When you open up so much that it's not real any more, it's time to run out of whiskey and go home.

The New Year

My ears are still ringing. Ringing so good. See these guys if you get a chance. Well worth it.

An early start is rarely
never again will aging
act as attention pay losing
science youth save time
waste paper fool foil

HOMEWOOD SUITES

You only really wake up
in hotels
when you sleep in them
they're not free.
You know all the channels
on the cable television by heart.
Sometimes you need ice so
you can fill the sink with beer
and where you think you are when you wake up
is a hotel
you woke up in once
or twice
you went to sleep
a few minutes before the end of Knight Rider
and all of a sudden you're here.

-Dan Wooldridge
from Unemployment Sunday

UNEMPLOYMENT SUNDAY now available

a chapbook by Tyson Nichols and Dan Wooldridge

for a free copy send your address to tenichols(at)gmail(dot)com

Dirkon Pinhole Camera

My paper pinhole camera. It was fun to make and take pictures with, but none of them came out -- they were all grossly overexposed.

I followed the directions from the plans, which also give a brief history of the camera's eastern block origins. My modifications came in the form of the green electrical tape (for durability and to keep out light), the Crown Royal bag lining instead of black velvet -- from a "haberdasher" -- as suggested in the instructions (I've always preferred Crown Royal to Black Velevet), a piece from a beercan to make the pinhole (instead of paper), and the film-cap base which I screwed a mini-tripod into. Also, I didn't attach the fake buttons or some of the other showy parts because I didn't want them to interfere with my tape job.

Here is where I think I went wrong:
1. I probably should have pasted black construction paper to the cardstock before I cut out the camera to prevent unwanted light from entering the camera.
2. I think my pinhole could have been smaller. Next time I probably won't stick the sewing needle all the way through the beer can, I will just use the tip.
3. On my first roll (of two), something was sketchy with the advancer. You really need to make sure you feel a snug tension while the film slides out of the full roll into the empty roll.

I'll probably make another, but I might be over it. There is a cigar box on my shelf that looks like a prime candidate for medium format film...

CRESTING CRUST

sometimes always attracted to the park
shady afternoons, nightly nights
more and more mornings end up in here

from late lollygagging to work walks and
sleeping pass out pad bjs stop for this
now it's

sod sofa or choose the bench or
sink feet sink graveyard 1 grave
11,000 in 1 city block sing
about gallows and these trees

we just drink Powers and pricy
micro brews no libations anymore all
they were was poor or whores or homeless

but we have digital devices make us
look like ghosts new images
for myspace profiles

Silver Jews in Cambridge

Part of "How to Rent a Room." Sorry about the filming and the quality. I cared more about enjoying it while it was happening than I cared about documenting it.

Journal: 3/9

I type less letters in a moment every day.

That’s what you told me.

They all say their fingers are flaking off and I see a cloudless sky.

Will poems get shorter as commercial breaks get stronger?

Lucky for me, the new music I hear sounds really good right now.

It must be really good.

One of those weeks and jumped from Monday to Thursday.

I feel like I’m drinking.

Maybe it sounds so good because they both use too much reverb.

Sitting back instead of typing.

It’s only coffee—cheaper.

My window is almost made of bricks except for the sky.

And space.

This isn’t 20 lines.

SETTING SET ME UP

Trashed again wooden deck leaves out
grainy and a pain paintball brains.
GET OUT

Excuse the sky and kiss me we need
March recess on & on & on & off.
GET OFF

We’re all fucking
up chuck all over please shut up
Jesus carved his name on my soul
forgot how to using sandpaper.
GET IT GONE

More blisters than footprints make
simple times complex makes forced regret
make up.
GET IN

Everyone quit drinking
thanks a lot, now the world’s flooded.
Everyone quit smoking
and the world’s a colder place
safe for after life, they say
GET ON

Please break please we hug it all out
yes, the pervie hug always
try living in a wall and see who
GET IT ON

Downtown was my revolutionary war nickname
we got faded holograms to prove it
for sake of many marbles let’s roll.
GET HERE

Why is the spam I get better than anything I write?

speaking promised arms. motor friends added, reading supposed to young side drew carefully?
black you a studied sandwich principle?
least fly reading. why back window? music my social the how few.
music reading happened added is? back pretty my next speaking similar.
disappoint similar use principle. you night somewhere tying, light use benefit latter?