Fyodor's Fiddling's

Suffice it to say I, historically, am not one to put things off because of unpleasantness. Save having to buy the last Alkaline Trio album. Back through the ravages of time I can often recall with vivid clarity wading into uncomfortable moments just for the sheer (perverse) thrill of being somewhere, socially, I wasn't supposed to be. That being said there are certain moments, common to everyone, that are so gigantically socially prostrating that I think you could prefer a literal prostration ( although I suppose that would depend greatly on the quality of said prostration).

Without a doubt this purple headed beast is the request for letters of recommendation. Not unlike walking on an icy pond to get to the other (filled with co-eds bouncing) side of the water obtaining letters recommending yourself is quite the delicate and intense business.

Maybe not for you, and if so screw you/congrats. For me though, I have spent the better part of my educational career sitting in back rows letting those students (whom see to be breeding) that like to hear their own voice ask questions and toss around conjecture that can only live in undergraduate classes at liberal arts institutions (although the discussion of Fyodor as a firemen was enlightening). While, necessary to educational discourse, I guess, I have always (due to one part elitism, three parts fear) have tried to maintain above the fray choosing instead to text message girls thongs escaping from their pant lines in the rows ahead of me...and FYI it's like shooting underwear in a barrel.

As you might guess though, when underwear is your central classroom preoccupation, it leaves some leg work to be done on the professorial side of recommendations. Needless to say any letter that has to begin " I was a student in your Econ 382 class..." is an uncomfortable idea, which might be the chief reason I do it drunk and with no revisions.

But, as much as I might like to fancy myself troubled and with pain, I can't help but think about how silly the fear of rejection in this instance is. Not only, in contrast with people, say, starving in Rwanda, but furthermore I have seen most of these professors ENGAGE in Fyodor: Firemen conversations, soooooo at least i know my letter isn't the most inane thing they've done today (a record I generally hold for most people).

Still, it's not just any blind ambition that led me to these conclusions. No, it's many generations of class idlers whose shoulders, or cell phones rather, I now stand upon. Now, clearly the lesson of this story would be strive to foster relationships with those people who can help you down the road. However, as these relationships would also clearly be fake in so much as they exist only for you to get something from them, allow me to suggest an alternative. T and A.

From what I understand not only does one get to actually enjoy the distribution of the T and A to various professor types but also one gets to use that in assorted black mail schemes to get grades higher and cheat on further tests. I see no downside.....Except the burn marks from the leather elbow patches, but I've had worse burning sensations.

Well, that's what's on the noodle at the moment and I beg of your forgiveness that today we didn't deal in the abstract, although..............what if Igor was a firemen? How would he react to today's societal shackles placed upon men of common employment?

Put that in your phone and text message it.

Cheers,
A.J.S.

A Scattered Hello.

G'day all,

Not to dabble too awful much in the banal but in the winter, specifically in Ohio, the earlier it gets dark, the shorter the days get it seems the more prone I seem to be to doing nighttime things. While this probably doesn't initially bother you, (and it should because it bothers me) it can really throw a mans rhythm off. Generally speaking its not altogether healthy to say, brush your teeth three times a night or wash your teddy bear twice an evening, and I'll thank you not to ask why he needs to be washed daily.

Those, however true, are my problems and, as was recommended to me earlier in the week, perhaps these blogs do seem to share a constant trend of subtle negativity. My immediate reaction was, unbelievably, one of disbelief, i guess that everyone thinks they know themselves and I fancy myself fairly positive (I have on transformer underooos on right now!) However, after haphazardly sifting through some blogs I believe i know why some could take that position. Rare is the blog that I compose that I don't think thru to a fault. In fact, on the reg, it's usually just sitting around, straight drewmode, and sometimes these idol fingers find their outlet in keystroke format. Perhaps too often. .......and I did notice how close idol fingers and stroke are together.

In these ramblings though, and maybe when it's just me taking highway 1 in the old gray matter, I don't often stop to ponder the beauty of a sunset, that's for conversation carried on between myself and someone I'm trying to impress/kiss. When dancing the dance we call blog, I seem to leave the engaging and happy untouched and deal more with the bad/challenging (for me) /observational (probably not)/hank azaria/ minutia, for better or for worse, and I think it's an outflow of my natural gift to infinitely overlook the good and move onto what I don't have a handle on, which could be a reason why I have, for the better part of ten years, tried to explain why they even made the movie Eddie.

Thus, I think that, after some thought, this would be my rebut: Negative no, Contemplative, hopefully yes. Self- Aggrandizing/Serving, always. Look out for "Top Ten Reasons Andrew Kicks Ass," hitting the Internet soon.



It feels as if the economy is poised to move one way or the other lately. I have always been a big believer in the Automotive and S&P being seminal indicators in general swings. I think that what some economists (see above: self serving) don't factor in is that America's economy is, at least to some degree, a young engine. More to that point, this engine was constructed on one premise, that is to say the robustness of this economy and country, was predicated on the large auto and other assembly oriented industries, being successful. That is what bred initial industrialization and generated middle class wealth. I look to these industries to be indicators then for two reasons.
1.) I believe in their numbers being reflective of how this country rolls (and if we don't pay no tolls we ain't eat no rolls)and.....
2.) I also believe that, in order for our country to stay buoyant an eventual shift must, in regards to market orientation, take place.
This economy is not centered on the dot com side. We still hold most wealth in classic industries. Thus, i watch the S&P to wonder when the dog will learn its new tricks. Which it must do, the economy, to no ones surprise, will re-orient itself or die.

Which of course begs the question (I guess) of what this new economy will look like. I, like CNN (and that pains me) seem to be a bit apprehensive at both the acclamation phase of the general public if this change does take place, AND a bit apprehensive if this change will ever occur. The race to the bottom for manufacturing costs, will (in the long long run at least) eventually bottom out. Pricing back IN American work and labor forces, what will the economy look like then? Who knows, but to get there we'll see fireworks first.


On another note I wanted to extend to the readership a true wish. Something I rarely do within these html walls (be true that is). A wish that someone explains to me the fervor over holiday shopping. I understand the need to get the ones you love gifts. Furthermore, I even understand at times it's necessary to get them lots of gifts. Despite this though, I still can't understand the frantic-ness out there. The mall looks like Clay Aiken was in the lobby.(Actually I'm not quite sure what that would look like, mix of vomit and sequins probably). I just don't understand the stress level. My vote if for assignment of headphones when you enter the mall pumping "Feliz Navidad," into your brain. Try stressing during that chorus and your more than likely a lost cause....oh and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heEaArrrttt. Feliz Navidad Motherfucker.