Occupation: Professor
Hobbies: The "3 R's": Reading, wRiting, and Records. Guitar, too.
Pets: Walter C. Chambers (cat), The Mighty Reptilicus (cat), the monkey on
my back.
1: the heavy part
Update us on your situation in life.
Situation, huh? I'm livin' on the edge. I'm probably going to be somewhat evasive in this section, and for that, I apologize. Truth is, I'm kind of at a weird stage right now -- a fork in the road. I'm wondering which path I should take.
Teaching, eh? How did that come about?
[A friend] let me know about it. They said they needed someone with a Master's degree and technology skillz. I accepted the position with the understanding that I'd be teaching three courses, but after they snagged me it turned into one. Would I teach again? Sure. Will I teach again with this organization? Very, very unlikely. There seem to be some MAJOR communication problems here... possibly worse than any other job setting I've been in. And as you well know, I've been in some really shitty ones. They'd have to offer me a full-time position with a pretty hefty salary for me to stay on like this.
Turning thirty: over-hyped, or a legitimate cause for concern?
I think each person has a different angle on that one. It hasn't been bad, but you do sometimes second-guess your actions (i.e., "Am I too old to be doing this?"). Though I guess, if you're so-inclined, you could blame "Society" and its "Expectations". I'm generally not so-inclined, but then again, I was raised in strict accordance with the "Catholic Guilt Guide to Fucking Up Your Kid". One thing that really sucks, and I'm sure you've noticed it even at your age, is that the number of available women seems to greatly decline the older you get. Or that could just be a Pittsburgh thing, I'm not sure.
Are you still active as a musician?
Yes indeed. Working with a band right now, still trying to find "The Sound". I play pretty much every day, though we've only been getting together once a week or so.
How has the "scene" in Pittsburgh changed/evolved since 2002?
It hasn't changed a whole lot. One thing I've noticed is that there seem to be a lot more bands then there used to be. A few different nightlife options have opened up as well. Still, though, same old Pittsburgh.
Where were you when the Steelers won the Super Bowl? What happened (apart from the Steelers winning the Super Bowl)?
I mostly just sat there in disbelief. Then my friend Robert and I went outside and started throwing firecrackers. Probably a bad idea, considering the state we were in. Unfortunately, I missed out on all the "dancing in the streets" stuff. I probably would've been gang-tackled for mouthing off to some jackass, though.
Your five-year plan in thumbnail-sketch form.
I'm probably going to leave the city in September (when my lease runs out) unless I find a good reason not to. That's about as far as The Plan gets, though. There are no good jobs in education around here. It's a fucking joke, considering how many colleges are in this city.
Is the glass one-third empty or one-third full?
The glass is smashed on the ground. That's okay, though... we were out of whiskey anyway.
How is Walter?
He's just fine. Did you ever meet the other cat? I suspect Walter's not too fond of him. Though I think I'm the only living creature Walter IS fond of.
2: the not-heavy part
Describe a good night out...
Hanging out with good folks and laughing a lot. Going off the rails, or, if not OFF the rails, at least a reasonable facsimile. Rock and Roll. Probably some decent dinner, too.
And a good night in the apartment?
Cocktails and turntables. Good folks.
Current favorite ethnic food and, if possible, dish.
Oh, jeez. I'll go with Pho soup and spring rolls from Tram's. Iced coffee. Much like Colt 45, it "works everytime".
What have you been listening to?
I've gotten really heavy into Krautrock lately. Cluster, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Neu, Faust, Can, etc. Harmonia is a current favorite. Blips and bleeps and drones, all that good stuff. It's one of the few genres that I haven't completely explored/exhausted yet (that is to say, one of the few genres I'm interested in).
Was hast you been reading?
Lately, I guess the term is "Magical Realism". Or at least, that's what they tell me. I've read four or five H. Murakami books in the past 6 months, so I should mention him. I read a really good book called House of Leaves (Mark Danielewski) a few months back. That was really unlike anything I'd read before. Props to my friend Wendy for introducing it to me. Though, right now I'm reading Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 by Simon Reynolds. Gotta keep up on my "scholarly research".
What have you been watching on TV?
This is kind of a tricky question, as I don't have cable. If I did, I'd watch "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report", and probably a lot more movies, History Channel, that sorta thing. As it stands, however, my choices are kind of limited. The regular stable of Sunday night cartoons, PBS, dumb movies. My "guilty pleasure" is "24"... I guess I just like seeing jerks get their comeuppance. Lousy jerks.
Seen any movies lately? What did you think?
The last movie I saw in the theater was CSA: Conferate States of America. It was a pretty decent satire. Other than that, mostly just dvds. My friends never want to go see a movie for some reason.
3: the cocktail party
So you're having a cocktail party: list five A-list guests, other than Jesus, me and your friends...
NO MORE HEROS. KILL YR IDOLS, etc.
I don't know... I hate this kind of question because I honestly don't like the whole "hero worship" thing. How 'bout this answer: Genghis Khan, George "The Animal" Steele, Corporal Klinger from MASH, Marty Feldman, and George W. Bush. The theme of the cocktail party would be "everyone gets a bat and we beat George W. Bush until he is dead".
What drinks will you serve?
I would only serve drinks of my own invention. The Dantastic. The Lemon Kilmister. The Tequila Mockingbird. The DDT (Don Diebold with a Twist).
What will be in the stereo?
I don't know... what's good head-bashing music? I'll say Motorhead, Killing Joke, Bad Brains, and The Birthday Party.
Conversation topics will include...
I suppose we could take a few breaks for drinks and conversation. The more the brutality is prolonged, the more better. We would talk about politics, cooking, the weather, and hair-care tips.
How will the evening end?
Everyone would have to stay and help clean up. I'm not getting rid of the body myself.