Friday, November 21, 2008

F**k The God of War


Allow me to explain.

As I sit day after day at my desk staring at a blank pad of newsprint beckoning to be filled with the next greatest concept in marketing, flashing emails, plunging stock tickers or being interrupted about every eight minutes, jogging me from my stream of unconsciousness, I listen to iTunes Groove Salad in the background. It is calming and petty retribution to my staff for interruptions as I slow down the networks bandwidth;)

There is one tune in particular that is really a monolog set to music, I have not heard it lately and the name escapes me, but I do believe it is the actor Jeff Goldblum giving an address at a college commencement ceremony. He discusses how we each have a "God of War" within us, encouraging us to do wrong things, challenge ourselves with misguided dreams and ambitions and to follow paths we will not enjoy. He (or she) is a nasty character which controls most of our existences.

The music plays blissfully in the background as JG spells out his theory. It is the ending I have paid the most attention to. He suggests to the students that they think back to the times when they were 14- 16 and what they enjoyed most in life. He challenges them to follow those joys and make lives out of it. "Remember what you loved at 15, and f••k the God of War." I salute those who have f'd the God of War.

For me it was bikes. I loved to ride them and the freedom. I loved to strip them down, take them apart and rebuild them. I was on to enclosed cabling 32 years ago -- but never managed to pursue my summertime joys. I managed to get a job, hang out where the girls were and later on, where the beer was:) Who was f'd now?



Well I am finally going back, in a minor way. I have found my fixie frame to build, a vintage Raleigh Grand Prix. More to come on that. But for now here is the beginning of my old Trek 800 rehab prior to paint being stripped off. Next is priming and painting. I will try to detail the build -- and my magnificent faux spray booth -- a PVC famed phone booth sized contraption.

Spin On