What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

[SamuraiMegas]

Been thinking about getting my license, because unless they put a Greyhound station on the island it's the only way I'll be able to leave this island. But right now it looks like that's a pipe dream, since I've tried a few times and always fail the test, and it's almost always a question not in the driver's handbook.

But it'd be nice to just box up my stuff, rent a U-haul and drive away.

Sell your furniture, rip your dvds to a harddrive and sell them and you shouldn't have a problem paying for a months rent up front and you can go where ever without worrying about how to carry things. You have to ask yourself if owning a bunch of bs is more important than following your aspirations.

[PretentiousHipster]

Also I live near 2 very artistic cities and have an artsy movie institution here, and they don't do Godard retrospectives either. Only ones I can think of were Hal Hartley and Atom Egoyan. These expectations of "high art cities" are one in a million.

[PretentiousHipster]

I've been at this stage before. It's clear that you're having a sort of existential crisis. My first piece of advice is, as I've said before, to keep writing. A creative outlet does wonders for you. Second is the lack of friends, they are out there, no matter the town. You don't need the same hobbies to be friends with someone. I'm close friends with practically all of my coworkers now because I have a sincere interest in what they say and know when they are passionate about something. It doesn't hurt to try to learn about tons of stuff, and it's another great way to keep you busy. I can talk about philosophy, arts, politics, food, fashion, pretty much anything that can provide so many topics to become a friendlier person. In fact when covid blows over I'll play some sports. I fucking hate sports, but doing it with coworkers is more about the interactivity, rather than the activity itself.

[SamuraiMegas]

Also I live near 2 very artistic cities and have an artsy movie institution here, and they don't do Godard retrospectives either. Only ones I can think of were Hal Hartley and Atom Egoyan. These expectations of "high art cities" are one in a million.

I live in Denton and go to UNT, which is one of the top music schools in the country. (I'm a business major, though). Plenty of live music all around the town by great artsits, no "dark cabaret" music though. I mean honestly, I had to google this shit, talk about extremely fucking niche music. I'd be surprised if you could find this in NYC even; who actually listens to this stuff these days? It's like you're complaining there's no Ska bands. No one has listened to this stuff in 20 years.
As someone who's actively invested in the local art and fashion scenes for my area, I can tell you one thing; even the "fancy/rich/cultured" people care more about current street influences than these incredibly niche subjects you are bringing up as proof of a lack of culture.

Culture is what happens in the streets. What happens to the average person in that area. What they say, what they do, what they eat, what they listen to. There are no cities like what you have described. At best you'll find a jazz-y town, like New Orleans, or even Denton.

[PretentiousHipster]

I guess Tom Waits could count as Dark Cabaret?

EDIT: For fashion, it is just much more impressive to look great in cheap streetwear clothing rather than buying the high tier products. But then again my philosophy was always if you wear Versace then you're in it for the name not the actual look

[SamuraiMegas]

I guess Tom Waits could count as Dark Cabaret?

EDIT: For fashion, it is just much more impressive to look great in cheap streetwear clothing rather than buying the high tier products. But then again my philosophy was always if you wear Versace then you're in it for the name not the actual look

Not familiar with him but glancing at his wikipedia page leads me to say probably not, as Dark cabaret stuff looks like some goth/emo stuff from the late 90s and early 2000s.
Denton is filled with goth girls, and none of the one's I've talked to listen to anything remotely similar to the stuff.

I actually have transitioned from game collecting to streetwear/sneakers for the most part. I'll post some pics sometime soon. I collect vintage Bape from the "Nigo era" which is before the original owner/designer sold the company in the mid 2010s. Most of my closet is from the mid 2000s. I've been offered a working car in trade for a pair of shoes I was wearing; I definitely have cheaper stuff in my closet but I definitely am becoming a high end collector when it comes to designer clothing.

[REPO Man]

The breadth of my dark cabaret expertise goes as far as The Dresden Dolls, Johnny Hollow and Emilie Autumn (who is FABULOUS in The Devil's Carnival duology).

Get an Uber off the island and then take a Greyhound.

Are you making note of the things that are failing you so you can make sure you know the right answer the next time you take the test?

Uber from Avon, NC and Elizabeth City, NC: $224.45, estimate
Greyhound from Elizabeth City, NC to NYC: $56-$105, estimate

And I haven't tried to retake the test in over a decade. Turns out my mom got tired of me tanking the test. FYI, there's a mobile DMV office in Hatteras, twenty minutes away by car (or 2-2½ hours by bike each way ).

[SamuraiMegas]

You're a grown man, you don't need your mom to help you take it. The fact of the matter is you are not getting younger and the longer the wait the further your dreams are from your grasp.

[REPO Man]

But I DO need a ride since if I pass the written test I'll need a vehicle to take the driving test in. If I ride my bike there and pass the test, then what?

[marurun]

But I DO need a ride since if I pass the written test I'll need a vehicle to take the driving test in. If I ride my bike there and pass the test, then what?

"I need to get/pay for a ride" is different from "I need a ride from my mom." You have the tools to get yourself to the testing location in that you have multiple ways to get there. I assume you know multiple people with cars and do have some minimal amount of Lyft/Uber service out where you are. It might be too expensive to get to a Greyhound station, but a 20 minute drive usually isn't TOO expensive. The point is, if you are making all your needs or problems dependent on a specific solution instead of considering multiple potential solutions, you're going to continue to remain mired. I know it's easy to get stuck in a particular rut, looking for one particular answer or solution, but there's usually many more ways to accomplish your ends if you keep your mind open.