I started this blog with this post 5 years ago today. It describes, in exhaustive narrative, of course, the details surrounding the precursor to the blog, my school days "Time Reports." But it doesn't quite define all my thoughts on the inspiration for this blog.
So here's a little FAQ regarding this blog:
Q: Why the name "koyaanisqatsi degauss"? I can't even pronounce it? What does it mean?
A: Koyaanisqatsi means "life out of balance" in Hopi. Composer Philip Glass' music was inspirational to me when I first discovered it in the early eighties. His award-winning documentary blew my mind. It summed up the modern world I was coming of age in and how it can be, at the same time, both incredibly awesome and insanely chaotic.
Degauss is the technical term for shifting the magnetic forces momentarily in a cathode ray tube in order to alleviate the inherent build up of interference which occurs naturally over time. This can sharpen the image since the photons shooting out of the photon gun are more precise. Or something like that.
These two words together are like saying "My life is out of balance and I need a way to make it better."
That's the mission of this blog...to help me make sense of my whacked life and improve it...if ever so slowly, through self expression, venting, confession, proselytizing...call it what you will.
BTW, you weren't expecting a short, concise answer were you?
Q: What's with the FLASHBACK and SCRAPBOOK posts?
A: It's a schlocky devise used sometimes inappropriately in numerous books, movies and TV shows but I usually love it. It's a great way to fill in the back story without it seeming to be the narrator or whatever telling you about something that happened in the past. So every now and then I will think of some event in my past I want to share on the blog and I use these specialized posts to virtually transport back to that event. Not all events are super significant. Some even border on the outright mundane. But cumulatively, one could get a pretty good picture of my life after a few FLASHBACKS, for sure.
The SCRAPBOOK idea is somewhat similar but it's usually written in the present tense and uses the pictures, usually harvested off numerous other sites, or by using Google Maps Streetview, to tell the story.
Q: What are these links in the side bar under "Koyaanisqatsi Chronicles?"
A: Ah, well those are 10 separate FLASHBACK SPECIAL posts chronicling my life between 2003 and 2004. During these years my "life out of balance" escalated into full blown chaos. It was quite the most messed up time in my life. But it also was the backdrop for some really interesting, life-changing events. These posts should be mandatory reading to anyone following this blog.
Q: Other than those Chronicles, what are some of your more notable posts over the years?
A: Great question! For that answer, let me present my list of koyaanisquatsi degauss' most memorable posts:
Cookie Crumbs
Short and sweet, but definitely not to the point. Free form and all over the place. As with other posts like this, my main concerns are my job, Ric and food.
ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS!
After months of financial and job insecurity, this post conveys a growing sense of stability and a renewed attitude about health and well-being. Too bad it was short lived.
FLASHBACK: July 1985
This trip to what was then West Germany is a significant point, in many ways, in my life and this FLASHBACK post bared all.
What If I Died Right Now?
I watch a TV show dealing with the facts of the natural process of death and it gets me thinkin'...hmmm, what if...
And The Beat Goes On...
Probably the longest single post I've ever written, I tell the reader the tale of my horrifying, yet hilarious experience of being admitted into the hospital.
Dreamdust, Jerry Lewis And The Android Blogfans
Disjointed and rambling, as usual, but this post conveys a sense of the joys (and ultimate truths) of blogging.
SCRAPBOOK: Hometown Memories
With these few harvested images, I transport you to my hometown. A place the kids today call "Woonyville."
A Whiff Of Formaldehyde
Ride with me in my automobile as we veer off the road out of control. Whee!
Rainy Christy's Syndrome Monday
"Hi, my name is Michael, and I'm an alcoholic. Hi Michael!"
FLASHFORWARD: January 2011
Unlike a zillion blogs out there, I rarely make any political opinions or comments on my blog but recent actions by the president made it too tempting to not poke fun at.
Three...Two...One...Yawn
A timeline narrative detailing my trip over to Titusville to watch a shuttle launch.
Un-Green Cuisine With Chef BP
This parody was funny back then when the disaster was new and hopes of its clean up were high. Now it's just a sad reminder of a depressing and still unresolved tragedy.
So here's a little FAQ regarding this blog:
Q: Why the name "koyaanisqatsi degauss"? I can't even pronounce it? What does it mean?
A: Koyaanisqatsi means "life out of balance" in Hopi. Composer Philip Glass' music was inspirational to me when I first discovered it in the early eighties. His award-winning documentary blew my mind. It summed up the modern world I was coming of age in and how it can be, at the same time, both incredibly awesome and insanely chaotic.
Degauss is the technical term for shifting the magnetic forces momentarily in a cathode ray tube in order to alleviate the inherent build up of interference which occurs naturally over time. This can sharpen the image since the photons shooting out of the photon gun are more precise. Or something like that.
These two words together are like saying "My life is out of balance and I need a way to make it better."
That's the mission of this blog...to help me make sense of my whacked life and improve it...if ever so slowly, through self expression, venting, confession, proselytizing...call it what you will.
BTW, you weren't expecting a short, concise answer were you?
Q: What's with the FLASHBACK and SCRAPBOOK posts?
A: It's a schlocky devise used sometimes inappropriately in numerous books, movies and TV shows but I usually love it. It's a great way to fill in the back story without it seeming to be the narrator or whatever telling you about something that happened in the past. So every now and then I will think of some event in my past I want to share on the blog and I use these specialized posts to virtually transport back to that event. Not all events are super significant. Some even border on the outright mundane. But cumulatively, one could get a pretty good picture of my life after a few FLASHBACKS, for sure.
The SCRAPBOOK idea is somewhat similar but it's usually written in the present tense and uses the pictures, usually harvested off numerous other sites, or by using Google Maps Streetview, to tell the story.
Q: What are these links in the side bar under "Koyaanisqatsi Chronicles?"
A: Ah, well those are 10 separate FLASHBACK SPECIAL posts chronicling my life between 2003 and 2004. During these years my "life out of balance" escalated into full blown chaos. It was quite the most messed up time in my life. But it also was the backdrop for some really interesting, life-changing events. These posts should be mandatory reading to anyone following this blog.
Q: Other than those Chronicles, what are some of your more notable posts over the years?
A: Great question! For that answer, let me present my list of koyaanisquatsi degauss' most memorable posts:
Short and sweet, but definitely not to the point. Free form and all over the place. As with other posts like this, my main concerns are my job, Ric and food.
After months of financial and job insecurity, this post conveys a growing sense of stability and a renewed attitude about health and well-being. Too bad it was short lived.
This trip to what was then West Germany is a significant point, in many ways, in my life and this FLASHBACK post bared all.
I watch a TV show dealing with the facts of the natural process of death and it gets me thinkin'...hmmm, what if...
Probably the longest single post I've ever written, I tell the reader the tale of my horrifying, yet hilarious experience of being admitted into the hospital.
Disjointed and rambling, as usual, but this post conveys a sense of the joys (and ultimate truths) of blogging.
With these few harvested images, I transport you to my hometown. A place the kids today call "Woonyville."
Ride with me in my automobile as we veer off the road out of control. Whee!
"Hi, my name is Michael, and I'm an alcoholic. Hi Michael!"
Unlike a zillion blogs out there, I rarely make any political opinions or comments on my blog but recent actions by the president made it too tempting to not poke fun at.
A timeline narrative detailing my trip over to Titusville to watch a shuttle launch.
This parody was funny back then when the disaster was new and hopes of its clean up were high. Now it's just a sad reminder of a depressing and still unresolved tragedy.