<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/feedblitz_rss.xslt"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"
xmlns:rawvoice="http://www.rawvoice.com/rawvoiceRssModule/"
 xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0">
<channel>
	<title>The Wayward Irregular</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.waywardirregular.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.waywardirregular.com</link>
	<description>The Wayward Irregular</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:00:32 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2</generator>
<!-- podcast_generator="Blubrry PowerPress/4.0.5" -->
	<itunes:new-feed-url>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/waywardirregular</itunes:new-feed-url>
	<itunes:summary>The Wayward Irregular is an ongoing series of free audiobooks—essays and storytelling read by the author, occasionally humorous, often baffling.</itunes:summary>
	<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
	<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:image href="http://waywardirregular.com/images/itunes_art.jpg" />
	<itunes:owner>
		<itunes:name>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:name>
		<itunes:email>info@waywardirregular.com</itunes:email>
	</itunes:owner>
	<managingEditor>info@waywardirregular.com (Matthew D. Jordan)</managingEditor>
	<copyright>Copyright &#xA9; The Wayward Irregular &amp; Matthew D. Jordan  All rights reserved. Syndication or republication only with permission. </copyright>
	<itunes:subtitle>The Wayward Irregular</itunes:subtitle>
	<itunes:keywords>essay, storytelling, short story, humor, audiobook, funny</itunes:keywords>
	<image>
	<url>http://users.feedblitz.com/3f1553608d407adedb14da33e9626c6a/wi_art.jpg</url>
	<title>The Wayward Irregular</title>
	<link>http://www.waywardirregular.com</link>
</image>
	<itunes:category text="Arts">
		<itunes:category text="Literature" />
	</itunes:category>
		<rawvoice:location>Colorado</rawvoice:location>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/i-will-let-the-alamo-drafthouse-get-me-pregnant/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>I Will Let The Alamo Drafthouse Get Me Pregnant</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/42161575/0/waywardirregular~I-Will-Let-The-Alamo-Drafthouse-Get-Me-Pregnant/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/42161575/0/waywardirregular~I-Will-Let-The-Alamo-Drafthouse-Get-Me-Pregnant/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1801</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[People, other humans, they’ve damn near ruined everything. Fox hunting, hard narcotics for a head cold, and the Ecto Cooler—the great things in life are slowly phasing out from our day-to-day, usually an order from some Fresca drinking slick-shaven-sally in a grey suit, something about safety or child labor laws. I’d come close, as I [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/42161574/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/42161575/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/42161575/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/42161575/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/42161575/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/42161575/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/42161575/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/42161575/0/waywardirregular~I-Will-Let-The-Alamo-Drafthouse-Get-Me-Pregnant/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/42161574/0/waywardirregular~I-Will-Let-The-Alamo-Drafthouse-Get-Me-Pregnant-Enclosure.mp3" length="9479729" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>People, other humans, they’ve damn near ruined everything.  Fox hunting, hard narcotics for a head cold, and the Ecto Cooler—the great things in life are slowly phasing out from our day-to-day, usually an order from some Fresca drinking slick-shaven-sa...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>People, other humans, they’ve damn near ruined everything.  Fox hunting, hard narcotics for a head cold, and the Ecto Cooler—the great things in life are slowly phasing out from our day-to-day, usually an order from some Fresca drinking slick-shaven-sally in a grey suit, something about safety or child labor laws.  I’d come close, as I usually do.  I was standing on my roof, clad in a trash-bag, one fist full of peanut butter, the other holding a shotgun, just me getting ready for the usual Tuesday night stuff.  Then, the Old Gods intervened. 
“Matthew,” a thunderous voice commanded, eyes and a beard forming in the clouds.  “Matthew, what troubles your soul?”
“Besides low-calorie mayonnaise and Joss Whedon’s excuses?” I shot back.  “The movies, cloud God.  I can’t go to a movie theater anymore without pouring a Diet Coke on some pre-teen’s cellphone.”
The cloud smiled, then vanished, leaving only a light towards the west and a whisper in my brain.
“The Alamo Drafthouse,” the whisper beckoned with authority.  “It’s, like, totally super badass.”
Soon, my life was to be changed forever.
I can’t attend the local theaters anymore, and this was a slow crawl of a decision.  It started with the talking.  I’m one of those folks who just can’t tone the stuff out.  Every little whisper and slice of chit-chat pulls me kicking and screaming from the immersive experience I fished coins from that fountain to pay for.  The cell phones are equally as bad, small lighthouses somewhere in the front row banging rays of color off of my corneas and killing my night vision or however the hell our eyes are supposed to work—something something, science.  
The first few times, I’d do “the glare,” the dramatic turn back over your shoulder to snag a little eye contact, something that says “Please close your fat mouth,” or “Stop kicking my seat with your fat feet,” or “You are really fat and you don’t belong here, fatty, I was teased in middle-school for my weight and so I’m taking it out on you and also I’m really sorry.”  Failing that, it progressed to “shushing,” which worked about as well as drinking oven cleaner to avoid attending my nephew’s graduation.  The last attempt was to use actual words with the trouble makers, which sometimes worked, but often resulted in teenagers throwing popcorn at me until I snapped, and then later I have to introduce myself to my neighbors in new and embarrassing ways.  That was a crack at sexual assault, in case you missed it, one of the many reasons I’m still not published.
The whole scene eventually drifted to my wife and I attempting to view new movies weeks after release on some odd Tuesday morning, anything to keep us away from other human beings.  Then, nothing.  We just stopped going to the theater.  Instead, we simply waited for new releases to come out on iTunes, where we’d watch them struggle to play on an Apple TV, each few minutes of video in staccato with slow data buffering and my soppy tears.
Then, I was turned on to the fancy world of reservable-movie seating.  I don’t know a slicker way to describe the places, but they have several beautiful attributes in common.  For one, you pick out your seats, online, like you’re reserving airline tickets but with less anxiety and regret, and it’s surprisingly cheap.  For two, you sit in a large, now-reserved, comfortable seat.  This also includes a little table, where wait-staff will bring you food and drink.  It ranges from bar food to an attempt at fancy-cafe edibles, but there’s no standing in line while some haggard thing attempts to wrangle their larva into deciding on the chocolate, the gummy candy, or a 1950’s-strength slap in their dumb little stupid smart mouth.  Third, the culture is different—these are my people, and in our kinship we understand that we are all here to watch and enjoy a movie, in a theater, and this does not involve leaning over every six minutes to casually explain the plot-lines of Kill Bill to a toddler.
</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>9:44</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/I_Will_Let_The_Alamo_Drafthouse_Get_Me_Pregnant.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>People, other humans, they’ve damn near ruined everything. Fox hunting, hard narcotics for a head cold, and the Ecto Cooler—the great things in life are slowly phasing out from our day-to-day, usually an order from some Fresca drinking slick-shaven-sally in a grey suit, something about safety or child labor laws. I’d come close, as I [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/42161575/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/42161574/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/42161575/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/42161575/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/42161575/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/42161575/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/42161575/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/42161575/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/40587923/0/waywardirregular~Felt-Better-for-Three-Minutes-Then-I-Got-Even-Prettier/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/40587923/0/waywardirregular~Felt-Better-for-Three-Minutes-Then-I-Got-Even-Prettier/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1784</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hello again, savages, Mikayla here. Matthew&#8217;s been busy getting ready for the second Tincture book to begin (June 3rd &#8211; tincturestory.com), so he&#8217;s been super lazy here at the Irregular. To showcase this, the following is an excerpt from that book of essays he wrote back in 2011, you know, the one he slapped together [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/40587924/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/40587923/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/40587923/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/40587923/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/40587923/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/40587923/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/40587923/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/and-our-lust-continued-the-super-nintendo-christmas/&quot;&gt;And Our Lust Continued: The Super Nintendo Christmas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/40587923/0/waywardirregular~Felt-Better-for-Three-Minutes-Then-I-Got-Even-Prettier/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/40587924/0/waywardirregular~Felt-Better-for-Three-Minutes-Then-I-Got-Even-Prettier-Enclosure.mp3" length="5242880" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Hello again, savages, Mikayla here.  Matthew&#039;s been busy getting ready for the second Tincture book to begin (June 3rd - tincturestory.com), so he&#039;s been super lazy here at the Irregular.  To showcase this,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Hello again, savages, Mikayla here.  Matthew&#039;s been busy getting ready for the second Tincture book to begin (June 3rd - tincturestory.com), so he&#039;s been super lazy here at the Irregular.  To showcase this, the following is an excerpt from that book of essays he wrote back in 2011, you know, the one he slapped together and told nobody about?  The one he&#039;s entirely embarrassed by?  That one.  It&#039;s still available, for whatever reason, at Amazon in paperback and for the Kindle, so enjoy the first thousand or so words from chapter 1.  It&#039;s not, like, even the whole goddamn chapter!  He reads part and then it just… ugh... Maybe he&#039;s trying to sell it again.  I don&#039;t know.  Maybe out of the six or seven of you who read this stuff, one will go buy it.  It&#039;s like, two bucks I think.  I&#039;m looking at you, Jeff.  You too, Steve.
...
Shortly before our move to Colorado, right after my wife and I returned from Ireland, I had the mistakenly bold notion to relax. I was already in sweatpants and more than ready—my movie, my bottle of wine and my sandwich laid around me like a Chinese burial offering. I imagine now the food looking at me, given life by some strange hallucination, its bread mouth and bacon tongue sloppily groaning.
“Something is missing Matthew, something... will you... will you make me whole?”
“Yes, talking sandwich,” I replied in my thoughts, “I shall do as you ask.” 
Cue a dramatic fridge opening, followed by a careless dumping of jalapeño peppers into the sandwich—probably enough to make tear gas. Now I know what you’re thinking.
“Why would a human being mix spicy food and alcohol—and presume to live?”
Well, I used to have an iron stomach, one of those guys you know who could digest a damned soda can just for the twenty bucks and the blood in the toilet. Somewhere in my lineage, back deep, I’m certain we’ll find tribal blacksmiths with bellies full of horse meat, cooling iron with hearty swallows. On this night, however, my stomach, after performing years and years of service to its merciless king, decided the gates were to be stormed. While its armies corralled the troops, I ate my sandwich, drank my wine, watched my movie, and farted my farts—deaf to the protests.
At around 10:30 PM, I awoke as the signals to my brain pinged louder and louder—we have a solid red light here, something was very amiss in my nether regions. I felt nauseated and I couldn’t find a comfortable position to lay in, everything was getting shifty. Cut to the next scene, and I was doubled over the toilet, begging for the ability to barf up my own stomach lining in order to wipe it clean like a frog. It was a mixture of extreme nausea, abdominal pain, discomfort, and just a sprinkling of living hell. 
My wife never has much patience for anything that disrupts her regimented sleep schedule, so this was no marital treat. As I pray to all gods and even a few new invented ones in a tongue I’d conjured right there in the bathroom, she’s sitting in one of our living room chairs with glazed eyes, half watching Mythbusters and half watching me writhe in contorted pain on the floor.
“No, you don’t need to go to the emergency room,” she continuously answers me over the groaning.
Eventually she returns to bed to leave me to my own misery—if I’m still alive in the morning, she figures, we can assess things then—otherwise we can harvest my corpse for fatty winter-time meats and lantern fuel.
We had no Pepto Bismal, anti-gas pills, nor any manner of soothing tea in the house—it was getting dark, and I was going to have to run this thing out the hard way. After remembering exactly what I had consumed that evening, (the wine and the tear gas hot peppers) I made an executive decision.
I hadn’t actually vomited since I was nine years old, (see the earlier paragraph about Nordic blacksmiths). On this particular night I still couldn’t make the greasy yawn, so I decided to invoke the powers of teenage girls everywhere,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Felt_Better_for_Three_Minutes_Then_I_Got_Even_Prettier.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello again, savages, Mikayla here. Matthew&#8217;s been busy getting ready for the second Tincture book to begin (June 3rd &#8211; tincturestory.com), so he&#8217;s been super lazy here at the Irregular. To showcase this, the following is an excerpt from that book of essays he wrote back in 2011, you know, the one he slapped together [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/40587923/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/40587924/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/40587923/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/40587923/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/40587923/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/40587923/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/40587923/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/40587923/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/and-our-lust-continued-the-super-nintendo-christmas/&quot;&gt;And Our Lust Continued: The Super Nintendo Christmas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/39158656/0/waywardirregular~Email-Is-Fodder-for-Corporate-Anarchy/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/39158656/0/waywardirregular~Email-Is-Fodder-for-Corporate-Anarchy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:00:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1770</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An email loaded with amorphous detail rings out in the morning, and by the afternoon, we will taste human flesh for the first time. Sometimes jobs are like this. Email is the fodder for corporate anarchy, some press release about our jobs written in newspeak, vague on detail and ripe for the scuttlebutt. Everyone imagines [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/39158657/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/39158656/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/39158656/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/39158656/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/39158656/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/39158656/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/39158656/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/and-our-lust-continued-the-super-nintendo-christmas/&quot;&gt;And Our Lust Continued: The Super Nintendo Christmas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/39158656/0/waywardirregular~Email-Is-Fodder-for-Corporate-Anarchy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/39158657/0/waywardirregular~Email-Is-Fodder-for-Corporate-Anarchy-Enclosure.mp3" length="7361369" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>An email loaded with amorphous detail rings out in the morning, and by the afternoon, we will taste human flesh for the first time.  Sometimes jobs are like this.  Email is the fodder for corporate anarchy,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>An email loaded with amorphous detail rings out in the morning, and by the afternoon, we will taste human flesh for the first time.  Sometimes jobs are like this.  Email is the fodder for corporate anarchy, some press release about our jobs written in newspeak, vague on detail and ripe for the scuttlebutt.  Everyone imagines those who pen such things cackling as they type, one finger coyly twisting into their cheek as the missive speeds to a few thousand inboxes.  The Masters™ are no fools—these things are not designed to root and rile—but we eat it up, we crave it like the needle.  The inbox makes that little chiming sound, a wild email appears, and seconds later I am wearing a spiky leather Mad Max costume and running down some poor family on my motorcycle for an expired can of tomatoes.  Things have escalated.
The morning started with coffee and small-talk about the weather, but by 2pm, the savages have painted symbols in blood on the walls, and I cannot identify what is slowly twirling over the sticky-note bonfire.  Not all of us have come unprepared, however.  As I read the tricky emails from on-high, I lower my Bane mask and inhale its chemicals, strengthened by it, empowered by its intentions.  “You think the corporate world is your ally?  You merely adopted the khaki socks and the Starbucks.  I was born in it.  Molded by it.  I didn’t see true email until I was already a man.  By then, it was nothing to me, but a career.”
Let us be afraid and jump to conclusions, goddammit!  Worried bodies bob and weave in and out of the offices, struggling to hear what’s been heard by someone who heard a thing who heard a thing.  Something smells rancid and delicious out in the open sun, so every dog under the prairie starts to pop their head out and squeak.  Get it?  I used prairie dogs as a loose metaphor because I am so terribly clever.
One question, then more:
“What have you heard?”
“What does ‘restructuring’ mean?”
“I heard that half of us will be fired.”
“Really?  I heard that we’re to be hunted on an island off the coast of Argentina.”
“I heard that we are to now worship the Demon-King Pazuzu, and we are to prepare our bodies for the harvest.”
“Yup.  I heard the same thing, and that we have to pay for our own break-room sodas.”
“It’s probably true.  Someone told me that someone told them that they over heard that we’re all going to have to get those blood plugs installed over our heart, like in Dune.”
Things have escalated.  Early in the morning it’s all smiles and small talk, the kind you practice on each other, the kind you never use anywhere else in your life.  The culture is adopted—it has to be—you cannot expect to bring your own flavor to the place.  If everyone wears jeans on Friday, you are going to wear jeans.  If everyone says “hello” in the hallway, every time, then you are going to say “hello.”  If everyone participates in some archaic devilry mentioned in whispers as “the skin ritual,” then you are going to buy cocoa butter, learn the ins-and-outs of a wild pig, and be ready to learn Aramaic.  You work here now, get fucking comfy.
It turns dark when someone a few pay grades higher than you starts shooting out emails light on detail and heavy with innuendo.  I don’t like it any more than the next, but I chose this life.  I spent years inside the walls of the white collar world and its boring-ass carpet patterns, and I then Gladiator-ed my way to freedom.  I spent years wandering the outside world, trying to find my place in it all as a grownup human.  While I was able to make it work for a bit, eventually I carved “Matthew Was Here” into a support beam, kicked the chair, and fell back into “the life.”  I wanted the politics, the red tape, the water cooler, and the words that aren’t used anywhere else.  At home or with friends I do not speak like this, but at work, I will bust out the “strategy,” the “cooperative process,” and the “let’s touch base,” like it was my job.  Well,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>7:31</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Email_Is_the_Fodder_for_Corporate_Anarchy.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>An email loaded with amorphous detail rings out in the morning, and by the afternoon, we will taste human flesh for the first time. Sometimes jobs are like this. Email is the fodder for corporate anarchy, some press release about our jobs written in newspeak, vague on detail and ripe for the scuttlebutt. Everyone imagines [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/39158656/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/39158657/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/39158656/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/39158656/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/39158656/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/39158656/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/39158656/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/39158656/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/and-our-lust-continued-the-super-nintendo-christmas/&quot;&gt;And Our Lust Continued: The Super Nintendo Christmas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/37829790/0/waywardirregular~Matthew-Norman-The-Famous-Author-Once-Toiled-Among-the-Commoners/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/37829790/0/waywardirregular~Matthew-Norman-The-Famous-Author-Once-Toiled-Among-the-Commoners/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1756</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Matthew Norman thrust his bulk upon the device, and with a hot breath into its data port, he de-virginized my Kindle. Let me back up. He’s the author of Domestic Violets, a novel released back in 2011, the story of Tom Violet and his milquetoast existence out in some fictitious middle-middle class somewhere. I had [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/37829791/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/37829790/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/37829790/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/37829790/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/37829790/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/37829790/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/37829790/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/and-our-lust-continued-the-super-nintendo-christmas/&quot;&gt;And Our Lust Continued: The Super Nintendo Christmas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/37829790/0/waywardirregular~Matthew-Norman-The-Famous-Author-Once-Toiled-Among-the-Commoners/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/37829791/0/waywardirregular~Matthew-Norman-The-Famous-Author-Once-Toiled-Among-the-Commoners-Enclosure.mp3" length="5242880" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Matthew Norman thrust his bulk upon the device, and with a hot breath into its data port, he de-virginized my Kindle.  Let me back up.  He’s the author of Domestic Violets, a novel released back in 2011, the story of Tom Violet and his milquetoast exis...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Matthew Norman thrust his bulk upon the device, and with a hot breath into its data port, he de-virginized my Kindle.  Let me back up.  He’s the author of Domestic Violets, a novel released back in 2011, the story of Tom Violet and his milquetoast existence out in some fictitious middle-middle class somewhere.  I had been meaning to consume the title for a little while now, and after years of smugly chortling at the fast forwarding world of electronic books, I finally caved and burned a few gift cards to pick up a Kindle.  I love it.  I held the device for all of four minutes before I threw it on a dirty mattress, aimed my VHS camera, then slowly sauntered up to the thing in dirty underwear while grunting along with Stuck In The Middle With You.  So, Domestic Violets—this tight number about a guy shuffling through his day-to-day in the vast American white collar wastelands—I paid a couple of bucks, downloaded it, and spent the weekend properly glued.  Domestic Violets is real, fresh, an engrossing novel by a real professional, but with everything feeling terrifyingly familiar.  This is possibly—maybe just a little—because slightly over a dozen years ago, I spent my days in a cubicle about seven feet from the book’s author.
For the better part of 2000 and just a bit of 2001, I spent my weekdays in a cubicle at my first real advertising agency, a nineteen year old pasty fork in the ass for anyone who had the misfortune of attempting real work.  While I was massively under-qualified to perform any task other than scratching my taint with the end of a stapler, the place was a top-down, soup to nuts clusterfuck.  Each day you’re reincarnated as the mighty steed, Artex, and each day, you slowly lose will and give in to The Nothing.  Not that I was much help, mind you.  After fourteen months on the job, my specialties included crashing my computer, spilling printer toner, and audibly farting up whatever chemicals Taco Johns put in their tater-tot based “nachos.”  While I was a 3D animator, a job that the agency did not need and a job that I could not perform, Matthew Norman, 24 or 25 at the time, was a copywriter, sitting an aisle away and always appearing busy.  I’ll never forget the first words the man ever said to me: “You should probably go apologize, before you get fired.”  
Out of around forty employees, there were only nine of us without the word “executive,” “president,” “manager,” or “director” in their title, and Norman and I were two of them, and we were two of (I believe) only four males that worked in production.  So, as one does, we pissed away the days in this narrow row of fancy looking half-cubicles—me desperately trying to find something to do, and Norman likely alt-tabbing between the first draft of Domestic Violets and some U2 fan page on his jelly-blue iMac.  The place was expensive, this agency, and everyone inside reeked of a goddamned trust fund, waffly strangers and loud-smelling business people, speakerphones and a job riddled with folks who had likely never required math to pay a bill.  I counted Norman among them, but with Norman, I took notes.
He was a dry bastard—wry, clever, handsome and irritatingly thin.  Every time he came to work, I imagined the super cool apartment he strolled from, high-fiving his roommate as he sipped a coffee and tightened his scarf, hopping onto some commuter train filled with blow-jobs and money.  Matthew Norman rarely smiled, and while we never developed a friendship, the man kept me afloat with a strange and terrible mix of nonplussed acceptance, and likely, a morbid curiosity as to just how and why I was working there.  I laugh at the montage, but it was real: Norman sighing with defeat as I had run out of checks to pay for my chicken fingers at a bar, again as he bought me a meatball sub the following week, and again at Panera Bread, slowly flipping open his wallet to temporarily fund my obvious inability to finance a business lunch.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Matthew_Norman_The_Famous_Author_Once_Toiled_Among_the_Commoners.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Matthew Norman thrust his bulk upon the device, and with a hot breath into its data port, he de-virginized my Kindle. Let me back up. He’s the author of Domestic Violets, a novel released back in 2011, the story of Tom Violet and his milquetoast existence out in some fictitious middle-middle class somewhere. I had [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/37829790/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/37829791/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/37829790/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/37829790/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/37829790/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/37829790/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/37829790/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/37829790/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/and-our-lust-continued-the-super-nintendo-christmas/&quot;&gt;And Our Lust Continued: The Super Nintendo Christmas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/and-our-lust-continued-the-super-nintendo-christmas/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>And Our Lust Continued: The Super Nintendo Christmas</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36701962/0/waywardirregular~And-Our-Lust-Continued-The-Super-Nintendo-Christmas/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36701962/0/waywardirregular~And-Our-Lust-Continued-The-Super-Nintendo-Christmas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Dec 2012 19:38:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1732</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had known it for years, but Christmas morning in 1993 cemented my presumptions: my parents were terrible liars. I believe I had spent the first few hours of the night in my bed, feigning sleep, but at least six or seven of them were spent on the toilet staring at my red digital watch, [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36701964/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36701962/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36701962/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36701962/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36701962/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36701962/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36701962/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36701962/0/waywardirregular~And-Our-Lust-Continued-The-Super-Nintendo-Christmas/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36701964/0/waywardirregular~And-Our-Lust-Continued-The-Super-Nintendo-Christmas-Enclosure.mp3" length="12847795" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>I had known it for years, but Christmas morning in 1993 cemented my presumptions: my parents were terrible liars.  I believe I had spent the first few hours of the night in my bed, feigning sleep, but at least six or seven of them were spent on the toi...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>I had known it for years, but Christmas morning in 1993 cemented my presumptions: my parents were terrible liars.  I believe I had spent the first few hours of the night in my bed, feigning sleep, but at least six or seven of them were spent on the toilet staring at my red digital watch, desperately trying to avoid suicide.  By my late teens I had already stopped with the whole anticipation thing on Christmas eve, sleeping like a baby until my brother woke me up to come witness the tree.  However, in my pre-teens and those first one or two years of actual and for-reals puberty, I really couldn’t catch a wink or a Z or anything that would help the time pass any faster.  In December of 1990 I had been caught trying to sneak down the stairs for a peek at what turned out to be a fully functional Castle Grayskull.  It could’ve been our loud stairs, the fact that I was 10 years old and as wise as a pair of pee-stained Underoos, or perhaps my mother was simply clairvoyant—either way, the woman was standing at the bottom of the steps with her hands on her hips, casting a dark and terrible figure into the night.  With a voice like molten hate and murdered kings, she commanded for me to return to my bed, before she, “let the crows eat my eyes.”  So, in 1993, unable to feign sleep, venture downstairs, or keep it together in the dark of my bedroom, I dropped trou and sat in the bathroom for seven hours, staring at my watch and sweating like I’d placed a bomb somewhere in my house.
So, the thing about my folks and their inability to pull a ruse on a pair of pubescent nutbars—my brother and I—yeah, that didn’t roll like they’d planned.  I’ve written before about how we were as poor as an empty bucket, so while our folks made a great show with dozens of wrapped boxes under the tree, we had always experienced my mother’s bullshit sobbing preamble of, “Christmas is going to be slim this year.”  Yet, each year, we awoke to find an unhinged Roman orgy of presents under the tree, each one a new mind blowing shimmer from Marcellus Wallace’s briefcase.  They liked to have us unwrap the things in a particular order, too, and we were happy to oblige, slowly working to whatever grand finale they had planned—a new bicycle, a Red Ryder BB Gun, (yes, really), and for me, the best gifts possible: new video games.
By Christmas of 1993, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System had been out and about for a couple of years, and in America, the thing cost roughly a bazillion dollars, which meant the sons of the blue collars had to wait until the thing came down from, “Haha, you’re poor,” prices to, “a sharp stick in the ribcage,” prices.  We were roaring through our gifts, wading in a pool of brightly colored wrapping and tripping out on endorphins, when we were directed to unwrap two oddly shaped little packages.  The gifts were games, Super Nintendo games, and the reason this was an attempted ruse was because we did not own a Super Nintendo Entertainment System.  
