welcome! jeremy freese is a professor in sociology at northwestern university. he finds blogging to be a good diversion from insomnia and a far better use of time than television.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
whatever happens from here on, i've outlived jesus. and chris farley. and john belushi.
They died when they were thirty-three. As of today, I'm thirty-four.
Ugh. Thirty-four. Perhaps the time is ripe for a mid-life crisis.
Thy natal day ha'th come I proffer unto thee 4 gills of rum and a fine cake made of plum to share'th with thy chum now think'th me not as dumb nor as some haggard lowly bum my story below thou may want to keep'th mum alas! at age 34 I was teaching folklore the students didn't adore they made'th complaints galore verily I was shown to the door young no more still poor I then did'st become a whore t'was either/or -LDM
Pray tell, what does one's name truly mean? A title for self-image o'er which to preen? Designated ownership of objects with no real lustre and sheen? A thing of consignment to keep'th thee driven and lean? T'is an akward, gangling thing, much like a pimply teen A self-reckoning moniker upon which to incessantly hammer and peen then flaunt for all to be seen hoping the viewers with envy turn green Nay,lad! A name is oft' obscene -LDM
Woe! I have been deemed a troll! verily I sit'th upon no self-righteous knoll no angst, no depression upon me do'th take its toll do ye regard my lovely verse as droll? t'was the sight of bacon pics that put me in this role sadly grown dependent, JFW ha'th become my dole May'haps thee could'st convene a poll or enter me in a villain's super bowl verily to fathom if I should be cast from Jeremy's roll Alas! perhaps this be the communal goal n'er more to have LDM thy slinking mole Yea! banish me to some barren literary shoal hence to dig and grub for an audience like a miner at his coal! -LDM
Happy (belated) Birthday! I wonder what your mid-life crisis would entail? Any bets, people? I'm guessing no sports car. Maybe you'll start a one-man show at some run-down club in boston. It could be a chronicle of your life, kinda like Hedwig only no angry inch and such. You could wear a leisure-suit. And give your stirring (and at times distrubing) rendition of "girls just want to have fun", relating your life experiences that motivate your interpretation of each song you choose. So tell us Jeremy, what would it be? Clown college? Becoming a part-time mime working the Harvard T-station? Quiting sociology to join a brokerage firm? Moving back to Iowa and openning a mom and pop ice-cream shop?
I like thinking about this. I think my own mid-life crisis would be moving to France, raising sheep, and making cheese. Either that or getting really into leather. Scary, eh?
congratulations, jeremy!
ReplyDeletestamie
happy birthday, old man. what are you doing to celebrate and keep yourself young ?
ReplyDeleteThy natal day ha'th come
ReplyDeleteI proffer unto thee 4 gills of rum
and a fine cake made of plum
to share'th with thy chum
now think'th me not as dumb
nor as some haggard lowly bum
my story below thou may want to keep'th mum
alas!
at age 34
I was teaching folklore
the students didn't adore
they made'th complaints galore
verily I was shown to the door
young no more
still poor
I then did'st become a whore
t'was either/or
-LDM
half-way to 68. congrats!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!!!!!
ReplyDelete-jnsys
Happy birthday, Jeremy!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for a pleasant day, longevity and peace. (don't stop blogging) Esther
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Jeremy!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday Jeremy!
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of all of us anonymouses (minus the trollish few), happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteIf taking a Harvard fellowship is your way of dealing with a mid-life transition, that sounds infinitely superior to, say, buying a red sportscar.
Here's a short literature review of some research on mid-life crises:
http://www.hope.edu/academic/psychology/335/webrep2/crisis.html
Another random link of possible interest - wikipedia's definition of an internet troll:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll
Jeremy may have the only poetic troll on the net. I just wonder if LDM really does make cakes and doughnuts. But anyway, happy birthday Jeremy!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday. Marmot.
ReplyDelete--X
Wasn't LDM supposed to reveal his true identity today? Did he wuss out, or what?
ReplyDeletePray tell, what does one's name truly mean?
ReplyDeleteA title for self-image o'er which to preen?
Designated ownership of objects with no real lustre and sheen?
A thing of consignment to keep'th thee driven and lean?
T'is an akward, gangling thing, much like a pimply teen
A self-reckoning moniker upon which to incessantly hammer and peen
then flaunt for all to be seen
hoping the viewers with envy turn green
Nay,lad! A name is oft' obscene
-LDM
I knew LDM was chicken!
ReplyDelete-jnsys
mid-30s ain't quite mid-life these days...
ReplyDeleteWoe! I have been deemed a troll!
ReplyDeleteverily I sit'th upon no self-righteous knoll
no angst, no depression upon me do'th take its toll
do ye regard my lovely verse as droll?
t'was the sight of bacon pics that put me in this role
sadly grown dependent, JFW ha'th become my dole
May'haps thee could'st convene a poll
or enter me in a villain's super bowl
verily to fathom if I should be cast from Jeremy's roll
Alas! perhaps this be the communal goal
n'er more to have LDM thy slinking mole
Yea! banish me to some barren literary shoal
hence to dig and grub for an audience like a miner at his coal!
-LDM
Apparently, Jeremy must still be celebrating :)
ReplyDeletet'is eerie
ReplyDeleteis he leary?
is he weary?
my eyes grow'th teary
I fear'th editorial fury
should'st I call him Deary,
though I'm not his peery?
-LDM
I wish the Evil Donut Man would just shut the hell up already.
ReplyDeleteHappy (belated) Birthday! I wonder what your mid-life crisis would entail? Any bets, people? I'm guessing no sports car. Maybe you'll start a one-man show at some run-down club in boston. It could be a chronicle of your life, kinda like Hedwig only no angry inch and such. You could wear a leisure-suit. And give your stirring (and at times distrubing) rendition of "girls just want to have fun", relating your life experiences that motivate your interpretation of each song you choose. So tell us Jeremy, what would it be? Clown college? Becoming a part-time mime working the Harvard T-station? Quiting sociology to join a brokerage firm? Moving back to Iowa and openning a mom and pop ice-cream shop?
ReplyDeleteI like thinking about this. I think my own mid-life crisis would be moving to France, raising sheep, and making cheese. Either that or getting really into leather. Scary, eh?