2007 had me working in midtown again on a ship which later turned out to be the Lusitania. I was catching buses at 7:10 in the morning which seems far out to me now, though of course I would be willing to do it again if the job was right. Forget about the money being right, it’s all about the job. Harpy broke his heel a few weeks previously in 2007 and I ventured up to Washington Heights to see the fabulous invalid. A case of beer and a few packs of Marlboros is what I brought. I should visit him again, but that would involve actually going somewhere besides work or my apartment.

November 2, 2008 was mainly a review of the B-52’s show at the Hammerstein Ballroom the night before. It was a Sunday so it was definitely before I stopped writing on Sundays. Bill and I had a drink at a pre-fab Irish pub nearby and I was wearing my Obama as Superman shirt which got a lot of compliments. The show was great, Bill and I were buzzing and dancing. Keith Strickland reminded everyone to Barack the Vote which a great majority of us actually did.

November 2, 2009 had me wallowing in unemployment. No jobs to be had despite my endless searching which carries on somewhat to this day. The post has something resembling a political slant, as well as my decision to vote for Jon Corzine and definitely not for Chris Christie. That didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped. Some wandering around Hoboken occurred as well and that also carries on to this day.

November 2, 2010 had some computer problems which probably gave Bill the idea to get me a new computer for Christmas rather than have me use his Mac which still rarely gets used. Three candidates in other states lost their elections, people that I did not care for in Connecticut, New York and Delaware. I wrote about some people at Guggenheim Partners who interviewed me a few times and opted for a door stop instead. I was bitter but I got over it, and changed their names. And once again it was the day before Juan’s birthday. Juan might just make an appearance tomorrow, but we shall see about that in due time.

A day off tomorrow which should be good for all concerned.

Also, totally unrelated to the relatable, as an artist he is a good cigar seller.
06 – The End of the World

I Knew The Bride when she used to rock and roll is playing right now. It’s been a long day at the cigar shack. And it’s been busy, the shack did phenomenal business today. It was Zack and Frank Burns and me today.

The day started off alright. I slept really well thanks to some melatonin, and woke up feeling refreshed. The I realized I had to go to work so that feeling of ‘I can do anything’ quickly subsided. I got myself together once again, shower, coffee, cereal and soon I was on the street headed to the bus stop.

It was awfully cold this morning, temperatures were in the 40 degree range. And snow is expected tomorrow, 6 to 10 inches has been predicted, at least that is what one of the customers told me and he lives in North Brunswick.

No neighbor Deborah on the bus ride into Manhattan today so I stared at my smartphone. No more looking out the window for me. I listened to Patti Smith on the walk through the bus terminal, Easter to be precise. Got as far as Because the Night.

I do love Rock & Roll Nigger though. Could be my favorite Patti Smith song. Her use of the word ‘nigger’ is defined as being ‘outside of society’. Jimi Hendrix, Jesus Christ and Jackson Pollock all made the cut as well as Grandma I think.

A short ride on the subway and once again I found myself in the vicinity of the cigar shack. There was Zack and Frank Burns behind the counter. Somebody had a black eye and it wasn’t me and it wasn’t my fault either. I wasn’t feeling to well and I think the reason is because of an ionizer which has been in use in the man cave.

It really puts out an offensive ozone odor which I find more displeasing than the smell of cigars burning. I never minded cigars being smoked, at least not good cigars. Dutch Masters and Antonio and Cleopatra (what my dad smoked) and White Owls are a whole ‘nother thing.

For lunch I sat on a bench near the park and tried to stay warm. I finished Mojo with George Harrison on the cover and started in on Uncut Magazine, on which the cover is all about bootlegs.Being outside helped quite a bit and when I returned to the cigar shack it was all systems go.

Very busy and that is when the numbers starting increasing. Zack was quite happy about it and surprisingly Frank Burns did alright too, sold 2 crappy pens that seemed like they were bound for the island of crappy pens. Glad to get them out of the store.

Perhaps whomever orders things won’t order crappy pens that merely take up space. Still I would not be surprised if those crappy pens are returned within the next 2 weeks. Just a feeling I get when I look to the west I suppose.

Can’t wait to go home and that should be just about an hour from now. Frank Burns is one of those people that screams at the TV when a sporting event is on. I know this since he is in the man cave screaming at the TV right now. And now his cousin is here with him so the number of voices screaming should increase by one.

This is the cousin that Zack insinuated months ago that ‘maybe they’re not cousins but actually lovers’. Pathetic really. In any event there are now less than thirty minutes to go and I am quite fine with that.

Tomorrow’s players will be Thomas and Jerry Vale with the Frank Burns dancers making an appearance, performing their homage to Isadora Duncan on Crystal Meth routine.

Irma Thomas – Time Is On My Side