My game was The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, arguably the greatest Zelda game ever created, right up there next to Ocarina of Time.  My brother’s game was Street Fighter II, a legend in its own right, and while my brother wasn’t terribly obsessed with video games, Street Fighter became a well beloved staple in our home.  As soon as we witnessed the cartridges, my brother and I shot each other a knowing look.  “Oh no,” muttered my mother, “are those not the right games?”  The very second my brother and I unwrapped these video game cartridges, we knew there was a fully functional Super Nintendo set up somewhere in the house, plugged in and ready for molestation.  Thankful for the bounty and in no mood to disappoint my mother, we nodded our heads.  “It’s okay Mom,” we sheepishly replied, “but they’re Super Nintendo games.  We have a regular Nintendo.”  My mother frowned.  “Well then,” she said, “just put them in the other room and I’ll exchange them later.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>8:50</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/And_Our_Lust_Continued__The_Super_Nintendo_Christmas.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I had known it for years, but Christmas morning in 1993 cemented my presumptions: my parents were terrible liars. I believe I had spent the first few hours of the night in my bed, feigning sleep, but at least six or seven of them were spent on the toilet staring at my red digital watch, [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36701962/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36701964/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36701962/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36701962/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36701962/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36701962/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36701962/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36701962/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-joe-rogan-parade-float-icky-sticky-in-the-mile-high/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The Joe Rogan Parade Float: Icky Sticky in the Mile High</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36315801/0/waywardirregular~The-Joe-Rogan-Parade-Float-Icky-Sticky-in-the-Mile-High/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36315801/0/waywardirregular~The-Joe-Rogan-Parade-Float-Icky-Sticky-in-the-Mile-High/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1703</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[They’ve made it legal out here in the Rockies to commune with the skunk, every one of us now buckling into the hand-basket and punching in for armageddon. We emerge from our homes in an astonished buzz, the future has finally arrived, and its rung in by hippies wearing tuxedo t-shirts, silently clinking wedding spoons [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36315802/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36315801/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36315801/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36315801/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36315801/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36315801/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36315801/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36315801/0/waywardirregular~The-Joe-Rogan-Parade-Float-Icky-Sticky-in-the-Mile-High/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36315802/0/waywardirregular~The-Joe-Rogan-Parade-Float-Icky-Sticky-in-the-Mile-High-Enclosure.mp3" length="11527603" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>They’ve made it legal out here in the Rockies to commune with the skunk, every one of us now buckling into the hand-basket and punching in for armageddon.  We emerge from our homes in an astonished buzz, the future has finally arrived,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>They’ve made it legal out here in the Rockies to commune with the skunk, every one of us now buckling into the hand-basket and punching in for armageddon.  We emerge from our homes in an astonished buzz, the future has finally arrived, and its rung in by hippies wearing tuxedo t-shirts, silently clinking wedding spoons against the bong and demanding ovation.  Forever the gateway to terrible things, weed is now above board and on the regular out here, and nobody has a fleeting whistle on how the whole thing will pan out.  However the electorate saw fit to tally things, the last throes of the violently appalled and terribly misinformed have been kicked back into the pits, the majority of Colorado inhabitants taking up their brooms and shooing anyone who looks too clear-headed, or anyone who cannot quickly answer the appropriate amounts of Frank Zappa trivia.  An angry man holding a sweeper points the bristles at a tourist, “Why did Dot Records claim to reject his music?”  The tourist, sweating visibly, straightens his tie and shakes his head.  “Uh, I don’t know, they... uh... they didn’t like him?”  “Wrong, goddammit!” the angry man screams.  “They said his music had no commercial potential!  Get out of my state!”  These are the ways now in the mile high city, a name befitting the town that always was.    
I don’t know how we got it done, the weed thing.  For years now we’ve had marijuana dispensaries littered across the city, and while the whole scene has been a federal no-no, the state has made no secret of the places.  The idea—from whatever pale and thin surface it was originally scribbled upon—was to get people their “medicine,” the chemo patient, people with difficult to manage pain, folks with migraines, and whomever else willing to pay two bills to a pseudo-doctor for The Card.  The game was always afoot, however.  The nonsense doctrines that kept the ganja as an illicit thing were never on solid ground, no facts or reports with any science involved backed the reasoning, so the hypothetical granite box that we’ve kept the eventual sale of weed locked inside just kept cracking, dripping out hippies and tie-die bandanas.  Yes—that was sloppy—but I know you get me, dammit.  
The dispensaries never attempted to approach the game with any tact, every other building flatly advertising its product with little hint at what it was supposed to be doing.  Instead of a clean respectful air of the medical professional, every retail bud store just put out some gaunt, over-tanned, and malnourished late 50’s stoner in a lawn chair, dreadlocks last washed sometime during the Reagan administration.  His only job: Flashing the peace sign and accidentally knocking over his beer all day.  It is like they have embraced the Devil’s Lifestyle™ and revel in keeping the “squares” far from business, a tactic that’s worked never-times.  I am terrified as I wheel my suburbs-mobile along the THC roadways, keeping the doors locked and gawking from the window, forever curious what the insides of these places smell like, forever wondering what the products cost, and forever coming up with phrases like “THC roadways” because I am so smugly clever.
The passage of amendment “Cut The Shit, Weed is Fine” hasn’t gone over terribly well with everyone.  Our governor spat out the now infamous and strangely empty line, “Don’t break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly,” a stretch that reeks of the kind of man who’s considered marijuana about as much as he’s considered washing carrots in the toilet.  These are the people who see spiders without ever having a paranoid moment courtesy of the actual icky.  They see or hear the word “marijuana,” and just throw up their palms in some sort of twisted jazz-hands, closing their eyes and shaking their heads saying, “Nope, nope, wrong, bad, nope,” and the accompanying dance steps resemble an overweight diabetic fumbling with a Snickers wrapper.  Hickenlooper’s Cheetos line is a wisp of smoke though,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>7:55</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_Joe_Rogan_Parade_Float__Icky_Sticky_in_the_Mile_High.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>They’ve made it legal out here in the Rockies to commune with the skunk, every one of us now buckling into the hand-basket and punching in for armageddon. We emerge from our homes in an astonished buzz, the future has finally arrived, and its rung in by hippies wearing tuxedo t-shirts, silently clinking wedding spoons [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36315801/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36315802/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36315801/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36315801/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36315801/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36315801/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36315801/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36315801/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/halloween-is-dangerous-and-we-should-all-be-afraid-of-everything/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Halloween Is Dangerous, and We Should All Be Afraid of Everything</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218972/0/waywardirregular~Halloween-Is-Dangerous-and-We-Should-All-Be-Afraid-of-Everything/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218972/0/waywardirregular~Halloween-Is-Dangerous-and-We-Should-All-Be-Afraid-of-Everything/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:00:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1536</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I held out my pillow case, and the old woman gripping a bag of “popcorn balls” demanded that I “show her a trick,” so I briefly considered kicking out her brittle knee and screaming “abracadabra” into her oversized hearing aid. This was not a time for nonsense. This was Halloween, and there was a simple [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/35157554/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218972/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218972/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218972/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218972/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218972/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218972/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218972/0/waywardirregular~Halloween-Is-Dangerous-and-We-Should-All-Be-Afraid-of-Everything/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/35157554/0/waywardirregular~Halloween-Is-Dangerous-and-We-Should-All-Be-Afraid-of-Everything-Enclosure.mp3" length="12846067" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>I held out my pillow case, and the old woman gripping a bag of “popcorn balls” demanded that I “show her a trick,” so I briefly considered kicking out her brittle knee and screaming “abracadabra” into her oversized hearing aid.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>I held out my pillow case, and the old woman gripping a bag of “popcorn balls” demanded that I “show her a trick,” so I briefly considered kicking out her brittle knee and screaming “abracadabra” into her oversized hearing aid.  This was not a time for nonsense.  This was Halloween, and there was a simple exchange here, a transaction that both parties were privy to and I didn’t expect any delays in my busy evening out in the cold.  You icy old crone!  I had dressed up for this!  My stocking cap ground the sharp plastic mask into my features, and to only further degrade the illusion of my costume, my puffy blue winter coat made short work of everything.  What was so hard to understand here?  I’m dressed like some sort of superhero—or whatever bizarre getup my mother constructed from a poorly understood lecture I’d given her on on the ins-and-outs of pastel attire.  I’m about to venture into the cold night air to beg strangers for candy and hope that none of them answer the door shirtless or try to put their fingers in my mouth.  Go get candy, come home not-raped.  Easy stuff.  Now, drop the popcorn balls into my Ghostbusters pillow case before I push you into the basement and rob your house.
Halloween isn’t a time for impressing people with a costume, no, the costumes are simply designed as brief escapism and a way to show the other children how mega super awesome you are.  I didn’t give a tinker’s damn if some goat-mask-wearing member of the LIONS club thought I was a dead ringer for Spiderman, I just wanted them to drop a fistful of whatever discount candy they’d remembered to buy on 2-for-1 when picking out scratch-game lottery tickets.  I’m not trying to say there weren’t rules, however.  Way back in the ancient times of the 1980’s, back when dinosaurs played cassette tapes and Flight of the Navigator was giving me weird nightmares, we still had a small amount of safety training from our collective parents when it came to Halloween and the activities therein.  There were the easy-to-remember dictations, like, “Don’t ring the doorbell more than once,” and “Only smoke menthols.”  The stricter rules only served to hamper the experience, like, “Don’t ask for more candy,” and “No butt stuff.”
Even at our tender stupid childhood ages, we instinctively new better than to wander into a stranger’s home, but this didn’t stop roughly one in three people trying to invite us inside to drink hot cocoa or sit and watch videos of teenage girls screaming for the police.  Parents hover more closely these days, and with the climate we live in, it doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.  Men are especially dangerous now though, each of us a potential deviant not to be trusted with anyone or anything, our gender now a towering phallic reminder that we are on this planet to abduct anyone and anything that doesn’t belong to us.  This is why recently, when my car was approached by two little girls from the neighborhood, I locked the doors and screamed into my Burger King bag for them to please leave before I was arrested and sent to a “gonna get a shiv, gonna make a hole” prison.  I was terrified of being followed to my door by these two girls, unaware that their attempts to, and I’m not making this up, “sell me a dirt cookie” was enough to get me fucking tased.  When trick-or-treating, my brother and I had a pretty simple system worked out though.  We’d enter the house on two conditions: 1.) The front door remained open, and 2.) “Are you crazy? I’m not going into your stupid house, now dump your whole candy dish into the pillow case or I’m going to extort you for money, you creepy shit.”
As our parents weren’t always “eyes-on,” we ate whatever we could manage to moosh into our loud-holes with reckless abandon.  On reflection, however, I’m not entirely clear on how reckless we really were.  Sure, the folks had to run through our stash at the end of the evening to make sure there weren’t any razor-blades hidden inside of the candy,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>8:50</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Halloween_Is_Dangerous_and_We_Should_All_Be_Afraid_of_Everything.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I held out my pillow case, and the old woman gripping a bag of “popcorn balls” demanded that I “show her a trick,” so I briefly considered kicking out her brittle knee and screaming “abracadabra” into her oversized hearing aid. This was not a time for nonsense. This was Halloween, and there was a simple [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36218972/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/35157554/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218972/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218972/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218972/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218972/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218972/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218972/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/tincture-has-moved-but-loves-you-and-isnt-trying-to-replace-your-real-dad/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>“Tincture” Has Moved, But Loves You And Isn’t Trying To Replace Your Real Dad</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218974/0/waywardirregular~%e2%80%9cTincture%e2%80%9d-Has-Moved-But-Loves-You-And-Isn%e2%80%99t-Trying-To-Replace-Your-Real-Dad/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218974/0/waywardirregular~%e2%80%9cTincture%e2%80%9d-Has-Moved-But-Loves-You-And-Isn%e2%80%99t-Trying-To-Replace-Your-Real-Dad/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:00:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1516</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Salutations cadre, this is Mikayla, Matthew’s wife, and I’m addressing you savages so it sounds more important the next time you hear the deep caramel bass of my husband’s voice, or whatever. Last May, The Wayward Irregular introduced a short story series called Tincture, and it’s apparently resonated strongly with the five or six of [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/35138283/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218974/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218974/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218974/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218974/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218974/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218974/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218974/0/waywardirregular~%e2%80%9cTincture%e2%80%9d-Has-Moved-But-Loves-You-And-Isn%e2%80%99t-Trying-To-Replace-Your-Real-Dad/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/35138283/0/waywardirregular~%e2%80%9cTincture%e2%80%9d-Has-Moved-But-Loves-You-And-Isn%e2%80%99t-Trying-To-Replace-Your-Real-Dad-Enclosure.mp3" length="5242880" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Salutations cadre, this is Mikayla, Matthew’s wife, and I’m addressing you savages so it sounds more important the next time you hear the deep caramel bass of my husband’s voice, or whatever.  Last May, The Wayward Irregular introduced a short story se...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Salutations cadre, this is Mikayla, Matthew’s wife, and I’m addressing you savages so it sounds more important the next time you hear the deep caramel bass of my husband’s voice, or whatever.  Last May, The Wayward Irregular introduced a short story series called Tincture, and it’s apparently resonated strongly with the five or six of you who actually fret away the otherwise valuable sections of your life by listening and reading this nonsense.  Hey, I love the guy, but not because I’ve watched him molest a breakfast buffet and not because he keeps writing about the bathroom or… or how getting older… I- I don’t know what he writes about.  What is this, is it movie reviews?  Ah, who gives a shit?
Anywho, the short story has moved out from the Irregular (here), to it’s very own website and podcast (there), and you can find it all at tincturestory.com.  The first five episodes of Tincture will remain here, but those five episodes, as well as everything else, are at tincturestory.com.  Be sure to click on the “iTunes” link at tincturestory.com, or just look Tincture up in iTunes, or do whatever makes you happy, make your own shoes or count walnuts for all I care.  The Wayward Irregular will be returning to the bizarre essay format you’ve grown to love, I’m assuming, and the Tincture saga will continue over at tincturestory.com.  It’s a new podcast, there’s a new episode available right now, and you’ll love it.  I think.  Be sure to follow the Irregular on Twitter and Facebook as everything is announced there.  Tincture.  Tinc… ture.  It’s about weed, right?  Doesn’t matter, I live in Colorado, my icky is mad cheap.  Okay, Mikayla out.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/_Tincture__Has_Moved_But_Loves_You_And_Isn_t_Trying_To_Replace_Your_Real_Dad.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Salutations cadre, this is Mikayla, Matthew’s wife, and I’m addressing you savages so it sounds more important the next time you hear the deep caramel bass of my husband’s voice, or whatever. Last May, The Wayward Irregular introduced a short story series called Tincture, and it’s apparently resonated strongly with the five or six of [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36218974/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/35138283/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218974/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218974/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218974/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218974/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218974/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218974/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-red-baron-and-his-demonstrable-pizza-related-betrayal/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The Red Baron and His Demonstrable Pizza-Related Betrayal</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218977/0/waywardirregular~The-Red-Baron-and-His-Demonstrable-PizzaRelated-Betrayal/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218977/0/waywardirregular~The-Red-Baron-and-His-Demonstrable-PizzaRelated-Betrayal/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Sep 2012 12:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1436</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’d asked the young man behind the automated scanning machine to repeat himself, and this was merely an effort to prevent TR, my companion, from absolving the man of his larynx with a roll of breath mint candies. “Young man,” I began, “the gentleman to my left is TR Schroder, my companion in manners such [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218046/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218977/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218977/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218977/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218977/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218977/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218977/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218977/0/waywardirregular~The-Red-Baron-and-His-Demonstrable-PizzaRelated-Betrayal/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218046/0/waywardirregular~The-Red-Baron-and-His-Demonstrable-PizzaRelated-Betrayal-Enclosure.mp3" length="12135277" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>I’d asked the young man behind the automated scanning machine to repeat himself, and this was merely an effort to prevent TR, my companion, from absolving the man of his larynx with a roll of breath mint candies.  “Young man,” I began,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>I’d asked the young man behind the automated scanning machine to repeat himself, and this was merely an effort to prevent TR, my companion, from absolving the man of his larynx with a roll of breath mint candies.  “Young man,” I began, “the gentleman to my left is TR Schroder, my companion in manners such as these, and I’ll not repeat myself a third time.  I ask, no—I demand—that you either provide me with the quantity I’ve requested or you may fetch your superior!”
“Look,” mumbled the grocery store clerk, “I told you we’re out of Pizza Rolls.  All we have left is Bagel Bites.”
This is when TR opened his hands and attempted to lunge at the boy, sending an entire stack of Cosmopolitan women’s periodicals to the floor as I attempted to restrain him.  They were everywhere.  The headlines had something to do with excess belly cellulose, orgasm technique, and celebrity nipple positions.  Now is not the time for such bum-grabbery—I am in the middle of business.
“Bagel Bites?” I quipped.  “Do I look like a goddamn fisherman to you?”  I dropped my right foot onto the counter.  “These summer sandals cost over thirty five dollars!  Bagel Bites.  Why I’d be right to box your ears for the arrogance.  Offer me bagel-sized nonsense again and I’ll slap you out into the thoroughfare.”
The boy paged his supervisor.
An overweight man in a red vest arrived to our isle, speaking softly into his walkie-talkie as he approached.  The man was in his early fifties, and appeared as a frumpy and sad affair.  Not the kind of sad sort who’s penned lovely and misunderstood poetry.  No.  The kind of sad sort who’s likely had to talk his way out of molestation charges.  
The frumpy manager addressed us.  “Hi guys, I’m Eric.  What can I help you with?  I hear there’s an issue over pizza?”
I knew it—this man has paid for sex.
TR loudly cleared his throat, to which I responded with a nod, then I turned to address the manager.  “Look here principal, the gentleman to my left is TR Schroder, my companion in manners such as these, and we are losing patience with your whelp of a clerk and his refusal to properly service a reliable patron!”
“Okay then,” replied the manager, turning to the checkout boy, “Nathan, may I speak to you for a moment?”
The two wandered a few feet away, so TR and I used the opportunity to look to our surroundings and stuff our pockets with dental floss and batteries.  This was the least that the establishment owed us for the trouble, forcing two men of discount grocery stature to argue, two men of the wayward appetite, two men who thirst for a damned pepperoni.  We only fled the scene after observing security personelle approaching our position.  We briskly walked toward our automobile, hips swinging dramatically while stolen batteries clanked in our pockets, the two of us taking the four family sized bags of Chicken-Buffalo-Anytizers we’d been cradling in our arms, now the spoils of the evening.  TR pushed over a stacked display of diet cola and tipped his hat to the young clerk, just before the doors closed.
...
They were frisky days, the ones back when calories were a fat person’s word, back when you could lay down and watch the television, knuckle keep in an oversized jar of maraschino cherries just because you wanted to feel like a warrior.  More than once TR and I spent the afternoon at the convenience store, vehicle after vehicle outside the windows under our gaze as they gathered fuel, the whole while stuffing our hunger with potato chips and anything that tasted like artificial fruit.  Mayonnaise went on the cold display-case ham sandwiches in long lines, each packet a tiny offering of sodium and transisomer fatty acid, each bite squishing away another week or so we’d eventually have to spend in a retirement community.
Coffee was another part of the life, and TR made short work of embracing the madness along with me.  Your average citizen brews a cup of coffee for the morning commute,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>12:30</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_Red_Baron_and_His_Demonstrable_Pizza-Related_Betrayal.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I’d asked the young man behind the automated scanning machine to repeat himself, and this was merely an effort to prevent TR, my companion, from absolving the man of his larynx with a roll of breath mint candies. “Young man,” I began, “the gentleman to my left is TR Schroder, my companion in manners such [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36218977/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218046/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218977/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218977/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218977/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218977/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218977/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218977/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/young-people-and-the-poison-thats-made-me-terminally-uncool/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Young People and the Poison That’s Made Me Terminally Uncool</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218986/0/waywardirregular~Young-People-and-the-Poison-That%e2%80%99s-Made-Me-Terminally-Uncool/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218986/0/waywardirregular~Young-People-and-the-Poison-That%e2%80%99s-Made-Me-Terminally-Uncool/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:00:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1377</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So I&#8217;m in this meeting at work, and this meeting is about young people, and in this meeting I realize I&#8217;m an old person—I am now a peer to my peers—and I&#8217;m woefully short on stool softener. Addressing the reader&#8211;e.g. you, right damned now—isn&#8217;t something I&#8217;ve been wary of during these tangential brain dumps, these [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218047/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218986/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218986/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218986/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218986/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218986/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218986/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218986/0/waywardirregular~Young-People-and-the-Poison-That%e2%80%99s-Made-Me-Terminally-Uncool/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218047/0/waywardirregular~Young-People-and-the-Poison-That%e2%80%99s-Made-Me-Terminally-Uncool-Enclosure.mp3" length="8151708" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>So I&#039;m in this meeting at work, and this meeting is about young people, and in this meeting I realize I&#039;m an old person—I am now a peer to my peers—and I&#039;m woefully short on stool softener.  Addressing the reader--e.g. you,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>So I&#039;m in this meeting at work, and this meeting is about young people, and in this meeting I realize I&#039;m an old person—I am now a peer to my peers—and I&#039;m woefully short on stool softener.  Addressing the reader--e.g. you, right damned now—isn&#039;t somet...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>8:21</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Young_People_and_the_Poison_That_s_Made_Me_Terminally_Uncool.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>So I&#8217;m in this meeting at work, and this meeting is about young people, and in this meeting I realize I&#8217;m an old person—I am now a peer to my peers—and I&#8217;m woefully short on stool softener. Addressing the reader&#8211;e.g. you, right damned now—isn&#8217;t something I&#8217;ve been wary of during these tangential brain dumps, these [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36218986/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218047/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218986/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218986/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218986/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218986/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218986/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218986/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3 style=&quot;clear:left;padding-top:10px&quot;&gt;Related Stories&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/felt-better-for-three-minutes-then-i-got-even-prettier/&quot;&gt;Felt Better for Three Minutes, Then I Got Even Prettier&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/email-is-the-fodder-for-corporate-anarchy/&quot;&gt;Email Is Fodder for Corporate Anarchy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waywardirregular.com/matthew-norman-the-famous-author-once-toiled-among-the-commoners/&quot;&gt;Matthew Norman, The Famous Author, Once Toiled Among the Commoners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/those-delicious-delicious-floor-beans/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Those Delicious, Delicious Floor Beans</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218988/0/waywardirregular~Those-Delicious-Delicious-Floor-Beans/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218988/0/waywardirregular~Those-Delicious-Delicious-Floor-Beans/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 2012 12:00:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1367</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’ve re-introduced coffee into my life, and it’s decisions like these that put me in my office chair at three in the morning with a bloody nose, stark naked and trying to order the owner’s manual for a 1973 Dodge Dart, an automobile I’ve never owned. I’ve fallen off the caffeine wagon, hard, and I [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218048/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218988/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218988/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218988/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218988/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218988/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218988/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218988/0/waywardirregular~Those-Delicious-Delicious-Floor-Beans/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218048/0/waywardirregular~Those-Delicious-Delicious-Floor-Beans-Enclosure.mp3" length="10598859" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>I’ve re-introduced coffee into my life, and it’s decisions like these that put me in my office chair at three in the morning with a bloody nose, stark naked and trying to order the owner’s manual for a 1973 Dodge Dart, an automobile I’ve never owned.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>I’ve re-introduced coffee into my life, and it’s decisions like these that put me in my office chair at three in the morning with a bloody nose, stark naked and trying to order the owner’s manual for a 1973 Dodge Dart, an automobile I’ve never owned. I...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>10:54</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Those_Delicious_Delicious_Floor_Beans.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I’ve re-introduced coffee into my life, and it’s decisions like these that put me in my office chair at three in the morning with a bloody nose, stark naked and trying to order the owner’s manual for a 1973 Dodge Dart, an automobile I’ve never owned. I’ve fallen off the caffeine wagon, hard, and I [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36218988/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218048/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218988/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218988/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218988/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218988/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218988/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218988/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-unified-rules-of-abandoned-office-food/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The Unified Rules of Abandoned Office Food</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218997/0/waywardirregular~The-Unified-Rules-of-Abandoned-Office-Food/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218997/0/waywardirregular~The-Unified-Rules-of-Abandoned-Office-Food/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1320</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This isn’t the first office I’ve flattened my ass in, but the rules among the beasts never change—you need to think fast, never abandon food, and bared gums are a clear sign of aggression. You have to be a hunter, a cutthroat with a ragged blade and thick merciless ichor in your veins for when [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218050/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218997/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218997/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218997/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218997/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218997/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218997/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218997/0/waywardirregular~The-Unified-Rules-of-Abandoned-Office-Food/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218050/0/waywardirregular~The-Unified-Rules-of-Abandoned-Office-Food-Enclosure.mp3" length="10996757" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>This isn’t the first office I’ve flattened my ass in, but the rules among the beasts never change—you need to think fast, never abandon food, and bared gums are a clear sign of aggression.  You have to be a hunter,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>This isn’t the first office I’ve flattened my ass in, but the rules among the beasts never change—you need to think fast, never abandon food, and bared gums are a clear sign of aggression.  You have to be a hunter, a cutthroat with a ragged blade and thick merciless ichor in your veins for when the first email goes out.  Everyone’s little workstation chimes in staccato, “Hey everyone.  There’s leftover food from the conference in the break-room, go get it.”  The air starts to immediately stink, pheromones and barbarous hunger scratch at every door, and within only a beat or two, the stampede begins.  Red and yellow sirens blast from all corners of the office building, the brave ones stuffing letter openers in their teeth and heading into the fray, the cowards locking their doors and weeping into their kneecaps.  Personally, I try to keep inside of my own office, but I leave the door open in case I can claw the achilles of a weaker part of the passing herd, then drag them in and tie them up under my desk, possibly for use as a hostage, or if things turn dark, nutrition.  Any given day of the month I’m at full battle readiness, always six or seven seconds from wrapping my belt around my knuckles to bob and weave my way to the break-room—someone had a birthday, and I’m ready to trade concussions for cream cheese frosting.
The interns are the first wave to deal with.  They’re young, they’re fast, and always terribly hungry for anything that can be converted into clean piss, a YouTube video, cheap weed, or a boner.  They’ve got these fresh little teeth, and they’re never fed, so when the pastel workers with our khaki colored office socks display weakness, they’ll pounce on anything that moves, leaving behind only a ribcage and the smell of heavy deodorant.  You can usually throw a net to catch the stragglers, but the foremost of the intern pack must be dealt with via subterfuge and cunning, these young day walkers have an incredible sense of smell and check their email with relentless frequency.  One tactic is to send a quick and distracting follow-up email, since, as they’ll already be up and en-route to the chow, their eyes are glazed and only find comfort when affixed to a tiny screen, and on this tiny screen they’ll read something like, “Uh, nope, no food in the break-room.  It’s totally all gone now, like, all of it.  Everything.”  You’ll get, at best, a few laborious and middle-aged steps closer to the leftover taco fixings, but making it back to your desk without a patch or two missing from your scalp is going to require thicker calves, and knowing young people these days, fire.
You must be a hunter, a veteran of office escape routes, you must wear green and grow a beard, and you must time your fridge visits carefully.  For those of us in the jungles of the modern office, having our food missing even from the sanctity of the communal refrigerator isn’t so much of a surprise as it is a challenge.  Once you open the fridge and notice your meal is missing, the hackles go up, that stripe of hair down your spine rises, and you start stamping and huffing at the ground, stirring up the scent and hunting for prey.  Tie loosened and back hunched, you paw and slobber around the floor, poking your snout and grumbling while you sniff people’s papers, wetting them with your nose while they try to remain absolutely still.  Eventually you come across the right office.  It’s Jeremy, again.  He immediately knows why you’re here, and you both start growling at the same time, gums bared and hands formed into claws, diving across the room to settle the matter like beasts.  All that’s left behind is Jeremy in a coma, and you with the five dollar Starbucks gift card he was saving for that afternoon.
