Analogies and Perspectives

I finished Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, by Chuck Klosterman, and I must say that I am a fan. Klosterman basically draws analogies between unlikely subjects and creates an explanation (seemingly out of thin air) as to why they are inherently the same thing, or often, why one has either affected or completely explains the other. Throughout the book he humorously details his personal understanding of society, politics, and other intellectual topics by likening them to subjects in pop culture such as the NBA, Star Wars, the TV show Saved by the Bell, and the computer game The Sims.

While, some of his theories about the meaning of life, viewed through the filter of pop culture make a bit of sense, mostly the essays in the book are less realistic and more entertaining, because he talks about things that we, as active members of today's society are familiar with. On several occasions I found myself laughing out loud (especially when Klosterman complains about how his character in the Sims can't get any play from fellow Sim character Bella because all she wants to talk about is sailboats).

I also found myself feeling slightly depressed after Klosterman pessimistically describes his love life (and presumably love in general) via the career of Billy Joel (I love you Just the Way You Are was from the heart yet Joel ended up divorcing his first wife) and unattainable perceptions of love perpetuated by John Cusak as Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything, and Coldplay.

Overall, I would say Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is a very entertaining read, and I would recommend it to all of you.


NEXT UP:

I am currently reading Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores The Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. This book came highly recommended to me by a friend who's taste in literature I highly regard, so I am excited to get into it. As usual, I'll let you know if it's worth your time!

From the inside cover: "What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a surfeit of obfuscation, complication, and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and- if the right questions are asked- is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking. Steven Levitt, through devilishly clever and clear-eyed thinking shows how to see through all the clutter."

From what I gather so far, the authors of Freakonomics, are doing something similar to what Chuck Klosterman did in Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, in that they are attempting to describe intellectual topics in terms that the every day man or woman can understand by analogizing to unlikely, yet familiar topics. Levitt, however, is an economist and Harvard graduate who uses research, data, and statistics to prove, rather than merely pontificate about, such topics as why school teachers are like sumo wrestlers and why drug dealers still live with their mothers even though they supposedly have such high incomes!

A Chuck Klosterman Conversation

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"Don't you like Chuck Klosterman.....like alot?", my friend asked me a few weeks ago. "I do!", I replied. Afterall, I have made no mystery of my affinity for his writing. Mostly, he entertains and frustrates me in equal amounts. Entertains me because he writes the way I think, and frustrates me because I'm too lazy/ unmotivated to do the job myself.

My friend proceeded to drunkenly try to fix me up with the author at Hanger Bar a few nights later(eventhough CK was not actually there), by telling his Spin buddies (who were there) that I liked him liked him....like more than a friend! MORTIFYING!

Anywhoo, luckily everyone was drunk that night, and hopefully the memory of said half-assed match making evaporated with the alcohol in the blood stream, leaving Mr. Klosterman in the dark about my purported crush. PHEW! If not, tomorrow night could be awkward! I will be attending A Chuck Klosterman Conversation at Highline Ballroom tomorrow night, and will hopefully be not only amused but also inspired by the fella that wrote one of my favorite books: Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs! I also recently finished Killing Yourself to Live, which played out more like a schitzophrenic mash-up of personal love woes and dead rock stars than a journalistic piece, but was, nonetheless entertaining.

If I simply sat down and typed out all the brilliant ideas and stories that cluttered my brain on a constant basis, I, too, could be a famous author. Then again, the self-absorbed, human pop-up video writing position seems to be filled already. Nuts.

Stories in High Fidelity at Highline Ballroom

If you are or were familiar with the blog Product Shop NYC, then you may know that they have recently remodeled themselves and come out as StoriesInHighFidelity.com. Well, they're throwing a launch party at Highline Ballroom on October 20th, which will feature story telling by some of my favorite rock and roll writers, Chuck Klosterman and Rob Sheffield, as well as a performance by Jaymay, and more! Buy tickets for only $12 HERE. Sounds like a good time to me!

