Random Thoughts: The A to Z Blog of the Overactive Mind

When you're 10 years old, there's a kind of quiet confidence that goes along with circling your dream car in your dad's well-used copy of Auto Trader . If your parents allowed you to read such "fantasy" magazines. I had all the big names circled in blue crayon (which is the only crayon my brother wouldn't eat cuz it tasted 'yucky'). Jaguar, Cadillac, Mustang. The trifecta of things I knew I wanted, even if I didn't appreciate their true value. It didn't matter at all that I wasn't old enough to drive, or that I couldn't afford a piece of Bazooka Joe without an advance in my allowance. I was already dreaming about what my future garage would look like in all its awesomeness. I had it all figured out. A sleek black Jaguar for mysterious evenings, which at 10 years old included going somewhere with a girl, and possible international espionage. Or, just going to the store for the good candy, you know, the stuff they only brought out at nig...

  You know that screaming at yourself in the mirror doesn't work, right? Because, let's get real here, there comes a morning in the life of each person in which they stare blankly at the toaster, holding a teaspoon for no apparent reason, and think: "I may not be cut out for Wednesdays." Maybe you just banged your shin off the corner of the coffee table that's been in the same spot for a decade. Maybe you answered "Abraham Lincoln" confidently to a trivia question about the inventor of safety helmets. (I know... too soon).  Whatever your moment of accidental brilliance may be, the truth is we've all felt like idiots at some point. But here's the amazing part: being an idiot is precisely where genius begins!  C'est vrai! As the French would say. Geniuses aren't born with some glow of intellect and a mysterious past. They don't become international chess champions by age 4 or write a symphony before they go to kindergarten. Okay, Mozart...

  There was a time - not so long ago - when hair was high and guitars were louder than your parents yelling "turn that racket down." Just like today, emotions were poured out in heart-to-heart talks, but in falsetto harmonies over guitar solos that seemed magnificently endless. This was the golden age of hair bands and power ballads, where love was loud, heartbreak was theatrical, and the Bee Gees surprised everyone by somehow staying relevant, like a true hard to kill band does. (Someday, maybe you and I should be one.) Also, the average music video budget was probably on par with several small countries. Excellent. Full disclosure: power ballads were not always accurate or insightful. "Romeo is bleeding" - not true, because according to Billy (Shakespeare) Romeo is poisoned . "I can see the heaven in your eyes" has a subtle implication that you're both already dead. Kind of a bummer for date night. "Take me as I am" is just plain wrong if ...