The exhausted parent feels little need to obey the Unified Rules of Abandoned Office Food, nor do they feel guilt, pity, remorse, or mercy.  If there’s leftover slop from some company function,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>11:19</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_Unified_Rules_of_Abandoned_Office_Food.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This isn’t the first office I’ve flattened my ass in, but the rules among the beasts never change—you need to think fast, never abandon food, and bared gums are a clear sign of aggression. You have to be a hunter, a cutthroat with a ragged blade and thick merciless ichor in your veins for when [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36218997/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218050/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218997/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218997/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218997/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218997/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218997/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218997/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/glutton-king-of-the-ten-circus-buffet/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Glutton King of the Ten Circus Buffet</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218999/0/waywardirregular~Glutton-King-of-the-Ten-Circus-Buffet/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218999/0/waywardirregular~Glutton-King-of-the-Ten-Circus-Buffet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1302</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’ve been having aberrant fantasies about a neon striped seafood buffet somewhere in the middle of the desert. I’m doing my best to arrange a vacation getaway to Las Vegas, the land of vice and degenerate corruption, dancing people in Asian-themed face paints and all manner of glimmer and noise. For me, the crux to [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218051/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218999/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218999/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218999/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218999/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218999/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218999/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36218999/0/waywardirregular~Glutton-King-of-the-Ten-Circus-Buffet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218051/0/waywardirregular~Glutton-King-of-the-Ten-Circus-Buffet-Enclosure.mp3" length="7295728" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>I’ve been having aberrant fantasies about a neon striped seafood buffet somewhere in the middle of the desert.  I’m doing my best to arrange a vacation getaway to Las Vegas, the land of vice and degenerate corruption,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>I’ve been having aberrant fantasies about a neon striped seafood buffet somewhere in the middle of the desert.  I’m doing my best to arrange a vacation getaway to Las Vegas, the land of vice and degenerate corruption, dancing people in Asian-themed face paints and all manner of glimmer and noise.  For me, the crux to any of the big Vegas resorts is the buffet, and just how vast and accessible the thing is.  I’ve written before, at length, about my lifelong devotion and possible obsessions with the buffet style feeding system, that long sneeze-protected trough of self served food, that row of endless possibilities.  There’s an inherent beauty in the idea of grabbing the portions you prefer, the right amount that fills you up without leaving you hungry for more or embarrassed with a leftover plate of orange chicken and bread pudding.  It gives me disgusted pause at these places who serve you food that was clearly intended for a buffet, places that serve up a salad for you, letting you pick a few nuts and berries while they skimp on the dressing and pork proteins and then charge you an electric bill for the meal.  Blasphemous, these places.  I’ll let you charge me twelve dollars for a salad I didn’t make right after I’ve finished my suicide note and profane letter to congress.  Keep the sprouts and knotted chunks of lettuce—I’m heading to Vegas—and in Vegas, shit goes on my plate with a ladle.
Kayla and I aren’t Vegas People(tm).  We can barely consume alcohol, if any, and we’ve never danced in a club nor have we any impulse to do so.  We visited the city of sin just the once together, and our idea of being pampered equated to overpaying for a high-rise room and only leaving it for the occasional buffet run or fifteen dollar bottle of Tylenol.  We loved it though, simply existing amongst the lights and the food and the possibility of it all.  The buffet stole my heart, this massive testament to the developments and availability mankind has to offer.  Buffets in Vegas hotels and casinos are a “thing,” I’ve heard, as many of them tout the special flair that makes this particular buffet the one to visit after the circumcision of your child or any other event that requires scissors and alcohol.  So, naturally, I’ve been planning our hotel stay to coincide with whatever buffet the place offers and if they have an adequate salad bar, plenty of bacon at the breakfast end, and a ranch dressing tub large enough to give birth in.
I imagine the coronation like some distressing fever, piles of drugs consumed in a short time span or a few too many vegetables from an unkept pantry, something rotten causes the colors to blur and the loud neon nightmare that Vegas has become is now twisted into something Tim Burton thought of by living in the woods and snorting lady bugs.  I am the King of the Buffet, and every few years I bestow my presence upon Nevada to sample what the ragged and overworked peasantry has toiled all year long to present me with.  A warped roving circus follows me everywhere, the size of the thing ten times what any normal carnival might travel with, and keeping pace with the slow droning bells and music, dozens of waif-thin jesters and frumpy sad clowns cartwheel and patter around an enormous wooden cart.  On the platform, a six story high and perfectly round creature balances like the world’s largest yoga ball, decked in patched purple robes and jewelry, baby hands grasping at the air, and on its tiny head a crown of bejeweled bacon rests.  It is me, the mighty Glutton King of the Buffet, and I’ve come to suckle and graze from this season’s harvest.
The feeding is the real spectacle.  The casino floor starts to shake, and what sounds like bass feedback rumbles through the building, the sad clowns and skeletal jesters all coming to a halt and beginning to weep.  An army of monkey butlers clad in little red tuxedos start climbing all over the Glutton King and the wooden platform that he arrived in,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>7:28</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Glutton_King_of_the_Ten_Circus_Buffet.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I’ve been having aberrant fantasies about a neon striped seafood buffet somewhere in the middle of the desert. I’m doing my best to arrange a vacation getaway to Las Vegas, the land of vice and degenerate corruption, dancing people in Asian-themed face paints and all manner of glimmer and noise. For me, the crux to [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36218999/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36218051/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36218999/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36218999/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36218999/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36218999/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36218999/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36218999/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/clearly-you-would-sleep-through-a-tornado-and-i-might-let-it-take-you/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Clearly You Would Sleep Through a Tornado, and I Might Let it Take You</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219001/0/waywardirregular~Clearly-You-Would-Sleep-Through-a-Tornado-and-I-Might-Let-it-Take-You/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219001/0/waywardirregular~Clearly-You-Would-Sleep-Through-a-Tornado-and-I-Might-Let-it-Take-You/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1286</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It started with what sounded like a soft gurgle just a few inches behind my neck, and when my bare toes started to soak with rain water, I relinquished all hope for this damned ugly day and the whole sullied week. There’s not much room for pause when your office starts flooding, and after the [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217905/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219001/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219001/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219001/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219001/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219001/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219001/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219001/0/waywardirregular~Clearly-You-Would-Sleep-Through-a-Tornado-and-I-Might-Let-it-Take-You/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217905/0/waywardirregular~Clearly-You-Would-Sleep-Through-a-Tornado-and-I-Might-Let-it-Take-You-Enclosure.mp3" length="9672244" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>It started with what sounded like a soft gurgle just a few inches behind my neck, and when my bare toes started to soak with rain water, I relinquished all hope for this damned ugly day and the whole sullied week.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>It started with what sounded like a soft gurgle just a few inches behind my neck, and when my bare toes started to soak with rain water, I relinquished all hope for this damned ugly day and the whole sullied week.  There’s not much room for pause when your office starts flooding, and after the momentary buzz that switched on those red flags and the adrenaline, one or two swear words are about all you get before the action kicks off.  The electronics come up off the floor first, everything unplugged with a long-cord tug, and stuff forms stuff piles all over more stuff, rapidly.  I turned to face the flood coming from the poorly sealed basement well window behind my desk, brown water reaching around two feet to the mark, and the unintelligible string of nonsense that I spat out was enough to wake the dog.  The dog, my dog, who had no predilection to warn his owner, no deep genetic instinct to bark and howl and dust up the room in an effort to save me considerable trouble, just watched the movie.  Instead, as I said something like, “Water, water room for shit, the stuff, papers, pizza then the show,” the beast simply watched as I ran on my toes to the first material something I could find that was known to soak up water: the dirty laundry.  I still have a couple of t-shirts that smell like potted plants and bandaids.
This is one of those parts of home ownership that you’re never really prepared for, those little middle class emergencies that eat up the few hundred dollars you had been planning for other things.  When I turned to face the initial onslaught, time slowed down, just enough for a watery face to form in the well window behind me.   It took a devilish form, glossed hateful eyes, and with a horrible grin it mouthed the words, “Your vacation savings means nothing to me.  Also, I hate you.”  With the last silent syllable, the face splashed into itself, and the water started flooding into my office with all the force of a tiny Poseidon, or maybe just an errant water hose.  I felt like sitting down on the floor and letting the event unfold before me, like I’d given up and this is something I deserve for disobeying the cities building codes with such a cavalier attitude.  Next, I’ll buy a black leather jacket and rent a cherry red convertible, only to slowly cruise by our homeowner’s association office and throw a milkshake at the building.
I attempted to lay several pairs of pants across the bottom of the window on the little wooden ledge, and then use a few of my button-up shirts to form a V shape, an engineering feat designed to pull water directly into the laundry basket positioned on the floor below.  The thing filled up, fast.  I heard the storm and saw the shade of the room change, but apparently I hadn’t looked over my shoulder for over an hour, the basement window well filling up to elbow depth with rain, hail, and old Burger King bags with tire marks on them.  The floor had already been soaked to the nines, and I was out of laundry, so all I could do was watch the rain keep pouring into my basket and onto the floor, me standing there in bare feet and wondering what it would feel like if everything was yesterday.  The basement is finished too, which means that it was all carpet that this angry rain was soaking into, so I couldn’t help feeling like I brought this whole scene on myself.  Any way you slice it, this is apparently what I’m capable of in a crisis: Dirty laundry, a big bucket, and strange hillbilly engineering—our linens as brick and my useless adrenaline as mortar.
My wife and I made our way to the tool store, or whatever the term is these days for the places you can buy a Christmas tree thirty yards from a row of demonstrable poisons.  We rented a carpet cleaner and purchased a wet/dry vacuum to help us try and reclaim my office, heading home with worn faces and impure thoughts toward our fellow humans.  The hail storm had taken my wife’s tomato plants straight to hell,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>9:56</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Clearly_You_Would_Sleep_Through_a_Tornado_and_I_Might_Let_it_Take_You.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It started with what sounded like a soft gurgle just a few inches behind my neck, and when my bare toes started to soak with rain water, I relinquished all hope for this damned ugly day and the whole sullied week. There’s not much room for pause when your office starts flooding, and after the [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219001/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217905/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219001/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219001/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219001/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219001/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219001/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219001/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/into-the-mountain-zoo-for-death-by-a-thousand-dog-kisses/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Into the Mountain Zoo for Death by a Thousand Dog Kisses</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219003/0/waywardirregular~Into-the-Mountain-Zoo-for-Death-by-a-Thousand-Dog-Kisses/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219003/0/waywardirregular~Into-the-Mountain-Zoo-for-Death-by-a-Thousand-Dog-Kisses/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:00:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1266</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I woke up on Sunday morning, little did I know that by lunchtime I’d be deep in the mountains, sitting on a piss stained rug in some stranger’s remote indoor zoo, a pocket full of cash and the realization that there was literally nowhere to run. Dogs, this whole thing is about dogs and [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217906/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219003/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219003/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219003/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219003/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219003/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219003/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219003/0/waywardirregular~Into-the-Mountain-Zoo-for-Death-by-a-Thousand-Dog-Kisses/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217906/0/waywardirregular~Into-the-Mountain-Zoo-for-Death-by-a-Thousand-Dog-Kisses-Enclosure.mp3" length="11277207" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>When I woke up on Sunday morning, little did I know that by lunchtime I’d be deep in the mountains, sitting on a piss stained rug in some stranger’s remote indoor zoo, a pocket full of cash and the realization that there was literally nowhere to run.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>When I woke up on Sunday morning, little did I know that by lunchtime I’d be deep in the mountains, sitting on a piss stained rug in some stranger’s remote indoor zoo, a pocket full of cash and the realization that there was literally nowhere to run.  Dogs, this whole thing is about dogs and the twisted attachments my wife and I have formed with ours.  I’ve talked about Carl before, our English Bulldog—sixty pounds of emotive wrinkles—and how we’d probably both start depraved new careers in a late night Home Depot parking lot if it meant we could afford whatever surgery we hope Carl will never require.  I thanked Carl in my first book, and his name was listed before several actual human people, a testament to the humanity I’ve reflected through him and the resulting personality I’ve given a former wild beast, a killer, a toothy medieval guard that’s been bred into the thing that runs from the smell of menthol and sleeps on my feet.  The mid-game for my wife and I and the whole marriage thing is to have children and get it over with already before we’re too old to watch a movie without getting so confused that we dial 911.  Like everyone, we have a few wish-list things to scratch out before this happens, and one of those things is to acquire another dog, and this is because my wife and I are insane people.
The first plan was to see if we could round up a rescue puppy, any mutt will do, as mixed-blood dogs are generally healthier and we’re not terribly picky.  We kept a firm eye on the puppy-oriented ones, rescue sites and re-homing organizations that find puppies and get them into safe environments away from the streets, dog fighting, and to prevent them from forming post apocalyptic packs of mangy teeth that wander the neighborhoods eating garbage and stealing children’s shoes.  The hitch in that whole giddyup for us was that the majority of these beasts were Collies, Shepherds, Mastiffs, and all other kinds large breed—dogs we would love to have in our home—but we simply don’t have the room in our tiny house and 10x10 “yardling” to contain the mischief.  So, we caved, and signed up for a puppy mailing list from a private breeder, and imagined what it would be like to find a bag of botched robbery money just lying in the street.
We were trying to avoid spending mortgage-type monies on a new dog, which is exactly what we did when we brought Carl home several years ago.  Adoptions and rescues are available to good homes on the cheap, so we were only planning to part with a couple of bills for the new pup, but it seems that any dog genetically engineered to fit into a briefcase comes with considerable expense.  We’d settled on a Pug or some bastard mixture of Pug DNA, for their size, temperament, and how they’d get along with Carl,  my close trusted heterogeneous animal life partner.  We’re basically after another movie dog, the type of canine who looks at his leash, hears the question “Go for a walk?” and just sighs in your direction while continuing to read People magazine.  
On Sunday morning my wife receives an email telling us that the breeder just purchased a litter of pugs, and they’re now eight weeks old and ready to poop all over a good home.  We reply, and a phone conversation later, I’m on my way, deep into the mountains to retrieve one of the little puppies which are apparently already selling out like something something I don’t know maybe flapjacks.  The dogs are 1/8th Poodle so says the email, and from the pictures we can see that a few of the little ones have longer hair, and the others are dead ringers for normal regular Pug puppies.  We noted that we’re after a male, and that the drive is going to take me two hours, and that I’ll be there as soon as humanly possible, and that much like an underage hillbilly wedding—I’m bringing a pocket full of cash for the few bills it’ll cost me to drive away with a new family member.  
The whole thing caught us by surprise.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>11:37</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Into_the_Mountain_Zoo_for_Death_by_a_Thousand_Dog_Kisses.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When I woke up on Sunday morning, little did I know that by lunchtime I’d be deep in the mountains, sitting on a piss stained rug in some stranger’s remote indoor zoo, a pocket full of cash and the realization that there was literally nowhere to run. Dogs, this whole thing is about dogs and [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219003/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217906/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219003/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219003/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219003/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219003/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219003/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219003/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-first-sticking-point-is-the-word-dinner-as-a-singular-event/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The First Sticking Point is the Word “Dinner” as a Singular Event</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219004/0/waywardirregular~The-First-Sticking-Point-is-the-Word-%e2%80%9cDinner%e2%80%9d-as-a-Singular-Event/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219004/0/waywardirregular~The-First-Sticking-Point-is-the-Word-%e2%80%9cDinner%e2%80%9d-as-a-Singular-Event/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1240</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The whole scene collapses my brain like a whoopee cushion: I’m no longer sixteen years old, and Taco Bell is no longer a “quick decision” kind of thing. It’s laborious. No longer can I wade up to the counter and start picking out items—something they’ve newly rearranged from only six ingredients—then start eating it like [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217907/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219004/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219004/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219004/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219004/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219004/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219004/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219004/0/waywardirregular~The-First-Sticking-Point-is-the-Word-%e2%80%9cDinner%e2%80%9d-as-a-Singular-Event/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217907/0/waywardirregular~The-First-Sticking-Point-is-the-Word-%e2%80%9cDinner%e2%80%9d-as-a-Singular-Event-Enclosure.mp3" length="8558801" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>The whole scene collapses my brain like a whoopee cushion: I’m no longer sixteen years old, and Taco Bell is no longer a “quick decision” kind of thing.  It’s laborious.  No longer can I wade up to the counter and start picking out items—something they...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>The whole scene collapses my brain like a whoopee cushion: I’m no longer sixteen years old, and Taco Bell is no longer a “quick decision” kind of thing.  It’s laborious.  No longer can I wade up to the counter and start picking out items—something they’ve newly rearranged from only six ingredients—then start eating it like I’ve already scheduled an entire afternoon on the toilet.  I can’t shove two orders of Nachos bel Grande into a bowl and then work it into my cake eater during back-to-backs of The Twilight Zone, all while pretending I don’t have a bucket list.  When eating something like a Burrito Supreme, there’s more than hunger to consider—I need to keep in mind that I have a wife, a dog, blood pressure medication, and a colon that’s only going to tolerate so much of my nonsense.  One or two more abdominal afternoons in the bathroom, and all twenty or so feet of my intestines are going to pay me back by relaxing during a client meeting with an audible and wet groan—me waking up about an hour later surrounded by a hazmat crew, a single post-it note stuck to my chest.  The words, clearly penned by my liver, are terse: “Salad! Salad, you son of a bitch!”
Prattling on about getting older isn’t going to serve me any good on this one.  For anyone already on a strict diet of Metamucil, granola, and blood thinners, you’re never old enough unless you can remember throwing eggs at minorities as a part of a normal school day.  For anyone who’s wearing the stuff you wore to elementary school as a skin tight fashion accessory, you’re now far too old to like, you know, what-ev-er.  Let me be clear about my first paragraph though, Taco Bell is only nasty once it’s entered your body—prior to that—the stuff is delicious.  McDonalds foodstuffs may be able to strip the paint off your car or preserve a corpse for the summer, but it’s a tasty business, and yes, I have heard about the good Christian work they’ve been doing with a taco shell made entirely from Doritos, but I have a doctor’s appointment soon and I don’t need to explain to him why I’d be tinted orange at both ends.
It’s not about Taco Bell, or McDonalds, or whatever your preferred death-by-sodium might be.  It’s about the stuff we eat and the ways we’d never thought about it before.  As a teenager, there was never any question what I ate, in what quantities, and how often.  I like to imagine a conversation with my sixteen year old self when trying to find a place to eat for dinner.  The first sticking point would probably be the word “dinner” as a singular event—sixteen year old Matthew is expecting two and a half dinners, minimum.  There is no futzing about when it comes to fast food.  It’s food, it’s fast, it’s cheap and it’s goddamn delicious—we’re going to Taco Bell, and probably more than once.  Calories, sugars, fats, sodium, these are words that sixteen year old Matthew has heard before, but has never considered on a personal level, words he’s only read on another failed chemistry test, or under the guise of a hand puppet in a bacon costume.
What sixteen year old Matthew should, but doesn’t consider, is that he’s dining with an older version of himself, and that older Matthew has specific dietary needs due to the ravages of time, an ever-sensitive stomach lining, and a wild new proclivity for avoiding what he’s come to call “the afternoon bloat-nap.”  Places like Qdoba and Chipotle are supposed to be an alternative, as if their slop is any more healthy than the stuff we’ve been raised on at the traditional fast food place.  It’s the same six ingredients, it still comes from a plastic bag, and it’s still been doused in chemicals originally designed to clean the hull of an oil tanker.  The only difference now is that the staff at these faux-Mexican joints wear different uniforms and are forced to yell things about the ingredients across the room, like it’s actually being cooked and not just microwaved by a semi-concious grad student named Malcom or Gray.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>8:47</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_First_Sticking_Point_is_the_Word__Dinner__as_a_Singular_Event.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The whole scene collapses my brain like a whoopee cushion: I’m no longer sixteen years old, and Taco Bell is no longer a “quick decision” kind of thing. It’s laborious. No longer can I wade up to the counter and start picking out items—something they’ve newly rearranged from only six ingredients—then start eating it like [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219004/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217907/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219004/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219004/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219004/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219004/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219004/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219004/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/vague-streams-of-thought-in-general-regard-to-a-midwestern-something/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Vague Streams of Thought in General Regard to a Midwestern Something</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219005/0/waywardirregular~Vague-Streams-of-Thought-in-General-Regard-to-a-Midwestern-Something/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219005/0/waywardirregular~Vague-Streams-of-Thought-in-General-Regard-to-a-Midwestern-Something/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1177</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In all things, in the trials and tribulations of life, there is solace in casserole. Think calmly, think midwestern people, think midwestern things. Wooden spice racks, communal suppers and the special sort of calm that accompanies the orange dusk of a hard day’s work. The sun sets, slowly drifting underground, and your skin is cracked [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217908/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219005/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219005/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219005/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219005/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219005/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219005/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219005/0/waywardirregular~Vague-Streams-of-Thought-in-General-Regard-to-a-Midwestern-Something/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217908/0/waywardirregular~Vague-Streams-of-Thought-in-General-Regard-to-a-Midwestern-Something-Enclosure.mp3" length="13151754" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>In all things, in the trials and tribulations of life, there is solace in casserole.  Think calmly, think midwestern people, think midwestern things.  Wooden spice racks, communal suppers and the special sort of calm that accompanies the orange dusk of...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>In all things, in the trials and tribulations of life, there is solace in casserole.  Think calmly, think midwestern people, think midwestern things.  Wooden spice racks, communal suppers and the special sort of calm that accompanies the orange dusk of a hard day’s work.  The sun sets, slowly drifting underground, and your skin is cracked and dry, sore knees and blisters, perfumed lotion as you grip an iced tea and calculate the sleep you’ll get for tomorrow’s toils.  The zen calm of a summer day on the plains, everything moves in a directional concert, conducted by the sister winds from any random direction.  Hot breezes pour into your ears and all you can smell is the earth, keep slouching in a lawn chair and digest that potato salad.  Fine art and learned scholars are exchanged for deviled eggs—experimental substances and wild incense is left behind for tomorrows newspaper and cheap potpourri.  Calories and finicky nutrition labels melt from the forefront of your mind—a day on your feet can purchase as many breakfast sausages as it takes to fill you up.  Coffee is black, and only serves to get your morning started, the evening is reserved for beer, and only serves to lull your day to its end.  Still kitchens, cicadas, air conditioning, freshly vacuumed carpet, bare feet, cherry tomatoes.
Dirty boots, hard slung over white gravel work sites, thousands of miles walked under steel toes and X many days without an accident.  Laborious repetitive machinations that make the pillars that make the foundations that keep the Burger King leaning into the whooping winds of the plains.  Every day is powered by a routine, a careful set of rules that keeps the whole thing on its feet, a thermos full of coffee and a protein rich silver canister that can survive a high-beam drop.  Tire sales.  Dentists offices with ancient fake wood paneling, little pictures of dogs and sticky notes all over monitors that went out of fashion back when Friends was still on the air.  Drywall experts and the long story about the time they did the thing at the place and saw someone famous.
You’re going to need a belt.  A belt holds the jeans to the waist, gives the shirt a foundation, and displays a commemorative buckle.  Pagers and cell phones need the belt, something to clip on to, and the belt is where we loop the little holder for a multi-purpose cutting tool or an aged pair of pliers.  The belt is a weapon.  Swatting flies and wrapping around knuckles, the belt is an all purpose survival device.  The belt used to help get your point across.  Any belt taken to a spouse can be later used to strangle you in a jail cell, and any belt taken to a child can be returned when the child is old enough to shave, and you are unwell, and those bad grades come slapping back with teary rage.  The belt will never wear out, and its tanned leather will absorb the character of everything you do in the plains.  The belt is a reliable constant, fixed into the universe with a specific purpose, if for nothing more than a rack for your thumbs when pondering a particularly thoughtful something.
Little league, high-schoolers serving licorice and cheap nacho cheese, storms you can actually see coming.  De-tasseling corn, sweaty acne riddled faces getting in the way of an underpaid migrant worker.  Sun tea, panting dogs, bare and dirty feet.  The post office, the bank, the bar.  Angry men staff the tiny monopolies and squint for their keys—too cheap to get that prescription, and too frustrated to read a book about Europe.  Pleasant men cut the hair and sell the fishing lures—too alone to ever update the candy dish, and too bipolar to keep the shotguns in high places and unloaded.  The schools are a crushing thing, they eat at your will and they eat at your dreams.  The teachers are a varied thing, some drink for the next check, and some strive to keep you hungry.  There are places away from the show, places all over in these blue and yellow maps,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>9:02</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Vague_Streams_of_Thought_in_General_Regard_to_a_Midwestern_Something.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In all things, in the trials and tribulations of life, there is solace in casserole. Think calmly, think midwestern people, think midwestern things. Wooden spice racks, communal suppers and the special sort of calm that accompanies the orange dusk of a hard day’s work. The sun sets, slowly drifting underground, and your skin is cracked [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219005/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217908/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219005/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219005/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219005/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219005/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219005/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219005/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/allen-masterton-and-the-beautiful-music-he-prays-youll-never-hear/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Allen Masterton and the Beautiful Music He Prays You&#8217;ll Never Hear</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219007/0/waywardirregular~Allen-Masterton-and-the-Beautiful-Music-He-Prays-Youll-Never-Hear/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219007/0/waywardirregular~Allen-Masterton-and-the-Beautiful-Music-He-Prays-Youll-Never-Hear/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1159</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Without getting terribly country-western in this opening sentence, I’ll submit the following: I’ve got friends in weird places, and sometimes, they sing pretty songs. I’ve loaded up the computer with a tall stack of music, and it’s all performed by one finicky and difficult near-ginger artist, my close friend, Allen Masterton. Allen’s one of those [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/35138320/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219007/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219007/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219007/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219007/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219007/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219007/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219007/0/waywardirregular~Allen-Masterton-and-the-Beautiful-Music-He-Prays-Youll-Never-Hear/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/35138320/0/waywardirregular~Allen-Masterton-and-the-Beautiful-Music-He-Prays-Youll-Never-Hear-Enclosure.mp3" length="25571110" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Without getting terribly country-western in this opening sentence, I’ll submit the following: I’ve got friends in weird places, and sometimes, they sing pretty songs.  I’ve loaded up the computer with a tall stack of music,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Without getting terribly country-western in this opening sentence, I’ll submit the following: I’ve got friends in weird places, and sometimes, they sing pretty songs.  I’ve loaded up the computer with a tall stack of music, and it’s all performed by one finicky and difficult near-ginger artist, my close friend, Allen Masterton.  Allen’s one of those characters I hope are woven into the stranger stories about me long after I’m gone—two bearded freaks barreling down the interstate in a stolen school bus, hopped up on expired sugar alcohols and robbing every bank they see… sweet-corn everywhere.  His day-to-day is funded by a priesthood in that big sterile cult Steve Jobs founded, peddling iPhones and routing a never ending traffic of cigarette jeans.  The side stuff is his music, and with this very sentence I realize he’s my token “friend with a band.”  Everyone’s got a friend with a band, and twelve times out of ten, they’re terrible—awful and out of pitch Coldplay imitations, high-schoolers molesting an electric guitar behind lyrics about something they can’t yet understand, and someone’s girlfriend is always involved.  Can I be impartial?  No.  However, with Allen, I’ve always endeavored to be honest, complement sandwiches be damned.  His notions on dieting and women are distorted like a circus mirror, he’s notorious for warping the details in everything he’ll ever tell you, and his voice is a sweet supple thing, capable of cradling you gently into the afterlife if you were to lose focus for just a moment or two.
