Quietly Pass Me By
I walked out of the office with a few colleagues tonight.
"If I don't leave with you guys, I'll be stuck here another hour."
Downstairs, Times Square was bustling with scarves, hats and parkas. We walked a few blocks together, pausing to say goodnight at every intersection.
"Where are you going, anyway?"
"Psychopharmacologist," I replied. "I have three flights in the next thirty-six hours."
"Aha," he replied. "Where?"
"Central Park South."
"You could take the NR."
"Nah, I'd rather walk," I said. "I'm still ...
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
I lead a double life.
My Blackberry lit up with the news of Heath Ledger's death as my driver pointed his Town Car towards the Lincoln Tunnel. After all these years of covering random news at The MTV, I can't say that I was surprised. I was sad, though; the guys had a kid.
Anyway, a major news event like a young Hollywood star's passing usually means a busy day at the office. Add in an afternoon spent in the air, plus the usual day-to-day, awards season (Grammys, Oscars), and an election cycle, and you'll understand why I didn't ...
Believe In The Great Sound
I haven't been listening to much music lately. As someone who is defined by my love of both making my own and listening to other's, this is somewhat disconcerting.
Years ago I lost my voice for no reason whatsoever. I wasn't neither sick, not had I been talking too much. It just disappeared.
Now, I was puzzled by this phenomena, but chose to view it as an opportunity. Apparently, I thought, I'm supposed to be listening more. So I did.
I'm approaching the loss of my musical appetite similarly, though it is a dual loss.
See, other ...
Wondering Where The Story’s Gone
When it's sixty degrees at six o'clock in the morning in January, you go running whether you want to or not.
These are interesting times. It's the beginning, I think, of what basketball teams call "a rebuilding year." There's a lot of new: a new marriage, a new home, a new job.
And so I find myself discussing merged bank accounts, 401ks, and APRs. I find myself discussing end tables, floor lamps, and color palettes like stone, ecru, linen, and honey. I find myself discussing org charts, workflows, and merit increases.
All of which ...
(The Angels Want To Wear My) Red Shoes
A colleague with whom I've been corresponding a fair amount of late has an oddly thought provoking email signature.
Email signatures are odd little birds in their own right. In the age of digital aesthetic homogeny (I mean, let's be honest: all we really have to distinguish ourselves within email is fontography), the signature is one of few opportunities for self expression.
My email signature is simply my name, title, address and phone numbers (yes, I give my mobile number out to co-workers), though it is in eight point, black Ariel ...
Leisure Rules
My promotion was announced today.
"MTV News Digital, which began as a single website, has blossomed into nearly a dozen destinations and products, including News' user-generated You R Here vertical, Movies site, the video game and talent blogs, mobile news and podcasts. As recently-promoted Vice President, MTV News, Benjamin Wagner is charged with leading and growing all of these properties. Ben's passion, energy and enthusiasm for all things digital -- he was present at the creation of MTV News Online in 1996, and has been releasing his ...
Shattered Nerves, Itchy Skin & Dirty Words
Sometimes a single moment can summarize a entire day.
Stepping out for lunch this afternoon, I was slammed in the face by a bone-rattling blast of Arctic air. Times Square was choked with tourists, all racing face-down and oblivious towards their no doubt warmer destination.
The Christmas tree in the lobby has been dismatled. The lights in the window have been wound. The garland has been set to the curb.
The pavement was bleached from salt and slush. The sky was battleship gray. The sun was low on the horizon. And all around me, New ...
Don’t Go Back To Sleep
It's not like she didn't warn me.
I collapsed fully-clothed into bed at 8:30.
"You sure you wanna go to bed?" Abbi asked. "You haven't been sleeping well."
Sure enough, it's nearly three o'clock on a Thursday morning, I'm wide awake, and have been for two hours.
Truth is that I've been sleeping just fine. In fact -- Abbi's adolescent, full-sized bed not withstanding -- I slept like a baby while visiting her folks in Greenville, Delaware. Could have been all the local festivities, or the healthy dose of lager. More likely, ...
What It Feels Like
My second blog post ever, written on November 21, 2000, began thusly: "Just ate an entire Entenmann's Sweet Potato Pie. Happy Thanksgiving!"
In fact, that post was part of what I called my "Studio Journal" during the making of my 2001 CD, "Crash Site." I didn't begin the Daily Journal in earnest until February 7, 2002. Since then, I posted some 1,319 entries. 1,320 with this one.
I know all this because I've spent a fair dose of my weekend pouring over back issues of the Daily Journal as I prepare to relaunch this hand-tagged HTML ...
Turn And Face The Strange
'Oh jeez,' I thought. 'Here come the trust falls.'
The air was warm and unmoving. The conference room was ringed with tables and executives, all of whom stood and partnered off as directed.
"Take a good, hard look at one another," the facilitator said, "And then turn around."
I studied my colleague, a one-time studio head now launching dot com start ups, then made an about face."
"Now I want you to take one minute to change five things about your appearence."
'Oy,' I thought.'
I pulled my collar out my sport coat, untucket my ...
