August 31, 2002
Cirque was actually pretty good.
Cirque was actually pretty good. There were a variety of acts including an impressive trapeze act, a flametosser, and an act involving tons of confetti being blown by a giant fan. It was all very absurd and very French. I think I'm in love with the girl who twirled hoops around her body. The friend who went with me was indifferent about her act, but I was quite taken with her.
I have this silly song stuck in my head: "Don't Falter" by Mint Royale. Quite sweet and catchy, but damn, it's tenacious.
My parents are here, so I should go before they start reading over my shoulder.
Peace,
Mark
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:29 PM | Comments (0)
August 29, 2002
It was a long day
It was a long day at work today and I don't feel like writing much. I saw that Michael Skakel was sentenced to 20 to life. Kind of reinforces my belief in karma.
I'm going to see Cirque du Soleil tomorrow night. I saw them when they were in Minneapolis 2 years ago and it was actually quite breathtaking, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Since I use a wheelchair, I usually get pretty good seats to events like this. Just one of the many benefits of being a gimp in 21st century America.
Peace,
Mark
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:58 PM | Comments (0)
August 28, 2002
I was a political science
I was a political science major in college, so I always look forward to election years. This being Minnesota and me being a good Democrat, I plastered a Paul Wellstone sticker on the rear window of my van. This will be a difficult election for the former Carleton professor. He's a two-termer facing a smug, opportunist former mayor of St. Paul. And much to my disappointment, Minnesota politics is increasingly dominated by the conservative suburbs of the Twin Cities. But I remain optimistic that things will go well.
I heard David Bowie being interviewed on NPR this morning. I never got into his music much, but his new album sounds great. I might have to check it out.
If I see or hear one more story about American Idol, I'm moving to a remote cabin in Nepal.
Peace,
Mark
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:12 PM | Comments (0)
August 27, 2002
Comment function added. Use it!
Comment function added. Use it!
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:57 PM | Comments (0)
The other night I was
The other night I was watching a delightfully horrible episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Some god-awful '60s film called Girl in the Gold Boots. The plot was a pathetically veiled excuse to show girls gyrating (badly) in skimpy outfits while some California surfer band plays (badly) in the background. I was sorely disappointed when MST3K was cancelled. It was genuinely funny and probably the best example of our hyperlinked culture. Where else could you hear an offhand reference to Goethe followed by another reference to the 80s band A-Ha?
Going to try and do some NeverWinter Nights tonight. My ranger, Kalen Farwalk, is becoming a real badass. Has anyone tried any of the user-developed mods? Are they any good?
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:21 PM | Comments (0)
August 26, 2002
In case you're wondering, I
In case you're wondering, I call this site the 19th Floor because I recently moved into a condo on the 19th floor of a building in downtown Minneapolis. When I was pondering a name for my blog, The 19th Floor just seemed to have that certain je ne sais quoi. Simple yet urbane, with a hint of irony for good measure. For those of you expecting some Lacanian subtext, sorry to disappoint. But I do have a sweet view of the IDS Tower.
The State Fair was not bad. As with most state fairs, the two main reasons to go are 1) to stuff yourself silly with greasy food and 2) watch other people stuff themselves silly with greasy food. I don't eat much, but the people watching was quite fun. I did cringe at a few people who...ahem...were not at all shy about their bodies. But to be fair, I probably make people cringe too. Attendance appeared to be down. Must be the economy.
I think I have the site design mostly complete. I'll swap out the links every few days or so.
My site counter is up to 17. That might just be me hitting it, though. I keep hoping to get feedback, but none so far.
Peace,
Mark
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:02 PM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2002
Spent the last few hours
Spent the last few hours making the site look purty. I now know more HTML code than I did last night, which was basically nil. I must admit that I'm excited about this project and I'm anxious to see where it takes me. But for now, I must sign off. I'm going to the State Fair, which is a very Minnesota thing to do. I'll explain later. I'll try to post more links and vital stats about me later.
Peace,
Mark
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:41 PM | Comments (0)
Just added a site counter.
Just added a site counter. Not sure why I think anyone will read this, but what the hell...
More soon...
Peace,
Mark
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 11:37 AM | Comments (1)
August 24, 2002
August 24, 2002...Most great works
August 24, 2002...Most great works start with a catchy phrase. Think "Call me Ishmael" or "It was a pleasure to burn." Well, this is no great work, so I hope you aren't expecting much. Before I go any further, a warning: I'm somewhat of a latecomer to blogging. This page won't seem too pretty at first. I'm the first to confess to my aesthetic shortcomings, but bear with me. I'm a fast learner and I hope to make constant improvements. Also, I will use the occasional expletive in my entries. Sometimes nothing gets a point across like a well-placed expletive, "fuck" or a variation thereof being my personal favorite.
Enough of the caveats. Now for what you're just dying to know. I'm Mark. I'm 29 and an attorney working for the State of Minnesota. I live in Minneapolis and I am, alas, hopelessly single. I have a physical disability known as spinal muscular atrophy. What this essentially means is that I use a wheelchair for mobility and a ventilator helps me breathe. As you can probably guess, I tend to stick out in a crowd. But I'm not writing this blog in a quest for pity or in an effort to show what a brave little cripple I am. I can get my daily dose of pity by just walking out my door. No, I'm just doing this to amuse myself and, hopefully, at least one other person out there.
Before I go much further, I'm going to try posting this and make sure I didn't screw anything up. In the meantime, check out the best damn satire being written today.
Peace,
Mark
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:20 PM | Comments (0)