What's right?
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Typing Out Loud: Choices
Monday, July 21, 2025
Project 3867: "Create a Spectacle" Special Events
I drive by 3867 West River so many times now that the vacant lot is just background noise. Last time I drove by the lot, it an interior hazard/vacant building sign in the window, so who knows what's next. But when I'm stuck at the light or at the train, I will throw a glance at it and wonder what else can happen there.
This week, I recalled a college class assignment to brainstorm small business ideas. I came up with event planning, sparked by bombing my sister's car for her birthday: I had filled the interior with streamers and balloons, taped a banner to the windshield wishing her a happy birthday, and cued up the cassette player to play The Beatles' song Birthday once she started her car. It was a spectacle, and she loved it.
So why not a small business focused on small, unique, special events? Small events allow more creativity, flexibility, and on-site negotiations. Surprise parties have a little more oomph when everyone is truly surprised. In my fantasy-filled head, I have countless insider connections from celebrities to florists to cut-rate deals on tents and bounce houses. It's PR-meets-advertising-meets-make-a-wish-meets-fantasy-island.
In a hilarious call out, I'm binge-watching the sitcom The Middle, and Axl and his friends are actually doing this as a small business, first charging guys in their class to break up with girls before Valentine's Day, then doing prom-posals to surprise their girlfriends. It's a thing!
Who knows... maybe one day I CAN negotiate a game of catch between Johnny Bench and Dave for his birthday.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
The Cereal Project: Free Stickers
For my fake movie and my fake protagonist to promote my fake cereal, let's discuss why 'Gord' is a nickname for a girl. My childhood nickname was Mo, because my cousin Kevin couldn't say Melissa. Let's say Gord comes from her mispronunciation of "girl," when her grandpa would beckon her with an affectionate call of "little girl." That her dad's favorite hockey player was Gordie Howe is a nice coincidence.
I've relied so heavily on her nickname in my imagination that I haven't thought about what her real name should be. I did love the name Gwendolyn as a kid. Gwendolyn Frye sounds regal and flows elegantly off the tongue, but also seems too heavy for a teenage girl, like she needs to grow into it; Gord is kind of tomboyish, a suit of armor. Typing this out helps shape in my mind who she is.
Anyway, this month's project is about another freebie in the cereal box, stickers. I love stickers. The walls of our garage are covered in them, as well as my guitar case.
Gord is in a garage band, and bands love to give away stickers to promote themselves. The stickers will be made up of the participating acts in the fictitious Battle of the Bands lineup!
Monday, July 7, 2025
Lipstick on the Mic: The Runaways
Cherie, Sandy, Lita, Jackie, Joan, Vicki, Micki - legendary band. Incredible talents at a very young age. Cherry Bomb is always on my playlist. Each individual has demonstrated through life exactly how to be badass.
Cherie Currie - vocalist, writer, performer, woodcarving artist.
Sandy West - drummer, bartender, colorful member, providing the steady heartbeat. RIP.
Lita Ford - guitarist, vocalist, writer. Had some huge hits in the late 80s. I was particularly fond of her remake of Alice Cooper's Only Women Bleed.
Jackie Fox - merit scholar at UCLA, JD at Harvard, went viral for her winning streak on the game show Jeopardy!
Joan Jett - rock and roll hall of fame. She was everywhere in the 80s, from movies to TV to establishing her own music label when no one would release her records. Activist and riot grrrl.
Vicki Blue - film producer, writer, director, and even got in on the joke and played Cindy in This is Spinal Tap.
Micki Steele - bassist, writer, singer - left early in the band's career because she thought Kim Fowley was stupid. She was right. Went on to be a badass in The Bangles. Kept doing her own thing musically and retired to rescue animals.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
The Fifth Monkee, Vic Tayback
Vic was a longtime character actor who, according to IMDb, debuted in 1958 in the TV show Buckskin. He played blue-collar roles throughout the 60s such as a miner, a guard, and a cop. This stretch included three stints on The Monkees playing different roles as Chuckie, Rocco, and George.
Typing Out Loud: Choices
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