This morning, a maintenance man from the Dish Network came and repaired my Samsung washing machine. I am told that this is a normal state of affairs, and to tell the truth, I'm not much use repairing anything mechanical at all. I always have a list of things that need repaired, and I knock them off one at a time, as resources allow.

And yet, I realize that I've been putting myself through a process of reconstruction lately. I've been throwing myself into projects, trying to learn new skills or brush up old ones which have grown weak from disuse. Some of the projects have been of my own devising, some have been opportunities presented by others, but I've been drawn to all of them by the trinity of motivations that always drives me: A desire to create and present art, a nearly pathological aversion to boredom and a deep-seated fear of stagnation.

I've started promoting shows again, the next one being Farmfest Rocks June 30 at Ralph's Rock Diner, followed by the second Midnight Mystery Cabaret, Sept. 22 at Nick's Bar and Restaurant. I've had to give myself some operating parameters for putting together shows: I'm favoring community involvement and highlighting artists and groups that might otherwise get neglected in the public eye. As I've said elsewhere, the only good reasons to put together shows are for community, art or commerce, and I have certain restrictions on me when it comes to the last, so I try to instead make the shows I do extensions of my journalism. This is what I've been talking about, I'm saying. Look at this. This is magic.

But there are personal skills that go with promoting shows, and like any skills, they atrophy if you don't use them. I've always enjoyed being a ringmaster, after all, or maybe just a carnival barker. Whichever it is, I'm having certainly fun.

I've also been trying to venture into new areas. Recently, i've been contributing to the Telegram & Gazette's From the Newsroom podcast series, and we've just launched a new one, Worcester Culture Watch, where writers and editors from the T&G's Lifestyle Section will be discussing Worcester's arts, entertainment and culture.

We did the first one this week, with Craig Semon and I talking about the city's 'Wormtown" nickname, and its rock and hip-hop scenes. The podcast also features theme music composed by DJ Manipulator, which is way cooler than we deserve.

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