Klowns in my Koffee

Daily Kup (My Life until Thursday)
Mondays in my household are devoted to cleaning up all the mess that my family created throughout the weekend. With that as a given, I've realized that for several months I've been striving to live on a Thursday, the day before it all goes to hell again. Arthur Dent said, "This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays" but he only had to deal with the Vogons destroying his home.

The snow is melting, though it only does that to tease us.

Two Ways To Go
Thinking about the passing of a high school friend brought to mind these two different video representations of life's passages and eventual transition. Death Cab for Cutie has a certain creepiness factor in the beginning but that might be due to the singer who looks like Justin Bieber age-progressed 15 years on a milk carton.



Hailing from Readers' Digest more than the Twilight Zone is this old REO Speedwagon video. This one has particular meaning for me since I know the director, Kevin Dole. In the 80's, Kevin made three videos for REO in which he relied strongly on his experience in stop action photography and toy commercial imagery. I enjoy here that he largely abandons the trite song lyrics to tell a different story altogether. I once asked him if he directed the band to look so detached. He said that he shot the live band scenes the morning after a large party and they were wasted. I've always enjoyed that 'three sheets to the wind' look on the piano player's face as he struggles to remain upright.

I once thought that the old gentleman at the end of the video was supposed to be Einstein. In fact, the character is modeled on an old family friend who was from the Droste family of chocolate fame and who dabbled in numerology. Ironic but fitting, I suppose, that his number was up. Graceful exit, though.



Tomorrow, I'll post Kevin's most memorable REO Speedwagon video role and a link to the website of his upcoming feature film.