Pulling from the driveway, we pop on his first album, The Glass Maiden, and it’s a messy heartfelt teenage ordeal—just like everything that goes on in your late teens-to-early-twenties.  The running joke, “Who’s the hot chick singing,” is an easy target on his back, his countertenor range has you thinking about Bon Iver or a deliberate and angry kick to the bollocks.  Digging up the full track listing for The Glass Maiden has been a little difficult, as Allen’s on a personal mission to cleanse the world of any work previous to his current, ashamed and vengeful for whatever hat he wore in the year previous.  I see him in full Fahrenheit 451 regalia, wide-eyed maniacal laughter and a full-mast erection as he pours fire all over the Mona Lisa.  I roll up the windows, fish around for a Diet Coke, and spend a few minutes on the highway relating to this notion.  
I’m not entirely sure where I’m heading, but it’s late, there’s four hundred miles to go, and ex-girlfriends are yelling in my brain.  The Transient and Eternal, Masterton’s next softly played acoustic driven album, is perfect fodder for stuff like this, old dates and failed intimacy flooding back through your veins.  I asked him a few weeks ago about the album he’s currently working on.  “So, how many of the songs are going to be about your ex-girlfriends?”  He looked at me like I’d asked him how many bicycle tires he could fit into his mouth, and with flat eyebrows, answered, “All of them.”  The Transient and Eternal is dark, and the lyrics betray a man in his early twenties tying to feel out what it means to write a serious song, but the makings of real talent are out and obvious now.  Tracks like Symbiotic are engaging, chorus and refrain staying with you for the full four minutes and one second, the end of the song leading my finger away from the next piece of beef jerky and over to the “back” button on the stereo to repeat the song.  Symbiotic is a great example of lyrics that are dark, murder-suicide kinds of over-arching weirdness, but it works in the context, and it’s almost playful.  Tracks like If I Died—while composed beautifully—have me picturing a closet full of magazine cutouts, pinned strings and purple lipstick everywhere, latin nonsense written on the mirror and a strange smell coming from the shower.
Remnants is up next, and I think I’m somewhere in the dead night in the desert.  The heat comes on, frigid outside the car,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/audio/allen_masterton.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Without getting terribly country-western in this opening sentence, I’ll submit the following: I’ve got friends in weird places, and sometimes, they sing pretty songs. I’ve loaded up the computer with a tall stack of music, and it’s all performed by one finicky and difficult near-ginger artist, my close friend, Allen Masterton. Allen’s one of those [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219007/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/35138320/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219007/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219007/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219007/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219007/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219007/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219007/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/long-drives-failed-stratagem-and-the-time-i-peed-all-over-my-car/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Long Drives, Failed Stratagem, and the Time I Peed All Over My Car</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219010/0/waywardirregular~Long-Drives-Failed-Stratagem-and-the-Time-I-Peed-All-Over-My-Car/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219010/0/waywardirregular~Long-Drives-Failed-Stratagem-and-the-Time-I-Peed-All-Over-My-Car/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:00:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1139</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every night, right before a much deserved period of unconsciousness, I enter the bathroom and perform a ritual—a ritual convincing my wife that my mind has finally snapped. Everyone pees before bed, a quick micturition to get the pipes all clear and keep the weird dreams about watersides and lemonade stands far from the bedside [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217909/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219010/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219010/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219010/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219010/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219010/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219010/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219010/0/waywardirregular~Long-Drives-Failed-Stratagem-and-the-Time-I-Peed-All-Over-My-Car/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217909/0/waywardirregular~Long-Drives-Failed-Stratagem-and-the-Time-I-Peed-All-Over-My-Car-Enclosure.mp3" length="22543297" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Every night, right before a much deserved period of unconsciousness, I enter the bathroom and perform a ritual—a ritual convincing my wife that my mind has finally snapped.  Everyone pees before bed, a quick micturition to get the pipes all clear and k...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Every night, right before a much deserved period of unconsciousness, I enter the bathroom and perform a ritual—a ritual convincing my wife that my mind has finally snapped.  Everyone pees before bed, a quick micturition to get the pipes all clear and keep the weird dreams about watersides and lemonade stands far from the bedside journals.  I’m no different.  I may do strange things, I’ll grant her that.  Shoveling food from a bowl with a spoon seems efficient to me, I believe there’s no real measurement to how much sugar on your cereal is “too much,” and while I may put my pants on one-leg-at-an-awesome—I refuse to admit that there’s anything wrong with trying to drain out every last drop before I finally lapse into a few hours of drooling and heavy thoughts.  I can’t help it.  I’ll take the before-bed constitutional like everyone else, but if I’m still awake and I can think about it, I’ll wander back into the bathroom and get to work on that hernia.  Our bathrooms are small too, and by my third pre-sleep visit, I’ve run out of bladder pressure, so I’ve got to do this weird sort of spinal bendy move to keep things off the floor.  For my poor wife, it’s just that hairy bastard waking her up yet again to head to the john, some strange man who looks to be doing squat thrusts and sounds like he’s slowly squeezing fresh orange juice directly into the toilet.
The whole thing is going to be about pee, if you hadn’t figured it by now, so I’ll only subject you to that one paragraph before this very sentence warning you about more.  On self analysis, I wrap an unbelievably large part of my existence around taking a piss, and if I’m going to write extensively about my stomach (which I have), I figure this sharp little essay might as well be about my bladder—just as long as I’m not penning one of these in a few years all about my feet, lungs, or anything to do with my shitter.  I’m peeing, constantly, forever in my third trimester, and it’s got my internal clock wound to a perfect beat.  
I wake up each night at least twice to let it all out, which is why I take fifty or so damned trips to the porcelain before I finally fall asleep.  My theory, which has been proven dead wrong for the last twenty years, is that the less in my body, the less I’ll have to actually wake up for.  This isn’t true, and wake up I always do, the last person in the world to ever wet the bed.  I’ll be having a dream, some terrific orgy I’ve concocted in my brain, and right as I’m getting started with the oil baths and eunuch sacrifice, my seventh grade shop teacher will repel from the ceiling, nudge me in the ribs, and tell me, “Hey.  Get up, time to pee.”  I’ll awake and head for the bathroom, angry that I never had a chance to try out the water slide made entirely of breasts.
Now, I don’t want to hear about my prostate, no I don’t have a grapefruit sized something near my bladder, and I’m not riddled from head to toe with diabetes—I just have to pee, like, all the time.  I’ve been checked, by a real doctor, to see if it’s time for me to start paying closer attention to the Wilford Brimley commercials, or if I’m old enough to start having a stranger’s thumb up my ass on the regular, and the results are negative.  I am young, healthy, and I consume a considerable amount of tea.  Movies require a special sort of planning in this regard, and I’m not alone here, as there’s an entire website devoted to getting you to the restroom and back into the theater before the next car chase.  The site is called RunPee.com, and it’s come in handy more than once, and by more than once, I mean always.  
You bring up the website (or iPhone application) and find the movie you’re off to see.  It’ll list for you a number of “pee times” throughout the movie, areas where they consider the pace dull enough that you won’t miss much, non-plot-specific conversation, scenery changes, and every time Robert Downy Jr. isn’t saying something rushed and funny,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>15:34</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Long_Drives_Failed_Stratagem_and_the_Time_I_Peed_All_Over_My_Car.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Every night, right before a much deserved period of unconsciousness, I enter the bathroom and perform a ritual—a ritual convincing my wife that my mind has finally snapped. Everyone pees before bed, a quick micturition to get the pipes all clear and keep the weird dreams about watersides and lemonade stands far from the bedside [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219010/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217909/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219010/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219010/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219010/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219010/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219010/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219010/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-client-wishes-only-for-your-death-terrible-advice-from-a-freelancing-insider/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The Client Wishes Only For Your Death: Terrible Advice from a Freelancing Insider</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219012/0/waywardirregular~The-Client-Wishes-Only-For-Your-Death-Terrible-Advice-from-a-Freelancing-Insider/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219012/0/waywardirregular~The-Client-Wishes-Only-For-Your-Death-Terrible-Advice-from-a-Freelancing-Insider/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1117</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’m sitting here, a pint sized Hoyo de Monterrey balanced on this ancient keyboard, and things are turning squirrely. There’s a solid length now between me and the days of pawing over a feed reader, each post a possible morsel of sustenance, each headline some terrible missile aimed for my guts. I don’t write about [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217910/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219012/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219012/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219012/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219012/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219012/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219012/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219012/0/waywardirregular~The-Client-Wishes-Only-For-Your-Death-Terrible-Advice-from-a-Freelancing-Insider/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217910/0/waywardirregular~The-Client-Wishes-Only-For-Your-Death-Terrible-Advice-from-a-Freelancing-Insider-Enclosure.mp3" length="21874353" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>I’m sitting here, a pint sized Hoyo de Monterrey balanced on this ancient keyboard, and things are turning squirrely.  There’s a solid length now between me and the days of pawing over a feed reader, each post a possible morsel of sustenance,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>I’m sitting here, a pint sized Hoyo de Monterrey balanced on this ancient keyboard, and things are turning squirrely.  There’s a solid length now between me and the days of pawing over a feed reader, each post a possible morsel of sustenance, each headline some terrible missile aimed for my guts.  I don’t write about the freelancing stuff anymore because I don’t want to, it’s a small part of my day-to-day under this new administration, and I hate that game even more than I hate the technicolor grime that appears behind the toilet whenever we get too splashy in the tub.  I should pop a pill or two when this gray fog comes in, the thoughts of being a freelance creative and answering to the colorless masses.  A quick computerized count tells me I penned over eighty thousand words about freelancing back when this weird sideshow used to be about the stuff—a book’s worth of words—and if such a thing were ever published, I’ll be sure to stick a bar of soap in my pocket and head west.  Let’s talk about this.  Let’s get therapeutic, and focus on our power animal.  Let me share a little of what I learned.  It’s time to pretend I know what I’m talking about, as I’m listening to rap music, and I’m in a fucky mood.
I hate the freelance game, I hate it.  I look down on it from the clouds now, so my dreams go, a vile, atavistic lifestyle fit for everyone else, something I’ve mastered about as well as I’ve mastered touching my brain with my thumb.  There are plenty of words out there telling you things learned by freelancers out in the field, hard road knowledge and what-not, stuff aimed to help you through it all.  Thoughtless nonsense, all of it, as far as my world went.  It’s all a bunch of stuff aimed for the successful, leaving the rest of us waiting for the checks in the mail and a Flickr gallery full of places with wood floors—places where there are no worries, and the coffee is fancy.  So, here’s my quick stack of paragraphs, my 1/30th thesis, a few things that’ve been fisted into my life back during my six or so years of freelancing.  I got out though, and on purpose.  Hopefully these two thousand or so words will aim the shotgun slowly away from your mouth, and back at the watermelons in your neighbor’s gazebo you’ve been trying for all morning.
…
I’ve danced around the super hip folks before, those internet celebrity creative types, the ones we keep reading articles about.  It’s a strange incestuous cabal, a few hundred jackals who all aim their Google calendars for whatever conference is up next, giving talks and keynote addresses to themselves, a few hundred name-tags that never change.  They take turns, each one getting up there with the gray sweater and the white sneakers, talking about how to control your clientele and which productivity software is the flavor of the week.  Don’t listen to everything they say.  The articles are a good hash of information, it’s all well enough to keep your skills sharp and help us all point the future of the web headed straight and up, but it’s barely potable.  Don’t, however, fall for how they tell you things work.  Now’s the part where we wonder how jaded I’ve become, if I’m just some wild and mad former JPG jockey, angry and due for his medicine.  The answer is: yes, much, very.  I did, however, make a semi-successful go at this stuff in the olden days.  The house, the cars, and even a new pair of shoes that one time, all funded by my mercenary creative work I’d do on loan to whomever wanted to take credit for my gradients.
They’ve pulled the veil down and nailed it to the floor, tight, so we never see Oz and his microphone.  Every day the blog-roll of how to be a successful freelancer piles in, buckets and buckets of wishful thinking and misguided intentions—and I’m as guilty as any.  The lot of us, the 99% (to borrow that, just for now) made our money by tap dancing for nickels and thanking the local real estate agent that hired us for the privilege.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>15:06</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_Client_Wishes_Only_For_Your_Death__Terrible_Advice_from_a_Freelancing_Insider.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I’m sitting here, a pint sized Hoyo de Monterrey balanced on this ancient keyboard, and things are turning squirrely. There’s a solid length now between me and the days of pawing over a feed reader, each post a possible morsel of sustenance, each headline some terrible missile aimed for my guts. I don’t write about [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219012/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217910/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219012/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219012/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219012/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219012/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219012/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219012/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/its-big-ugly-brazilian-and-brilliant-ice-packs-and-bro-fights/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>It’s Big, Ugly, Brazilian and Brilliant: Ice Packs and Bro-Fights</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219014/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-Big-Ugly-Brazilian-and-Brilliant-Ice-Packs-and-BroFights/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219014/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-Big-Ugly-Brazilian-and-Brilliant-Ice-Packs-and-BroFights/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1106</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What a strange new hobby I’ve adopted, this last year spent writhing around under florescent lights with men whom intend me harm, gnashing teeth and painful grunts—I think this is what the 80’s were like. I do this by choice, the writhing and wrestling thing. Hours upon hours of each week dedicated to the art [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217776/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219014/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219014/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219014/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219014/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219014/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219014/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219014/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-Big-Ugly-Brazilian-and-Brilliant-Ice-Packs-and-BroFights/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217776/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-Big-Ugly-Brazilian-and-Brilliant-Ice-Packs-and-BroFights-Enclosure.mp3" length="14394974" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>What a strange new hobby I’ve adopted, this last year spent writhing around under florescent lights with men whom intend me harm, gnashing teeth and painful grunts—I think this is what the 80’s were like.  I do this by choice,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>What a strange new hobby I’ve adopted, this last year spent writhing around under florescent lights with men whom intend me harm, gnashing teeth and painful grunts—I think this is what the 80’s were like.  I do this by choice, the writhing and wrestling thing.  Hours upon hours of each week dedicated to the art of synthetic combat, everything about my thirties becoming harder and harder to explain to my Grandmother.  Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a strange name for what we’re doing.  It’s like bellying up to some slop hole for breakfast and ordering a glass of Ecuadorian Coffee to go with your hashed Idaho Potatoes and two fried fetuses from Davy-May’s Local Farm Fresh Eggery &amp; Discount Tire.  It’s like Judo, but with fewer loud grunty flips and tosses, and the name—Jiu Jitsu—just another adopted Japanese phrase for “the gentle art,” or whatever other lie we use to get middle aged divorcees to put on the leggings and take an overpriced kickboxing course.  It’s “Brazilian” Jiu Jitsu, which sounds exotic, like the wrong kind of internet research might have you shaving things and hitting the tanning bed, arriving for your first class more ready for an orgy than combat wrestling.  Same thing in some circles, I suppose.
It all started with the infamous Gracie family, which I realize is partially true now that I finish typing this sentence.  Like every martial art, there are sixteen different accounts on who invented what, who kicked whose ass, challenge matches and all that style-vs-style stuff we keep reading in the subtitles to our favorite slap-fu movies.  Ten thousand years ago, some husky handsome bastard named Maeda swum his way from Japan on the back of a dragon, his intentions to bring Judo to the world, so the story goes.  When racial bigotry kicked him off most continents, the Brazilians handed him a mixed drink, a green flag, threw him on the dance floor, and got him popping and locking with the mocha skinned beauties for which they are famous.  
Questionably vague stories about the Gracies helping Maeda “get established” in Brazil float around, but the long and short of it is that a Gracie guy named Carlos learned Judo from the mysterious Japanese fighter, then taught his brothers.  Helio, one of the brothers, was sick and frail, and after communing with a magical talking serpent made of rainbows, modified the stuff to help smaller folk break arms and choke people out.  Wikipedia has other accounts, but we’ve already made it this far, and I think the stuff about dragons makes the story sound less like a History channel documentary on rock quarries, and more like one of Joe Rogan’s mushroom freak-outs.
Years later we start to see those grainy VHS tapes of Brazilians in pajamas, writhing around with challengers from different schools with different arts and different ideas on combat.  Each one plays out the same, a few seconds of flailing and loud “hi-ya’s,” followed by what looks like two koala’s lazily wrestling over a peanut, then the Brazilian guy casually walks away from an unconscious body.  The first few Ultimate Fighting Championship fights ended this way, and at the time they were the most boring thing on your television since something something 90’s sitcom joke.  Royce Gracie, lanky son number twenty-six from Helio’s infamous loins, arrived at the UFC and with his writhing and wrestling broke down the meatheads and super-ninjas in devastating and frustrating new ways.  Locking up arms and legs, snapping bones and choking people into unconsciousness all from the most uncommon of places: the ground.  
The frilly dance moves of the martial arts classes Americans had been taking for years and years were all thrown out of the cage by, as far as they new, some tricky brown dude with high cheekbones.  Cut to twenty years later, and that ground fighting stuff that Royce was showcasing is a staple in cage fighting.  You can bring your Taekwondo and stick-fighting skills into the ring if you want,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>9:54</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/It_s_Big_Ugly_Brazilian_and_Brilliant__Ice_Packs_and_Bro-Fights.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What a strange new hobby I’ve adopted, this last year spent writhing around under florescent lights with men whom intend me harm, gnashing teeth and painful grunts—I think this is what the 80’s were like. I do this by choice, the writhing and wrestling thing. Hours upon hours of each week dedicated to the art [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219014/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217776/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219014/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219014/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219014/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219014/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219014/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219014/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/future-televisions-and-the-dirty-blood-credits/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Future Televisions and the Dirty Blood Credits</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219016/0/waywardirregular~Future-Televisions-and-the-Dirty-Blood-Credits/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219016/0/waywardirregular~Future-Televisions-and-the-Dirty-Blood-Credits/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1099</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Wandering into an electronics store and buying an expensive television off the wall, on a whim, is like stuffing a cooked ham into a tube sock and referring to it by a woman’s name—that is to say, the activity completely baffles me. White haired fifty something’s with popped windbreaker collars and spotless internet shoes seem [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217777/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219016/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219016/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219016/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219016/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219016/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219016/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219016/0/waywardirregular~Future-Televisions-and-the-Dirty-Blood-Credits/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217777/0/waywardirregular~Future-Televisions-and-the-Dirty-Blood-Credits-Enclosure.mp3" length="10257805" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Wandering into an electronics store and buying an expensive television off the wall, on a whim, is like stuffing a cooked ham into a tube sock and referring to it by a woman’s name—that is to say, the activity completely baffles me.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Wandering into an electronics store and buying an expensive television off the wall, on a whim, is like stuffing a cooked ham into a tube sock and referring to it by a woman’s name—that is to say, the activity completely baffles me.  White haired fifty something’s with popped windbreaker collars and spotless internet shoes seem to just stroll into the Best Buy, start pointing at things, and fifteen minutes later they’ve got a new 60” high definition television fit for the garage, apparently so their old lawnmower and unopened boxes of deer jerky have something to watch.  I don’t understand these people.  Whether the notion of financial whimsy came to them later in life, or perhaps the result of never having to balance a checkbook, damn near everyone needs some sort of accounting in order keep walking among the thick and the clothed.  Maybe they just know the score, or maybe they’re on pills, or maybe both.  I have questions.
Traditionally, those of means use a CPA for more than just the yearly disappointment.  They’ve got one on retainer to manage every dime that drops from their ears, and that very CPA is on the horn when something mischievous claws out from the bank statements.  Perhaps there is a certain level of income that any average family can rake, a number that just levels you out and makes what would be a fancy-pants purchase for the knowledge workers, nothing more than a cup of coffee for the wealthy.  The middle-class might mistakenly ask the upper for financial advice, a large purchase on the horizon and the like, since that pair of white socks pulled to the knees clearly represents a certain level of self acceptance.  They laugh a tinny, high cackle of a laugh, like you’d asked them a nonsense question that sounded like your cat trying to speak a few sentences of English.  “You want to buy something?” they reply, “well, just use money.  Have you tried using money?  That’s all it takes.”
The way you do it, the way we do it, the way I’ve done it—responsibly—is to find that giant-ass television you want, then immediately slam an ink pen under your toenail, and bathe the wound in vodka.  I refuse to rack up debt in order to grab one, so the conspiracy sets off in a slow crawl toward a material thing that we simply don’t need.  First comes the research—flyers, coupons, daily deals and all kinds of reviews flood your computer screen, anything to show you where to find a television that lives up to roughly seventy percent of your original expectations.  The planning stage is the next one, the part where you’ve got the calculator open and parsing hypothetical financial situations for the next ten years.  “Let’s see, if we take this much each month and set it aside, we can skimp on diapers and dog food, heck I can probably invent my own dog food… and… let’s see… yeah, we can probably buy this television with whatever sort of future currency exists in the year 2063.  Probably ‘blood credits’ of some sort.  Okay, can’t wait!”
The day of the actual purchase, the part that should be the most fun, is in reality the most terrifying.  You’ve finally got a fist full of cash money and you’re going to mosey into the store you’ve already called to ensure they have your television in-stock, and you’re going to come home with a receipt and a delivery date.  It should all be on the level, the score finally wrapping up with the goods in-tow, but all you can think about is how much more useful that money would be in paying off student loans.  Instead of butterflies, excitement, and playing with a modern toy made for adults, you’re counting cash, calories, and anything else that a television will continue to remind you that you’re not good enough for.
Here’s roughly how it went for the Mrs. and I:
We pull up to the Best Buy that we’ve already secured will have a television within our price range.  We skulk into the place, racked with heavy guilt over the thing we’ve saved up for in an honest fashion,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>7:02</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Future_Televisions_and_the_Dirty_Blood_Credits.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Wandering into an electronics store and buying an expensive television off the wall, on a whim, is like stuffing a cooked ham into a tube sock and referring to it by a woman’s name—that is to say, the activity completely baffles me. White haired fifty something’s with popped windbreaker collars and spotless internet shoes seem [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219016/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217777/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219016/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219016/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219016/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219016/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219016/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219016/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/and-the-horsemen-came-and-they-feared-the-man-nathan-fillion/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>And the Horsemen Came, And They Feared the Man Nathan Fillion</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219019/0/waywardirregular~And-the-Horsemen-Came-And-They-Feared-the-Man-Nathan-Fillion/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219019/0/waywardirregular~And-the-Horsemen-Came-And-They-Feared-the-Man-Nathan-Fillion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1078</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In my years on this planet I’ve arrived at two infallible truths: Ranch dressing has no discernible equal, and Nathan Fillion needs to star in a goddamn blockbuster movie already. I’ve had enough of the Twitter campaigns, blog posts, speculation, want, lust, need, and all manner of gripping your knees in a cold shower and [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217778/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219019/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219019/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219019/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219019/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219019/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219019/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219019/0/waywardirregular~And-the-Horsemen-Came-And-They-Feared-the-Man-Nathan-Fillion/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217778/0/waywardirregular~And-the-Horsemen-Came-And-They-Feared-the-Man-Nathan-Fillion-Enclosure.mp3" length="12614468" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>In my years on this planet I’ve arrived at two infallible truths: Ranch dressing has no discernible equal, and Nathan Fillion needs to star in a goddamn blockbuster movie already.  I’ve had enough of the Twitter campaigns, blog posts, speculation, want,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>In my years on this planet I’ve arrived at two infallible truths: Ranch dressing has no discernible equal, and Nathan Fillion needs to star in a goddamn blockbuster movie already.  I’ve had enough of the Twitter campaigns, blog posts, speculation, want, lust, need, and all manner of gripping your knees in a cold shower and throwing empty vodka bottles at the toilet like a wild beast, some hungry and hurt thing, finally huffing its mauled flesh off into a ditch to die alone.  What 30-story bronze leviathan must rise from the ocean and set its grip around a movie studio to make this happen?  What biblical acts must the world conjure to get this space captain a new vessel?  The clouds will swirl wildly, thunder and the commanding boom of a sky breaking at the spine and thrashing about, some enormous bearded face formed of grey angry clouds leaning into the windows of Columbia Pictures, all while stuttering executives unleash their bowels in terror.  The behemoth cloud-face-thing leans in with a frown, lightning arcing everywhere, and with a mighty echoing voice, it commands that Nathan Fillion is to star in the Uncharted movie franchise.  Right before they die, the executives sputter out one sentence, mouths full of blood and their words empty of resolve: “I think we can tap Mark Wahlberg for that project, he tests well for the demographic.”  California is then eaten by the sea.
The man made that show, the one about a ship full of hookers and thieves and their merry adventures, canceled just before the dawn of 2003.  I’ve seen the one season of it on DVD roughly a hundo-kabillion times, and every time I watch it, the show seems fresh, like it could sit right down to dinner and nobody’s going to question its funny clothes.  I’m not going to waste my breath telling you about what was perhaps the greatest show to ever slacken the eyeballs of the ten or twelve people who watched it during its prime, no, but consider this your only warning—get thee to a retail video establishment and spend that baby formula money on the Firefly box set.  Now!  At once!  You’ll have a good heaping handful of episodes to paw over, and then you’ll get started on a proper offering to the all-chiseled living man-god that is Nathan Fillion.  Figs and hair product are a good start.
He’s got the funny, the handsome, and he knows his way around those places where actors play pretend—the “set,” or the “studio,” or the “dance, puppet, dance” area, or whatever it’s called, I don’t care.  All I know is that Nathan Fillion can work the camera like it owes him rent money, and more than once he’s made me wonder what manner of repressed bi-curious confusion I’ve relieved by boot stomping that old garage door laying in my backyard.  I get that his breakout show was canceled, I get it.  I miss it, but I don’t pine away for its return by wrapping my social life around the culture, or by cursing in Mandarin and waving burning sage around my house.  Conventions and the like are all well and good for those whom refuse to release their imaginations as they age, and I applaud this.  However, in fifty years we’re just going to have a room full of walkers in brown leather coats falling asleep in a La Quinta Inn, two dozen “I Aim To Misbehave” tattoos all wrinkled up and illegible from the elastic ravages of time.  Somewhere in the corner of the room, a loop of the Firefly theme music plays on the hotel’s borrowed television cart, right next to a plastic potted plant full of Diet Coke bottles.  It’s going to go from sexy costumes and home made space guns, to diaper coupons and hour long arguments over whose diabetes is worse.  I refuse to watch.
