(this is) durkin.org

The Whole Of The Moon | The Waterboys

I pictured a rainbow
you held in your hands
I had flashes
but you saw the plan
I wandered out in the world for years
while you just stayed in your room
I saw the crescent
you saw the whole of the moon!
The whole of the moon!

I was only half listening to the news the other night [and why we were watching the ABC affiliate I do not know], but I heard something about people here being upset about Rent, and some even demanding their money back. This article alludes to the same thing, and points out that it happens in many places [thank you very much], but I couldn’t find any of the specifics about the clip I overheard. I could get on a soapbox about art and all that, but I don’t think I really have it in me today.

Speaking of culture, however, if you will be in or around Birmingham the weekend of May 18-20, be sure to go to City Stages, our big time music festival. Sure, they’re having some trouble, but the more tickets and beer we all buy, the better off they will be. It’s all about supporting your scene.

Lookie who’s in the OA News [scroll to the bottom of the page]!

Where have I been?
Got any what?
Who did I see?

It will not be May soon enough.

So, since we last spoke, there have been some changes… Apparently, I have angered the Tripod gods. I know not how nor why, but I have been unable to make any changes to the existing code for 13 days now. I still have access, but whatever. The only thing I’m really gonna miss was the shortcut URL - http://johndurkin8.tripod.com. I thought that was pretty cool. But, as Max has said for some time now, you get what you pay for.

Happy Birthday, Luke.

I quit my job. I work here until the last day of this month. I have tried to leave as well as I could, but I don’t think its ever really mutual, or ever really nice, so what the hell. I’m doing the best I can, but I’m sure there will be tales told soon enough. Oh well…

I have a new job. VP of Marketing and Business Development…

The Book Drive went very well, thank you. First Look raised more than enough books, and was able to donate extras to other organizations in Birmingham.

I love VH1’s Behind the Music. I know, who doesn’t - get over it. But [and hopefully later I can reproduce this], I wrote a great entry the other day after watching the Bon Jovi episode, and there is something addictive, yes, but also something that compels you to like [really *like*] whomever you are watching… Its just amazing. I even liked the one about Leif Garrett. Now that is powerful television.

Ron’s redesign is tremendous.

Gross. [via Max, whose commentary elicited this response.]

Alabama’s Constitutional Problems Uncovered/Continue. Oye.

Right on. It’s all about people letting people be, yo.

Things around here will be jumbled for a few days, and then I’ll be gone to the beach to celebrate my new career with MR. So, I’m back, God Bless Yahoo!, and that’s about all I have to say about that.

P.S. - the archives and stuff-nicks will not work for a day or so. Give me a second, OK?

It finally happened: My cell phone rang while I was, um, indisposed. Thankfully, I wasn’t that indisposed, and the bathroom was almost empty. I wouldn’t have answered, but I was waiting on a couple calls about the video I’m working on, so I had no choice. Lucky for me, it was my wife, so no bathroom-related awkwardness. At least, not much.

When I say it finally happened, I should stress that I wasn’t wanting it to happen, or even waiting for it to happen, other than the way we all wait for the inevitables, like death, to finally catch up with us. It was just bound to happen. And so it did. Now I can get on with my life.

News Flash: Prostitutes legal in many parts of Alabama. My favorite part is that this came as a surprise to many of our legislators.

Um, am I the only one who saw the referendum for a statewide law on the ballots last November?

So, nurses say/do the damndest things. And to them it’s no big deal.

A similar, and yet very different story: I used to work in a cafe in Auburn, and one of our dishwashers was a nurse [he worked there for extra cash and free beer]. I remember taking some dirty dishes back to him one night and he was scraping half-eaten food off the plate with his bare hand. I pointed out that was a bit gross, and he said, “John, I am a nurse in a retirement community. I touch ass for a living. Old ass. This is nothing.”

But then, I guess Tim was a special breed…

Just when you think that Monday can’t get any worse, you read something that makes you smile. At first, I smiled because I thought this was just silly, but as I read the article, I had a change of heart. Mostly cause I’m a softie, I guess, but I think its really cool that a guy wants to give away his house to the winner of an essay contest.

In other news today, my wife became a local celebrity yesterday morning when she appeared on local television to promote First Look’s Book Drive. They hope to collect 18,000 books; then turn around and donate two books to every K-5 student in eight Birmingham elementary schools to start their own home library. Pretty cool, no? If you’d like to donate a book or two let me know.

OK - I was finally able to find time to log on from this seminar, and all I have to talk about is work related. And that just wouldn’t be any fun at all, would it?

I didn’t think so. I did, however, notice an interesting thread over at Ron’s regarding the bachelor party… I probably won’t be back here until Monday, so please pardon. Word.

Birmingham is about to join the big boys. Aren’t we cool? But then again, some group of assholes always manages to pull us back down… How’s this for idiocy?

Alabama must keep its bloated, racist, straitjacketing Constitution of 1901 because it was “ordained and established by the sovereignty of God.”

I suwannee [that's Southern for "I swear," Pronounced - "swu-an-E"]. Oye.

So, here’s a question - I’m co-best man in an upcoming wedding, and we are heavy into the planning of the sacred bachelor party. Perhaps there are things we have not thought of???? Anyone have some suggestions?

Hello, hello - home again. This past week I was all kinda out of town in Washington, DC. I am working on a video project for the office [first video production, I'll let you know how it turns out...] and had to go “on location.”

DC was fun - dinner at Nora [love it there, please go if you have the chance - wonderful food, great wine, and servers who know what they are talking about], walking to work in the morning, stopping for coffee on the way [something you just can't do in Birmingham, pretty much no matter what part of town you live in], and all that. It was a good time. We stayed at the Hotel Washington…I won’t trash it, but neither am I recommending it.

This week, I’ll be heading down to Orange Beach, Alabama for a little meeting we [are apparently going to] hold annually. Trust me, it sounds like more fun than it is. Too much travel makes John a tired, bitter and mean boy.

But enough about me - here are some notes from around the way: Happy belated anniversary to Ron, B-Bye, Dr. Laura [saw it at keithers], Alabama thinks [slowly] about a new constitution.

What do you think of the new look? I may have even figured out the whole permanent link thing. Maybe. Anyway. How does it look?