Outside the loop / the Circle by Dave Eggars

Decided to take a break on the way home during my 65-70 minute bike commute and finally stop at the English Bookshop* on the edge of town. I have been riding by for years - YEARS - and never done more than fish a few things out of their free bin- but the place is great- and although my tiny backpack was already stuffed and my bank account already in the negative I did see something on the shelf which caused me to grab it and buy it immediately- basically as if I were on consumer autopilot, and that item was the The Circle by Dave Eggers.

Had a nice chat with the shop owner and relocated nearly all the contents of the tiny backpack into my shorts pockets thus barely managing to get the book zippered-in for the rest of the ride through rush-hour traffic.

It wasn't until i got home that I noticed the book came out LAST YEAR - at least 18-6 months ago... and that is how out of the loop I realized I am- mind you this particular out-of-the-loopness is adjusted for the inflation of the Internet, but I still mainly get my information about upcoming concerts via paper posters plastered to walls and columns throughout the city with good old wheat paste - quite old school, but if you spend a lot of time out there then you simply absorb the info, (like tonight's Matmos show) - it catches the eye and sinks in...

Anyhow, yea... Bought the Eggers book and now I am afraid to read it. Because of Platypus Down I am afraid to read anything - afraid to watch anything - even FORBADE myself the I diligence of Game of thrones and the gazillion other shows old series or whatever everyone is talking about. 

A simple rule of self-denial: Work, then play...

But: Is it working?

Maaaayyybe. One thing that will steamroll all resistance and test all will and challenge the entire self-imposed system is, of course, the FIFA 2014 World Cup- which starts in 6 days and turns life in Europe (and I assume most of the rest of the world?) completely upside-down for a month...

So, yea, what I seem to be saying: if I ever want to indulge in any guilty-pleasure media again I need to keep on Truckin' and get things DONE.

Hard when you are compelled to re-write the opening chapters hundreds of times...

*ENGLISH BOOKS

Unter dem Eichen 96

12205 Berlin

030-8314004