World Cocoon

Prepare to see the word ‘lockdown’ a lot.

1. What did you do in 2020 that you’d never done before?

Wore a mask to try and save my life. Bought an air fryer. Got gifts from a neighbor.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didnt have any. I have made some goals for this year tho so ill share them here: Make art. Lose weight. Exercize more. Hope to be here next year (not my choice but do my best to help it along.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Some lovely babies were born this year – little tea lights in the fog. I wonder if this will be their normal.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

I can’t even get into it. Ive lost a handful of people I love to this shit and a bunch other have been fucked by it.

5. What countries did you visit?

Only video game ones.

6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020?

Well it would be a joke to say creativity since the well has been dry for a bit. Trying to jumpstart it. Im getting there. Honestly a vaccine that keeps me alive.

7. What date from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

The day I found out I lost 2 people I cared about.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Staying alive.

9. What was your biggest failure?
The usual. Not enough art, not enough exercize. A blobby lump from office chair to couch to bin and back again. A human potato with all its eyes closed.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thank fuck no. Truly because of lockdown I didnt really have any sicknesses. The only year I never called in sick (tho wait did I call in sick before lockdown? That feels like a year before the year)

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A vinyl copy of Fishbone’s Reality of my surroundings. Bag a lazy sunday coffee. An ipad. A giant ass tv.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Everyone that acted like an adult and wore a fucking mask and stayed distant. All of my nurse and care worker friends that I fear for constantly.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Every fucking selfish piece of garbage that doesn’t believe in wearing a mask in public or take distance. There are so many and theyre so dispicable. Lets pop back a month before and say more of these racist fucks. Just the usual idiots right?

14. Where did most of your money go?
With the lockdown effectively saving me buspass money, ive bought a few more records and cds and takeaways. Money well spent.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Oh man, right before lockdown I got to see elvis costello, the orielles and Sleater-kinney (at the barrowlands!) Elvis was ok – but I checked him off the list. The orielles are prob my favorite new band in years (tho I found out about them a few years back) and they never disspoint. And sleater kinney? Good lord a long time coming. But they were one of the best shows ive ever seen and thats saying a lot. They played stuff across their entire calalogue and while Janet had already left at that point it was still just power on every level. (thankfully I got to see Janet play drums for elliot smith back in like 98/99? I miss going to shows. I dont have the stamina anymore but damn living 5/10 min aways from all the venues just forces you.

I should have also seen Parliment Funkadelic, Rufus Wainwright, and a reunited Faith No More. Ah well.

16. What songs will always remind you of 2020?

well, here are my top ten listened to songs of 2020 as determined by my (malfunctioning) last.fm scrobbler.

Keep in mind, as lockdown began I decided to do the ol listen to my itunes from start to bottom. As of right now I am halfway through 49 Miles Davis albums (so im in the M’s). So this year is gonna look a little different as I also have a LOT of fishbone. I predict new year saint etienne or prince will make this list.

1. Fishbone – Sunless Saturday
2. Fishbone – Freddy’s dead
3. Fishbone – Bonin in the boneyard
4. Fishbone – Lyin’ ass bitch
5. Fishbone – Party at ground zero
6. Fishbone – Skankin to the beat
7. The Aquabats – Look at me, im a winner!
8. The Aquabats – Mechanical Ape
9. The Aquabats – Meltdown
10. Fishbone – Alchoholic

So not really a surprising list if im going through all my stuff. Fishbone was prob destined to overwhelm this list esp with all the live shows included which were MANY. Happy to see the aquabats squeeze their way in cause really they were my happy place when things were down.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Fucking hell what do you think

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Gone out? Explored my new neighborhood. Written.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Listened to my brain.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Well since last years family all together didnt pan out, hopefully this year. If not, with my wife.

21. How many times I think about pizza a day.

22. Did you fall in love in 2020?
nahhhh

23. How many one night stands?
I have like 2 nightstands now by the bed im so extra

24. What were your favorite TV programmes?

Watched way too much tv this year right? Again jokers keeps me happy. Mandalorin, clone wars, rebels, discovery – the idea I could wantch amazingly well done star wars and star trek shows back to back everyweek is insane. Taskmaster. The og match game.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Its expenential.

26. What was the best book you read?
The book I got for xmas about the origins of gangsta rap. Really informative. (currently reading a book on the origins of pop music).

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The aquabats I think. Obv they have been around forever but only dipped in this year and so glad I did. There is always great new music and art to discover.

28. What did you want and get?
A lot of physical things. Not a lot of things for my soul.

29. What did you want and not get?
THOSE DAMN FISHBONE SNEAKERS! A saxamaphone. A new job. Energy.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Really a struggle to even know what I watched new this year – watched a lot of old stuff. An older movie I saw for the first time a few weeks ago – the night before, kept me laughing. Bill and ted was ok. Happy nostalga. Watched the original suspiria in full for the first time and that was a beauitful giallo.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I got it wrong last year’s surv cause im 44 now im pretty sure. 45 this year WHAT. Didnt do much on my birf cause you know lockdown. I think I had a pizza?

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
a fucking drivers licence. Again. A vaccine.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?
I havent put on real clothes since march. Ive had a shirt on mybe 15% of the time.

34. What kept you sane?
Funny, I put solitude for the last year. I still love solitude but not so much being trapped lol. Anyway, music kept me sane. Music.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Bernie. AOC. Nicola. Allison. Nina.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The obvious. Dumb bye bye president man. His followers. Race. Ignorance.

37. Who did you miss?
Never changing only growing. Besides last year’s answers of all my friends and fam. my cat. my guys from my old job. pizza. chinese food. burritoes. my old comic store, now im including everyone in my new home area. Those new comic book guys and other shopworkers id see on a constant basis. Even (some) co workers. I miss myself.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Straight up pretty sure I didnt meet any new people this year its a damn shame. Oh new neighbors but still cause of lockdown from far away.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2020.
even smart people are idiots.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

‘Perhaps the charcoal gray and brown around me
Is just the mirror image of my tainted soul
I think the sun will never visit my sky
Until the truth is seen by each and every eye.

– Fishbone – ’sunless saturday’