The Atlantic - Latest Comments in I woke up early on my born day

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Med student — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:28:42 -0000

Older people have less alcohol tolerance because you lose lean body mass (read: muscle) with age, so the same amount of alcohol in your body is actually a higher percentage of your body water. Sorry for the nerdy factoid, but thought it was interesting.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Sorn — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:42:42 -0000

Happy birthday TNC

May the next year find you continuing to speak truth to power. Love the work man.

I have to say that your blog has been the most refreshing thing I have read in ages. Thanks for helping to restore my faith in humanity.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Marc Adin — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:25:50 -0000

damn. i forgot this. thanks for bringing up the day of your birth. it gave me the opportunity to look up what i was doing that day.

always expect the unknown unknowns. there are an infinite number of them.

your fan in the sudan.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Marc Adin — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:16:54 -0000

happy birthday whiner! get back to me when you are sixty-fuckin'-one years old. it doesn't suck, but it's close. i can't imagine being fucking 70. and newman made it to 80 something. jeez. maybe being wealthy makes it a little easier. but not much, is my guess.

33 years ago today i was on causeway street in boston. i rode down in the elevator in the commonwealth bank building next to the old boston garden with dave cowan and red auerbach. according to my journal for 30 september 1975, tuesday, cowan asked auerbach if he wanted to "eat at mickey dee's?" i had no idea at the time of what "mickey dee's" meant or was. i was 28, and had no idea i was a fucked up vietnam vet. i just thought i was fucked up...

i was going to lunch and bought a can of coke, stopped in at the liquor store on canal street, and bought a 1/2 pint of bacardi. i dumped out half of the coke and filled it up with the bacardi, put in a straw and walked up to somewhere near faneuil hall and drank the can of coke. good to the last drop.

then i went back to work. don't ask.

here's some advice for you as birthday present: always keep some prescription drug hidden away that you can comfortably commit suicide with.

you never know.

happy bday, dood.

your fan in saipan.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Frankenputz — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:47:58 -0000

Larry Bird White Jesus Number 33

Re: I woke up early on my born day

donald — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:45:57 -0000

Let me, another from '75, add to the good wishes for a writer whom I've just discovered this year, and whose stuff I enjoy. Congrats, Mr Coates.

I also should note that there are a lot of mentions of Jesus at age 33. Also Alexander the Great finished conquering his empire (and died), and Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Just sayin.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Luke — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:39:32 -0000

Nice Nas reference from the greatest hip hop album ever. Happy birthday TC.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

SpottieOttieDopaliscious — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:52:54 -0000

Happy Birthday TC.

Don't worry, I'm losing my tolerance too, and I'm only 25!

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Guy Fawkes — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:16:27 -0000

Happy Birfday Ta,

Glad you're with us, and thanks for making me momentarily famous ("Obama 08 - Fuck The Dumb Shit!")

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Hamburger Helper — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:57:30 -0000

Happy Birthday!

You're now as old as Jesus was! 33 is a big year!

Re: I woke up early on my born day

JT (Chicago) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:36:13 -0000

Happy Birthday Mr. Coates!

I noticed the alcohol consumption bit when I turned 30 too. It also coincided with the birth of my first child. Makes a difference when you may need to drive at any time.

Anyway, I'll crack open a Broon (Newcastle brown Ale) and toast you tonight ... and then fall asleep.

Thanks for providing us with tis forum.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Anselmus — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:33:08 -0000

Add one skill point, and deduct one stamina. That's pretty much it. Enjoy, and keep up the great writing!

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Kobe Berg — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:22:10 -0000

Happy B-day, love the Illmatic line.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Nicole — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:05:08 -0000

Happy Birthday TC!

If you have a chance in the year of 33, read Fred Moten's latest book "In the Break." He's a former prof of mine from CA but now at Duke... and wicked smart, empathetic, honest, funny.

You remind me of him.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Emma — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:04:01 -0000

I just discovered your blog recently and have been very much enjoying it. Best wishes to you for a happy, self-reflective birthday!

