Michael J Oconnor, Author at HARDTIMES

I Wonder If My Music Students Would Think I’m Cooler Knowing How I Fucked And Sucked My Way Through The Local 90s Ska Scene

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Doug Kolic

Man, I wish these students knew how cool I used to be! It’s no secret that they don’t give two shits about me or this music class. To them I’m just boring Mr. Hucks, a lifer at this community college waiting for his retirement to kick in.

If I could only tell them that back in my day it was more like Mr. Fucks, maybe I’d finally get some street cred. These kids are constantly talking about gender fluidity, but standing right in front of them is the OG of that shit, before it was trendy. Fucking. Sucking. Hands stuff too, TONS of hand stuff, with all genders. As long as someone was in the 90s ska or ska adjacent scene, old Hucky was down to party!

“Black coat, white shoes, black hat, Cadillac, Yeah! The Huck’s a fuck bomb!”

These kids would lose their shit if they knew people used to sing that song about me. Sure Rancid wouldn’t have been caught dead in my lame ass town, but the crew down at the local basement venues I frequented, who knew I was always DTF wrote it for me anyway!

These twenty-somethings aren’t able to get past the pleated Dockers and stuffy Oxford shirts that this place makes me wear, to see my true, authentic, ska-tastic self. But I bet it would blow their minds if they knew how I used to skank the fuck out of the scene!

See skank there has a double meaning, referring to the popular ska dance and to the fact that I was a total whore.

They might even think I was cooler after I told them how at first I didn’t know that skanking was a form of dancing, that had nothing to do with me whoring myself out to every new band trying to cash in on third wave ska, just so I could belong to something. Talk about a ‘FAIL’, as these generations love to say, but then again ‘YOLO’!

Look, I get it, I used to think my teachers were “lame” too. If my boring old biology teacher Mr. Bently tried telling us he was a Rock and Roll sex freak back in the day, I would probably call bullshit. But lo and behold, ole Bently got caught hiding a camera in the girls bathroom, just like Chuck Berry! It just goes to show you can never really tell how cool someone is deep down.

Musician Only Wants to Get Famous Enough That She Could Meet the Goal of a Medical GoFundMe If Necessary

Posted on April 13, 2022 by John Danek

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No wave/post-punk musician Isla Porter’s only goal in music is to become famous enough to meet a GoFundMe goal should a medical issue arise, the musician’s collaborators reported.

“Look, music is great and all but I don’t need to blow all the way up, I just would like to know I have a little security in the future. God knows I won’t ever have enough money saved to help me if I fall loading into a venue or if this scab gets any more infected,” said Porter, whose minimum wage side gigs offer no benefits whatsoever. “So I think all I need is like, two Pitchfork ‘Best New Music’ awards, and I should be able to get enough people to donate or at least share any fundraisers for the next decade. I don’t need to be nominated for a Grammy or given free guitars by Fender. I just don’t want to die for something stupid.”

Gretchen Carlisle, spokesperson for GoFundMe, revealed that over 85% of the company’s campaigns are for musicians.

“GoFundMe is increasingly being used by indie musicians who rely on us for fairly typical medical bills,” stated Carlisle. “And it makes sense. If you want to put effort into any sort of creative vocation, you should know that you are taking your life into your hands. We provide the platform, but your audience better show up to help you out. I wish Isla luck but I’ve seen her Spotify numbers so I’d encourage her to take out some loans and go back to school.”

James Murphy, frontman of LCD Soundsystem, admitted to starting the behemoth festival headliner act out of a similar fear.

“Not many people know this, but I recorded the first LCD demos hours after I felt a lump on my testicle in the shower. It ended up just being my epididymis, but it scared the shit out of me,” stated Murphy, whose wine obsession started after reading that wine may contain cancer-fighting compounds. “My prime artistic motivation has been to be able to pay off medical bills. ‘All My Friends’ is a fantasy about everyone chipping in for knee replacement surgery when I’m old. And ‘Daft Punk is Playing At My House’ is about a failed fundraiser I tried to host for an upcoming root canal.”

Experts agree that Isla Porter’s chances at survival dropped dramatically after a disgruntled ex gave her most recent EP a 1-star review on Amazon.

Is It Intrusive Thoughts or Is My Taint Actually Way Too Long?

Posted on April 12, 2022 by James Knapp

Before I run back upstairs to get the tape measure again I want to be absolutely sure about this. If it is just an intrusive thought then that’s fine. I’ll just let it pass by, a bit bothered, but ultimately okay. But I have to be sure. Because if it does turn out that my taint is more than two standard deviations longer than average, I am just gonna lose it.

