Eoin Colfer - “And Another Thing”

Just finished the book. Sorting out how I felt about it.  

Part 6 of 3 in the Hitchhiker’s Trilogy, “And Another Thing” was intended to be the next chapter in Adams’ purportedly unfinished series. Handlers of Adams’ estate gave the Hitchhiker’s Guide intellectual property to Eoin Colfer, an author who made a name for himself in young adult fiction. Admittedly, Colfer has come very close to mastering Adams’ writing style. Moments of “And Another Thing” feel unbelievably genuine, which makes the experience surreal because DUDE, DOUGLAS ADAMS IS DEAD and all. 

So at any rate, the problems I have with “And Another Thing” are fundamental rather than aesthetic. There’s nothing quantifiably wrong with the way Colfer writes. However, the entire book is groundless because of a worldview inconsistency between Colfer and Adams. Throughout the Hitchhiker Trilogy, Adams attempts to prove two things: first, that life is meaningless, and that life is a comedy. His universe is disordered, foundationless, and gives no closure to any conflict. Adams is a pessimist that believes in beauty, and that’s the inconsistency that makes his writing so powerful. 

Colfer, try as he might, can’t pull this off. He’s an optimist. This isn’t a bad thing, but Colfer believes in love, closure, and character development. And when you apply those concepts to the Hitchhiker universe, everything feels distinctly unfroody. Colfer believes in order when Adams believes in chaos, and whether Colfer’s got the patter down or not, it can’t feel genuine. 

Plus, I always considered the Hitchhiker’s Trilogy finished. “Mostly Harmless” is a terrifically scary book, but it concisely paraphrases every concept Douglas developed throughout the series. 

Anyway. Semi-good book. You can’t expect much from anyone trying to ‘finish’ the Hitchhiker Trilogy (come on, you’re gonna try and top Douglas Adams?) but eh, it was certainly… a book.  

Beady Eye - “Millionaire”

Good summer jam. Not sure how I feel about the lead vocals, but these guys have a good vibe to them. 

Last-minute trip to Trailerland again. Family’s had a couple of near-emergencies - we’re regrouping, I guess. Probably back online in a few days. 

Been a hell of a week. Don’t know what’s going on, but lately the highs are higher and the lows are much lower. Keep punctuating bad weeks with amazing days. Maybe the bad shit is making me appreciate the good stuff more. Or maybe I’m just crazy. Also that. 

Andrew Bird - “Sovay”

Okay, universe, here’s your project. Andrew Bird, Chris Thile, and Damon Albarn get stuck on a tropical island for six months, and they have ample food and water and a fully supplied recording studio. That’s what I want from you, universe. Go. 

At any rate this is one of the most immensely relaxing songs I’ve ever heard

I’m not saying I blew up an Oreo milkshake today

But if I did, hypothetically, potentially speaking, it would’ve been AWESOME AND TERRIBLE much like the supernova of the sun

And my work clothes are icy-grays and dun-hued spackling, powdered with a light dusting of chocolate cookie

And yeah, I realize I’m supposed to be taking life seriously because I Am Responsible!!!! but my first reaction was maniacal laughter

They are paying me

To blow up Oreo milkshakes.

Let that sink in for a minute.

THEY ARE PAYING ME TO BLOW UP OREO MILKSHAKES

Guys, this may be my dream job 

Punch Brothers - “How to Grow a Woman from the Ground”

One of the most eerily beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. Best version here. 

Kinda like the feeling at an old folks home
Even though you love them you can’t wait for them to go

I have the time to work on exactly one long-term creative project at the moment, so here are my options. 

1. Re-score a few scenes from a film. 

The main advantages to this one are that it’s a straightforward project, it’ll look good on my demo reel, and it’ll be good experience for stuff I’m hoping to do later (eventually planning to hit up the local film festival and see if anybody needs scores). Main disadvantages: I’ve never scored for a full orchestra, and I’m a little unenthusiastic about the whole thing. 

2. Four-part suite themed on Adventure Time. 

Sounds ridiculous, I know, but I just realized that I could write the shit out of an Adventure Time thing. Aesthetically, AT is the perfect subject for some pretty weird and compelling music (I get freaked out just thinking about it. Finn: eternal hero, optimist, romantic, twisted little fucker. The Lich: perfect embodiment of the void. Marceline: inhabits the space between vapid and valiant. Come on the color scheme alone is enough to write some really cool shit. Geometric mathematical 2D degenerating into grainy Lich grays and I can’t even explain how good my synesthesia gets when I start thinking about this.) Plus side, it’d be unbelievably fun. On the negative, it’s basically an inexplicable project (“I’m writing a suite in four parts that’s based on interpretations and thematic arcs of a children’s animated television show” yeah no.) 

Idk man. Any opinions? Which sounds better? 

Here’s your mission. You’re gonna go to YouTube, and you’re going to listen to Incubus - “A Certain Shade of Green” and then you’re gonna listen to “Incubus - Drive” and then you’re gonna tell me whether or not you suddenly got all nostalgic for no reason in particular. Because. Yeah. GO NOW DO IT. 

Dr. S: Playing this through a bunch of times is literally the worst thing you could do at this point. You need to focus in on individual measures, not - what?
Me: Aha, that's a misuse of literality.
Dr. S: Aaugh.
Me: Nothing can 'literally' be the worst thing, because that's not how literality works-
Dr. S: Okay, how bout this, I'm going to figuratively assign you another piece, and I will require you to metaphorically put a lot of time into it. A LOT OF TIME.

SUDDEN BURST OF ENERGY AT ONE IN THE MORNING AAAAHHHHHH

anybody want to go to waffle house? surely this is a night for waffle house

NIGHTNIGHT by DEDDY