The roads oft travelled: Boulevard du Montparnasse

December 21, 2006


Montparnasse (credit leol30, Flickr)For decades – centuries, even – the Boulevard du Montparnasse was an intellectual hotspot, a solid line of cafes and restaurants, each packed with its fair share of writers, artists, and other revolutionary personalities. Throughout Montparnasse you could expect to run into a veritable roundup of the world’s most important thinkers, including Lenin, Trotsky, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Eliot, Matisse, and Toklas; Jean-Paul Sartre, Josephine Baker, Roman Polanski, and Gertrude Stein.

In 2000, these people were no longer haunting the establishments. Instead, a congregation of regular, everyday Parisians filled the sidewalks on either side of Montparnasse. It looked no different than any other busy street in Paris – by day, traffic and the people who drove it were king, by night it was spectacularly lit up by neon and illuminated store fronts, each one beckoning to the crowd, asking it to kindly step inside and have a drink, a meal, or a little bit of enjoyment.

Outside ChevreuseTo me, Boulevard du Montparnasse was the lifeline of our 2000 Paris vacation – my first trip out of the country, spent with my future wife as she took her Study Abroad mid-term break. Our hotel, the appropriately named Hotel de Chevreuse on Rue de Chevreuse, was located just off of the main drag. We entered and exited by Montparnasse every single day, either on our way to the Vavin Metro stop or on our way back from secret, late night crepe consumption.

Every day we were flanked by what seemed like hundreds of cafes – the same cafes that the heavyweights frequented in earlier times. It became the main vein of our travels – the initial path that led us from our humble hotel every morning, where we could spot the Eiffel Tower just over the tops of Montparnasse’s buildings, to the history and culture we sought out almost religiously. It was our beginning and ending, the only exceptions being our entrance and exit from the country itself.

I vividly remember gazing at the red awnings, still attempting to wake up and finding myself somewhat lost in a foreign country, struggling with the language barrier and ultimately choosing something to eat that was familiar – a chocolate éclair or cheese and tomato baguette. We were under a constant barrage of people. After all, this was a very busy part of town – a cross roads in the center of one of the world’s most important cities.

We ate all the time, from baked pasta and cheese to quick snatches of food along the way to our Metro stop. We often found ourselves contemplating the culture barrier while watching a public that felt no need to hurry. True to form, we were never hurried ourselves. We were left to consume whatever we wanted for however long we wished. I suspect a few times we were given the most expensive wine without asking, but this was a product of our tourist-ness that we didn’t mind one bit.

We sat and watched the sun go down over a culture that had learned to take intellect and pair it with need. Sitting there on the Boulevard de Montparnasse, I discovered that I really did like wine, and that I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else in life. I also discovered that I was quickly taking my trip for granted, and I remember wishing the entire vacation would slow down a bit. It never did slow down, though.

So much happened in Paris that I barely remember any of it. It is a blurred existence of places I imagine we sat at, food I imagine we ate, a rosy-glassed version of a city filled with culture and wine-induced haze. The specifics have all been lost. I can’t remember the name of any establishment we ate in, or even whether or not they were along the Montparnasse in the first place.

Near TourBut I remember the feelings – the overall ease of Parisian life once I hit the boulevard’s long, straight path. I know I sat across from the Tour Montparnasse as Kerrie spotted a Bastille Day celebration sign, asked for a picture, and became forever immortalized under the revolution date that shared her birthday. I remember the wine. The crepes. The dark as we searched for Rue de Chevreuse – our safe haven in a foreign land. I remember the wave of content I felt each evening, drinking a bottle of wine with my best friend, considering the years of change that had turned Montparnasse into a bustling center of attention.

It’s amazing how strongly I feel about Montparnasse in general, enough that even the most wide reaching feelings become incredibly pointed and specific, like I’d lived on that street my whole life instead of a mere four days. Overall, we spent much more time on other roads – walking along the Seine or traveling around the crowded streets next to Cathedral de Notre Dame, for instance – but I have a connection with Montparnasse as a safe haven. A welcome respite from a long day of traveling and a bright wake-up call to start the promise of another day.