I know I’m probably just being dramatic and there’s no way that the stretch of skin between the back of my balls and my butthole is any more or less extended than anyone else’s. But I swear, when I caught a glimpse of my taint in the mirror while getting out of the shower I was sure it looked like a descended batwing.

I don’t want to think about this at all but I can’t stop myself. Now every day I have these intrusive thoughts about how it’s “unsightly and flappy” or it “looks like a pale, fleshy Fruit by the Foot.” Why do I keep having these thoughts? Could it be true?

I tried to ask my therapist about this but that guy refused to inspect the length of my taint entirely. He just kept screaming about how it was his day off and he didn’t know how I got his home address. Well, I’m sorry, but you know what I don’t know? Why my testicle backdrop has more square footage than most commercial recreational vehicles.

If anyone knows how to stop these intrusive thoughts please help, because I don’t know how much longer I can go on with thinking that I might need distance surgery to get my scrote and asshole closer together.

Straight Woman Can’t Wait to Introduce Boyfriend as “Partner” to Lesbian Friend

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Joanna McNaney Stein

BROOKLYN, NY — 35-year-old straight woman Jenny Spencer wasted no time introducing her boyfriend Mike Kang as her “partner” to her lesbian friend, Beth Castillo.

“I have waited for years to develop a strong enough friendship with a lesbian to start hanging out. I think I might have that with Beth,” stated Spencer. “Also, I watched the original ‘L-Word,’ so I basically know all the lingo. When Beth met Mike, I was so excited to finally say ‘partner’ instead of ‘boyfriend.’ It’s really important for straight people to do that for gay people, I’m sure.”

Kang, an electrician from the Bronx who’d started dating Spencer a year ago, was slightly surprised by the introduction.

“At first I wasn’t sure why Jenny wanted to go to a lesbian bar, but then she wanted me to meet her friend Beth,” said Kearns. “She introduced me as her ‘partner’ though, which was kinda weird. I thought maybe she was doing a cowboy impression or something since she drank so much before we got there, but Jenny told me that co-opting language is how you show solidarity with gay people, so that’s cool. Plus they had the Yankees game on at the bar.”

Professor of Sociolinguistics, Julie Jensen, argues the effort to be politically correct in conversation can sometimes backfire.

“The nervousness around being PC with a gay person is often overstated by the straight person,” Jensen explained. “Then again, if you are not being ‘inclusive’ with your language, that’s cause for concern. Studies show that women who identify as straight will call boyfriends anything from their ‘partner’ to ‘life companion’ or even ‘soul mate’ if they perceive a gay person, or even anyone else more marganilized than them, is within a 20-yard radius.”

At press time, Kang was introducing Spencer, the woman he’s been sleeping with exclusively and talking to every day for five months, as his “special lady friend, or whatever” to his closest straight guy friends.

Help! I Ironically Bought A Hawaiian Shirt And It’s The Most Comfortable Thing I’ve Ever Worn

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Robert John Scucci

It all happened so fast. My wife and I just purchased an L-shaped couch, and I was tasked with the horrifying mission of finding some matching throw pillows to bring the whole living room together. I know, it’s the lamest, whitest, most 30 something year old thing a guy could do, but hey I’m getting older. It’s gonna happen sooner or later. While I was getting ready to leave one Walmart to head to a different one across town, I saw it from across the aisle. The loudest, most obnoxious, flower covered Hawaiian shirt I have ever seen in my life. I had to have it.

The price? 13 bucks. The cost? I think I’m still finding out.

At first blush I was hypnotized. I rushed home, and ran to the bedroom. I tore it off the hanger and suited up. Let me tell you, you have not experienced true, unbridled comfort until you’ve slipped into one of these bad boys. I went to show off my new look at the local sidewalk cafe, but I was getting dirty looks. “They’re just jealous” I thought. But when I went to order my drink, I was cornered. They kept yelling something about “go home boogaloo boy,” and I had no clue what they were talking about.

The situation escalated quickly, so I grabbed a nearby tiki torch to defend myself. Apparently that made matters worse because that’s pretty typical behavior I’ve since been told. It all got a little fuzzy after that point, but I had to call my wife to pick me up from a holding cell shortly after. She made me wear a garbage bag over my shirt on the way home and kept telling me she knew this would happen.

