Nope, not PowerPoint. This will be an old box set of vinyl records, a book on drug addiction and NASCAR.
More specifically, Chicago - At Carnegie Hall, Junky - William S. Burroughs and of course, The Daytona 500.
I just love weird combinations of, uh, stuff. I mean, what's better than walking down the street and snapping a picture of a lovely bed of wildflowers? Well, that would be snapping a picture of a lovely bed of wildflowers...in front of which is a broken-down and moldy copy of Bennett's Book of Virtues, lying face down in a mud puddle.
On Saturday, I walked out of my local record shop clutching a used copy of Chicago's At Carnegie Hall box set. Oh yea, complete with liner note booklet, how to register to vote insert and poster ('Pop' quiz: What's uglier? A. A poster of any 70's rock band. B. The flying monkey creatures in The Wizard of Oz). I've been looking for this record for a long time. My record dealer had four copies and allowed me to pick the best discs from each. What I ended up with was nearly mint.
Out the record shop door I go with a big grin on my face. Now over to the used bookstore where my wife is attempting to complete her collection of EveryDamnedEnglishLiteratureAnthologyEverPrinted. Right near the door is a bookcase with the top shelf labeled "Beat". Uh oh...
So out of that store I walk with used copies of Junky (which I haven't read) and Naked Lunch (which I have read...though it turned my brain to mush).
So a big chunk of Saturday afternoon was spent listening to Chicago in their prime (at least to me) while reading accounts of Burroughs and his addiction to opiates. Heroin and "Colour My World" don't really mix, but it is a funny combination of stuff.
Now on Sunday something really weird happened. I watched all of the Daytona 500 and enjoyed every minute of it. No, strike that...I didn't enjoy Leanne Rimes destruction of "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." and went to use the bathroom during Lee Greenwood's "God Bless The U.S.A". But as far as the race was concerned, I was shocked to be sittin' on the edge of my seat as Earnhardt Jr. passed Stewart with only 20 laps to go. I'm probably not gonna go out and buy any Earnhardt tee-shirts or NASCAR beer cozies, but I did have a good time.
What's next? Line dancing?
(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
NASCAR is Satan, but if you trip through popular culture wth an open mind you will run into the dark lord from time to time.
2 - HW Saxton Jr.
Mark,If you're going to read "Junky",you
might want to read Burroughs "Queer" as
well.It works as a companion piece and
for some reason deals more with Bill's
dope problem than does "Junky".
3 - Mark Saleski
i wish i had read Junky before tackling Naked Lunch.
it might have made more sense.
or maybe not.
Queer is on my list tho...