Brandy Agerbeck

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June 2003 Archive

Sunday, June 29, 2003

My Stripes are White #2
In preparation for Tuesday's White Stripes concert in Chicago, I'm listening to them 24/7. I am this close to hanging a giant poster of 'em over my bed.

posted on 6/29/2003 01:36:25 PM

Friday, June 27, 2003

Brandy
I was looking through my site stats, one of my favorite geeky hobbies. Often there are all sorts of strange search phrases like "Michigan transvestites" and "cheap old stick shifts for sale." I go to Google to see what those kind of phrases get them. Distractedly, I searched for Brandy under Google's Image section. 50 pages of results and no pics of me. Not really surprising, because I name image files of me "me" not "Brandy." Plenty of dogs, snifters, smiling women, a goat and a ferret. But here's my favorite result.
Posted on 6/27/2003 02:26:36 PM

Thursday, June 26, 2003

Nada
I rarely blog about client work, but this is notable. And somewhat confessional. Yesterday I tallied my client work. Two projects on indefinite hold, one current client, about a dozen potential things have vaporized recently. Yesterday afternoon, that one current client called saying they were ready for me to hand off my part of the project. It's really tiny, disparate web edits, not something I enjoy. I hung up the phone and it hit me. At this very moment, I have no money, no clients, nothing booked. Really. I had to keep myself from hyperventilating.

This is the glamorous life of freelance. And if you were wondering, yes, the economy sucks. Why? Because I said so.

So, go to my Shop and buy something will ya?

posted on 6/26/2003 10:36:25 PM

Tuesday, June 24, 2003

p.s.
I just met Jim for bubble drinks, and I relayed the Last Comic Standing story below. He just shook his head and said, "I think the reason that I just don't getting into these shows where 10 people have to live in a house together is because I grew up in a house with 10 people."

Good point.

Posted on 6/24/2003 10:32:04 PM

*Whew*
Like I said, I'm digging Last Comic Standing. Tonight, I was really on the edge of my seat. The deal is that each comic in the house has to say, "I know I'm funnier than ___________." Who's ever got the most votes has a comedy stand off with one of the people that voted for them, their choice. Tonight Sean was voted for most, and it sounds like he was being a pissant. The votes really seemed more about getting someone out of the house, vs. picking the weakest comic. Of which there are a few weak links. Three men voted against him - one who's really funny, one he's been confronted by a lot and the quiet one. I think he picked the path of least resistance - the quiet one. That's Dave Mordal, my personal favorite. And not just because he's from my home state of Minnesota. He's just way funny.

On the bus ride to the stand off, Sean was all quiet and mopey, Dave was joking around. On stage, Dave was definitely funnier. But ya never know how an audience is going to vote. I really didn't want my guy Dave voted off the first frigging vote. Thus, the edge of my seat. 73% of the audience voted for Dave! POW! Sean darted out rather ungraciously.

Afterwards, Dave said, "I like being the sleeper." Right on.

Posted on 6/24/2003 09:16:43 PM

Friday, June 20, 2003

Road Trip Documented
I just finished my gallery of images from my road trip last weekend. *whew* I always forget that if I want to document a trip, it's going to take at least another day to get the gallery in shape. There's 64 images there, and I'm quite pleased with it. Enjoy!

posted on 6/20/2003 02:50:10 PM

The Floor Show
Kathryn, Anne, Faustus, Sonya and I went to Ada's Deli on Wabash after shivering to the Romanian brass band at the opening the SummerDance. Sonya's heading to Rome Saturday to learn all summer on a Fulbright. This was her going away festivities. The band was awesome, but we were mostly too cold in the very windy 60 degree weather to do much more that shiver and huddle. But Anne and Sonya crashed the dance floor once.

Anne and Sonya were being so gregarious, that I felt like a shut-in by comparison. I had been sitting here at the computer all day working on the site, so real live people dancing and the cold wind threw me for a loop.

