Wednesday, May 01, 2002

THE REAL REASON I haven't updated the site every darned day lately, as promised in the header graphic: I've been struggling with anxiety over money and related issues.

The gaming-website writing gig that's kept mealmost meeting expenses these past two years is ending this month. Much pavement-poundin' has yielded only "opportunities" that, at full-time hours, would earn less than my currently contracted expenses. Apparently, after 12 years of doing nothing but writing, editing, publishing, and creatiing web content for a living, I'm considered underqualified to perform any other "professional" occupation and overqualified to perform most so-called "shit jobs." Available work within my various fields of expertise, as you might have guessed, spiked up during the dot-com boom but have greatly receded during the recession.

I've been loathe to mention this on the site because I never intended this to be a "personal diary" site, and also because I prefer to maintain a positive vibe here, even when discussing downbeat topics.

Nevertheless, I feel compelled at this time to tell y'all this, in hopes one or more of you might be able to help. If you know of any paying gigs in any of the fields you've seen work from me in, dispatch an email posthaste.

Also, I continue to ponder business plans by which the print MISC might be made profitable. All the schemes and number-crunches involve either (a) charging a cover price, (b) finding someone who's a better ad seller than I am, or (c) both of the above. Any thoughts of yours on this conundrum would be most appreciated.

posted by clark 2:55 PM

THE KEYS TO CREATING a thriving city in the "Creative Age," according to one commentator: Singles, gays, ethnic minorities, performance spaces, walkable neighborhoods, and rock bands! What doesn’t work: Subsidized sports arenas.

posted by clark 2:47 PM

Tuesday, April 30, 2002

THANX AND A HAT TIP to all who dared sit indoors on the first warm evening of the year to attend our glorious Clark Show at the Rendezvous. There will be another installment, bigger and better (see this space for exact date and time).

I'M PROUD TO SAY that I've seen at least one episode of almost every series on TV Guide's new list of the 50 greatest TV shows of all time. The only one I've still never viewed: The old E.G. Marshall lawyer show The Defenders. I finally got to see a complete episode of Your Show of Shows at NYC's Museum of TV & Radio, during last month's Eastern jaunt.

posted by clark 12:59 AM

Monday, April 29, 2002

TONIGHT'S DA NITE...: Y'all gotta go to The Clark Show, tonight at the splendid redone Rendezvous, 2320 2nd Ave. in Belltown. The show comprises two sets, starting at 7:30 and 9 p.m. Each set combines funny readings and spontaneous chatter with strange yet cool videos and recorded music. There'll also be a junk food demonstration and some fun surprises. See ya!

posted by clark 10:30 AM

PRINT MISC WRITER Doug Anderson writes:

"Back from Paris. The usuals are still in place: The food was great, the plumbing old, the light pretty, the buildings grand. The French were--contrary to most I had heard--courteous. Exceptions were a couple dicey encounters with Arab French who--I suppose--took us for Israel=supporting Americanos (we are, but they didn't bother to find out where we stood before they unloaded their full boorishness on us).

"Touring Louis XIV's Versailles Palace, my friend and I noticed a painting (circa 1720) of a black servant fluffing the giant sleeves of a princess. I think it's a bit late in the day for Le Pen to be railing against 'colored' immigration. A Metro riding poll shows Paris to be about 60 percent black and Arab."

More of Anderson's writings (on other topics) can be found at his site Klang.

posted by clark 10:22 AM

ARCHIVES:

• Past weblog entries.
• 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, and 1986-94 columns.
• Reviews of literature & art, nonfiction & culture criticism, movies & videos, and music & noise.
• Longer articles and essays.
• Some slightly weird little fiction pieces.
• X-Word crossword puzzles, now with on-screen solving.
• Cyber Stuff, links to cool and/or useful sites.
• A listing of many Things I Like (and a few things I hate).
• The origin and future of MISCmedia.