I want to move to Seattle

I just finished watching Singles for the elevendy billionth time, and that movie gets better every time! What I wouldn't give to have been twenty-something in Seattle in the 90s! Chuck Klosterman has argued that women can never be truly satisfied in a realistic relationship because of John Cusak's character, Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything, but I would argue that Steve Dunne in Singles is just as amazing- especially after THIS SPEECH:

"Linda, uh, it's me. I had to call you. It's about midnight. I was just having many beers. And, uh, I just wanted to say what I should have said at the dock. I fucking chickened out when I acted casual, like Mr. Casual. I should have said it. You... belong... with... me! We belong together. And what really pisses me off is that, now that we're really talking, you thought i proposed to you only because you were pregnant. What's that about! I mean... hey, this is not the bathroom! And you know maybe if I had said some of these things at the dock it would have made a difference because, but I think we made a big mistake because, we had good times and we had bad times, but we had times. And I would like to start over. I would like to be new to you. I want to be new to you. I want to be Mr. New. So call me back if you want to. But this is the last time I'll call. And, if you really needed to know how I feel, how I really feel, that's how I feel. I love you. And that's something you should know, so I won't bother you again. So, good night. And good bye. And call me back. Good bye."

To think, they got back together eventhough she never heard that message! Aaaahhh, I could live a fulfilling life vicariously through my favorite movie characters forever!

Observations from the Airport

I've been quite the domestic traveler this past year, and I've logged some serious frequent flyer miles, yet my intense fear of flying never seems to lessen, regardless of how frequently I fly. Aside from the fact that I absolutely hate the act of flying itself, I do really love the airport- mostly because I love people watching. I've started carrying a notebook with me where ever I go so I can capture the absurd thoughts that go through my head, and here's what I jotted down this past weekend when I was on my way to Michigan for MSU Homecoming.

Suzie
"I am 26 years old and I still fly with a doll in my backpack which I have owned since Christmas of 1983. There is something about my childhood- crazy, frighteningly unconventional as it may have been- that I just refuse to give up entirely. Is it weird that I am not even the slightest bit ashamed of the plastic baby wearing a pink hand made dress and matching bonnet draped over her blonde Don King hairdoo which is boldly bisible every time I open my bag to retrieve something?"

Terrorists and Chapstick
"Terrorists must be behind the idea of chapstick. Fear has risen to the level in the United States that we can no longer bring liquids of any kind, or apparently substances which, when combined with intense body heat in your back pocket, prove to be of a gelatenous consistency, such as chapstick. You cannot bring chapstick or lip balms onto planes in your carry on luggage any longer, but they still sell it at the convenience stands on the other side of security. So, it follows, if you are departing on a weekend trip, you must consume all of your chapstick because once you leave the plane, your chapstick is no longer welcome in any other airport past the ticket counter. Lube up, America! I don't buy it. So here I sit with incredibly dry lips because I refuse to pay for another one of Osama Bin Ladin's stylish turbins via dirty chapstick money! Im on to you!"

Books: Not just for propping stuff up anymore
Ever since people stopped telling me what to read, I have come to realize that books are not the Devil, as I had convinced myself for the first 24-ish years of my life. Somehow, I always know which books are going to be my kind of book, and my latest discovery (albeit a little late, since it was originally published in 2003) is Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, by Chuck Klosterman, which I picked up at Laguardia Apirport before my flight Friday night. Though I am only 100 pages into the book so far, I can already tell you that this is going to be one of my favorites! I'll wait till I'm actually finished with the whole thing before I give you my full review, but in the meantime, look it up, buy it, and peruse. Its a witty, ridiculous, and insightful commentary on pop culture.

Random Thought on the Plane:
"The Russian guy next to me has an unhealthy obsession with prompt collection of service items."

Cure for extreme aero-phobia:
1 tiny bottle of Chilean Savignon Blanc (prep by having a small lunch and no dinner)
1 ipod set to all Pearl Jam shuffle
1 copy of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs

"Magic words = we have started our initial descent. After that, nothing else matters!"