A Hodgepodge of Hodgepodge (Volume One)

I want to write more. At least I think I do. Problem is that I don't always have much to say. And I don't want to write something just to write something. But like everybody else, I do have thoughts. So as I sit here on a Saturday morning with a cup of joe and The Open Championship on the TV, I thought I'd express a few of them (some lighter than others):

I. SNL Changes

A few things have taken place with SNL since I read/wrote about the book. Legendary SNL writer, Tom Davis died. And there has been a mass exodus of talent (read more about it here). Kristin Wiig and Jason Sudekis are presumably going to do more movies. Andy Samburg is going across the pond to star in a BBC Comedy. And Seth Meyers might be taking the place of Regis Philbin on Live! with Kelly. (This move seems like a bit of a downgrade to me, but what the hell do I know?).

While this may seem like the beginning of the end of SNL to some, I feel like this could also be a good thing. Many of the characters have gotten a little stale (I'm looking at pretty much all of Wiig's characters) IMO, and this could be an opportunity for that little used writer to get promoted and inject some much needed fresh material into the show. I'll likley watch the first few weeks this fall to see how hitting the reset button has panned out.

II. If I Could Write Like One Person...

I recently finished "Eating the Dinosaur", which is a collection of essays by Chuck Klosterman. For those of you who have never read him, you should give him a try. Klosterman writes about all kinds of issues, with much of it revolving around music, pop culture, sports, and society in general. He asks a lot of questions and explores several answers, all while displaying a midwesteren wit (Klosterman is from North Dakota). Topics in the book ranged from an overall exploration of the game of football to a comparison of Kurt Cobain and David Koresh. Klosterman has written several other books and also writes for Grantland.com. Give him a shot.

III. She's Not Going Anywhere

Michelle Bachmann is calculated, and dare I say it, is pretty much Sarah Palin on roids. Her recent comments on Muslims is nothing more than a reason for her to get back in the public eye, which she has proven she is addicted to. Why does she make such comments? I'm sure she actually belives some, if not all, of what she is saying, but reality is that she has no idea how else to draw attention to herself.

Talking about good policy is a boring, hence why she doesn't ever talk about her own ideas (if she actually has any). I was an employee at the state capitol when she was a state senator. Her big issues: Gay marriage and repealing No Child Left Behind (which is a controversial program, but not to the point where the media and public would take an interest in her words, especially when you compare it to gay marriage.) We live in a era where the public and media react immediately and emotionally and she has figured out how to play on both. Expect this to continue, especially since she's very likely not to lose her congressional seat anytime soon.


IV. I want to...

a) Be good at golf. I played for the first time this summer on Tuesday. I mostly sucked, but I had some shots that were respectable. What I always thought was a game for the elite, I know think is a game that anybody can play all while challenging you both physically and mentally.

b) Live in England. Not for my entire life, but for just a little while. I've been three times and have seen quite a bit of it. It's an amazing hodgepodge of city, urban sprawl, and beautiful countrysides. Politically wise they seem to understand that things are a mess and that isn't going to change no matter who is in charge. The people are friendly and unintentionally hilarious, nobody seems to take themselves too seriously, and they drink beer at lunch. Lots to love about that country.

c) Live in a world where people can go to a movie without having to worry about their lives. This is obviously horrible, and you know that many people, especially those in Aurora, Colorado, won't be able to step into a theater again without thinking about this. And that really, really, sucks.

d) Figure out what else I want to write about. And how to write about it. And find a voice where this would come out a little more easily. And have people (some anyway) pay attention to it. And mostly, I want to figure out if I really do want to write more. Call it a crossroads.