We’ve all been misguided by irony at one point or another, and we’re all captivated by its allure. Whether it’s saying a slang word like “hella” or “fleek” for fun and realizing months later that it’s just now part of our lexicon, or even worse going to the driving range on a larf and winding up spending every Saturday drinking iced tea and lemonade on the back 9. But god dammit, I liked that stupid shirt, and I still don’t really see how it was hurting anybody.

I’m a big guy! My fashion choices are very limited! I just wanted to take a big swing with my wardrobe for once, I don’t understand how that makes me “part of the problem.”

Take this as a cautionary tale of the dangers of embracing irony. The insincere things you say and do will eventually consume you. I thought I was just going to eventually switch over to sandals and grill pineapple every once in a while. Maybe even make one of those giant mixed drinks that are served out of a fish bowl. But now I’m on a watch list because I like the way cotton and rayon feels against my nipples. Oh well, live and learn

Crust Punk Can Only Piss Self When People Are Watching

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Johnny Sparkles

BEND, Ore. — Local crust punk Exena Groman admitted that she is only able to relieve her bladder if multiple people are watching and it causes immediate distress for anyone in the surrounding area, confirmed friends that no longer let her sleep on their couch.

“I can, and have, pissed pretty much anywhere, but find it so much more rewarding when there are people yelling ‘dear god please stop before you get it on my child,’ and stuff like that,” said Groman. “They call it ‘peeing yourself,’ but when people are watching, it makes me feel less alone for a few seconds. I was inspired to do this by my dog Darby, he pees in public all the time, and he even stares me right in the eyes when he shits on the sidewalk. I want to be more like him. I think we should all have the freedom to blast shit and piss wherever we want, and if people are around to see it then it’s even better for me.”

Groman’s boyfriend, Lenny “Shank” Capshaw, doesn’t seem too comfortable with his partner’s technique of expelling waste.

“I’m not some conservative type that only pees in pristine toilets like I’m the King of England, but she goes out of her way to do it in front of crowds even when there’s an open bathroom. She used to say it was me and her against the world, but now she gets so excited when strangers are around,” said Capshaw. “It’s like she’s putting on a performance. I love her, but I’m having a hard time supporting this disgusting aspect of her life. She was always proud to call herself a gutter punk, but these days it seems like she only uses gutters for pissing. We used to squat in abandoned apartments. Now she squats everywhere.”

Chaz Tompkins, a psychiatrist who specializes in the crust punk subculture, thinks it might be more of a mental issue.

“The crustie lifestyle is communal at heart, but some of these people forget the roots of it all,” said Tompkins. “It’s like they want to mark their territory, but they push people away with their odors. They crave attention but get upset when people make faces or talk shit. Nothing lines up. They’re as out of touch with society as they are with the crust punk essence. That’s why I left the scene. There’s no art anymore.”

At press time, Groman was seen releasing puddles of urine, while belting out a Rancid song at a live punk rock karaoke show.

Photo by Jana Miller.

GG Allin Hologram to Throw Feces at Coachella

Posted on April 11, 2022 by John Kennedy

Indio, Calif. — Goldenvoice announced this week that Coachella will close out with a bang this year, as a revolutionary new hologram of GG Allin will chuck his feces directly into the crowd, excited sources confirmed.

“It’s been ten years since we brought the Tupac hologram to the world and we wanted to top ourselves by bringing to life another legend that we lost too soon,” said Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett. “We’re psyched that GG will be a part of Coachella. It should really mix things up to have him up there. Plus the abundance of human feces flowing from the inadequate bathroom facilities should provide plenty of ammo.”

Engineers were still working out the kinks as to whether said feces would also be a hologram, or in fact be “real human doo-doo [sic].”

“We don’t know exactly what he’ll be working with. We’re developing a new hybrid technology that would allow a hologram to interface with the real, tangible world,” said Cal Tech engineer Bev Trill, Ph.D. “Obviously if he’s throwing real crap it would create a more exciting, visceral experience for all involved, but we still have a lot of work to do before we can make that happen.”

Allin, who passed away in 1993, left a gaping hole in the scene for people who preferred a live show rich with bodily fluids.

“So far the closest they’ve come to sending a turd into the crowd was when Muse played.” said longtime Coachella fan Jenny Spiegel. While Spiegel personally had no interest in being muddied by the likes of Allin, she looked forward to his antics leveling the playing field among the VIPs. “Hopefully they can program the thing to hit Jonah Hill.”