Fillion’s been in a few pages full of television programs and films, and most (aside from Waitress, Slither, and the Firefly film, Serenity) are gross insults to the talent the man wields with every macho word from his sturdy jaw.  He’s a few seasons deep starring in his own television crime drama thingamajig called “Castle,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>8:40</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/And_the_Horsemen_Came_And_They_Feared_the_Man_Nathan_Fillion.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In my years on this planet I’ve arrived at two infallible truths: Ranch dressing has no discernible equal, and Nathan Fillion needs to star in a goddamn blockbuster movie already. I’ve had enough of the Twitter campaigns, blog posts, speculation, want, lust, need, and all manner of gripping your knees in a cold shower and [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219019/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217778/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219019/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219019/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219019/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219019/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219019/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219019/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/when-we-first-learned-of-lust-the-nintendo-christmas/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>When We First Learned of Lust: The Nintendo Christmas</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219021/0/waywardirregular~When-We-First-Learned-of-Lust-The-Nintendo-Christmas/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219021/0/waywardirregular~When-We-First-Learned-of-Lust-The-Nintendo-Christmas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=1069</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Much like ranch dressing, Thriller, and the Sears catalog—The Nintendo Entertainment System shaped my life in ways that were both very important and wildly confusing. When the thing first arrived on our shores, it cost about ten-kerbillion American dollars, so for most of the lower middle class, we had to wait a few years for [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217779/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219021/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219021/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219021/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219021/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219021/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219021/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219021/0/waywardirregular~When-We-First-Learned-of-Lust-The-Nintendo-Christmas/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217779/0/waywardirregular~When-We-First-Learned-of-Lust-The-Nintendo-Christmas-Enclosure.mp3" length="14810634" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Much like ranch dressing, Thriller, and the Sears catalog—The Nintendo Entertainment System shaped my life in ways that were both very important and wildly confusing.  When the thing first arrived on our shores,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Much like ranch dressing, Thriller, and the Sears catalog—The Nintendo Entertainment System shaped my life in ways that were both very important and wildly confusing.  When the thing first arrived on our shores, it cost about ten-kerbillion American dollars, so for most of the lower middle class, we had to wait a few years for it to come to the “I can live this kind of debt,” prices.  Advertising for the super rockstar console was relentless, every Saturday morning cartoon blasting bright imagery and loud pixels into children already blitzed on sugary breakfast cereal.  These ads tore you apart at the seams, the poison was just too much.  For us, it was our first taste of pure and ravenous lust, little high-calorie wolves set for a sinister kill.  We’d do anything to play video games of this new caliber in our own living rooms, the thoughts screaming in every dream, bouncing across every decision, little boys awaking in the mornings already in full-fit rage.  We’d gnash our teeth and see blood everywhere, tiny fists tearing footy pajamas off, itching all over, anything just to get ahold of a Nintendo.  These were violent times in our biology, our first realizations that we could love something so much, we’d take things to dark and horrible places just to let it know.  “Yes, I will drown Garfield and I will do this while Odie watches in horror, eyes taped open and strapped to a steel bathtub, numb to his whines.  As long as there’s a copy of Kid Icarus waiting for me when that last bubble of red-flecked air pukes to the top of the toilet, I will be your assassin.”
Your first few Christmases after the Nintendo is announced just test your tolerance for demonstrable disappointment.  A good friend regales me with his own personal hell from back in the days of golden tokens and morning cartoons featuring MC Hammer.  Sans-Nintendo, his entire world felt incomplete and terribly lonely.  Sitting at the dinner table with his family and every imaginable orange, yellow, and brown hue that 1987 brought with it, he’d only pick at his plate, pushing peas around with his tiny finger.  Conversation murmurs along as it did in those days, occasionally over the drone of whatever sitcom served as distraction, and the little boy can’t eat a thing.  His mother makes an innocent enough request, “How about you hon?  How was your day at school?”  There are no words.  A tiny boy with a large ginger mop of hair simply bursts into deflated sobbing, crying into his mashed potatoes because the weight of the world without a Nintendo Entertainment System is simply too much.  Until the thing arrives under his Christmas tree, each afternoon in his family home is punctuated by a little boy sitting in the corner by himself, facing the wall, gently sniffing and sobbing at the injustice of the world.
My experience wasn’t much different.  We’d been sated by an Atari for years, but the leap between Joust and Super Mario was a cavernous trek that no human could find any relation in.  My parents tried to tie us up with those impossible Nintendo-themed wrist watches, the monochromatic ones where you could navigate Mario or Link up onto a platform, one level, on repeat, with little controls that never worked properly.  I learned to draw Super Mario with perfect precision, and my brother and I would act out, during play, what we assumed the game was like.  It arrived though, after a couple of tortuous years, we’d acquired our very own Nintendo.  It played out like I imagine many other holiday morning un-wrappings played out—two little children are ordered to open that big box at the same time, and as they rip and tear in anticipation, the branding of a Nintendo reveals itself from under green and red paper.  The first stage is exultation—you scream and cry and throw a wild fit because your pain has finally come to an end, the shackles have been shed.  The next part is the thank-you’s.  You clasp onto your parents calves and start kissing,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>10:12</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/When_We_First_Learned_of_Lust__The_Nintendo_Christmas.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Much like ranch dressing, Thriller, and the Sears catalog—The Nintendo Entertainment System shaped my life in ways that were both very important and wildly confusing. When the thing first arrived on our shores, it cost about ten-kerbillion American dollars, so for most of the lower middle class, we had to wait a few years for [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219021/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217779/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219021/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219021/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219021/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219021/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219021/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219021/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/alex-blumberg-and-the-womp-womp-box/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Alex Blumberg and the Womp Womp Box</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219022/0/waywardirregular~Alex-Blumberg-and-the-Womp-Womp-Box/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219022/0/waywardirregular~Alex-Blumberg-and-the-Womp-Womp-Box/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:00:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=926</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There’s a certain level of self awareness required to enjoy sloppy fast-food ice cream in the company of another man. Generally, for those of my ilk, it’s a devious and perverse little slice of life—sitting alone in a quiet room and absorbing every calorie, savoring each granule of processed sugar, the promise to yourself that [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217780/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219022/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219022/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219022/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219022/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219022/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219022/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219022/0/waywardirregular~Alex-Blumberg-and-the-Womp-Womp-Box/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217780/0/waywardirregular~Alex-Blumberg-and-the-Womp-Womp-Box-Enclosure.mp3" length="25330667" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>There’s a certain level of self awareness required to enjoy sloppy fast-food ice cream in the company of another man.  Generally, for those of my ilk, it’s a devious and perverse little slice of life—sitting alone in a quiet room and absorbing every ca...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>There’s a certain level of self awareness required to enjoy sloppy fast-food ice cream in the company of another man.  Generally, for those of my ilk, it’s a devious and perverse little slice of life—sitting alone in a quiet room and absorbing every calorie, savoring each granule of processed sugar, the promise to yourself that you’ll eat just a little washing right into your ever expanding body issues, along with that new belt and a few extra poses in the mirror tomorrow morning.  Allen and I would jaunt off to the Dairy Queen on occasion, two Blizzards acquired, then we’d sit and consume them like the world was to be overcome with plague in roughly three minutes.  I noticed a look of grimaced pain on Allen’s face, tight and angry brow-furrowing after each scoop into his maw, and each one after that, only sharpening the frown.  “What’s the story?” I’d asked, “Ice cream headache?”  “Yeah,” he’d replied, “it happens every time I eat the stuff.”  It washed over me all at once.  It was in that moment I’d realized the man had never learned to properly enjoy this dessert—he was swallowing each bite as soon as it was taken, some terrible masochistic relationship he’d formed with one of the planet’s most honest treats.
When my face slackened, his did the same.  He knew something was turning in the ol’ brainpan, and he knew I was about to tell him something he didn’t want to hear.  When I revealed that he’d just spent the first thirty years of his life without ever properly eating iced cream—that is, not swallowing frozen lumps of it until your brain seizes up with a cold pain—he laughed and accepted it in a way that told me that later in the evening he’d be sobbing in a dirty shower filled with beer cans and low expectations.  Allen made his way to adulthood without ever knowing that the vile pain associated with an ice cream headache can be avoided if you simply let the tasty stuff work around in your mouth a bit, then let it head on down the tubes.  He still has trouble with it, but the slow road to understanding has now begun with a single Oreo swallow.
I’m not sure what the name for this phenomenon is, the one where a tiny bit of ignorance or misunderstanding whips and weaves through childhood, sneaking past adolescence, then deftly avoiding higher education and adulthood.  It’s dashed every book and television show you’ve ever absorbed, common conversation and all flavors of small talk have come in and out of your mind, yet this little factoid never catches you slipping.  It’s a poisoned rash in your brain, some little sore spot that’s never been attacked with the light, so you wind up in the grocery store at forty-seven years old, trying to pay for a can of Dinty Moore with two wooden nickels and a three dollar bill.  It happens to everyone, there’s no social status or financial degree that’ll signal you out as someone who’s immune.  “Wait, so, a ‘Rhodes Scholar’ doesn’t travel the world doing… smart things?  Oh… oh no.”  Life has betrayed you, and now you’ve got a bone to pick with your second grade teacher.
It’s become a self-aware sort of game for my me, my wife, and a few close friends.  It’s like tiny therapy, letting it all out, because even if you’ve stumbled upon your own ignorance in private, your brain is going to zip through every archived memory looking for embarrassment and make you re-live each one.  Confess to the thought-crimes in a group, so goes our logic, and it’ll all go a little easier when you tell everyone you thought that hot water was created by the faucet, heating it for you on-tap, as opposed to that big jug in your basement they were screwing with on Mythbusters.
In an episode of the radio show This American Life (ep. 293 “A Little Bit of Knowledge”), Alex Blumberg tackled this very concept.  He digs up a few similar instances of adult humiliation, from a woman who thought crossing signs (painted with a large letter X and an “ing”) were pronounced “zing,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>17:30</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Alex_Blumberg_and_the_Womp_Womp_Box.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There’s a certain level of self awareness required to enjoy sloppy fast-food ice cream in the company of another man. Generally, for those of my ilk, it’s a devious and perverse little slice of life—sitting alone in a quiet room and absorbing every calorie, savoring each granule of processed sugar, the promise to yourself that [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219022/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217780/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219022/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219022/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219022/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219022/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219022/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219022/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/ancient-squares-of-cardboard-and-all-that-valueless-postage/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Ancient Squares of Cardboard, and All That Valueless Postage</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219024/0/waywardirregular~Ancient-Squares-of-Cardboard-and-All-That-Valueless-Postage/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219024/0/waywardirregular~Ancient-Squares-of-Cardboard-and-All-That-Valueless-Postage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=914</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My younger brother briefly showed an interest in baseball, and as a result, his grandchildren will likely snort off-world caviar from the bellybutton of alien slaves. I had my brief affair with the game, but it was rather fleeting, manifesting in a couple of those long-triangle felt banners that young boys used to tape to [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217781/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219024/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219024/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219024/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219024/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219024/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219024/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219024/0/waywardirregular~Ancient-Squares-of-Cardboard-and-All-That-Valueless-Postage/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217781/0/waywardirregular~Ancient-Squares-of-Cardboard-and-All-That-Valueless-Postage-Enclosure.mp3" length="11925462" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>My younger brother briefly showed an interest in baseball, and as a result, his grandchildren will likely snort off-world caviar from the bellybutton of alien slaves.  I had my brief affair with the game, but it was rather fleeting,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>My younger brother briefly showed an interest in baseball, and as a result, his grandchildren will likely snort off-world caviar from the bellybutton of alien slaves.  I had my brief affair with the game, but it was rather fleeting, manifesting in a co...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>8:11</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Ancient_Squares_of_Cardboard_and_All_That_Valueless_Postage.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My younger brother briefly showed an interest in baseball, and as a result, his grandchildren will likely snort off-world caviar from the bellybutton of alien slaves. I had my brief affair with the game, but it was rather fleeting, manifesting in a couple of those long-triangle felt banners that young boys used to tape to [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219024/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217781/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219024/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219024/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219024/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219024/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219024/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219024/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/changing-chairs-with-the-licorice-stick/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Changing Chairs with The Licorice Stick</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219025/0/waywardirregular~Changing-Chairs-with-The-Licorice-Stick/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219025/0/waywardirregular~Changing-Chairs-with-The-Licorice-Stick/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:00:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=902</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I once played the clarinet for seven years, and it was those kinds of decisions that set the tone for much of my adolescence. For my graduating class, the whole band thing started in the fifth grade, and I think we were picking out our instruments at the end of the fourth. As with most [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217782/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219025/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219025/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219025/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219025/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219025/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219025/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219025/0/waywardirregular~Changing-Chairs-with-The-Licorice-Stick/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217782/0/waywardirregular~Changing-Chairs-with-The-Licorice-Stick-Enclosure.mp3" length="14729759" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>I once played the clarinet for seven years, and it was those kinds of decisions that set the tone for much of my adolescence.  For my graduating class, the whole band thing started in the fifth grade, and I think we were picking out our instruments at ...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>I once played the clarinet for seven years, and it was those kinds of decisions that set the tone for much of my adolescence.  For my graduating class, the whole band thing started in the fifth grade, and I think we were picking out our instruments at ...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>10:08</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Changing_Chairs_with_The_Licorice_Stick.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I once played the clarinet for seven years, and it was those kinds of decisions that set the tone for much of my adolescence. For my graduating class, the whole band thing started in the fifth grade, and I think we were picking out our instruments at the end of the fourth. As with most [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219025/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217782/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219025/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219025/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219025/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219025/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219025/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219025/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/it%e2%80%99s-not-going-to-win-it%e2%80%99s-not-going-to-claim-my-body/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>It’s Not Going to Win, It’s Not Going to Claim My Body</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219027/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-Not-Going-to-Win-It%e2%80%99s-Not-Going-to-Claim-My-Body/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219027/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-Not-Going-to-Win-It%e2%80%99s-Not-Going-to-Claim-My-Body/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:00:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=894</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s that moment where I feel the virus dig in and take hold, the moment where I contemplate throwing myself out of a window—the moment when I realize I’ve got a cold, and I’m going to spend the next several days leaking. The shades come down with a dangerous mechanical slam, red lights and sirens [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217783/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219027/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219027/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219027/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219027/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219027/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219027/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219027/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-Not-Going-to-Win-It%e2%80%99s-Not-Going-to-Claim-My-Body/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217783/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-Not-Going-to-Win-It%e2%80%99s-Not-Going-to-Claim-My-Body-Enclosure.mp3" length="14899966" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>It’s that moment where I feel the virus dig in and take hold, the moment where I contemplate throwing myself out of a window—the moment when I realize I’ve got a cold, and I’m going to spend the next several days leaking.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>It’s that moment where I feel the virus dig in and take hold, the moment where I contemplate throwing myself out of a window—the moment when I realize I’ve got a cold, and I’m going to spend the next several days leaking.  The shades come down with a dangerous mechanical slam, red lights and sirens firing off, the next ten days on my calendar instantly black out, and where there was some to-do about groceries, violent looking skulls and crossbones appear over black squares.  Over your clothes a scarlet letter R materializes, marking you as a carrier of the rhinovirus, not to be touched, not fit for human interaction.  People shield their eyes when they see you, looking away and with palms up, they twist and contort, trying to climb into the walls to avoid you and your disease.  Sleeves are used to open doorknobs, shirts untucked to handle silverware, and arsenic pills are passed out en masse.  You’re going to spend the foreseeable future breathing through your mouth, and if you attempt to step out from your hovel, three men who drew short straws are waiting to pitchfork you and burn everything you held dear.
I hate it, I hate getting a cold.  I’m a giant slobbery baby when it takes over, and I don’t want to do anything but slump into bed and moan at the floor until the whole thing passes.  I’m terribly careful.  My wife finds my slow progression to a Howard Hughes level of germ awareness pointless.  Every doorknob or cabinet handle that I touch (outside of my own home) is clocked and counted, every surface accounted for, every finger I’ve brought too close to my face, remembered.  I’m at the ready, always.  I’m not going to be the guy who got a cold because he rubbed his eyes after using a communal ink-pen at work, no, I’m going to be the guy who’s laughing at the lepers because they should’ve washed their hands before adjusting their glasses, slow walking mummies covered in ghastly bandages, all while I’m in the corner of the room, drinking vitamin supplements and covering my hands in antibacterial ointments.  What my wife fails to understand is that the weepy long gray hair is to cover my ears from invaders, the malnourished body to give the germs less to invade, and the long fingernails to fight off the shadow men who keep trying to get me to touch the grocery store shopping carts with bare hands.
My sister-in-law nearly sent me right to the booby hatch two years ago at a Thanksgiving gathering.  She arrives at the event—the usual for us all—a space meant for six people now crawling with thirty, their larva touching everything with their little nose pickers, the commune spreading its own filth around like a Civil War medical tent, flies and rusty instruments daring the bacteria to have a go of things.  I begin the questioning with a passion.  How long have you had this cold?  What, currently, are your symptoms?  I’ve read that after four days you are no longer contagious, but this may be nonsense—when did you first start feeling ill?  When we hugged, did you face away from my ear?  Are you willing to eat your lunch in the cellar?  Sure, they say as long as you keep your hands washed things should be as right as the mail, but they have a short memory, and the common cold is a bastard of a virus.  It’s going to kick in your door, snarl at your family, laugh at your hand soap, then hold you down and give you the business while your family sobs, terrified, in the corner of the room.
She comes at me, my sister in law, when she’s discovered my hyper phobia and avoidance of her.  A cackling laugh overtakes the movie we’re all digesting to, and she begins licking her hands—full slathers of shiny disease coating each of her mitts.  Palms now outward, she stands up and zombies over to me, laughing wildly.  I lean back into the couch, “Back!  Back you monster!  I’ve done nothing for this!  Someone, I beg you, hand me a shoe, give me something large and loaded!”  Left with only two alternatives, kick her in the stomach,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>10:15</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/It_s_Not_Going_to_Win_It_s_Not_Going_to_Claim_My_Body.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It’s that moment where I feel the virus dig in and take hold, the moment where I contemplate throwing myself out of a window—the moment when I realize I’ve got a cold, and I’m going to spend the next several days leaking. The shades come down with a dangerous mechanical slam, red lights and sirens [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219027/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217783/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219027/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219027/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219027/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219027/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219027/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219027/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/now-we%e2%80%99re-knuckle-deep-into-this-geek-foolery/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Now We’re Knuckle-Deep Into This Geek Foolery</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219029/0/waywardirregular~Now-We%e2%80%99re-KnuckleDeep-Into-This-Geek-Foolery/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219029/0/waywardirregular~Now-We%e2%80%99re-KnuckleDeep-Into-This-Geek-Foolery/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:00:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=877</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was home, but I had to eat fast—three men in Texas were waiting for me. It was more like ten, eight for sure—we’d pick up the last two if necessary—but three of them were in Texas and they were ready to get murderous. Dammit, I forgot the caffeine, things are going to get heavy [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217784/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219029/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219029/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219029/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219029/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219029/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219029/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219029/0/waywardirregular~Now-We%e2%80%99re-KnuckleDeep-Into-This-Geek-Foolery/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217784/0/waywardirregular~Now-We%e2%80%99re-KnuckleDeep-Into-This-Geek-Foolery-Enclosure.mp3" length="11245233" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>I was home, but I had to eat fast—three men in Texas were waiting for me.  It was more like ten, eight for sure—we’d pick up the last two if necessary—but three of them were in Texas and they were ready to get murderous.  Dammit, I forgot the caffeine,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>I was home, but I had to eat fast—three men in Texas were waiting for me.  It was more like ten, eight for sure—we’d pick up the last two if necessary—but three of them were in Texas and they were ready to get murderous.  Dammit, I forgot the caffeine, things are going to get heavy once these Bagel Bites start turning to mush and overworking my bowel, it’s probably going to bring me down in a slump before 8pm, me in a chair with drool on my shoes.  This was a special job, and we needed bodies with specific skills, each person bringing that special something to the work.  I don’t care what you want to do, you’re here to do what you do best, and this gang has a no bitchy-bitch rule, you’ll be on mute faster than Nine Inch Nails in a sketchy neighborhood.  We’ve been here before, so the layout is painfully familiar, it’s just those last two parts that are wringing our necks and rag-dolling us closer and closer to an ephedra addiction.  Where’s the hillbilly?  Why is he late?  We’re short one- wait, there he is.  Alright, things are set for motion.  Clear the channel of chatter.  It’s time for World of Warcraft.
 Now that we’re through that unnecessarily vague and dodgy first paragraph, and now that we’re knuckle-deep into this geek foolery, let’s take our shirts off and sink to the knees.  To date, I’ve officially quit the game four times, starting up again generally around whenever the next expansion pack arrives, and staying as long as my interest is held from that date.  It’s a dance I’ve been fat-footing since 2005, which tells you how powerful the stuff is, or perhaps how weak I’ve become.  It’s not like they keep making revolutionary new leaps in video game technology, they just keep putting boxes on the shelves with fire, dragons, and something other-worldly looking fit and destructive.  The boxes really don’t contain anything of note.  No discs, manuals, or little warnings that you’re about to enter a gaming coma for the next few months, only to awake in a jobless stupor, covered in white sheets and surrounded by beeping sounds and dead flowers.  No, the boxes are filled to the brim with white powder, and their intention is to have you pull it into your sinuses until every relationship you’ve ever known has dissolved along with that diet you were working so hard on.  I know, you don’t have to tell me.  This game is awesome.
I’ll save you the play-by-play on how things work, both because you probably already know, and because I don’t want to write a book about the mighty Tauren cow-people and ancient shamanistic magics just now.  I suppose I could, all this free brain space a byproduct of not having to log on to a computer and blink the day away.  The only thing I really miss is the confusing and rewarding relationships one builds when playing an online game like World of Warcraft.  It’s not a terribly fly-by-night thing, like a shooter, getting matched up with a few strangers for a round or two of blow-em-up, then after a couple exchanges of, “Good game,” and, “Your mom is a whore,” everyone logs off or finds a new batch of strangers to play with, ever increasing their de-sensivity to the feelings of others—and possibly—sunlight.  
In World of Warcraft, you generally seat yourself on one server, possibly two if you’ve got that kind of time, and this is where you make an online home, set with all the fixins—a good chair, that vanilla yogurt you like, some soothing music, and a legion of the undead at your command.  The people here are real and of all ages, strangers in spots on the globe you’ll never visit, peoples of other cultures and ideas.  Time zones dictating, you’ll probably wind up with a batch of folks in your general geography, and the more you play, the more you start to learn about them.  It’s a surreal exercise, never seeing a photo, only hearing their voice and learning about their day, a green or purple beastly avatar serving as their body.  It’s the magic of today,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>7:43</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Now_We_re_Knuckle-Deep_Into_This_Geek_Foolery.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I was home, but I had to eat fast—three men in Texas were waiting for me. It was more like ten, eight for sure—we’d pick up the last two if necessary—but three of them were in Texas and they were ready to get murderous. Dammit, I forgot the caffeine, things are going to get heavy [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219029/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217784/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219029/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219029/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219029/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219029/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219029/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219029/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-fruit-magic-about-jade-stone-machines-and-electromagnetic-floor-mats/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The Fruit Magic About Jade Stone Machines and Electromagnetic Floor Mats</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219031/0/waywardirregular~The-Fruit-Magic-About-Jade-Stone-Machines-and-Electromagnetic-Floor-Mats/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219031/0/waywardirregular~The-Fruit-Magic-About-Jade-Stone-Machines-and-Electromagnetic-Floor-Mats/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:00:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=865</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After an hour on the mat, I struggled to feel the jade working it’s magic, and as I pretended to imagine toxins leaving my body, I planned an escape. The mechanical bed was fit with pounds of jade stone, apparently blessed with flute music or some mystical nonsense that probably involved a self-anointed priest, eagle [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217636/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219031/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219031/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219031/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219031/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219031/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219031/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219031/0/waywardirregular~The-Fruit-Magic-About-Jade-Stone-Machines-and-Electromagnetic-Floor-Mats/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217636/0/waywardirregular~The-Fruit-Magic-About-Jade-Stone-Machines-and-Electromagnetic-Floor-Mats-Enclosure.mp3" length="9798259" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>After an hour on the mat, I struggled to feel the jade working it’s magic, and as I pretended to imagine toxins leaving my body, I planned an escape.  The mechanical bed was fit with pounds of jade stone, apparently blessed with flute music or some mys...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>After an hour on the mat, I struggled to feel the jade working it’s magic, and as I pretended to imagine toxins leaving my body, I planned an escape.  The mechanical bed was fit with pounds of jade stone, apparently blessed with flute music or some mystical nonsense that probably involved a self-anointed priest, eagle feathers, and a warrant for sexual assault.  Laying on the bed wasn’t entirely unpleasant, mind you.  The whir of the machine under a light pillow-top mattress was numbing, and something firm was playing spaghetti fork with my shoulder blades, concentric circles moving the back-meat around, decades of stress starting to crack and crumble.  I stared into the ceiling tiles and tried to concentrate on the ambient music piped through the speaker system, but the whir of twelve other beds with strangers attempting the same was starting to get unsettling.  We were all just lying there, silently letting machines play with our bodies, every one of us hyper-aware of the next.  It’s times like this when those cowboy booted mustaches have one up on you—a sharp thing always affixed to their belts—and you’ve got nothing but a set of jagged fingernails if things get hissy in here.  I look to Allen, who’s nearly asleep.  The poor man’s fleeting grasp on danger is going to get me raped, or, alternatively, get me an ear-full on the magics of a four thousand dollar massage bed.
The place is disrupting from the walk-in.  It’s a pseudo-massage-parlor set up in a retail strip mall.  On your right you can buy a slice of pizza, and on your left you can shop for overpriced almonds and exotic sounding barbecue sauces.  When you step in the door, there’s a little folding table there to greet you, business cards and pamphlets carefully arranged.  Look to one side, and there’s a television quietly playing an infomercial for the beds, and when you look to the other, there’s a tiny water cooler with those little snow cone cups.  Unpacked beds are stacked toward the back exit, standing eight feet tall in cardboard boxes over the gray carpet.  I start to think this place is primed and ready for something, perhaps it’s a collapsable environment that turns into a Greek restaurant when the inspectors come, or maybe it’s just what the absolute minimum investment in a franchise looks like—a place that won’t hurt the pocketbook when Dave comes running from the back room in a panic, arms full of cash and dried blood pasted to his scalp.  He shuffles up to the folding table and anxiously whispers, “It’s all dried up, it’s over!  Get the beds in the truck and I’ll meet you in Poughkeepsie.”
