Completely Conspicuous 262: Anger is an Energy

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss anger management. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").
Show notes:
- Recorded at Chez Phillion, Salem, Mass.
- The joys of home ownership
- We've talked in the past about profanity and politics, which both tie in to anger
- Many forums available for people to vent anger
- Dealing with crazy co-workers
- Matt's an angry man at times
- Running can be therapeutic...or not
- Getting behind the wheel instantly amplifies anger level
- Road rage is scary
- Are we an angrier society than we used to be?
- Like driving a car, social media makes you a lot braver
- Online comments can be particularly vicious
- Putting up with conflicting opinions on Facebook
- The gun debate has stoked anger on both sides
- Matt has a "Spanish face"
- Matt: The rest of the world sees Americans as "overweight, angry and armed"
- Some friends love to troll "the other side" online
- Seagull Facebook: Fly in, make a bunch of noise, crap on everything and fly away
- Anger is stoked at sporting events
- Alcohol doesn't help
- Giants fan beaten at Dodgers Stadium
- Matt wrecked his shoulder venting on a punching bag
- To be continued
- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Mudhoney - The Only Son of the Widow of Nain
Camper Van Beethoven - Someday Our Love Will Sell Us Out
Guided By Voices - She Lives in an Airport
Lovestreams - Shock Corridor

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Mudhoney song is on the forthcoming album Vanishing Point on Sub Pop. Download it for free (in exchange for your email address) at SubPop.com.
The Camper Van Beethoven song is on the band's new album La Costa Perdida on 429 Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.
The Guided By Voices song is on the self-released album The Bears for Lunch. Download the song for free from Soundcloud.
The Lovestreams song is available for free download from the Lovestreams Tumblr.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Through the Past Dorkily: Trouble in Paradise

Editor's note: Through the Past Dorkily is a recurring feature that looks back at the embarrassingly dorky diary I kept as a 16-year-old in 1984.

Monday, January 16, 1984

WAAF Top 5 at Five
1. Jump - Van Halen
2. Sister Christian - Night Ranger
3. Looks That Kill - Motley Crue
4. 99 Red Balloons - Nena
5. I Want a New Drug - Huey Lewis and the News

I wore those "Cyclops" glasses today in every class except Geography. I had 'em on but hosebag [redacted] made me take 'em off. The glasses cracked everybody up.

Mom's threatening to leave Dad because of his drinking. She keeps on asking me if I want to go with her to Toronto or Richland. I don't know! This screws everything up. Right when I get back on track here, this has to happen! Talk about a massive bummer. I'll just have to wait and see.

Later.

P.S. I got a friggin' C+ on my Geography paper. Forgot footnotes and bibliography.

- The Barbarian

Postscript: This entry marks the first signs of trouble on the homefront, at least that I documented. I honestly don't remember a lot of stuff happening this early, but it definitely got worse as time went on. My father was never a huge drinker until we got to NH. Job stress got to him, I guess. By the mid-'80s, nuclear plants weren't exactly popular with the public, so my dad was constantly worried about losing his job. The two years in Washington state were even more stressful right from the start. The drinking got really bad a few years after this when I was in college and he lost his job. My mom threatened to leave constantly, but she never did. Meanwhile, I just tried to live the life of a normal teenager, whatever that was.  

Feeling Gravity's Pull

I don't like to sit idle. I stay busy. Sometimes a little too busy. Work. Exercise. Family time. Writing commitments. Podcast. Somehow everything seems to get done when it's supposed to (although I've been neglecting this blog lately).

One thing I hadn't planned on doing this fall was coaching a soccer team. I had coached both Hannah and Lily at different times when they were younger, but I've been content the last few years to watch from the sidelines as a proud parent.

But like Al Pacino in Godfather III (which I DON'T recommend you see because it suck-diddly-ucks), just when I think I'm out, they keep pulling me back in. Apparently there were enough coaches volunteering this year and I was basically told if I didn't coach Hannah's U-12 team, there may not be a team. I'm not entirely sure that was the case, but I didn't want to be responsible for her not being able to play. She really enjoys it and I think she's a decent player.

Of course, this fall is insanely busy for me even without the coaching commitment, which includes TWO practices a week. Work's picking up and I'm going to be out of town the next two weekends for Reach the Beach and a work conference, respectively, meaning I'll miss our second and third games. Our first game kicks off in about an hour and we're a little underprepared because we've only been able to have one practice due to Labor Day and some rainy conditions this week. But it's a good group of girls and I think we'll do okay. And the guy I'm coaching with seems pretty cool. Sure, it's going to add to my stress level, but hey, it's not like my hair can go more gray.