Regardless of the sites I saw in Paris, very few have the connection of that boulevard. For that I am thankful. It makes me feel less touristy; more appreciative. And it helps keep the feeling alive that I actually did get to experience Paris while I was there, even if only by its most pedestrian of boulevards.

Tags: The Roads Oft Traveled, Travel |

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Acceptance and rejoice

December 20, 2006


9rules, Ahoy!Well. A month (or more?) of waiting has finally paid off.

I have been given a great honor — I am now a member of the 9rules community; a member of the 9rules Personal and 9rules Commentary locker rooms. I’m able to use the free shampoo and the complimentary towels.

What does that mean?

It means that traffic will pick up, that hundreds - nay - thousands of new people will be visiting the lyrical stylings of BMOWP each day. It means that my site, no matter how random and baseless, no matter how rambling and sophomoric, is viewed as a Pretty Good Blog.

I should know. After all, 9rules is a community dedicated to finding good, passionate blogs, where content is king and quality reigns supreme. There are only nine rules, technically:

1. Love what you do.
2. Never stop learning.
3. Form works with function.
4. Simple is beautiful.
5. Work hard, play hard.
6. You get what you pay for.
7. When you talk, we listen.
8. Must constantly improve.
9. Respect your inspiration.

This could be construed as cheesy and a little pansy-like, but I disagree — it’s all about constant improvement and a dedication to what you do. And regardless of what some people think, I’m pretty proud of this accomplishment. This is really about as high as I ever imagined getting while keeping to the modest, strictly personal aspects of Black Marks on Wood Pulp.

I, like most people, enjoy hearing that what I do is appreciated. Now I know it is, and I have proof — the little leaf over there on the right. Really, all I need to do is continue improving myself — my content, my design, and my writing.

Thanks to all at 9rules who have added me onto the pile. And welcome to all of the newsters who are visiting for the first time.

If you’re a Pacers fan, raise your voice. We’re a dying breed.

Tags: Blogging, Meta |

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The best of the blogs, version 2006

December 19, 2006


It’s the end of the year. And that means an overflow of top-10 lists from people who assume that their rankings actually matter. I’m guilty. So are you. We’re all terribly narcissistic.

I just want to spread the love, however, so I’m not going down the usual route. Instead, I want to let you know what I’ve been reading, blog-wise. This is quite topical, especially in the wake of a successful Sioux Falls Blog Meet-up (thanks, Fresh Glue and Gadgetopia, for setting that up – I hardly felt out of place at all as the lone personal/non-technology gifted blogger present) and the recent announcement that each and every blogger holds a part of Time’s Person of the Year.

So what have I discovered this past year? Nothing short of an amazing array of blogs: from literary to humorous and nonsensical; from friends to far away strangers. But these ten consist the majority of my blog reading time – the ones that I actually make sure to check every single day. The sites I refuse to delete from my blog aggregator/reader.

Of course, this doesn’t count the blogs I’d already latched on to in past years: Millions (A Blog About Books), which I have to mention because, well, I’m a contributor. Google Sightseeing. Fresh Glue. The McSweeney’s Internet Tendency RSS feed. Etc.

So with that – The Ten.

Deadspin
Yeah, everyone knows about Deadspin. But I didn’t read it until this year. Now I love it. It’s like hanging out with that funny, sarcastic friend who knows a lot about sports but doesn’t really ever have anything good to say about it. And, of course, the creators are Cardinals fans, so I have an ancient hidden connection with them.

Comics Curmudgeon
I never thought I’d find myself reading Rex Morgan, M.D. But I do, thanks to this blog’s comics-page reflections. Why is Mark Trail searching for a lost, tame bear? How does Mary Worth unknowingly send a stalker to his death? Why is For Better or for Worse so Canadian? Will Family Circus ever stop sucking? The answers are all within.

HeatEatReview.com
Office life often leads to a prolific amount of microwave meals. Thanks to HeatEatReview.com, there is now a way to know which ones to avoid. And while it’s good to find tasty microwave dinners, it’s even better to read about the horrible ones – the ones that come packaged in flimsy bowls and smell like death.