It’s a place that looks hungry for your kidneys.  The idea is to show up whenever you want, pop off the shoes, and get yourself an hour of quiet time on one of the dozen or so mechanical massage beds.  They make you fill out a little card that’s covered in the dates of your visits, but they assure you the place is a free-for-all.  The no pressure thing is true, they never really assault you on financing one of the machines, but I think this is a psychological game.  You want them to start in with the gibberish.  If they don’t, you feel like you’ve just stolen something, a free massage with nothing in return, not a dime for the hooker.  Their glossy waning looks is what got to me.  Ushered to a bed and quietly instructed on the dials for the remote control, I imagine after I’ve pulled on the eye mask, an attendant just stands over me for an hour, looking at my forehead and deeply sighing.  On your way out, however, there are a few heaping buckets of bullshit to step around.  Fruit magic about body toxins, the healing powers of jade stones and floor mats that dissipate the harmful effects of electromagnetic waves in your home.  A half-sober trek on Google shows that the place is FDA approved, but only for massage, not the pearl-white dove that’ll fly out of your ass every morning after standing on a heated jade-stone floor mat.
I’d only visited the two times,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>6:43</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_Fruit_Magic_About_Jade_Stone_Machines_and_Electromagnetic_Floor_Mats.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After an hour on the mat, I struggled to feel the jade working it’s magic, and as I pretended to imagine toxins leaving my body, I planned an escape. The mechanical bed was fit with pounds of jade stone, apparently blessed with flute music or some mystical nonsense that probably involved a self-anointed priest, eagle [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219031/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217636/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219031/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219031/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219031/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219031/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219031/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219031/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/dreary-fluorescence-in-tractor-country/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Dreary Fluorescence In Tractor Country</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219032/0/waywardirregular~Dreary-Fluorescence-In-Tractor-Country/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219032/0/waywardirregular~Dreary-Fluorescence-In-Tractor-Country/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:00:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=844</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The man was a redneck, more so than the the kind Nebraska traditionally produced, like he was born over an ancient redneck burial ground, or grew up over a redneck fault-line of some sort. Taylor and I clicked right from the starting pistol, meeting at community college and quickly bonding over a love of sock [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217427/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219032/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219032/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219032/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219032/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219032/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219032/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219032/0/waywardirregular~Dreary-Fluorescence-In-Tractor-Country/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217427/0/waywardirregular~Dreary-Fluorescence-In-Tractor-Country-Enclosure.mp3" length="14220058" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>The man was a redneck, more so than the the kind Nebraska traditionally produced, like he was born over an ancient redneck burial ground, or grew up over a redneck fault-line of some sort.  Taylor and I clicked right from the starting pistol,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>The man was a redneck, more so than the the kind Nebraska traditionally produced, like he was born over an ancient redneck burial ground, or grew up over a redneck fault-line of some sort.  Taylor and I clicked right from the starting pistol, meeting at community college and quickly bonding over a love of sock puppets, bucket chicken, and a penchant to fail every test we’d take.  This was the kind of community college with actual dorm rooms, two tall buildings sticking out in the middle of some muddy midwestern farmland, carpentry students and diesel technicians giving the computer folk eery stares and aggressively close discharges of tobacco spit.  You had to watch your ass in a place like this.  This is tractor country.  If you aren’t covered in a certain amount of axle grease, things are fixing to get nasty.  Taylor spoke with a mild accent, not terribly thick, but I’d always wondered where it came from, since he was born over Husker blessed soil.  Maybe his parents came from places elsewhere, or maybe stuff like that just happens when you’ve consumed a certain lifetime-level of Wild Turkey.
I’d first seen him shuffling down the dorm hallway toward the lunch bell, some weird grin on his face, flip flops scratching the floor and a strange fedora thing on his head, shuffle shuffle with wide elbows like he was doing a little dance.  The guy was strange as hell, and I think that’s why we’d hit it off so well.  He was in the same computer course as I was, and neither of us could explain exactly what we were doing there.  The classes were little nightmares, atavistic lessons on COBOL, FORTRAN, and learning how to write RPG code for AS/400 machines—more capital letters than anyone would ever need, and just enough to make you start dreading a future career you’d never even heard of.  
We were all being groomed to live out a life wearing a Peter Gibbons tie and arguing over Swingline staplers.  Taylor and I saw Office Space in the theater, and after an hour or so of laughter, a real somber conversation occupied our drive back to the dorm rooms.  “That’s not how it really is, is it?” he’d asked.  “Not sure man,” I replied.  “Certainly the casual Hawaiian Friday thing was garbage.  People don’t do that.”
Skipping class wasn’t a doable something, this wasn’t real college.  In real college, you can skip class, talk to the professors, take the final and just see how you fair—adult things and adult decisions.  In this community college, you were given three passes—only three days to miss school—either via sickness or tardiness, and if you’d missed three days of any given class, you’re out, failed, goodbye.  Thirty or so of us would drift from room to room in the same building, all day long, 8am to 4pm, just like the high school hovels I’d narrowly escaped only months prior.  Dreary fluorescence swung over the asbestos, the canvas painted with a borrowed nightmare from the 1970s, orange cloth and blue chairs everywhere.  I was very careful with my three days.  Taylor and I had recently discovered how to play classic Nintendo games on the computer, and we’d also discovered that some benevolent hero made those mini-hotdog-weenies with cheese inside.  Cheesy-weenies.  We’d head into the town proper, empty the grocery store of cheesy-weenies, then spend the day with Sonic the Hedgehog, wiping our fingers on paper plates, and likely, programming homework.
In the late nineties there was a show on MTV called Sifl &amp; Olly, a humor based talk show where the stars were two sock puppets speaking into a microphone.  The stuff was classic gas, we’d loved it, and for those who remember, the theme songs from “Precious Roy”, and “Calls from the Public” will never leave us.  For Taylor and I, this was medicine.  We never wanted to be here, talked into it somehow—likely under the assumption we were learning how to make video games—and never with any enthusiasm for the subject material.  We’d drift through the days,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>9:47</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Dreary_Fluorescence_In_Tractor_Country.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The man was a redneck, more so than the the kind Nebraska traditionally produced, like he was born over an ancient redneck burial ground, or grew up over a redneck fault-line of some sort. Taylor and I clicked right from the starting pistol, meeting at community college and quickly bonding over a love of sock [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219032/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217427/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219032/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219032/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219032/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219032/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219032/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219032/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/he-quietly-cuts-himself-when-the-guitarist-doesn%e2%80%99t-wipe-down-the-pizza-stations/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>He Quietly Cuts Himself When the Guitarist Doesn’t Wipe Down the Pizza Stations</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219034/0/waywardirregular~He-Quietly-Cuts-Himself-When-the-Guitarist-Doesn%e2%80%99t-Wipe-Down-the-Pizza-Stations/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219034/0/waywardirregular~He-Quietly-Cuts-Himself-When-the-Guitarist-Doesn%e2%80%99t-Wipe-Down-the-Pizza-Stations/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:00:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=837</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The rough looking Pizza Hut located about a mile from my home has been taken over—and successfully operated—by a hardcore metal band currently taking a break between albums. This is an assumption mind you, as I can find no alternative explanation for the gruff crowd that serves me soda and swipes my credit card at [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217428/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219034/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219034/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219034/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219034/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219034/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219034/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219034/0/waywardirregular~He-Quietly-Cuts-Himself-When-the-Guitarist-Doesn%e2%80%99t-Wipe-Down-the-Pizza-Stations/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217428/0/waywardirregular~He-Quietly-Cuts-Himself-When-the-Guitarist-Doesn%e2%80%99t-Wipe-Down-the-Pizza-Stations-Enclosure.mp3" length="12220750" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>The rough looking Pizza Hut located about a mile from my home has been taken over—and successfully operated—by a hardcore metal band currently taking a break between albums.  This is an assumption mind you,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>The rough looking Pizza Hut located about a mile from my home has been taken over—and successfully operated—by a hardcore metal band currently taking a break between albums.  This is an assumption mind you, as I can find no alternative explanation for ...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>8:24</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/He_Quietly_Cuts_Himself_When_the_Guitarist_Doesn_t_Wipe_Down_the_Pizza_Stations.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The rough looking Pizza Hut located about a mile from my home has been taken over—and successfully operated—by a hardcore metal band currently taking a break between albums. This is an assumption mind you, as I can find no alternative explanation for the gruff crowd that serves me soda and swipes my credit card at [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219034/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217428/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219034/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219034/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219034/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219034/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219034/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219034/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/we-all-stand-in-a-triangle-here-downtown-folk-and-their-crooked-language/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>We All Stand in a Triangle Here: Downtown Folk Have a Crooked Language</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219036/0/waywardirregular~We-All-Stand-in-a-Triangle-Here-Downtown-Folk-Have-a-Crooked-Language/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219036/0/waywardirregular~We-All-Stand-in-a-Triangle-Here-Downtown-Folk-Have-a-Crooked-Language/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=825</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Fifty paces from a coffee shop hawking overpriced sandwiches, I witness some kind of dusted-up vagrant using a Diet Coke can as a toilet, and it was then I knew I was downtown. The peoples of downtown live in a variety of converted housing, old rat hovels repainted and laid with mahogany floors, or new [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217429/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219036/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219036/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219036/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219036/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219036/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219036/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219036/0/waywardirregular~We-All-Stand-in-a-Triangle-Here-Downtown-Folk-Have-a-Crooked-Language/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217429/0/waywardirregular~We-All-Stand-in-a-Triangle-Here-Downtown-Folk-Have-a-Crooked-Language-Enclosure.mp3" length="11580646" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Fifty paces from a coffee shop hawking overpriced sandwiches, I witness some kind of dusted-up vagrant using a Diet Coke can as a toilet, and it was then I knew I was downtown.  The peoples of downtown live in a variety of converted housing,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Fifty paces from a coffee shop hawking overpriced sandwiches, I witness some kind of dusted-up vagrant using a Diet Coke can as a toilet, and it was then I knew I was downtown.  The peoples of downtown live in a variety of converted housing, old rat hovels repainted and laid with mahogany floors, or new blueprints drawn up and plopped down next to a crack den—it’s “festive,” lot’s of “urban appeal.”  I cannot understand these weird beasts, humans, new to the hipster manual, living on some massive tit that’s invariably hidden to the rest of us.  Every downtown is like this, brick buildings surrounded by new development, apartment buildings drawn to the old streets and wooden doors like some sort of culture magnet.  Rows of coffee shops and vintage clothing stores line the main drag, lit with Christmas lights year round, more wine and tapas than you’d ever require.  What drives me goofy is how the place doesn’t fall in on itself.  Trendy peoples are always out at the pseudo-delis buying twenty dollar turkey sandwiches, leaving their dogs on Atkins diets to cook in the sunshine, and running the whole exercise without holding down any noticeable employment.  It’s their day off—it has to be—the original human manuals never meant for us to have that much espresso.
Living downtown seems to be a twenty-four hour game of chicken with your personal safety.  Every time I’m in the place after the sun goes down, the alcohol zombies come clawing out from the corners, drunks and switch-bladed hooligans accosting me with every step.  Maybe it’s the way I look, something about me might be a beacon for harassment.  My wife tells me that as a balding, bearded, six-foot two-hundred fifty-something big-knuckled Czech leftover, my appearance invites alpha-male staring contests when I’m just out trying to get a burger.  I don’t want to fight these vampires, I’d rather get on with my burger and go home, but when you want to have fun downtown, it comes with a certain level of acceptance that you might get tuned up by a drag queen having an off-night.  The people I know who live in these places look at me like I’m making it all up, like they’re blitzed on some twisted hallucinogen that paints everything they see in high fructose pastels.  They don’t see a man threatening you with a rusted bike chain, they see the Easter bunny holding a bag of roses.  “I don’t know where you go, maybe you were in a rough part of downtown,” they say to me with shrugged shoulders.  “You madman!” I think to myself.  “This is no place for children!  Fucking knives and guns and exposed genitals everywhere!  Limber up, something dangerous is out here, and it will aim for the face.”
While the night is treacherous, the day is even more terrible and mysterious.  I’ve held a proper job downtown more than once, and it’s the same everywhere, streets flooded with people who all know the score.  You enter a restaurant, maybe a downtown hot-spot—a landmark with the world’s best whatever—and all you find is a confusing ruse, a directionless process that only the locals know by birthright.  Nobody will help you either, and all you’ll get in return for a question is a long drawn out sigh.  Lunch spots with no menu, you only order by elaborate hand gesture.  Don’t ask for potato chips here friend, we only serve fried sprouts.  Stop trying to form a straight line to the food, we stand in a triangle in this shop.  What are you doing?  Is that money?  We operate on a cash-card, and you have to apply for one by goddamned carrier pigeon.  All you’ve come for is a meal, but now your body has seized up from the anger, your mind breaks and everything goes black.  “Sod the lot of you in this madhouse!” you scream, throwing a metal stool through the front window.  “I do not speak your crooked language!”  You wake up hours later, surrounded by styrofoam cups and plastic trays, everything slick with dark crimson violence.
They speak in their own coded language,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>7:57</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/We_All_Stand_in_a_Triangle_Here__Downtown_Folk_Have_a_Crooked_Language.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Fifty paces from a coffee shop hawking overpriced sandwiches, I witness some kind of dusted-up vagrant using a Diet Coke can as a toilet, and it was then I knew I was downtown. The peoples of downtown live in a variety of converted housing, old rat hovels repainted and laid with mahogany floors, or new [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219036/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217429/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219036/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219036/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219036/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219036/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219036/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219036/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/boiled-highways-and-gravel-mountain-suicides/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Boiled Highways and Gravel Mountain Suicides</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219037/0/waywardirregular~Boiled-Highways-and-Gravel-Mountain-Suicides/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219037/0/waywardirregular~Boiled-Highways-and-Gravel-Mountain-Suicides/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=790</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Wild and rumbly, the car was an impostor, and when we sped together over back-county mountains, I knew it tried damned hard to keep me from killing myself. It was a fourteen-hundred dollar maroon behemoth, a 1978 Mercury Cougar with a cracked windshield that spent it’s original years under a tarp in some old codger’s [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217430/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219037/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219037/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219037/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219037/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219037/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219037/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219037/0/waywardirregular~Boiled-Highways-and-Gravel-Mountain-Suicides/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217430/0/waywardirregular~Boiled-Highways-and-Gravel-Mountain-Suicides-Enclosure.mp3" length="11934239" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Wild and rumbly, the car was an impostor, and when we sped together over back-county mountains, I knew it tried damned hard to keep me from killing myself.  It was a fourteen-hundred dollar maroon behemoth,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Wild and rumbly, the car was an impostor, and when we sped together over back-county mountains, I knew it tried damned hard to keep me from killing myself.  It was a fourteen-hundred dollar maroon behemoth, a 1978 Mercury Cougar with a cracked windshield that spent it’s original years under a tarp in some old codger’s barn, taken out only before the occasional Sunday worship.  I never wanted to admit that it was a lemon - it was - and after the sting it gave my parents’ wallet on day one, it spent the next twenty-eight months driving deep and hurtful wounds into the tiny one I sat on.  A transmission, an engine, wheels, tires and all manner of mechanical voodoo beset our short courtship - if only I’d tried to get fresh maybe I’d feel a little better about all that shelling.  Big fat tires and unnecessary shocks kicked the car’s ass skyward, a street cobra with no venom, ready to pounce and brutalize some poor pedestrian.  I tortured it every day with misadventure, one would think auto-abuse was a hobby.  No, I was just fifteen years old, which means if it wasn’t masturbation or a disregard for automotive safety, my underdeveloped brain couldn’t get around it.
Hours flittered by as I mothered the thing, bathing the car like a surgeon preparing for a tonsillectomy on bubble boy.  I only saw the other kids and their wheels from the end of my nose - terrible abominations of expense and decay - not near enough knuckle and wax to show that you had copious amounts of free time.  Pop had some weird fetish for spotless autos - so along with my third-hand “this is good, and this is shit,” knowledge on foreign and domestic car sales - I’d picked up that washing the beast must involve no less than seven bottles of chemicals.  You need to start with a double wash - clean the thing with hose-water and a liberal application of soap - and get those britches off too, we’re going to do this Nebraska style and get filthy.  Rinse the car off - then decide if you need to do the soap again - with the special way the birds aim those arcing gray ropes out in the plains, you often do.  Next comes the wax.  Cherry smelling gunk goes on in deep layers, then left to bake to a yellow crust under the relentless midwestern sun.  Now we buff it all out - first with the machine and then with your elbows - this stuff goes everywhere.  Half a bottle of window cleaner now, get every piece of mirror and glass - inside and out - then wipe it all down, twice.  The interior comes at the finish of the ceremony - vacuum, wipe, vacuum, polish, and wipe again.  It all ends with me sitting in the drivers seat, surveying everything, nauseous on the compounds now inside of my skin.
“That’s one fine looking auto,” the occasional old timer would say, “looks brand new.”  My chest always swelled a bit more after this, clicking in the seatbelt then slamming the gas while parked just for his benefit.  You couldn’t beat that ball-rumbling song.  The Cougar growled deep perfect threats every time I’d poked a stick in the cage, and when idle, the luh-luh-luh-luh - the power plant barely keeping conscious - got nods from those who’d remembered real go-fast cars from their youth.  I’d throw around terms like “air shocks” and “351 Windsor” like they had actual meaning to me.  The car was a scary old Sean Connery type of thing, it looked terrible and suave and sounded like it could dissolve panties - but when put to the heat, it lisped through braces and struggled to do a pushup.  I’d get it to scream though - it just took some patience.  “Highway geared,” was the quick explanation for it’s sluggish take-off, whatever that meant.  I was caught up in this world of muscle car language where I didn’t even understand the idioms I was slurring.  “Yeah, that’s got a hemi charged dual piston crack-stop.  You’ll probably need a double geared timing chain if you don’t want to burn out third in a quarter, and god help you if the crank over-fuels.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>8:12</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Boiled_Highways_and_Gravel_Mountain_Suicides.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Wild and rumbly, the car was an impostor, and when we sped together over back-county mountains, I knew it tried damned hard to keep me from killing myself. It was a fourteen-hundred dollar maroon behemoth, a 1978 Mercury Cougar with a cracked windshield that spent it’s original years under a tarp in some old codger’s [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219037/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217430/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219037/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219037/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219037/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219037/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219037/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219037/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/he-sleeps-on-old-license-plates-and-has-to-fight-rats-for-his-dinner/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>He Sleeps on Old License Plates and Has To Fight Rats for His Dinner</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219039/0/waywardirregular~He-Sleeps-on-Old-License-Plates-and-Has-To-Fight-Rats-for-His-Dinner/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219039/0/waywardirregular~He-Sleeps-on-Old-License-Plates-and-Has-To-Fight-Rats-for-His-Dinner/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=774</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My bulldog, whom I hold in higher regard than many of my contemporaries, looks as though he’s been living in a tire fire for the past six years. Dogs get skin infections, I now know, and dogs with wrinkles get them in horrible ways. What starts as a little spot we treat with ointments, slowly [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217431/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219039/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219039/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219039/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219039/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219039/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219039/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219039/0/waywardirregular~He-Sleeps-on-Old-License-Plates-and-Has-To-Fight-Rats-for-His-Dinner/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217431/0/waywardirregular~He-Sleeps-on-Old-License-Plates-and-Has-To-Fight-Rats-for-His-Dinner-Enclosure.mp3" length="30331340" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>My bulldog, whom I hold in higher regard than many of my contemporaries, looks as though he’s been living in a tire fire for the past six years.  Dogs get skin infections, I now know, and dogs with wrinkles get them in horrible ways.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>My bulldog, whom I hold in higher regard than many of my contemporaries, looks as though he’s been living in a tire fire for the past six years.  Dogs get skin infections, I now know, and dogs with wrinkles get them in horrible ways.  What starts as a ...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>12:35</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/He_Sleeps_on_Old_License_Plates_and_Has_To_Fight_Rats_for_His_Dinner.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My bulldog, whom I hold in higher regard than many of my contemporaries, looks as though he’s been living in a tire fire for the past six years. Dogs get skin infections, I now know, and dogs with wrinkles get them in horrible ways. What starts as a little spot we treat with ointments, slowly [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219039/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217431/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219039/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219039/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219039/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219039/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219039/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219039/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-gentleman%e2%80%99s-guide-to-smoking-a-tobacco-pipe-without-looking-like-a-hipster/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The Gentleman’s Guide to Smoking a Tobacco Pipe (Without Looking Like a Hipster)</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219042/0/waywardirregular~The-Gentleman%e2%80%99s-Guide-to-Smoking-a-Tobacco-Pipe-Without-Looking-Like-a-Hipster/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219042/0/waywardirregular~The-Gentleman%e2%80%99s-Guide-to-Smoking-a-Tobacco-Pipe-Without-Looking-Like-a-Hipster/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=751</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Learning the fine art of the tobacco pipe can be a tremendously rewarding experience, just so long as you don’t look like a complete tool-bag while doing it. For nearly as long as our species has been roasting food over a fire, we’ve been altering the tobacco leaf and dancing with it’s introspective ghosts. I’ve [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217432/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219042/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219042/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219042/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219042/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219042/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219042/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219042/0/waywardirregular~The-Gentleman%e2%80%99s-Guide-to-Smoking-a-Tobacco-Pipe-Without-Looking-Like-a-Hipster/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217432/0/waywardirregular~The-Gentleman%e2%80%99s-Guide-to-Smoking-a-Tobacco-Pipe-Without-Looking-Like-a-Hipster-Enclosure.mp3" length="13521533" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Learning the fine art of the tobacco pipe can be a tremendously rewarding experience, just so long as you don’t look like a complete tool-bag while doing it.  For nearly as long as our species has been roasting food over a fire,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Learning the fine art of the tobacco pipe can be a tremendously rewarding experience, just so long as you don’t look like a complete tool-bag while doing it.  For nearly as long as our species has been roasting food over a fire, we’ve been altering the tobacco leaf and dancing with it’s introspective ghosts.  I’ve no intention to detail the personality types that generally gravitate toward the tobacco pipe, (your grandfather and young skeletal men with stupid clothing) nor am I going to delve into the raging debate over the tobacco leaf - i.e. - can it be enjoyed responsibly, or is it some deviant tool designed to enslave the weak among us and give your babies terrible and instant cancer.  Cigars are another arena entirely - another flavor of human and another profile that I’m not delving into here.  This article is going to teach you how to find a pipe, select your tobacco, pack the thing and enjoy the smoke - and it’s going to do a half assed job of it.  Handling a tobacco pipe properly is like mastering a fine Japanese tea ceremony, but with fewer kimonos and eyeliner.
Before you decide to learn of the tobacco pipe, allow me to briefly detail it’s intended use.  The idea is to find a pipe - usually a carefully hand carved selection of aged briar with a plastic-like stem (often made of vulcanite) - and find one that speaks to you personally.  You can generally find them at a cigar shop, but don’t go browsing around at the cigarette stores.  The ones in there are cheap garbage because they expect you to smoke weed from it in your older brother’s new apartment.  If you need a pipe to smoke weed in get thyself to a proper head shop and buy one of those glass dildo things - they work better and look cooler under a black-light.  When at the tobacconist, or as we now know them in popular culture, satanists, don’t be afraid to ask the mustachioed gentleman behind the counter to get his lazy ass up and open the glass cases so you can take a closer look at the pipes for sale.  Be careful when handling a pipe, if you drop it you’re buying it - and for the love of god don’t put it in your mouth.  I don’t want to go pipe shopping and pick up hepatitis because you wanted to see how well it went with your fedora.
The more you learn about the various shapes, cuts, finishes and materials that make a proper tobacco pipe, the better equipped you’ll be to select one that suits your personality and tastes.  Don’t think too hard on this step as a newbie, and I strongly recommend you don’t buy a five dollar corn cob pipe (though they can make for a uniquely good smoke).  I also strongly recommend that you don’t buy a “basket pipe” just yet.  A “basket pipe” is just that - a cheaper pipe you can generally find in a big wicker basket somewhere in the shop.  They might look pre-smoked - and that’s because they are, and pre-smoked pipes (usually called “estate pipes”) can also become a great new friend as they’ve already been “broken in,” which I’ll get to later.  For now, just get something made of actual briar and not carved by a local artist who makes wall clocks out of walnut and wanted to try something artsy at his nudist camp.  Set your budget around fifty bucks or so, and if something looks like it was colored by being dipped in a bucket of stain - skip it.  While I’m not personally a fan of Peterson pipes, they’re a good place to start - as well as Stanwell or Savinelli.  I want you to have a good fresh pipe to learn on, but nothing terribly pricey because you’re going to fuck it up anyway.
Let’s do a quick reader check.  If any two of the following statements are true, stop reading this article and go find some Three Dog Night vinyl to pretend you’re into.
1.)  Do you regularly ride a fixed gear bicycle to your internship?
2.)  Do you drink Pabst Blue Ribbon while not living on a farm?
3.)  Do you want a pipe because cigarettes are just, like, too mainstream?
4.)  Have you purposefully not eaten today?
5.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>17:14</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_Gentleman_s_Guide_to_Smoking_a_Tobacco_Pipe_Without_Looking_Like_a_Hipster.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Learning the fine art of the tobacco pipe can be a tremendously rewarding experience, just so long as you don’t look like a complete tool-bag while doing it. For nearly as long as our species has been roasting food over a fire, we’ve been altering the tobacco leaf and dancing with it’s introspective ghosts. I’ve [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219042/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217432/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219042/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219042/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219042/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219042/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219042/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219042/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/its-probably-long-division-or-an-ancient-germanic-language/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>It&#8217;s Probably Long Division or an Ancient Germanic Language</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219043/0/waywardirregular~Its-Probably-Long-Division-or-an-Ancient-Germanic-Language/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219043/0/waywardirregular~Its-Probably-Long-Division-or-an-Ancient-Germanic-Language/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:00:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=735</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While sitting in the front row and struggling to comprehend how one is expected to divide numbers using a little slash, it hit me like a chalkboard eraser to the eyeball: I was going to remain in the third grade for eternity.  It was wild how quickly I accepted the fate &#8211; I would sit [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217433/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219043/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219043/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219043/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219043/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219043/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219043/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219043/0/waywardirregular~Its-Probably-Long-Division-or-an-Ancient-Germanic-Language/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217433/0/waywardirregular~Its-Probably-Long-Division-or-an-Ancient-Germanic-Language-Enclosure.mp3" length="7796524" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>While sitting in the front row and struggling to comprehend how one is expected to divide numbers using a little slash, it hit me like a chalkboard eraser to the eyeball: I was going to remain in the third grade for eternity.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>While sitting in the front row and struggling to comprehend how one is expected to divide numbers using a little slash, it hit me like a chalkboard eraser to the eyeball: I was going to remain in the third grade for eternity.  It was wild how quickly I accepted the fate - I would sit at this desk and be eight years old forever.  I remember putting my tiny pencil down and gazing at a brick behind the heavy white paint in front of me, squinting my eyes in deep confusing child-thought.  The first fact I ate was that I&#039;d never drive a car.  Adults drove cars, and I&#039;d heard something about having to be sixteen before I could pilot one for myself, but the idea of sixteen years old was as reasonable a goal as getting my hands on an actual Samurai sword and eating pizza every day - being a ninja turtle just wasn&#039;t in my future.  
