Although this is currently a personal diary, I hope this blog will eventually become more of an online "coffee shop" where amateur or aspiring musicians/artists/writers can share ideas and offer constructive criticism.


Saturday, June 25, 2005

My 12594th Day on Earth (or 12227th on Mars)

Ever wondered what your age would be on other planets? Of course you do - Who doesn't?

Woke up from a dream where I was a successful black man living in a beautiful high rise apartment in New York city. I made a living painting pictures of happy frogs. A former co-worker that I had a "crush" on lived in an apartment across from me, but she didn't see me.

I never question my subconscious. Why should I? It never questions me.

I woke up from the dream, head resting on a drool-coated pillow. Another exercise in humility, even in sleep.

I opened my eyes. Approximately 1 million years ago, two nuclei collided to produce nuclear fusion in the middle of the sun. Over the eons, the photon energy produced from that collision slowly wormed its way through the energy layers of the sun in a random pattern, finally freeing itself from its source star, and in 8 light-minutes it traveled through space to bore through my eyes into the deep recesses of my skull, resulting in pain. The universe is a wonderful thing.

I shielded my eyes from the onslaught of the multitude of other sun-emitted photons and realized that I wasn't a successful black man who painted frogs but instead I am a short, fat white guy who might be losing his deadend job.

I poured myself out of bed.

I hastedly threw on my clothes with the same care I took when I hastedly threw them off last night.

Last night? What happened last night?

Aha! Evidence: An empty bottle of brandy sulking on the floor and a bottle of Xanax cowering on the shelf. It must have been one of those nights.

Oh God... Please tell me I didn't email anyone last night.

Checking email. Two messages sent.

Shit.

Luckily - surprisingly - they were actually coherent and not at all embarassing. Whew...

Left my bedroom to get breakfast. My cat greeted me by using my leg as a scratching post. Thank God for denim jeans.

Turned on the news. Five people arrested in connection of a missing girl in Aruba, three dead boys found in the trunk of a car in New Jersey, fundamentalist hardliner voted into office in Iran, industrial plant explosion in St. Louis, Tom Cruise yet again praises Scientology. Turned off the news. Morbid satisfaction in knowing that, yes, my life could be worse.

Found a package from Amazon.com on the porch. Apparently I ordered 3 DVDs during a mini-manic episode one night. Always great to go on a shopping spree when on the verge of unemployment. The movies were "The Salton Sea," "Another Day in Paradise," and "Drugstore Cowboy." Ah, films about drug using losers trying to survive they hell they've created. Now THAT'S entertainment.

Drinking bland coffee, eating a forgettable breakfast, and thinking about the conversation I had yesterday with the air conditioning repairman. While we were both smoking cigarettes, he was telling me about his heart attack and two strokes he had last year.

Hey, take a look at your future self, Drake!

Bite me, Mr. Conscience! Who invited you to enter my mind?

Too tired and lazy to type anymore. Some other stuff happened, talked to some people, played phone tag with a couple of people, watched my new DVDs in a Xanax haze, hoping I can get medical leave from work since I missed 14 days straight because of neverending depression, listened to music, did some other stuff, feeling overwhelmed with everything, problems with relationships, loss of sex drive, trying to be social with neighbors when I would rather just hide from everyone...

And I watched an unusual spider crawling around the ceiling of my neighbor's indoor porch, its shadow long and distorted, the undulating pulses of light and shadow from the ceiling fan casting over its nearly translucent body. Ironic to be aware of a living presence on the ceiling, knowing that it was probably completely unaware of my existence.

The universe is a wonderful thing.

Friday, June 24, 2005

AAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!

Need I say more?

Stay safe,
Drake

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Wear Gawdy Colors Or Avoid Display*

Wow - I've REALLY slacked off from posting on my blog about slackers! At least I practice what I preach... :) Thanks to Diana Crabtree for bringing to my attention that I haven't posted for over two weeks!! Time REALLY got away from me...

Like 95+% of all the people you meet online, I suffer from depression from time to time, and the past couple of weeks were quite bad. It wasn't a "suicidal" depression but more like "I-just-want-to-stay-asleep-and-enjoy-my-dreams-since-they-are-much-better-than-reality-and-besides-I-have-no-energy-or-desire-to-do-anything-while-awake" depression (aka. IJWTSAAEMDSTAMBTRABIHNEODTDAWA).

Besides missing LOTS of work and sleeping, not much else has been going on with me. Despite my massive amounts of absenteeism, I still have my job - My theory is that I am a morbid curiosity to my employers and that they are taking bets on whether I will quit or commit suicide. Seriously, I am considering taking official medical leave if another bout of this chronic fatigue type depression should hit me again.

Since I really don't have anything to offer in the way of news, entertainment, or slackerdom, this post is really just an announcement that I'm still around and plan to continue blogging whenever possible - I have no intentions of quitting the blog world! The Slacker Shack's door is alway open for all.

That said, my "Drifting Stars" blog has sort of drifted away. I'm still considering continuing the story there in the future, but for now it is on hiatus until I have more energy to invest in it.

I'm going to use this time today to start reading up on my blogger companions' blogs to see what is going on in their lives.

Best wishes to everyone! Alway feel free to drop me a note at my email address!
Drake :)

*Lyric from "Wiggly World (1979)," Devo

Saturday, June 04, 2005

ZetaZen's BlackLoveZone

Hello again, everyone!

Time to promote a fellow blogger in her endeavors. One of the main purposes of "The Slacker Shack" is to help promote and support other artists/musicians/writers and other related sites, and somehow I have gotten a bit off track.

I recommend a visit to ZetaZen's blog "Single Black Mother," which, by the way, has been chosen as one of 59 bloggers for "59Bloggers.Com - The Movie." Be sure to also check out her online R&B radio station, BlackLoveZone.

Congratulations to ZetaZen!

Best Wishes,
Drake :)

Codename: Cupcake

Begin Transmission:

Special Agent Drake to Agent Cupcake from The Netherlands:

Enjoyed communication on 02.06.05
Sending best wishes to you - Hope news is good next week!
Thinking of you!

End of Transmission...


Attorney at Law