Fame in the Kitchen

R: You know, back in the 40's and 50' artists were more famous than they are now. For example, that Picasso was more recognized by people worldwide than, lets say, Kennedy.
B: What? Who doesn't know who Kennedy was?
R: Remember, I said in the world - not the U.S.
B: Ok, so then what you are equating with Fame is name recognition?
R: No, not necessarily -
B: - but that's what you are saying, and isn't it true? Everyone knows who Tom Cruise is, but does that make him any better? But then we aren't really discussing quality just magnitude. But no one can deny that Picasso was genuinely great -
R: Let me finish. Yes you are right. If Tom Cruise sucked as an actor would we know who he was -
B - well he does suck, but not as much as he could.
R: Somebody, in the beginning thought he was good or good looking - whatever - and somehow because that person thought so the rest of us continued to think that.
B: So if you have an artist who everybody just likes their work for whatever reason - well, does that alone get him famous?
R: No, because think of all the artists that you don't like, yet you recognize them for what they are.
B: Maybe fame is like currency in that it suffers from inflation over time. Maybe fame in the 40's carried a different social value than it does now. And of course the answer is yes, because back then people were famous because adults knew who they were not adolescents like we have now.
No, but really. What if we assigned data points to specific questions or aspects of fame and did a real statistical analysis? Try to really figure out if what you are saying is true - maybe artists WERE more famous than they are today. Or maybe there are just more people vying for that fame.
R: Yeah, ok. But there are so many things to look at -
B: - could you get me some more rice?

god do I miss New Jersey

fats-5
Originally uploaded by beefandsalt.

I do. I really, really do.

I miss the impossible jug handles, the atrocious inland scenery - I miss how nice people were. Yes, people in New Jersey are nice. They can take a joke. Even a dumb one.

I miss the fact that we used to live three blocks from the beach (but who wouldn't be kicking themselves for leaving that behind) and that it was possible to survive without a car. The beauty of beach towns.

I miss the fat people sunning themselves on the beach in March.

What the hell was I thinking wanting to get an "interesting" job? Yes, its interesting. But my neighbors are stuffy spys who will report your car as abandoned if you don't move it for two months (I don't like to drive, can you tell?) and who watch you in your apartment through their second floor windows and have the gall to ask you about whats in your apartment.
Cashiers look at you like you just puked on the floor if you try to make them laugh.
People park in the middle of the street.
They blindly walk out into the middle of traffic.
And the worst thing about this city is that this behaviour is contagious. You stop trying to be decent and civil. Before you know it you are parking your car on the sidewalk, and never saying hi to anyone.
You jkust want to be left alone with your memories of the Jersey Shore and those endless rolls of tanned flesh.

One more Friday down the hatch - well almost - 3 more hours to go. Been caught being distracted today. Maybe caught up in the fact that each time Friday arrives, along with that sigh of relief comes that awlful bitterness realizing that another 5 days(7 days when its really bad) has been wasted. Wasted? Really? Maybe I am exagerating - I mean, is time really wasted, or perhaps under apreciated? So if I valued my time more I would be less "distracted" come Friday?

My solution is to give in the distraction - let all my coworkers see that I am not really here, but elsewhere entirely. So let it be known that my first public online post be this confession that I am an unfocused daydreamer who is posing as someone who is interested and engaged. As someone who used to be ambitious, driven, focused, I think I am well suited to play the part. But I think as the memory of ambition fades, my acting talent declines.

This might take me some getting used to - conceiving of how many people might or might not be reading this. Well as I adapt I promise I'll try and get more interesting. I swear. It just took a shitty Friday at work to motivate me to subject the public to what I think.