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Breukelyne — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:23:58 -0000

Happy Birthday Ta-Nehisi! I depart the 33 Club myself in about a month. It's not a bad place, the 33 Club.

Have a wonderful cake day with your family. Take a break from politics + blogging.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

LaFollette Progressive — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:39:07 -0000

Welcome to Club 33, Ta-Nehisi. I've been here since July. It's not a bad place to be, but the trendlines are discomforting.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

frankie d — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:20:35 -0000

wow!!!

the trane/hartmann collaboration is far from schmaltzy lounge lizard crooning.

it's kind of hard to imagine it described in that fashion.

it was an example of a vibrant, dynamic, unique style of jazz - played and sung originally and primarily by african-american artists in the post-war era, artists like billy ekstine and hartmann being prime examples - that unfortunately has been watered down and bastardized by less talented singers over the decades. that weirdly american dynamic was best illustrated by elvis stealing big momma thornton's "hound dog", cleaning it up, watering it down and making lots of money on her talent.. while the real artistry is lost.

anyone who cannot appreciate the true genius of johnny hartmann's effort...well, it's hard to describe how shallow that is.

imho...

i don't listen to a lot of classical music, but i get a chill up my spine when i hear stuff that is really good. i can't imagine anyone listening to patsy cline - with an open mind - and not being able to say, yea, that girl can sing! it's almost an involuntary reaction. it's just hard to deny the impact of work that reflects great talent.

the stuff that trane and hartmann did belongs in that same category.

appreciating what he did with hartmann is a much a part of appreciating trane as is enjoying his work as he romps through "my favorite things".

i don't listen to either tune every day, but when either turns up via the shuffle mode of my mp3 player, i never regret it.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Rhome — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:09:06 -0000

I set off my 33rd this year with a shot of cravinho in Bahia.

Figured I'd up the ante for the Jesus year but you're having a hell of a year yourself.

Keep banging 'em out, homie. The cheering section is getting louder and louder.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

gocart mozart — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:01:09 -0000

TNC,

Where can I get a bottle for a buck?

Thanks in advance.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

hurls — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:57:07 -0000

Happy Birthday Ta-Nehisi!

Speaking as someone who's been 33 for a decade now, the tolerance thing just gets worse.

But the music gets better.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

shikantaza — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:54:57 -0000

sv-

Yea... I'm totally feeling you on being biased against the schmaltzy lounge-lizard crooner style. This is the only album of that type that I own. The fact that it's a Trane album adds quite a bit to it for me. The man was so authentic, I don't think he could put out something that was in bad taste (unlike some Bill Evans albums I've heard).

Actually, all that being said, I do like Jens Lekman too. He is incredibly schmaltzy, but he embraces it and it's kind of the point of his music. It's totally ridiculous stuff, but I dig it.

Re: I woke up early on my born day

rayy — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:44:15 -0000

Happy birthday. Yeah, as you get older, you feel the pain more and are smart enough to know what caused it! Just as well, though, since it can lead to a wide variety of health issues. Everything in moderation (including moderation!)

Re: I woke up early on my born day

Green — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:27:36 -0000

Happy Birthday. Enjoy.

That verse always kinda summed up Nas to me. I respect and appreciate the brotha for at least trying to be thoughtful, but still he manages to come up with one a few things that could be more wasteful of his dollar than the 40 he eschews. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating but there is something poetically ironic in the statement that upon realizing that he could do more with his life, the best idea for investment he could come with is a lottery ticket...

Re: I woke up early on my born day

sv — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:24:19 -0000

shikantaza,

I have not heard that album. This style of music is not much to my taste - the vibe or attitude is weird to me. Partially this is bias from all the parodies of schmaltzy lounge-lizard crooner stuff pushing out of memory the *real* tracks I've heard, and partially, it may be a bit too sleepy for my taste. (One must usually listen carefully to jazz or not at all, but this particular type of music is tough.)

However, the lyrics are interesting and I'll listen again for the subtleties you mention. Maybe this will become my "hated it at first then couldn't do without it" thing.

-sv