We hit Ada's pretty giddy and very happy that it was warm. Just taking our drink orders, our waiter knew we were trouble as we spilled into giggling fits. At first Sonya was going to order a chocolate milk, but then she revisited the menu. She decided to get a sundae later, so she decided against the chocolate milk. The waiter was shocked; why had she retreated to water? It made sense - too much if she got both the milk and the sundae later. I said, "She's a planner" (a running joke from earlier). He didn't seem to be paying attention to me, so I said it twice more. "She's a planner." "She's a planner." Just when I was ready to let it go, the waiter stopped midsentence and said, "Is she a planner?" Nice timing. I still laugh out loud thinking of it.

Whatever we dished out he dished right back. Ada's was nearly empty, so our waiter came over and entertained us. Good floor show. He was very entertaining and we were an impeccable audience. We learned of his high school career and that he graduated college with honors. Now, he's a dj who works under the moniker One Fifty One. We decided that all the clubs he dj'ed at were snooty. I was lost during that part of the conversation, due to my shut-in-ness. We laughed, we cried, we ate well.

We discussed calling cards. Sonya's is "Sonya Siefert, Hostess." Anne has decided hers is "Anne Coleman, High Roller." I haven't thought of a satisfactory one for myself. But I thought Sonya's was funny - "Brandy Agerbeck, Shut-in." I think it'd be funny with the site address on it too.

Remarkably, none of my comrades had ever heard of Ada's. So sad. Ada's is a great deli in the loop - 14 S Wabash. $7 sandwiches to $20 dinner specials. Lots of sides. Everything I've had is good. Their Reubens rank at the top of my list - and I'm a connoisseur.

And if you go on Tuesday through Saturday 4 to midnight, ask for Chris/151. It's a good show.

Posted on 6/20/2003 01:08:52 AM

Thursday, June 19, 2003

I've been on my butt since 9am, mostly working on my gallery of photos from the road trip last weekend. Oof. I need lunch and to NOT be sitting on this chair. The gallery is shaping up well. In the caption-writing phase, nearly done.
Posted on 6/19/2003 04:09:07 PM

Wednesday, June 18, 2003

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring. Got out of bed, bumped his head and didn't get up in the morning.

(And, yes, I know I haven't written about MN yet...)
posted on 6/18/2003 04:25:37 PM

Tuesday, June 17, 2003

Select Smart
A friend emailed me this link to SelectSmart.com, a site that (in this case) questions you and tells you how closely your ideology matches the candidates. Apparently, I'm a 100% match to Dennis Kucinich, 20% match to Bush and a -8% match to a couple guys. Check it out
posted on 6/17/2003 12:46:38 PM

Sunday, June 15, 2003

Ahhhh...
I've just made it back to my apartment after a road trip with Jim and Pat. Apartment's intact. I'm intact. I'm happy. The report from the weekend tomorrow. 400 photos taken in 4.5 days. Many amusements.
Posted on 6/15/2003 11:21:47 PM

Tuesday, June 10, 2003

Last Comic Standing
LOVE it. Good judges, good comics. Can't wait to see more. I'd like to recap my faves, but the NBC site, at this moment, blows. Two broken links on the homepage, no contestants, smarmy attitude.

Uncork a Bottle of Whine
I'm in the throes of getting ready for my Minnesota road trip this weekend. I leave tomorrow night. Trying to crank through my To-Do list. Looking forward to going. At this very moment, I feel like poo. Achy knees, allergies, no appetite, sore arm (that's from my beloved Depo shot), a bruise on my left knee (It's a tiny one, but I'm a whiny one), sneezy, head hurts, slightly dizzy.

I haven't been sick since January 2002, so no real complaints to be had, but this is a very strange melange of symptoms for me. Perhaps I'm starting the Limbo below.

Posted on 6/10/2003 10:39:58 PM

My Fate Has Been Decided
I'm in Limbo as a "Virtuous Non-Believer". Sounds about right.

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to the First Level of Hell - Limbo!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level Score

Purgatory (Repenting Believers) Very Low

Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) Very High

Level 2 (Lustful) High

Level 3 (Gluttonous) Moderate

Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) Low

Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) Low

Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) Very High

Level 7 (Violent) Low

Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) Moderate

Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous) Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

For other quizes I've taken and dig, go here.
Posted on 6/10/2003 12:15:53 PM

[Slap on Wrist]
I spent an embarrassing amount of time today reading these.

