The Great American Blog Post: Part 2

The first Great American Blog Post was all about Brian Wenning's fall from neo-ledge tech vanguard to dregs of the industry "I don't even have a board," making videos for Youtube type embarrassment. To lazily recap beyond that, the post centered on the fact that while the American Dream is the "rags to riches" archetype, when it comes down to it, the true American fascination lays in the Gatsbyan fall from grace, ala Mr. Wenning himself. There was also something about John Wilkes Booth being the first person ever banned posthumously form this website.

Part 2 centers on Thursdays, the glorious day that is the start of my weekend, a day that is one removed from the hated Hump Day, and also, the day when I get to watch the newest Epicly Later'd Show (that links to the most recent one), while sitting in bed in my underwear; mostly.

Simply put, this latest installment just oozed with potential, I mean, it's only about Guy Motherfucking Mariano, you know what I mean? While this set of episodes started off rocking our brains with tons of unseen Video Days foote and strange foreshadows of his partying days to come, as we've finally hit stride with Episode 7 (linked above, to restate), we're finding that the bottom isn't as far down as we thought...Perhaps Episode 8 will go into the nitty gritty of just how far Mariano went to the darkside, but at the end of the day or set of episodes, I don't feel like it will be all that satisfying.

The reason? It goes back to Gatsby. We already know that Mariano is the redeemed damned soul. Indeed, this comes off as pessimistic as hell, and while I'd rather have Mariano back and killing it and producing skateboarding to be drooled over for years to come; there would be something gratifying fromm that strictly American standpoint of watching a star fall from grace, only to leave more questions as to whether it returns to the heavens. Or something.

Which, point in case, case in point, or other, brings us to the Gino Ianucci episodes of Epicly Later'd. The comparison of two Girl Fam skaters of Italian immigrant decent is a little unfair, but the parallel stories and their (equally) vaunted status in skateboarding makes it fair...right? Whereas we know how Mariano's story ends, i.e., "triumphantly", Ianucci's tour de force left more questions than answers, and generally left the viewer with the melancholy question of whether dude will hold it together, or will his skateshop again be shuddered and he'll fade into obscurity, his pro-models being phased out, and his name on the Nike website being mysteriously (to a point) absent in the more near than distant future.

It's a shame that the Gatsbyan rule need apply to two of my most respected and favorite skaters; as a post script, let it be known that I hotly anticipate a video part out of both of those dudes; realistic expectations handicapped as necessary.

In Other News...

On St. Patrick's Day I nonchalantly hopped in my car to go to Rainbow, not really internalizing the day's significance to law-enforcement because I care nothing for St. Patrick's Day and just thought of it as Tuesday, or whatever day it fell on. Long-winded story short, I got pulled over for not using my turn-signal, and I understand that they're using any pretext in the book to nail some fools that day for drunk driving.

I wasn't drinking though. Nope. I suppose it's not the most logical approach to things, but I feel like if you're pulling me over on St. Patrick's day for suspected drunk driving on the pretext of not using my turn signal two blocks from my house, maybe you let me off without a ticket because I wasn't drunk. Indeed, it was failed logic, and no such thing was happening.

I got the ticket for failure to use a turn signal on a right turn. Out of general apathy for the whole ordeal I let the damn thing sit, and then today, I got the late violation letter in the mail. Motherfucker is costing me $133 (with the $5 late fee).

My life as a car driver has been ruined because now every time someone doesn't use a blinker I want to gouge my eyes out. Even now more so than ever, $133 later.

That's my rant; going outside. B.E.E.R.S. tomorrow.