Letters to Keith Law
One of these days, Eric will be able to start Letters to Famous Nouns, the sequel to this site lambasting Keith Law for his “Morneau is laughable as MVP” comment. Of course, that comes down to me actually getting it set up. Until then, marvel at the e-mails that Keith Law is receiving from a disgruntled fan – one a day until pitchers and catchers report for spring training.

Fanatical Apathy
As a Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me devotee, I was pleasantly surprised to see a blog featuring two of its biggest stars – Mo Rocca and Adam Felber. And then, once I read it for a few weeks, I was even more pleasantly surprised to discover its validity as a humorous blog dedicated to the funny side of politics (but more often than not, the funny side of whatever happens to be on the author’s mind).

Calvin and Hobbes
This isn’t really a blog. But it’s an RSS feed of old Calvin and Hobbes comics. If you missed them the first time around, or if you’re in need of the most intelligent and wonderful comic strip of all time, subscribe and let the funny roll in every day.

Largehearted Boy
Indie rock and books – that’s the motive of Largehearted Boy, a blog that collects the best in indie rock concerts, book reviews, music news and (currently) all of the Best of 2006 lists that are slowly clogging up the blogosphere.

American Copywriter
I’m American, and I’m a copywriter, so naturally I fell in love with the sometimes sarcastic, always on point, never irrelevant content on American Copywriter. I mean, these are the people I’d love to work with, if I lived in Kansas City and had more than eight months of advertising experience.

Edward Champion’s Return of the Reluctant
Edward Champion is often bitter and overly negative, but that’s because he’s earned the right to be. I find most of my literary news through Ed, though I find he has contempt for nearly every author I hold dear. Of course, he may just hold contempt for every author, period. I dunno – I still love the site.

10 Cent Freeze Pops
I first read 10 Cent’s Old Sports Illustrated Review, where he takes an old issue from the collection and analyzes it, I said, “That’s brilliant!” Then, I was fascinated by his review of NHL 94’s instruction booklet. Now, I’m a full-on Freeze Pop lover – everything from his deifying of The Office to his analyzing of New Kids on the Block lyrics.

Honorable mentions: When I Look at the World (a good cross section of music that I like and Daily Show clips I miss) and Post Haste (the HenkinSchultz company blog, which I’ve taken on as my own, apparently.)

Tags: Blogging, Random Links, The Top... |

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Congrats, 2.0

December 18, 2006


Time Person of the Year. You.To everyone who has something to offer, no matter what, and who acts creatively, even if only to an audience of 100, even if only for your own self-advancement, even if only because you like to see your name in lights.

To everyone who has been given a chance to speak, to become an Important Person through an online forum, no longer content to sit on the sidelines and watch the supposed professionals hog the spotlight.

To everyone who spills his or her guts out online.

To everyone who has created a magazine-like space, a niche for lovers of an increasingly specific category for people to get together and converse across the boundaries of space and time.

To everyone who helped create a smaller world – one that is no longer separated by thousands of miles, but is now just seconds apart, ready to sit together in a virtual coffee shop and discuss ideas, theories, opinions, and humor.

To everyone who gave the finger to the mainstream media, who joined together as a collective and started talking about the things that mattered to them – regardless of whether or not the rest of the world was ready to talk about it.

To everyone who took back the power of publishing. And to everyone who fiddles around on the Internet, modestly occupying a space and slowly wondering if it will ever explode. Garner attention. Become worldwide.

Congratulations, bloggers. Web 2.0ers. YouTubers. Congratulations to everyone that has made consumer-generated-media a buzzword. Congratulations to You. Time’s Person of the Year.

You.

Tags: Blogging |

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Yet another black eye

December 17, 2006


December 16th, 2006. Denver Nuggets at New York Knicks.

I’m a Pacers fan. So I’ve seen this all before. Last time, it was November 19, 2004.
The seconds are ticking down. The winning team is still playing hard, even though the game is in the books and the bench should be getting garbage time. The losing team commits a hard foul. And, seconds later, all hell breaks loose.

