INTENSITY AND THE INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA

Originally my friend AMANDA and myself were playing around with her new video camera and conducted an impromptu interview.

The sound quality ended up being highly questionable, but the words still remained; hanging out there like rustic lampshades for the uniquely bored.


Amanda P: So Rick are you going to post this online? Should we strip or something?


Rick L: I guess that is completely contingent on the depth of the content.


AP: What about the depth of my nose issues on camera?


RL: Yeah....and my eyebrow issues.


AP: What do you want to converse about?


RL: The sky is the limit. No holds barred.


AP: Oh my. Ok, I have only known you a couple of months but you seem to be a fairly

intense person.


RL: Ah. Intense. That sounds depressing like I am either very self-involved or very
boring. Or both.


AP: Cmon, why so defensive? I think Intense is good. Can't you see that by my
perpetual smile the last few weeks. Intense is good.


RL: I am glad you think so. You are kind of Intense as well.


AP: You mean Intense like a "clown"? "Like I am here for your personal enjoyment".

RL: Ha Ha... We do have our hysterical laughing fits though. A welcomed redemption
from from our mutual intensity.


AP: Speaking of intensity. When I look around here at your room, I can't help but
being struck by your choice in books.

RL: They are all props. Really... A complete facade.


AP: Phillip Roth "My Life as a Man", "The 72 Names of God", "Kafka on the shore".
If these are props, I'm not sure what backdoor impression you are trying
to contrive.


RL: Either am I. Is it appropriately confusing though?


AP: Totally. By the way.....Who is that sexy girl on your phone?


RL: Oh, I will definitely edit this question out. She is some young model.
I liked the shot. It's kind of like a vitamin boost every time I look
at the time, or I am concerned about time.


AP: Have you heard of Vitamin D. It easily ingested without the subliminal guilt.


RL: Let's talk about you girl. You grew up in Wisconsin didn't you?


AP: Correct sir.

RL: Where abouts?

AP: Do you know Madison?

RL: Actually I do. This is going to sound contrived, but I have actually been there.
AP: Cmon? For what? Nobody visits us down there.
RL: I lived in Wisconsin for a while in the early 90's, I had a job in the dance
business, but that is a long story.


AP: Ok. I loved it there, I didn't really want to leave. It is very ONTARIOISH.
RL: Yeah, it is practically the same geographically.


AP: Did you ever date any WISCONSIN girls?
RL: Do you count?


AP: No.

RL: I did, yes, they were very nice. Very natural.


AP: That's a horrible answer. What were they "SMURFS"?


RL: Ha ha. It was a long time ago. One lady was a singer and a mother, and the
other......she was ...I think she managed an old age home. To be politically
correct, a seniors facility.


AP: Sounds a little on the futile and boring side.


RL: Cmon, that's not fair. Ok, it was a little bit of a yawner. Ok, what about you?
Ever slept with any woman from Wisconsin?


AP: If I had, I wouldn't come clean about it on this little video. Didn't
you ever see that Soderbergh movie. I was a pretty adventurous teen before I
surfaced here though. I feel comfortable admitting to that prosecutor Rick.


RL: What did you do for fun? Don't say tip some cows either. Isn't Wisconsin
still known for it's cows?


AP: Yes I think so. And for Jeffrey Dahmer. We pushed it as far as we could, it
seemed humorous, harmless and worth it at the time.


RL: Care to elaborate?

AP: There were alot of fights, pregnancies, car crashes and a few nights in jail.
Are you with me?


RL: Sounds charming. Now you seem to have blossomed into this semi-brilliant but conservative journalist. Who would have known.


AP: Thanks for the compliment. So what did you do in your prime, Mr Destructive.


RL: Oh god. Let's not go there. Our one viewer doesn't want to here about my old war
stories.

AP: Boooo. Were there lot's of Broken Hearts and Personal Carnage?


RL: I don't know about the broken hearts. More like Broken Flowers. (love that movie) I am forever apologizing, let's put it that way.


AP: So......(pause) You don't drink anymore?
RL: Oh oh, Here comes the serious questions.


AP: Do you feel any different?


RL: Short answer. If there were no consequences for me, physically, financially, socially, I probably wouldn't have stopped. I feel much better though on all fronts. Everything is in focus. My goals are reachable. It's not perfect though.


AP: What is that place in Asia that was so alluring? That one you described to me.


RL: Oh... it was a district in TAIPEI called DA'AN. It was the sexiest area I had ever seen over there. It was this fashionable young area with lots of lofts and
Bistro's and Dessert shops.

Down the back alleys were all these cool minimalistic Bars and Clubs. They were
very dark and were lit up with Neon Vodka Bottles, Neon Lighting, Techno
Music,Jazz and all these attractive Asian female students with a

passion for White Foreigners and speaking English.

I actually was so enamoured by this area after one insane night, that I told my
good friend that I was going to relocate myself there.

She said that I had
to be completely insane and that it was the last place I should ever live.

She was right.


AP: So these are the type of experiences that you are now blowing off forever? Sad.
Now what do you do for fun or to blow off steam. Tell our audience of one.


RL: This is going to be really boring. Shit I am boring myself.
AP: So what. What do you do to celebrate?


RL: I try not to get into a celebratory mode for one. You know, I like to go out to
restaurants, movies or to sit down for an enlightening conversation with a
cerebral, fit and aesthetically pleasing person like yourself.


AP: Smooth transition Rick. Do you know the word Sycophant?
RL: Vaguely.

AP: Here's a tangeant. What do you think of the Power of Now?

RL: Um...The philosophy or the book?

AP: Either.



RL: I like the concept. However, I think it is nearly impossible to implement.


AP: I like the fact that the author is from Vancouver.
RL: Really? He must have done alot of his meditating up at Whistler.

AP: Probably at the Bars.

RL: Lets hope not. Hey wait, you are from America.
AP: I'm Bi-coastal now. I am both.

RL: Right. Let's end the experiment there. Any last profound message you wish to

impart Amanda?


AP: Hmmm..(thinking)......Yeah.....There is DEPTH in SIMPLICITY. Don't forget it
boys.

RL: Wow, good one. Let's stop there. You are a peach.