It upset me - the sixteen years old thing - but also the math thing I was trying to work out.  I know we&#039;ve got little crosses and little dashes and those help me quantify baskets of apples - but the little X and the little slash thing wasn&#039;t welcome to the party today as I&#039;d just realized I&#039;m going to have my wedding in the third grade classroom since I&#039;m apparently never leaving.  The concept of time was shaky back then, but it seemed clear that the days were destined to stretch out in a long syllabled for-ev-er.  I slammed my pencil down and shoved it and the math test off of my desk, the paper weaving slowly to the ground and the pencil thrashing about at my feet.  Our teacher, the only real one I&#039;d ever wind up with, tossed back three Aspirin from whichever bottle of the many that rattled around in her desk drawer, then shuffled over to my tiny chair.  She took a knee next to me, calmly picked up my test, and walked me through the idea of mathematical division.  I wonder if she ever had a stroke.
The same stuff hit me again when I was fourteen years old, a freshman in high school.  When fourteen, and male, just about everything that meanders into your field of vision is both sexy - and according to your hormone addled brainpan - needs to be violated by a variety of creative and poorly informed methods.  The concept of time crawling along punched me in the chest again during a computer class of some sort, a quiet study time. I sat there scribbling on whatever piece of homework I&#039;d eventually not-do, when my thoughts started drifting to girls, and more precisely girls without clothing.  It angered me.  I was single, and hadn&#039;t really tongue wrestled with anyone yet, and the frustration clamped down my jaw in a fit of silent rage - me gripping the desk with both fists, gritting my teeth, and angrily shaking it while spitting up a tiny fit.  I&#039;d convinced myself I&#039;d never see a real vagina - like, a real one, in person.  Maybe when I was like, fifty, I&#039;d trick or pay someone into letting me see - but that was forever away - so many years, it would  never happen and the hormones will surely kill me before then.  The thought sent my thermometer into the red as I madly accepted this idea and felt like burning down the world.  The staggering amount of tail I was not getting before I was old enough to vote brought me back to the third grade - and there I was: sitting in the front row with an incomplete math test, and new to the party: a boner that was never going away.  I&#039;d never been suicidal, but I did start to wonder what more it could possibly take to get someone there mentally.  This was before the internet as we know it, but I surmised that perhaps fewer math exams and easier access to pornography could get some of us through another week.
Time moved so slowly back then, but only occasionally was I aware of it.  The worst was when I’d turned seventeen and was heading back for my senior year, the final stretch before parole.  As a speech and drama nerd, I was in the company of the existing seniors above me in my junior year.  I’d absorbed their desire to leave the establishment,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>9:01</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Its_Probably_Long_Division_or_an_Ancient_Germanic_Language.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While sitting in the front row and struggling to comprehend how one is expected to divide numbers using a little slash, it hit me like a chalkboard eraser to the eyeball: I was going to remain in the third grade for eternity.  It was wild how quickly I accepted the fate &#8211; I would sit [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219043/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217433/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219043/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219043/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219043/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219043/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219043/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219043/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/there%e2%80%99s-a-special-quiet-in-the-cloudy-ones-that-does-it-for-me/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>There’s a Special Quiet In The Cloudy Ones That Does It For Me</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219045/0/waywardirregular~There%e2%80%99s-a-Special-Quiet-In-The-Cloudy-Ones-That-Does-It-For-Me/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219045/0/waywardirregular~There%e2%80%99s-a-Special-Quiet-In-The-Cloudy-Ones-That-Does-It-For-Me/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:00:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=723</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The disagreement: A gentleman with whom I work tells me that the best way to take your meals is outdoors, and I respectfully tell him that he is a godless heathen.  He loves it &#8211; can&#8217;t possibly absorb enough sunlight and bathe himself all over under it&#8217;s vitamin enriched rays.  The context: When you&#8217;re queuing [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217434/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219045/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219045/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219045/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219045/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219045/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219045/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219045/0/waywardirregular~There%e2%80%99s-a-Special-Quiet-In-The-Cloudy-Ones-That-Does-It-For-Me/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217434/0/waywardirregular~There%e2%80%99s-a-Special-Quiet-In-The-Cloudy-Ones-That-Does-It-For-Me-Enclosure.mp3" length="10613902" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>The disagreement: A gentleman with whom I work tells me that the best way to take your meals is outdoors, and I respectfully tell him that he is a godless heathen.  He loves it - can&#039;t possibly absorb enough sunlight and bathe himself all over under it...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>The disagreement: A gentleman with whom I work tells me that the best way to take your meals is outdoors, and I respectfully tell him that he is a godless heathen.  He loves it - can&#039;t possibly absorb enough sunlight and bathe himself all over under it&#039;s vitamin enriched rays.  The context:  When you&#039;re queuing up for the stereotypically unorganized shuffle towards a &quot;business lunch,&quot; the call-outs are vague and the real decisions hover somewhere around the vestibule for at minimum, half an hour.  Inevitably you&#039;ll skip off in any direction in search of sustenance, and thirty feet from the place a few in the horde will notice the outdoor seating.  Their pupils dilate and they begin hopping from one foot then the other, peeling open their shirts and warbling to the sky like a Lakota beginning his sun-dance.  &quot;Let&#039;s eat outdoors, it&#039;s nice out.&quot;  This is the statement carelessly let loose whenever the thermometers in Colorado shift mercury into only one of the two possibilities for it’s natives: “Hang yourself,” or, &quot;I can see the sun.&quot;  The latter is true for most of the days on your calendar out in these parts, or mathematically speaking: damned always.  At this point in the lunch-out I consider contending that I am an adult, with the body hair to prove it, and prefer to enjoy my foodstuffs under a structure of some sort much like a civilized person might&#039;ve done in olden times.  I opt to keep the thought confidential, however.  They outnumber me, and at this point I&#039;m hungry enough to reach into the wall and eat a lightly peppered brick with a side of brick sauce.
I&#039;ve always felt this way.  Something about squinting into the sunlight for an hour while my flesh bakes - darting my hands in random patterns over my food to discourage insects - never struck me as something you&#039;d equate with pleasure.  Things like chocolate, nudity, and chocolate nudity are equated with pleasure.  Sitting in the sun making wrinkle-nose conversation as your paper plate struggles to blow away should be equated with cold toilet water splashing back up toward your personal exit, i.e. something one might try to prevent.  Cloudy days and terrible weather are where I find my peace.  It doesn&#039;t have to be snowing or raining or apocalypsing outside for me to feel relaxed (though it helps), but there&#039;s a special quiet in the cloudy ones that does it for me.  I realize I&#039;m living in a state whose antithesis is my personal preference.  My wife and I threw a dart at the map and wound up near the mountains, but many peoples swarm to sunny Colorado for the very sun I hiss and rake my nails at.  It&#039;s not that I hate the orb itself either.  The sun is very useful, you know, and bright too, so that&#039;s good.  My wish is at least two days of sunlight per week - maybe a day and a half - and I surmise that would be just enough to keep a gun out of my mouth and my wife&#039;s tomato plants from dying, but any more and I&#039;m going to demand the genie stop dicking with me and get back in the lamp if his intentions are not to play fair.
I think the thing began in middle school.  Along with acne and funny new feelings about breasts, I developed a sixth sense, an impeccable tracking system for bad weather.  My father had made the decision that his children were going to do something with activity - playing video games and sitting on the computer certainly can’t be good for your brain.  Reflecting on that sentence, I wonder if he&#039;s been visited yet by a future version of me.  There&#039;s Dad, sitting in his recliner enjoying a movie and a fist full of almonds, when a portal of light breaks open in the negative space beside his chair.  Out steps a fifty year old version of his eldest son, who says nothing - he just throws a pay-stub into the jar of mixed nuts and steps back through the portal as it zips closed.  The pay-stub is gray and written in holographic future-ink.  On it, next to how many credit&#039;s I&#039;d earned for that nega-cycle of future work,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>10:14</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/There_s_a_Special_Quiet_In_The_Cloudy_Ones_That_Does_It_For_Me.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The disagreement: A gentleman with whom I work tells me that the best way to take your meals is outdoors, and I respectfully tell him that he is a godless heathen.  He loves it &#8211; can&#8217;t possibly absorb enough sunlight and bathe himself all over under it&#8217;s vitamin enriched rays.  The context: When you&#8217;re queuing [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219045/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217434/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219045/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219045/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219045/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219045/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219045/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219045/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/perhaps-the-yellow-bag-is-a-multi-purpose-survival-device/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Perhaps The Yellow Bag is a Multi-Purpose Survival Device</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219046/0/waywardirregular~Perhaps-The-Yellow-Bag-is-a-MultiPurpose-Survival-Device/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219046/0/waywardirregular~Perhaps-The-Yellow-Bag-is-a-MultiPurpose-Survival-Device/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=595</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When they opened a new IKEA store a few miles from my home, little did I know this would prepare me for inter-galactic space travel.  The titan blue box finished it&#8217;s month long and near-silent birth only recently &#8211; the store pasted against the horizon as a deity defiant monolith marked in four letters from [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217436/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219046/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219046/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219046/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219046/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219046/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219046/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219046/0/waywardirregular~Perhaps-The-Yellow-Bag-is-a-MultiPurpose-Survival-Device/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217436/0/waywardirregular~Perhaps-The-Yellow-Bag-is-a-MultiPurpose-Survival-Device-Enclosure.mp3" length="11417239" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>When they opened a new IKEA store a few miles from my home, little did I know this would prepare me for inter-galactic space travel.  The titan blue box finished it&#039;s month long and near-silent birth only recently - the store pasted against the horizon...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>When they opened a new IKEA store a few miles from my home, little did I know this would prepare me for inter-galactic space travel.  The titan blue box finished it&#039;s month long and near-silent birth only recently - the store pasted against the horizon as a deity defiant monolith marked in four letters from a human alphabet, likely chosen by some complex Deep Thought machine constructed eons ago by aliens.  We&#039;d seen the thing, my wife and I, growing and assembling in-place for the better part of a year.  No workers to be seen, just more of the giant each time we drove by.  Maybe the new IKEA store didn&#039;t need human workers - perhaps some tin suited government man squared off the empty location with his thumbs and index fingers, then sat a tiny case on the ground and opened it.  Inside the case: one even smaller silver cube with a glowing red button.  Box on ground, button pressed, he walks away, and the construct starts pulling in materials from surrounding buildings.  A length of wire here, a board there, bricks rolling toward the box as if pulled by magnetic forces.  Then summer hits and bam - an IKEA store big enough for God to use as a gazebo.  I never wanted to visit, but the place whispered smokey thoughts directly into my brain.  &quot;You must come to the store,&quot; it whispered.  “You need a new couch and - my my... pillow cases on sale, honeydew green.”
On a Sunday, we drove without speaking - eyes fixed through the windshield into the middle distance, the store tugging my hands and feet with invisible sinew to operate the car.  Moments of lucidity came over me in waves, the first when I noticed the uncanny amount of security.  No rhyme or reason seemed to attach itself to the security, charged with corralling an endless herd.  There were people in uniform, cop cars, people in t-shirts holding light wands, store staff with walkie talkies, and the occasional fire rescue personnel looking all official and confused.  At least five different people waved our car in a direction toward parking - the traffic jamming up for a quarter mile beyond the store’s actual limits.  No main door to speak of, we park in an adjacent lot likely belonging to tax attorneys and start shuffling toward the open parking garage in a group that congealed from all perceivable angles.  Large lower-case signage is everywhere and of little assistance, my wife and I choosing instead to follow the crowd, hoping it tapers toward a door or a staircase and not some terrible fire.  Hope is a funny word here, more or less after we parked the car we felt like crying.  We move out one door and into another, rinse and repeat, fresh air here, IKEA air there.  Eventually we’re shuffled, along with the hundreds of others, in and around a particular space enough times to where we’re completely disoriented and finally at the mercy of angry looking and very sweaty IKEA staffers.  This is when I start to understand what’s going on: it’s a government drill.  How could I not have seen this?  We’re in a live exercise that’s meant to prepare us for the colonization of Mars.
*bweeeeeeooooop*
Arrange yourselves for preparatory furnishings here.  Please stand between the dashed white lines there.  Yellow bags are at the top of the stairs, if you need yellow bags elsewhere they are scattered throughout the complex.  Citizen 51125, put that coffee down.  Remember, IKEA has your best interests at heart.
I’m not entirely sure what the yellow bags are for.  Large bins sit at various intersections along the white-lined paths, and in each are dozens of crumpled translucent yellow sacks.  Some people use them for their water bottles, purses, and other carry along materials.  Some carry their shopping in their bare hands, and stash the yellow bag under-arm.  Some look at the yellow bags and put them over their heads, right before they extend their arms outwards and simply fall back over the top floor railing.  Perhaps the yellow bag is a signal of some sort,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>10:37</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Perhaps_The_Yellow_Bag_is_a_Multi-Purpose_Survival_Device.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When they opened a new IKEA store a few miles from my home, little did I know this would prepare me for inter-galactic space travel.  The titan blue box finished it&#8217;s month long and near-silent birth only recently &#8211; the store pasted against the horizon as a deity defiant monolith marked in four letters from [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219046/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217436/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219046/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219046/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219046/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219046/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219046/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219046/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/there%e2%80%99s-one-for-each-of-us-and-mine-is-called-keith-and-the-girl/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>There’s One For Each of Us, and Mine Is Called Keith and The Girl</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219047/0/waywardirregular~There%e2%80%99s-One-For-Each-of-Us-and-Mine-Is-Called-Keith-and-The-Girl/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219047/0/waywardirregular~There%e2%80%99s-One-For-Each-of-Us-and-Mine-Is-Called-Keith-and-The-Girl/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:00:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=574</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Everyone has a morning show they watch or listen to, regardless of how accurate the words before that comma truly are. Part of the waking routine for the living can vary &#8211; coffee, a shower, blowing your nose and lighting a cigarette, wildly scrambling a fresh corpse from your bed then calling your dad’s lawyer, [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217438/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219047/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219047/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219047/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219047/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219047/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219047/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219047/0/waywardirregular~There%e2%80%99s-One-For-Each-of-Us-and-Mine-Is-Called-Keith-and-The-Girl/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217438/0/waywardirregular~There%e2%80%99s-One-For-Each-of-Us-and-Mine-Is-Called-Keith-and-The-Girl-Enclosure.mp3" length="11083475" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Everyone has a morning show they watch or listen to, regardless of how accurate the words before that comma truly are.  Part of the waking routine for the living can vary - coffee, a shower, blowing your nose and lighting a cigarette,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Everyone has a morning show they watch or listen to, regardless of how accurate the words before that comma truly are.  Part of the waking routine for the living can vary - coffee, a shower, blowing your nose and lighting a cigarette, wildly scrambling...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>10:03</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/There_s_One_For_Each_of_Us_and_Mine_Is_Called_Keith_and_The_Girl.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Everyone has a morning show they watch or listen to, regardless of how accurate the words before that comma truly are. Part of the waking routine for the living can vary &#8211; coffee, a shower, blowing your nose and lighting a cigarette, wildly scrambling a fresh corpse from your bed then calling your dad’s lawyer, [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219047/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217438/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219047/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219047/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219047/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219047/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219047/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219047/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/ten-ton-fantasies-the-taibbi-man-crush-and-i%e2%80%99ve-never-read-ellison/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Ten Ton Fantasies, The Taibbi Man Crush, and I’ve Never Read Ellison</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219049/0/waywardirregular~Ten-Ton-Fantasies-The-Taibbi-Man-Crush-and-I%e2%80%99ve-Never-Read-Ellison/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219049/0/waywardirregular~Ten-Ton-Fantasies-The-Taibbi-Man-Crush-and-I%e2%80%99ve-Never-Read-Ellison/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=544</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Often, I sit down with eight fingers on the middle row, and not a damn thing other than a messy sneeze can get them active. They say &#8211; the royal they &#8211; they say that in order to be a writer you must simply keep writing. Marvelous, thanks they. The advice boils down to doing [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217441/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219049/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219049/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219049/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219049/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219049/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219049/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219049/0/waywardirregular~Ten-Ton-Fantasies-The-Taibbi-Man-Crush-and-I%e2%80%99ve-Never-Read-Ellison/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217441/0/waywardirregular~Ten-Ton-Fantasies-The-Taibbi-Man-Crush-and-I%e2%80%99ve-Never-Read-Ellison-Enclosure.mp3" length="6928166" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Often, I sit down with eight fingers on the middle row, and not a damn thing other than a messy sneeze can get them active.  They say - the royal they - they say that in order to be a writer you must simply keep writing.  Marvelous, thanks they.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Often, I sit down with eight fingers on the middle row, and not a damn thing other than a messy sneeze can get them active.  They say - the royal they - they say that in order to be a writer you must simply keep writing.  Marvelous, thanks they.  The a...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>8:41</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Ten_Ton_Fantasies_The_Taibbi_Man_Crush_and_I_ve_Never_Read_Ellison.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Often, I sit down with eight fingers on the middle row, and not a damn thing other than a messy sneeze can get them active. They say &#8211; the royal they &#8211; they say that in order to be a writer you must simply keep writing. Marvelous, thanks they. The advice boils down to doing [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219049/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217441/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219049/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219049/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219049/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219049/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219049/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219049/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-inexhaustible-patience-of-p-finnegan-and-the-terrible-funnel-of-questions/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The Inexhaustible Patience of P. Finnegan and the Terrible Funnel of Questions</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219050/0/waywardirregular~The-Inexhaustible-Patience-of-P-Finnegan-and-the-Terrible-Funnel-of-Questions/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219050/0/waywardirregular~The-Inexhaustible-Patience-of-P-Finnegan-and-the-Terrible-Funnel-of-Questions/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:00:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=530</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When hired at the agency where I shared space with an indomitably patient Irishman, little did he know that my presence would eventually correlate to his daydreams involving elaborate suicide. I’ll save you the backstory for this multifarious ride, the job, the people, the locations and all the things. This brief tale will be our [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217442/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219050/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219050/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219050/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219050/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219050/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219050/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219050/0/waywardirregular~The-Inexhaustible-Patience-of-P-Finnegan-and-the-Terrible-Funnel-of-Questions/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217442/0/waywardirregular~The-Inexhaustible-Patience-of-P-Finnegan-and-the-Terrible-Funnel-of-Questions-Enclosure.mp3" length="6421981" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>When hired at the agency where I shared space with an indomitably patient Irishman, little did he know that my presence would eventually correlate to his daydreams involving elaborate suicide.  I’ll save you the backstory for this multifarious ride,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>When hired at the agency where I shared space with an indomitably patient Irishman, little did he know that my presence would eventually correlate to his daydreams involving elaborate suicide.  I’ll save you the backstory for this multifarious ride, th...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>7:58</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_Inexhaustible_Patience_of_P._Finnegan_and_the_Terrible_Funnel_of_Questions.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When hired at the agency where I shared space with an indomitably patient Irishman, little did he know that my presence would eventually correlate to his daydreams involving elaborate suicide. I’ll save you the backstory for this multifarious ride, the job, the people, the locations and all the things. This brief tale will be our [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219050/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217442/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219050/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219050/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219050/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219050/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219050/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219050/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-treasure-cave-the-gorilla-the-cliff-diver-rolling-music-and-bubble-guns/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The Treasure Cave, The Gorilla, The Cliff Diver, Rolling Music and Bubble Guns</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219051/0/waywardirregular~The-Treasure-Cave-The-Gorilla-The-Cliff-Diver-Rolling-Music-and-Bubble-Guns/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219051/0/waywardirregular~The-Treasure-Cave-The-Gorilla-The-Cliff-Diver-Rolling-Music-and-Bubble-Guns/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=513</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You don’t simply experience Casa Bonita, Casa Bonita is thrust upon you. The restaurant, tethered to our realm in Lakewood Colorado, translates from the Spanish directly into “Beautiful House,” or “Oiled Beef.” The place is organic, breathing in and out, its tendrils plunge into your mind the second it’s name is mentioned in mild conversation. [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217443/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219051/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219051/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219051/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219051/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219051/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219051/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219051/0/waywardirregular~The-Treasure-Cave-The-Gorilla-The-Cliff-Diver-Rolling-Music-and-Bubble-Guns/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217443/0/waywardirregular~The-Treasure-Cave-The-Gorilla-The-Cliff-Diver-Rolling-Music-and-Bubble-Guns-Enclosure.mp3" length="6167624" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>You don’t simply experience Casa Bonita, Casa Bonita is thrust upon you.  The restaurant, tethered to our realm in Lakewood Colorado, translates from the Spanish directly into “Beautiful House,” or “Oiled Beef.”  The place is organic,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>You don’t simply experience Casa Bonita, Casa Bonita is thrust upon you.  The restaurant, tethered to our realm in Lakewood Colorado, translates from the Spanish directly into “Beautiful House,” or “Oiled Beef.”  The place is organic, breathing in and out, its tendrils plunge into your mind the second it’s name is mentioned in mild conversation.  “Casa Bonita,” someone mutters, and suddenly you have an erection.  It wasn’t designed or built by the hands of man, hammer and nail - no, it just was, has been, and forever will be.  When humans were learning to sharpen the rock, a beam of multi-colored festivity melted down into the surface of the great western continent, and from its warmth, the seeds of what was to become started to grow - a phalanx of genomes preparing mankind for bubble guns, laser eyes, and all-you-can-eat beef material.  I want fake nacho cheese, and I want it to blanket my meal.
I grew up in Nebraska, and the hillbillies without accents that populate the open plains all seem to hold a few truths:  1.)  An afternoon is easily dispatched with gasoline and a twenty-two caliber rifle.  2.)  When Jacob Fitzgerald Buffet III invented the buffet-style restaurant, a bronze statue was the least one could do.  3)  If you ever find yourself traveling to the Damned West, avoid Casa Bonita.  There’s a venom here for these people, a taught and snappy distaste for the restaurant that comes with quick warning.  “Oh don’t go there, the cliff divers are old and when they jump the water goes in your drinks.”  “I wouldn’t eat there, there’s always hair in your food and you’ll be firing from both barrels for the next ten hours if you do.”  “They hire prisoners to work the food service in the back room.  They only make your food when they aren’t busy doing drugs with AIDS and putting AIDS on your plate to make an AIDS platter with a side order of AIDS.”
In Colorado, there seems to be an universally different perspective.  Out in the mountainous mile-high, there’s plenty of pride (it seems) to be a native born citizen.  Not the native where you wear feathers and get your land taken away by Europeans kind-of-native, but native as in “I was birthed over the dirt we call Colorado” kind-of-native.  Colorado is a travel-to state, most of the people I know here were born in flat places and raised on casserole.  Drifting in from the west or the east is how we seem to geolocate our friends and associates in quarter-to-mid life, but always remember - you’re welcome to hitch up and use our water, but you’re no native.  There aren’t any privileges with being a native that I know of - you don’t get discounts on oil changes or “cutsies” in the line at the grocery store - but if you’re a native, there are bumper stickers to help you remind everyone of such status.  So, why the previous sentences using the word native no less than eight times?  Because if you’re a native - you inherently like Casa Bonita.  That, and maybe you know something about these cheesy-ass Dealin’ Doug commercials that I don’t.
Oh, they’re wary.  If you ask a Colorado native about Casa Bonita their eyes light up and bottom lips go a-quiver.  This is followed, however, with trepidation.  “Oh, it’s great.  Have you been?”  If you haven’t, they feel predisposed to warn you about it.  “Well, it’s a lot to take in.  Maybe you’d better have a seat.”  The infamous South Park episode about Casa Bonita views like a fever dream - but from my one brief visit to date, it’s startlingly accurate.  Children love it.  Adults… go there.  I’m not attempting to convey that the place is bad mind you - just something to sit and have a honest discussion with yourself about before you go.  “Do I like fake nacho cheese… of course I do.  Do I like food that come from a slit in the wall.  I’m not sure, that’s never happened before.  Do I like watching local high-schoolers dive into chlorinated water, indoors, near where I’m eating?  Possibly.  Am I in the mood to gamble with my bowels?</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>7:50</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_Treasure_Cave_The_Gorilla_The_Cliff_Diver_Rolling_Music_and_Bubble_Guns.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You don’t simply experience Casa Bonita, Casa Bonita is thrust upon you. The restaurant, tethered to our realm in Lakewood Colorado, translates from the Spanish directly into “Beautiful House,” or “Oiled Beef.” The place is organic, breathing in and out, its tendrils plunge into your mind the second it’s name is mentioned in mild conversation. [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219051/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217443/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219051/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219051/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219051/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219051/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219051/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219051/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/more-dark-stuff-savage-grief-for-internet-explorer-6/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>More Dark Stuff: Savage Grief for Internet Explorer 6</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219053/0/waywardirregular~More-Dark-Stuff-Savage-Grief-for-Internet-Explorer/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219053/0/waywardirregular~More-Dark-Stuff-Savage-Grief-for-Internet-Explorer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:00:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=505</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Audio temporarily offline. If the internet browsers Firefox, Safari, and Chrome are your chiseled jaw pioneers &#8211; convertible cars and pitch black hair that never moves, then Internet Explorer yields more the image of an elderly gray sweater sitting in the corner, throwing offered spoons of cornmeal across the room in a wet-lipped fit. Only [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217444/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219053/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219053/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219053/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219053/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219053/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219053/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219053/0/waywardirregular~More-Dark-Stuff-Savage-Grief-for-Internet-Explorer/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217444/0/waywardirregular~More-Dark-Stuff-Savage-Grief-for-Internet-Explorer-Enclosure.mp3" length="8041801" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Audio temporarily offline. - If the internet browsers Firefox, Safari, and Chrome are your chiseled jaw pioneers - convertible cars and pitch black hair that never moves, then Internet Explorer yields more the image of an elderly gray sweater sitting ...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Audio temporarily offline.