Before, it was the Pacers going into the stands, fighting Pistons players and fans. This time, no fans were harmed. But it was the same thing – players spilling into the stands, haymakers after the fight was nearly calmed down, excuses from every corner of the world.

When it happened two years ago, I had the Pacers’ back. I believed that they were provoked, that they acted out of emotion, that they should ultimately be forgiven for what came as common sense to men who had grown up fighting for their place in society.

After a few months, however, I realized the weight of the actions. I knew that these players, young men who make millions of dollars for playing a game, should have the foresight to keep their heads on straight. With everything that is at risk, no player should resort to fighting. As soon as you get your first paycheck, you’re at work on that court. You’re an adult.

Now, we have an act that could put the league’s top scorer out of the league for a handful of games – maybe up to a month. We have a bunch of overgrown bullies brawling all over the court because they couldn’t handle being blown out of a game, and the team blowing them out couldn’t handle holding back a little and keeping their egos in check. We have a huge brawl – one that has effectively set the NBA back two years.

Right back to where we were November 2004. Right back to when we were suspending Ron Artest for the rest of the season, setting up court cases, and wondering where the league could go from here.

Who is to blame? Really, everyone is. Every player who left the bench, who claims they were protecting their teammate’s back, yet did nothing but escalate the problem. Every coach who stood by and watched as their teams spun out of control, who may have mandated the initial hard foul from the bench, who attempted to justify the action of his team as some sort of heroic deed. Every official who didn’t notice the slow buildup, who couldn’t see the culmination of this event becoming Malice at the Palace Part II. Every fan who concedes that paying millions of dollars to any young man is going to somehow turn them into a picture perfect role model.

Everyone who didn’t see this coming. Again.

No one will remember the $1.5 million that Carmelo Anthony gave to fund a youth development center. No one will remember how the NBA Cares, or that they continue to fight illiteracy, or that they have adopted a new, more fan friendly persona. No one will remember that this new era of NBA Superstar – the Carmelos, the Wades, the LeBrons – are attempting to usher in a newer, cleaner, more Fan-Tastic brand of professional basketball.

No. Now the league’s sitting on trial, sporting another black eye – another shiner that will help NBA disparagers continue their campaign against the league. For all the good that the NBA has tried to do over the past two years, for everything that has been done to put a positive spin on a thug-friendly league, for every ounce of effort that went into making people forget the brawl in Detroit two years ago, the outcome of this fight will negate every last bit.

The good things that happen in basketball don’t make the papers. Only the bad. And this, like two years ago, is very bad. So as the NBA sinks further into the abyss, we can only hope that a trio of saviors can rescue the game from oblivion, much like Magic, Jordan, and Bird did after the brutal days of the mid-70s, of Kermit Washington’s punch and warring leagues.

Unfortunately, those saviors have already come. Even more unfortunately, one of them was involved deeply in this case; the prodigal son of the Le’Wad’elo trio. And most importantly, no amount of positive spin – no in depth, sympathetic Sports Illustrated article or NBA Inside Stuff expose – will let people forget this.

The public has been burned before. Why believe the league again?

Tags: Basketball, Indiana Pacers, Sports |

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A Year in Reading, Millions style

December 16, 2006


The Millions (A Blog About Books) has been asking contributors and authors to weigh in with their Year in Reading selections. And, as I write a monthly column for the blog, I shoved my way onto the site again with my selections.

From A Year in Reading: Corey Vilhauer:

I wasn’t asked, but I’m barging in on the Millions Best Books of 2006 section of the party and yelling loudly about what I like. Because it’s brash, and brazen, and lots of other words that start with “B.”

Actually, as is the pattern with the Vilhauer library, I only read two or three books that were released in 2006. Two of them - David Mitchell’s Black Swan Green (which made my top 10) and The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the World Cup (honorable mention) - were actually quite worth it.

However, my two favorite books this year are as follows:

Head over to the site to check it out.

Tags: Blogging, Books, Literature |

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Season Ticket Review - Technically speaking

December 16, 2006


Skyforce

Game 5 – Arkansas RimRockers (6-3) at Sioux Falls Skyforce (4-4). December 15th, 2006.

