Monday, February 12, 2007

You Are Of The Moment


One of Andy Warhol's tricks to create art was to train a camera on someone for several minutes, a screen test of sorts without any dialogue. This process, like many an unlikely idea, produced a variety of effects, all intended to see the soul of the person or have them crack, whichever happened first. If you were the victim of the screen test, you could speak or not speak. After a few minutes, a person often started laughing or crying. As a child, Andy W. had been sickly and often left alone to drink coffee chained to the couch as a form of "babysitting." It is not surprising that he turned out the way he did -- more surprising that so many people turned to him for guidance, drugs, art, and a cornucopia of masochistic mind fucks for which he became well-known.

But who needs to find someone on the outside to do some real damage to ourselves? One night of heavy drinking can have you weeping at the jukebox, punching in Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" for the tenth time, saying in that earnest, drunk way, I love this song, I've always loved this song. The next day is an exercise in willpower and titration, i.e., I will not vomit and How much Tylenol Three do I have stored away? and Does Vitamin Water really work? You start to hate yourself and bemoan fate -- no hell as joyful as the one you create. You serve yourself for dinner, head on a platter, bits and pieces all around as garnish. You start to get to know yourself and what a treat that is! Eventually there's nothing left except for an empty gleaming plate, a mirror into your soul, if you haven't already finished that off already.

Michelle's Spell of the Day

"The more you are of the moment, the faster you are of the past." Gia

Cocktail Hour

Drinking short story collection: Revenge of the Lawn Richard Brautigan

Benedictions and Maledictions

Happy Monday!

56 Days until The Sopranos airs!

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought I'd have a great time in hell, but it turned out just to be hell.

Anonymous said...

Andy had a crush on Jim Morrison of The Doors. Jim received a beautiful white phone from Andy and asked him what is was for. Andy believed Jim to be an angel and said it was to call God.

Anonymous said...

We've never come across "titration" before. We'll definitely add it to our collection.

Anonymous said...

I remember my last night of heavy drinking. She was wonderful. Implants just as good as Pam's.

Anonymous said...

The marquis is very kind.

Anonymous said...

This is an outrage!

Anonymous said...

I swear I didn't know what was going on.

Anonymous said...

If only we'd had jukeboxes!

Anonymous said...

Michelle, your "cornucopia of masochistic mind fucks" is vulgar but good. I'm a great admirer of the variety in your diction.

Anonymous said...

We always clean our plates! Even when we have soul on Friday's and look into them and there we are! And the sorrowful mysteries, two!

Anonymous said...

That's a very nice photo, Michelle.

Anonymous said...

I agree, no one can batter us like we batter ourselves.

Anonymous said...

Nobody beats my batter!

Anonymous said...

Not that kinda batter.

Anonymous said...

Bat her?

Anonymous said...

I predict that Michelle will receive many, yes MANY, Valentine's Day gifts. I predict.

Anonymous said...

Happy Valentine's Day, Michelle!

Dan said...

"No Woman, No Cry". What a great tune.

Michelle, have you ever had a staring contest? It's kind of the same thing, no?

I always enjoy your writing, you Sopranos fan! :)

John Ricci said...

Dear Michelle
Lovely post and view as always. Let us hope we do not have too much snow over the next two days. It would be a shame to make Valentine's Day more difficult than it needs to be. But we Catholics know that there is always time to suffer more. Champagne toasts chandelier dreams and summertime wishes. Bravo!

the walking man said...

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said: "Is it good, friend?"
"It is bitter - bitter," he answered;
"But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart."

Stephen Crane 1905

Cheri said...

AP must sit and think of all these apparent "clever" things to say to you. I wish I had no life and could go around trolling all day long.




I wonder how he'd function in a society like the one we live in today. Where did you take the picture?

ZZZZZZZ said...

No one does damage to me better than me, I'm sad to say. Why is that I wonder?