If the internet browsers Firefox, Safari, and Chrome are your chiseled jaw pioneers - convertible cars and pitch black hair that never moves, then Internet Explorer yields more the image of an elderly gray sweater sitting in the corner, throwing offered spoons of cornmeal across the room in a wet-lipped fit.  Only four commas in that previous sentence, I’m getting better.  It’s struggle enough to get the unfamiliar in a safe place as to what an internet browser really is.  Some understand it’s simply a piece of software designed to readily connect you with your Facebook account and the various types of deviant pornography you moderate the support forums for.  Others, unfortunately, view the little E icon as the actual internet - referring to it in any given support phone call as “My internet button,” or, “My modem account,” or, “My email account internet password dot com email.”  For those of us making our paper on any of a number of angles that drives us back to browser compliance - programmer, support staff, developers, designers, pain enthusiasts… the usual - the words “Internet Explorer” traditionally quiver our chins with a special brand of hatred, the kind that has you seeing red, excusing yourself from a meeting, then waking up surrounded by bodies. 
The worst of the lot - the browser that refuses to die, is Internet Explorer 6.  I’ll save you the laundry list of reasons it should’ve been abolished from this realm by a gypsy spell years ago.  Chief among these reasons is that it doesn’t work with modernized coding practices, and those who still use the relic have had to actively refuse to upgrade since a few months before we saw the world’s first iPod.  Last year an agency in town held an actual funeral for this bane of professional internet workers everywhere after Google announced that it was tired of playing along, and it’s properties would begin to divorce from the browser.  I didn’t attend the event, as it would’ve meant going outside where germs are, but I viewed some photography - after putting on my anti-germ photography gloves.  They held an actual wake, somber faces secretly filled with joy toasting drinks over a large coffin with a man-sized suit and an enormous E for a head.  I’m sure the thing was grand, but unless they set fire to the coffin - nay - the building, they didn’t get the job done.  Never walk away when it’s down, you need to remove the head to be sure.
They had a website where people could post their memories and condolences, little notes to Microsoft sharing in their grief.  In this area, I penned a short tale of tragedy… and murder.  This is what happens when my food takes too long to microwave.
…
&quot;No, son, you cast long - there you&#039;ve got it!&quot; I said.  &quot;That&#039;s a good boy, we&#039;ll have fish for supper no doubt!&quot;  I pat his head.  What a wonderful morning, so long ago - me and my boy, IE6, out fishing over the mighty Platte.  Breathe in that air, let it pass over your pallet and taste the salt of the catch.  But, no… not any more.  Today, my wife catches me just standing there, watching the rain, cold cup of coffee in my right hand, IE6&#039;s old favorite fishing lure in the left.  I&#039;m a little more gray, and I&#039;m a little more lonely.  She places a shawl over my shoulders.  
&quot;Stare all you want,&quot; she says, &quot;but warm fast or you&#039;ll catch your death at this window.&quot;  She smiles, grips my index finger with her hand, then returns to her day.  Time moves slower after the ebb and flow of a tragedy.
&quot;Dad?&quot; he once asked me. &quot;Am I a good internet browser?&quot;
&quot;Of course you are my boy,&quot; I replied. &quot;Now just keep your eyes out on your line.&quot;  Ah, his smile is so wide.
I didn&#039;t know what he would become.  Neither of us did.  In therapy, they tell us it&#039;s called a diagnostic bereavement-denial syndrome.  To me that&#039;s just a bunch of fancy talk, the horrid wars of my yesteryears couldn&#039;t dissolve the nightmare I&#039;d birthed to this world,</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>8:54</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/More_Dark_Stuff__Savage_Grief_for_Internet_Explorer_6.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Audio temporarily offline. If the internet browsers Firefox, Safari, and Chrome are your chiseled jaw pioneers &#8211; convertible cars and pitch black hair that never moves, then Internet Explorer yields more the image of an elderly gray sweater sitting in the corner, throwing offered spoons of cornmeal across the room in a wet-lipped fit. Only [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219053/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217444/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219053/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219053/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219053/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219053/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219053/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219053/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/automata-hallowed-be-thy-game/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Automata: Hallowed Be Thy Game</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219055/0/waywardirregular~Automata-Hallowed-Be-Thy-Game/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219055/0/waywardirregular~Automata-Hallowed-Be-Thy-Game/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Nov 2010 07:45:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=457</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dark noir flows over New York, the swath of tonight’s brush is wide and grim.  The 18th amendment has passed, and with it the cessation of all robotproduction - if it makes you toast it’s permissible, but if it reminds you to pick up more bread at the grocery - you’re heading for the pokey on a one-way...]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217445/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219055/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219055/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219055/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219055/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219055/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219055/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219055/0/waywardirregular~Automata-Hallowed-Be-Thy-Game/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217445/0/waywardirregular~Automata-Hallowed-Be-Thy-Game-Enclosure.mp3" length="55873544" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Dark noir flows over New York, the swath of tonight’s brush is wide and grim.  The 18th amendment has passed, and with it the cessation of all robotproduction - if it makes you toast it’s permissible, but if it reminds you to pick up more bread at the ...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Dark noir flows over New York, the swath of tonight’s brush is wide and grim.  The 18th amendment has passed, and with it the cessation of all robotproduction - if it makes you toast it’s permissible, but if it reminds you to pick up more bread at the grocery - you’re heading for the pokey on a one-way...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>58:04</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Automata__Hallowed_Be_Thy_Game.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dark noir flows over New York, the swath of tonight’s brush is wide and grim.  The 18th amendment has passed, and with it the cessation of all robotproduction - if it makes you toast it’s permissible, but if it reminds you to pick up more bread at the grocery - you’re heading for the pokey on a one-way...</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219055/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217445/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219055/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219055/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219055/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219055/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219055/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219055/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/it%e2%80%99s-on-the-top-shelf-next-to-the-cardboard-box-of-heeby-jeebies/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>It’s On The Top Shelf, Next To The Cardboard Box of Heeby Jeebies</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219057/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-On-The-Top-Shelf-Next-To-The-Cardboard-Box-of-Heeby-Jeebies/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219057/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-On-The-Top-Shelf-Next-To-The-Cardboard-Box-of-Heeby-Jeebies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=449</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is a program we’re able to watch on our collective radio-with-pictures boxes, and it’s aptly dubbed Unsolved Mysteries &#8211; a show that literally accomplishes nothing. It comes on, peels your eyes open, then pours a slurry of nightmares into your tender ocular meats, all while playing a synthesized theme song. It’ll tell you about [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217446/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219057/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219057/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219057/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219057/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219057/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219057/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219057/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-On-The-Top-Shelf-Next-To-The-Cardboard-Box-of-Heeby-Jeebies/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217446/0/waywardirregular~It%e2%80%99s-On-The-Top-Shelf-Next-To-The-Cardboard-Box-of-Heeby-Jeebies-Enclosure.mp3" length="9310847" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>There is a program we’re able to watch on our collective radio-with-pictures boxes, and it’s aptly dubbed Unsolved Mysteries - a show that literally accomplishes nothing.  It comes on, peels your eyes open,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>There is a program we’re able to watch on our collective radio-with-pictures boxes, and it’s aptly dubbed Unsolved Mysteries - a show that literally accomplishes nothing.  It comes on, peels your eyes open, then pours a slurry of nightmares into your t...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>11:54</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/It_s_On_The_Top_Shelf_Next_To_The_Cardboard_Box_of_Heeby_Jeebies.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There is a program we’re able to watch on our collective radio-with-pictures boxes, and it’s aptly dubbed Unsolved Mysteries &#8211; a show that literally accomplishes nothing. It comes on, peels your eyes open, then pours a slurry of nightmares into your tender ocular meats, all while playing a synthesized theme song. It’ll tell you about [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219057/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217446/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219057/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219057/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219057/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219057/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219057/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219057/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/marijuana-dispensaries-are-the-great-evil-devil-satan/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Marijuana Dispensaries Are The Great Evil Devil Satan</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219059/0/waywardirregular~Marijuana-Dispensaries-Are-The-Great-Evil-Devil-Satan/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219059/0/waywardirregular~Marijuana-Dispensaries-Are-The-Great-Evil-Devil-Satan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=441</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We are at the precipice of the “adult book store” for a generation who grew up with Nirvana as make-out music; we the pastel thinkers, we the children of the flannel button-up. In Colorado, legend goes, there’s a medical marijuana dispensary (read: retail outlet) to match every Starbucks in-state serving up burnt cups of coffee. [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217447/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219059/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219059/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219059/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219059/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219059/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219059/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219059/0/waywardirregular~Marijuana-Dispensaries-Are-The-Great-Evil-Devil-Satan/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217447/0/waywardirregular~Marijuana-Dispensaries-Are-The-Great-Evil-Devil-Satan-Enclosure.mp3" length="6076990" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>We are at the precipice of the “adult book store” for a generation who grew up with Nirvana as make-out music; we the pastel thinkers, we the children of the flannel button-up.  In Colorado, legend goes, there’s a medical marijuana dispensary (read: re...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>We are at the precipice of the “adult book store” for a generation who grew up with Nirvana as make-out music; we the pastel thinkers, we the children of the flannel button-up.  In Colorado, legend goes, there’s a medical marijuana dispensary (read: retail outlet) to match every Starbucks in-state serving up burnt cups of coffee.  No, you bastards, you aren’t tenderly kissing your beans in any special roasting fashion - you’re burning your swill - get over the emotion of the thing and skip to step five: acceptance that you should’ve gone into barbecue.  So there I was, as I usually am, with my eyes off the road and trying to see the insides of one of these dispensaries through the tinted plastic window coverings.  I can only imagine that inside they’re burning books, touching children, and playing rock and roll records backwards.  They’re like the friendly neighborhood porno shop - the ones that turned the lot of us into twisted monsters, deviants bent on breaking your rules and jaywalking defiantly near your homes.  There’s no medicine here, Americans.  The retail shops use clever naming and the guise of aiding the suffering in our populations only to one end: to cleave the very fabric of our nation in twain.  My pitchfork has been at the door for too long, finally it’s time to get me a splinter or two giving a hippy another asshole.
The ones with the power to sweepingly enact all the proper “I” dotting usually furrow their brows and teeter the thumb down into “kill the gladiator” position, decrying that “we need more research” before giving Green Evil to someone who’s in pain - let alone someone who wants to watch a movie with more vibrant color.  The only hitch in this logic is that we’ve been testing and researching the marijuana plant for centuries now.  Scientists have been coming up empty handed for eons when attempting to find a reason the drug is bad for you, and Steve has been coming up empty handed when trying to find Doritos brand snacking chips anywhere in his humble studio apartment.  Documentaries like The Union are a glimpse into the to-and-fro of the marijuana trade, and why exactly it’s still not being delivered with your milk.  It’s exhausting to contemplate, save one simple explanation: If you think that marijuana is in any way harmful to yourself or others, you are telling yourself porky pies.  Keep those hands over your eyes though, the scene with the boobs and the moaning is almost over.  If it just wasn’t for all those banks being robbed and those methamphetamine junkies on the witness stand pointing to the giant spliff in the defendant’s seat with shrugged shoulders - we might be able to get somewhere in this world.  However, just like Starbucks brewing a potable cup of decaf coffee - that previous sentence never ever happens.  But let’s not get too lenient, based on whatever lies are in season, marijuana cigarettes will lead to the downfall of civilization - a horde of red-eyed former humans with hand guns looking to shoot public figures, if they could only find their keys.  Also, if you want to name your tribute band “Former Humans With Hand Guns,” this sentence gives you legal license.
Working near these places affords me a fix in my people watching addiction I’d otherwise have to buy binoculars for.  Men and women, young and old, scatter in and out of the shops, usually holding nothing in plain sight.  Their eyes squint to the sun, and they scratch and scatter on all fours back to their cars as soon as possible - someone might see them and call O’Brien down from the towers of the Inner Party and have you electrocuted.  In a fraction of my drive-by a few days ago I witnessed a man of vague ethnic identity walking happily out of the shop, as if the movie he wanted to rent had finally been checked in.  I say “vague ethnic identity,” as it’s likely more racially sensitive these days to apply that title, rather than to try and guess what his general “tan-ness” says about his ancestry.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>7:42</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Marijuana_Dispensaries_Are_The_Great_Evil_Devil_Satan.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We are at the precipice of the “adult book store” for a generation who grew up with Nirvana as make-out music; we the pastel thinkers, we the children of the flannel button-up. In Colorado, legend goes, there’s a medical marijuana dispensary (read: retail outlet) to match every Starbucks in-state serving up burnt cups of coffee. [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219059/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217447/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219059/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219059/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219059/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219059/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219059/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219059/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-burnout-even-keeps-it-in-the-bathroom/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The Burnout Even Keeps it in the Bathroom</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219061/0/waywardirregular~The-Burnout-Even-Keeps-it-in-the-Bathroom/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219061/0/waywardirregular~The-Burnout-Even-Keeps-it-in-the-Bathroom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:04:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=435</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Plodding to face the bathroom mirror completely in the nude wasn’t the issue, it was the pinch in my right elbow that encouraged me to consider other dimensions in space-time. The routine for years has been an unknowing homage to whatever pasty large Aryan toe heads I share ancestral DNA with, those battle axe people, [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217449/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219061/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219061/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219061/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219061/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219061/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219061/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219061/0/waywardirregular~The-Burnout-Even-Keeps-it-in-the-Bathroom/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217449/0/waywardirregular~The-Burnout-Even-Keeps-it-in-the-Bathroom-Enclosure.mp3" length="4836984" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Plodding to face the bathroom mirror completely in the nude wasn’t the issue, it was the pinch in my right elbow that encouraged me to consider other dimensions in space-time.  The routine for years has been an unknowing homage to whatever pasty large ...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Plodding to face the bathroom mirror completely in the nude wasn’t the issue, it was the pinch in my right elbow that encouraged me to consider other dimensions in space-time.  The routine for years has been an unknowing homage to whatever pasty large ...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>6:01</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_Burnout_Even_Keeps_it_in_the_Bathroom.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Plodding to face the bathroom mirror completely in the nude wasn’t the issue, it was the pinch in my right elbow that encouraged me to consider other dimensions in space-time. The routine for years has been an unknowing homage to whatever pasty large Aryan toe heads I share ancestral DNA with, those battle axe people, [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219061/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217449/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219061/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219061/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219061/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219061/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219061/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219061/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/merlin-mann-productivity-demiurge-or-my-job-isn%e2%80%99t-abusive-i-just-ran-into-the-door/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Merlin Mann: Productivity Demiurge (or) My Job Isn’t Abusive, I Just Ran Into The Door</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219063/0/waywardirregular~Merlin-Mann-Productivity-Demiurge-or-My-Job-Isn%e2%80%99t-Abusive-I-Just-Ran-Into-The-Door/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219063/0/waywardirregular~Merlin-Mann-Productivity-Demiurge-or-My-Job-Isn%e2%80%99t-Abusive-I-Just-Ran-Into-The-Door/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:00:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=408</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“Money is the reason people say they leave a job, but culture is the reason that money became an issue.” - Merlin Mann, Time &#038; Attention]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217451/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219063/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219063/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219063/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219063/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219063/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219063/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219063/0/waywardirregular~Merlin-Mann-Productivity-Demiurge-or-My-Job-Isn%e2%80%99t-Abusive-I-Just-Ran-Into-The-Door/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217451/0/waywardirregular~Merlin-Mann-Productivity-Demiurge-or-My-Job-Isn%e2%80%99t-Abusive-I-Just-Ran-Into-The-Door-Enclosure.mp3" length="11285548" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>“Money is the reason people say they leave a job, but culture is the reason that money became an issue.” - Merlin Mann, Time &amp; Attention</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>“Money is the reason people say they leave a job, but culture is the reason that money became an issue.” - Merlin Mann, Time &amp; Attention</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>23:14</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Merlin_Mann__Productivity_Demiurge_or_My_Job_Isn_t_Abusive_I_Just_Ran_Into_The_Door.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>“Money is the reason people say they leave a job, but culture is the reason that money became an issue.” - Merlin Mann, Time &#038; Attention</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219063/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217451/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219063/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219063/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219063/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219063/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219063/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219063/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/pastel-flirtations-in-showbiz-the-rock-afire-explosion/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Pastel Flirtations In Showbiz: The Rock-afire Explosion</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219064/0/waywardirregular~Pastel-Flirtations-In-Showbiz-The-Rockafire-Explosion/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219064/0/waywardirregular~Pastel-Flirtations-In-Showbiz-The-Rockafire-Explosion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2010 12:00:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=398</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A quiet hush, a me-ma-me, and a clearing throat &#8211; all wisps slicing the quiet preparation behind the curtain. On it’s other side things are vibrant and full of life &#8211; youth dancing and feasting in celebration of another happy season, these things take so long year to year. The lights are dim, but spirits [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217453/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219064/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219064/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219064/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219064/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219064/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219064/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219064/0/waywardirregular~Pastel-Flirtations-In-Showbiz-The-Rockafire-Explosion/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217453/0/waywardirregular~Pastel-Flirtations-In-Showbiz-The-Rockafire-Explosion-Enclosure.mp3" length="26605464" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>A quiet hush, a me-ma-me, and a clearing throat - all wisps slicing the quiet preparation behind the curtain.  On it’s other side things are vibrant and full of life - youth dancing and feasting in celebration of another happy season,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>A quiet hush, a me-ma-me, and a clearing throat - all wisps slicing the quiet preparation behind the curtain.  On it’s other side things are vibrant and full of life - youth dancing and feasting in celebration of another happy season, these things take...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>27:35</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Pastel_Flirtations_In_Showbiz__The_Rock-afire_Explosion.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A quiet hush, a me-ma-me, and a clearing throat &#8211; all wisps slicing the quiet preparation behind the curtain. On it’s other side things are vibrant and full of life &#8211; youth dancing and feasting in celebration of another happy season, these things take so long year to year. The lights are dim, but spirits [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219064/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217453/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219064/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219064/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219064/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219064/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219064/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219064/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/feeding-from-craigslist-a-tragedy-in-five-examples/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>Feeding From Craigslist: A Tragedy In Five Examples</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219065/0/waywardirregular~Feeding-From-Craigslist-A-Tragedy-In-Five-Examples/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219065/0/waywardirregular~Feeding-From-Craigslist-A-Tragedy-In-Five-Examples/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:42:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=385</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Having freelanced for a goodly set of years now, I’ve been required to scrummage a chicken bone or two from the mighty internet machine phenomenon known as Craigslist. If you aren’t familiar with what exactly Craigslist is &#8211; allow me to lay the information over your brain in moist strips in an elegant way that [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217456/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219065/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219065/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219065/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219065/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219065/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219065/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219065/0/waywardirregular~Feeding-From-Craigslist-A-Tragedy-In-Five-Examples/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217456/0/waywardirregular~Feeding-From-Craigslist-A-Tragedy-In-Five-Examples-Enclosure.mp3" length="16174017" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>Having freelanced for a goodly set of years now, I’ve been required to scrummage a chicken bone or two from the mighty internet machine phenomenon known as Craigslist.  If you aren’t familiar with what exactly Craigslist is - allow me to lay the inform...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Having freelanced for a goodly set of years now, I’ve been required to scrummage a chicken bone or two from the mighty internet machine phenomenon known as Craigslist.  If you aren’t familiar with what exactly Craigslist is - allow me to lay the inform...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>16:43</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/Feeding_From_Craigslist__A_Tragedy_In_Five_Examples.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Having freelanced for a goodly set of years now, I’ve been required to scrummage a chicken bone or two from the mighty internet machine phenomenon known as Craigslist. If you aren’t familiar with what exactly Craigslist is &#8211; allow me to lay the information over your brain in moist strips in an elegant way that [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219065/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217456/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219065/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219065/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219065/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219065/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219065/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219065/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-motley-talents-of-jonas-friendly-bones-and-all/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The Motley Talents of Jonas Friendly: Bones And All</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219066/0/waywardirregular~The-Motley-Talents-of-Jonas-Friendly-Bones-And-All/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219066/0/waywardirregular~The-Motley-Talents-of-Jonas-Friendly-Bones-And-All/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=378</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A quick note: The following work of fiction is a conclusion to part one, the tale of a rubber thumbed recluse named Mr. Friendly. As before, it’s a little more dark than the fare you may be accustomed to from your humble author, so I’d like to caution the more sensitive readers / listeners. Maybe [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217458/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219066/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219066/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219066/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219066/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219066/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219066/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219066/0/waywardirregular~The-Motley-Talents-of-Jonas-Friendly-Bones-And-All/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217458/0/waywardirregular~The-Motley-Talents-of-Jonas-Friendly-Bones-And-All-Enclosure.mp3" length="26624668" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>A quick note: The following work of fiction is a conclusion to part one, the tale of a rubber thumbed recluse named Mr. Friendly.  As before, it’s a little more dark than the fare you may be accustomed to from your humble author,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>A quick note: The following work of fiction is a conclusion to part one, the tale of a rubber thumbed recluse named Mr. Friendly.  As before, it’s a little more dark than the fare you may be accustomed to from your humble author, so I’d like to caution...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>27:36</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_Motley_Talents_of_Jonas_Friendly__Bones_And_All.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A quick note: The following work of fiction is a conclusion to part one, the tale of a rubber thumbed recluse named Mr. Friendly. As before, it’s a little more dark than the fare you may be accustomed to from your humble author, so I’d like to caution the more sensitive readers / listeners. Maybe [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219066/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217458/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219066/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219066/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219066/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219066/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219066/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219066/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
<item>
<feedburner:origLink>http://www.waywardirregular.com/the-motley-talents-of-jonas-friendly/</feedburner:origLink>
		<title>The Motley Talents of Jonas Friendly</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219068/0/waywardirregular~The-Motley-Talents-of-Jonas-Friendly/</link>
		<comments>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219068/0/waywardirregular~The-Motley-Talents-of-Jonas-Friendly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:00:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Jordan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Episodes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.waywardirregular.com/?p=357</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A quick note: The following work of fiction is a little more dark than the fare you may be accustomed to from your humble author, so I’d like to caution the more sensitive readers / listeners. Maybe skip this one if you’re squeamish, have problems with violence, or are nauseated by birthday cake. Otherwise, please [...]]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217459/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219068/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219068/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219068/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219068/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219068/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219068/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/36219068/0/waywardirregular~The-Motley-Talents-of-Jonas-Friendly/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217459/0/waywardirregular~The-Motley-Talents-of-Jonas-Friendly-Enclosure.mp3" length="31669854" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>A quick note:  The following work of fiction is a little more dark than the fare you may be accustomed to from your humble author, so I’d like to caution the more sensitive readers / listeners.  Maybe skip this one if you’re squeamish,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>A quick note:  The following work of fiction is a little more dark than the fare you may be accustomed to from your humble author, so I’d like to caution the more sensitive readers / listeners.  Maybe skip this one if you’re squeamish, have problems with violence, or are nauseated by birthday cake.  Otherwise, please enjoy.
...
Jonas made things go away.  In his little cage in his little office in the massive basement for the engineering firm he worked for, things went under the little receiving tray, and from behind the green and wholly unnecessary mesh linked screen he sat behind, Jonas took what you had, and made it go away.  Various designs of various little pieces from few actual products came down to where Jonas worked.  The firm found this building nearly abandoned when it moved campus - what luck, all the vintage charm of of a hip and trendy law firm, with all the sharp and polish of a company that revolved around the creation of industrial cement mixers, or perhaps dog collars, hard to tell.  Jonas was nothing if not for his routine.  Up to work early, sit in the office, swivel the chair, and file away blueprints for various little pieces of various little somethings.  The walk around the massive filing system was good exercise - comfortable shoes are so terribly important, comfortable shoes and comfortable laces.  
Jonas constantly struggled with his hair loss and his weight, but looked up to the confidence of fictional characters that shared his particular shape, like Tony Soprano, Tony - neurotic, yes -  always knew where he was in things.  This kept Jonas at an arm’s length from self loathing.  Green lunchbox, tan slacks, “At least I don’t need glasses,” he’d often say to himself.  There were long days, there were short days.  There was his downstairs and the terrible unfamiliarity of upstairs.  There were ketchup stain days and there were mayonnaise stain days.  There was Autumn.  There were his little rubber thumb protectors, and there were still paper cuts.  There was home, and there was work.  There were also the dead bodies.
...
“Here comes David,” Jonas thought to himself.  Always David first in the morning.
“Jon-ass, you gorgeous son of a bitch, my heart flutters,” said David, walking from the door to the stairs down the short hall to Jonas’s office.  Tall, good hair, might have once been handsome.  Thirty six, thirty seven years old.  Needed to mature a bit.  “There’s bear claws upstairs man, the goods.  Just ate one, nearly got a semi.”  David thrust his fists back, and his pelvis forward.
David was carrying a manilla folder under his left arm stuffed with various printouts and a top sheet with a blank line - the one Jonas would sign so David’s filing reports indicated a satisfactory job.  The filing floor where Jonas worked in the basement always struck everyone as archaic, all these printed copies of digital things that were backed up, backed up, then backed up again.  Nobody thought any less of Jonas for being stuck down here like a turn of the century bank teller, it’s just that nobody really knew him that well.  Everyone sort of liked it this way, but did their best to include Jonas in conversation at company retreats and near the occasional break-room birthday cake.  David liked to get his reports signed early in the morning as it made leaving in the afternoon all the more easy.  
David liked Jonas, and Jonas found David... tolerable.  Sure, David thought he was still twenty one and drank enough to pose for an alcoholism themed poster above high school lockers somewhere - but he’d made it a personal mission to get Jonas to cheer up, get out, and get to living whatever life that might await him in the to and fro.  Jonas didn’t necessarily disagree, but life was relatively easy at the moment - if he could just get his severe social anxieties under control.  That pit, the gurgling pit in his stomach every time something didn’t go exactly to routine.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Matthew D. Jordan</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>32:51</itunes:duration>
<feedburner:origEnclosureLink>http://traffic.libsyn.com/waywardirregular/The_Motley_Talents_of_Jonas_Friendly.mp3</feedburner:origEnclosureLink>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A quick note: The following work of fiction is a little more dark than the fare you may be accustomed to from your humble author, so I’d like to caution the more sensitive readers / listeners. Maybe skip this one if you’re squeamish, have problems with violence, or are nauseated by birthday cake. Otherwise, please [...]</p><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0" hspace="0" src="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/36219068/0/waywardirregular">
]]>


&lt;div style=&quot;clear:left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/-/36217459/0/waywardirregular&quot; title=&quot;Play audio&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; width=&quot;40&quot; height=&quot;40&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/images/podplay.png&quot;/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;clear:both;padding-top:0.2em;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Like on Facebook&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/28/36219068/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/fblike20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Share on Google+&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/30/36219068/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/googleplus20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Pin it!&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/29/36219068/waywardirregular,&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/pinterest20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Tweet This&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/24/36219068/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/twitter20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by email&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/19/36219068/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/email20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;a title=&quot;Subscribe by RSS&quot; href=&quot;http://feeds.feedblitz.com/_/20/36219068/waywardirregular&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;20&quot; src=&quot;http://assets.feedblitz.com/i/rss20.png&quot; style=&quot;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt;</content:encoded></item>
</channel></rss>