A ref should never have a chance to fully decide a game. Anger during a basketball game, often, leads to technical fouls – after all, this is a referee’s job: to keep the players respectful and focused on the game within the boundaries of the rules. But when the anger in question is so minimal – so trivial – it puts the game’s balance in the hands of three D-League level referees, three people who aren’t good enough to handle the stress of the true big league games, then we’ve got problems. Sorry to say this, but those aren’t the people you want in charge.

At times, anger cannot be reigned in. It’s part of the competitive nature of professional sports. The proper feelings aren’t displayed – instead, a rash of obscenities is poured out and rational reasoning is left by the wayside.

In the NBA, referees understand this. Only personal insults, wide open cursing, and over-the-top complaining warrant the dreaded “technical foul.” Of course, that has never stopped Kerrie and me from yelling “T ‘EM UP!” at least once a quarter whenever it seems the opposing team is complaining, swearing, or committing some otherwise harmless action.

But last night, the referee on duty officiated with some serious delusions of grandeur. During the third quarter, Skyforce coach Mo McHone argued a call and was given a technical foul. He stepped onto the court, seemingly continuing his argument, and was quickly given his second technical foul. Two technical fouls in the span of mere seconds, and McHone was tossed from the game. Just like that.

Then, at courtside, a fan was jawing at the ref. Just as suddenly as the McHone incident, the ref was instructing security to throw him out as well. And it happened. Security came over, and the ref kept insisting. “Get him out,” we saw him motion. This man – who was sitting courtside, right at mid-court, in what was probably the best and most sought-after seat in the Sioux Falls arena – was being thrown out of a game because of a referee’s thin skin. For his trouble, the fan received a standing ovation and was allowed to keep his beer.

All of this gave Assistant Coach Nate Tibbets a chance to coach on his own. And it nearly backfired – a 19-point lead was lost, the Skyforce looked dogged, and Tibbets was watching any coaching future he had slip through his fingers. Thankfully, our acting coach took out our center, played with a faster lineup, and ended up leading the Skyforce to a seven-point win – a win that really wasn’t even that close. Andre Brown, who is quickly becoming a threat to leave for the NBA, scored 34 points and had 17 rebounds, 11 of which were offensive.

We noticed that McHone was, for the first time since the season opener, tie-less. He’s sponsored by Norman’s Men’s Wear and had taken to wearing a tie under his college-professor-esque sports jacket. Some people look better in a tie. McHone doesn’t. This sudden change from suave, no-tie wonder coach to tied up, depressed old man concerned Kerrie and me. We both figure there’s a 95% chance that Mo will not be here next year and that Tibbets will be taking over for the 07-08 season. Tonight was one of those signs – McHone was free to be ejected (nearly without cause) because the coach-in-training was still sitting on the bench, much like the slow power-switch from former Mavericks coach Don Nelson to current coach Avery Johnson.

Luke Whitehead did not play last night, after playing significant minutes in Thursday’s game. The reason was listed as a coach’s decision, but we’re curious how much his huge shiner had to do with it. We had noticed it yesterday (along with a bandaged left wrist) and wondered what kind of bar room brawl he had gotten into. Thursday was his first start for the team. Had he fought his way into that position? Now we’re curious as to why was he starting Thursday and not playing at all on Friday. What had happened in practice? Did he rip McHone’s tie off and start swinging it around his head, whooping “I’m the starter now, bitch! Take that, Jeff Varem!” No wonder Mo was so angry during the game.

The questions will continue to be unanswered, as neither Whitehead nor McHone made any mention of the benching or the “DNP-Coach’s Decision” on the box score. Oh well – at least (while searching for the black eye’s source) I found Luke Whitehead’s college fan page – Whitehead’s World.

Friday night’s game also marked the first appearance of our newest overgrown mascot character – the Texas Roadhouse armadillo. This oddly-shaped animal suit will, hopefully, put the Famous Dave’s pig to shame enough that it will finally get a bath. I’m eagerly awaiting the first ever mascot roundup, featuring a series of one-on-one matches to the death.

Only the best fur will remain.

Skyforce 100, Arkansas 93.

Tags: Basketball, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Sports |

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