Op-ed, Vaccines' latest, Kraft, 31K, "Flame"

Friday 1/12/24

One op-ed editor wanted to use the Belichick piece but couldn't on account of space. Could have used the money. It's a great piece, but that doesn't really have much to do with whether it comes out or not, never mind if it comes out with non-dreadful compensation.

Working more on "The Ghost and the Flame" which will be in The Ghost Grew Legs: Stories of the Dead for the More or Less Living. We have a prose off upcoming. Should be fun. I bet the people--writer, and the editors who included that writer's work--on the receiving end of that will be thrilled.

Did some organizing early this AM and in doing so learned that 31,000 words have been put to this journal in 2024.

I've listened to the new Vaccines album--just came out today--twice this morning.

A Robert Kraft thought: He's a very needy, insecure, and not genuine man. I'm not saying he's some monster, because he's not at all. But he isn't sincere. His main motivation is to be seen a certain way, not be a certain way. Do you follow me? He stages his life to make himself look as favorable as what he thinks is possible. Sort of like that woman on social media who has posed photos of herself being "spontaneous." She looks at each photo, and if she doesn't like it, she strikes the pose for the genuine moment again, until she gets what she likes. That's Robert Kraft. Kind of sad, actually.

Sometimes I don't know if Robert Kraft is pretty dumb or he just thinks everyone else is. I actually think it's more the former. He's sort of a boob. The way he stood there grandstanding yesterday like he was this generous guy who did Belichick a favor by letting him go and still get his money was both sad and funny to me. I mean, he had no choice. He owed him that money under contract. So long as Belichick didn't quit, he was getting paid. And it was very clear to me that Belichick was prepared to simply keep showing up for work.

Downloaded Art Pepper's The Complete Village Vanguard Sessions, a Mosaic Select set of Andrew Hill's solo piano music, a La's gig from Liverpool in 1988, the Mary Chain at the Ambulance Station in November 1984, and Grateful Dead shows from 4/26/69 and 6/27/69, the second of which features an early version of "Casey Jones." The Dead would just come roaring at you in 1969.