Only two shows I pine for after getting rid of cable are Six Feet Under and Coupling. Just saw a commercial tonight for the American version of the latter. No good can come of it.

Posted on 6/10/2003 01:03:05 AM

Saturday, June 07, 2003

Holy Moley
I mostly peek at Witold Riedel's blog to look at his drawings, but here's two super sites he linked to - BearSkinRug.co.uk and Exactitudes. The former's got all sorts of entertainment, including Kevin Cornell's sketchbook and a bear that lived on the homepage (SO entertaining). The latter is a photographer and stylist's study in who we are and how we look. Can't say I get all the slang of the titles, but I get It.

Posted on 6/7/2003 02:42:03 PM

Wednesday, June 04, 2003

Turnstile Jumper
There was a Monarch butterfly on the Red Line train yesterday. It popped up in the subway, which I think made it especially jarring, and to me, silly. Most folks darted and ducked like the tissue-like insect was going to hurt them. So odd. I hope it got off ok.
posted on 6/4/2003 11:35:29 AM

Monday, June 02, 2003

Cremaster, Schremaster.
After class I had a lovely walk listening to R?yksopp on a sunny, cool day. Ate a tasty, cheap falafel pita. All good. Went to see Matthew Barney's Cremaster 1 & 2. I've seen and really liked the bits and pieces of the projects in galleries, but never saw a whole Cremaster installment at once. I was all superpsyched to see the Cremaster series this week, just having found out that it was showing here in Chicago. Ready to plunk down $27 I just barely have (yes, business is that bad) to watch 1 & 2 on Sunday, 4 & 5 on Tuesday and the newest, 3, later this week. First one repetitive but charming. The second one was an exceptionally long 79 minutes. Yeah, sure, some interesting images, but the landscapes felt like filler and the music annoyed the bejesus out of me.

I think I'm done for now. If I had more money, I'd see all of them. If I liked 2 more, I'd see them. But at this very moment I don't have the combination of money, patience, curiosity to even eke out the 5 hours and $18 bucks to see the rest this week. I feel very conflicted about it - like I'm missing a rare opportunity. At the same time, at this very moment, I feel like I'd be seeing all five just to say I've seen all five, and that's not reason enough.

I completely respect what Barney's doing, but I vacillate (no, not an allusion to all the petroleum jelly) on my thoughts about art and narrative and how much art should be explained. After 1 & 2, I went to the site and read the synopses. Ok, 2 made a who lot more sense. The Gary Gilmore story was nearly entirely lost on me viewing it without preface (I got that he murdered the attendant and was executed, but didn't know the Gilmore story on the family connections). I get it's chock full o' symbolism and I can see the creation/sex hoo-ha going on. I just wasn't wowed/enthralled/inspired. I liked the strangeness of the space under the table with Goodyear in 1. Was intrigued by the attached Mustangs and the salt arena in 2. Didn't blow my mind.

I gotta say context is a huge component of this. Had I seen this in a museum, with the sculptures and maybe a plaque or two I would have been in a much better frame of mind for it. Sitting in crowded movie theater with a stranger rustling a candy wrapper to my immediate left, is something else entirely. When I'm reclining in a theater I fully admit, I want to be entertained, and I want narrative. Perhaps I've lost artist points for not thinking Matthew Barney is the best thing since sliced bread, but I hope something else kicks my art-butt soon.

Posted on 6/2/2003 01:32:38 PM

Sunday, June 01, 2003

Breath In, Breath Out
I'm currently taking the Art of Living's Basic Course, on recommendation of friend and client, Pamela . I knew next-to-nothing going into it, but was ready for adventure. So far (halfway through), so good. Part of the course in learning the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique. I'm told we did the first half yesterday.

Afterwards, I felt like a pillow.

I can't say I've ever felt like a pillow before. All my insides felt the same and quiet and blank, like fiberfill. And I felt generally warm and comfy in my body.

I look forward to the rest of the process.
Posted on 6/1/2003 09:03:31 AM