Cleanup is sure to take several weeks following Allin’s simian-like closing act, but promoters think they’ve struck gold. “If this goes as well as I hope, I’d like to take hologram GG on tour. Maybe franchise it out and have him play in several cities at once. I really think we’ve stepped in something good!” exclaimed Jerry Thompson, CFO at Goldenvoice.

While Allin’s act was considered extremely shocking in his time, today’s concertgoers, like Spiegel, said it would hardly be the most egregious thing to hit Coachella. “I don’t think it’s any more offensive than a white girl wearing a bindi.”

Mom Takes Haircut Personally

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Cathy Herbert

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Local mom Phyllis Marlon filed a private defamation lawsuit against her daughter, Lisa, after the fourteen-year-old returned home from a trip to the Guernsey Crossing Mall sporting a green and yellow mullet with spiked bangs.

“I am shocked and saddened that a member of my own family would do something like this to me,” said the elder Marlon. “I’m still processing the trauma I’ve endured from the recent actions of my daughter, and while this lawsuit may have no basis in criminal court, I pray that this civil case will provide sufficient justice for me to begin the healing process.”

Little brother Jeffrey Marlon, who got an up-close view of the fallout from his spot at the dinner table, reported that the scene at the Marlon household upon his sister’s return was “better than Dragonball.”

“When Lisa took her hood off my mom screamed worse than when I asked the minister where God came from. Then she started crying and said Lisa was just trying to get back at her for making her wear those hair ribbons to her kindergarten graduation,” the 10-year-old recalled. “Then one of Lisa’s eyeballs got stuck in the top of its socket and she had to go to the bathroom to sort it out and while she was in there mom searched Lisa’s backpack and confiscated her Tic Tacs because Jesus doesn’t hang with drug heads.”

Diane Martin, a neighbor, and member of Phyllis Marlon’s garden club witnessed Lisa walking home with her new coiffe before the altercation occurred.

“I knew right away that the Creek West High PTA Facebook page was going to be very entertaining that night, and I was not disappointed,” she said as she unloaded seven grocery bags of instant white rice from her Dodge Caravan. “Shelley Plymoth posted a picture of one of those little yellow fellows in the overalls with the exact same haircut. I’ve never seen so many laugh-crying emoji comments on a single post in my life. And when that ‘unmarried’ teacher with the double pierced ears started defending Lisa, well I just broke out the chardonnay and settled in for the evening.”

At press time, it was confirmed that Lisa Marlon was in talks with her cool aunt Maureen as de facto legal counsel and someone with whom to talk shit about how much wine her mom drinks.

Guy Can Get You Deal on 500 of the Shittiest Stickers You’ve Ever Seen

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Amanda Russel

FRESNO, Calif. — Local sticker hook up Archie Sutherfield said he would love to talk to you about an incredible opportunity and deal that he doesn’t do normally, but for you, he’ll make an exception.

“You’re gonna be so glad you got in on this deal. You can’t get five hundred stickers like this anywhere else for this good a price,” said the salesman, full of conviction. “I’ve worked with everyone you can think of in the scene, and some real big hitters, too. Ever heard of Blistered Sternum? I made all their stickers. Simple as 1, 2,3—you take down my number, yeah? That way you can get ahold of me if you can’t find me around, that’s my guy and he’ll page me and we can talk numbers and designs.”

Sutherfield hightailed it out of the parking lot after hearing a distant police siren, which left you with some options to weigh.

“This guy seems weird, but maybe he could be legit?” you wondered, looking at the contact info he left and barely making out the numbers, and for some reason, letters. “What area code is this, anyway? It’s for sure not Fresno. Do I need stickers this bad? I mean it is a great deal, but the downside is that those were the shittiest stickers I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m pretty sure they’re printed on newsprint, and a few of them looked like they were just temporary tattoos from one of those 50 cent machines at the grocery store.”

One of Sutherfield’s past customers, Lindsey Davies, recalled what she claims is the “dumbest mistake I’ve ever made,” adding that Sutherfield is full of shit and not to be trusted.

“Yeah, I found his ad on Craigslist, and at the time I was desperate, my band was going on tour and we needed stickers really bad, so I took the deal and thought, how bad can they be? Real fuckin’ bad, turns out,” she explained. “They don’t stick, they peel off right away, they’re printed on flimsy-ass paper and when they get wet the ink runs everywhere and stains everything. And all the colors are completely different from what I asked for. I warn everyone I know the best I can. I would have been better off using mailing labels.”

Sutherfield, however, holds on to his claim of high quality, and currently continues to take drive-ups in the parking lot behind your local Target.

At press time, Sutherfield was taking a much-needed break from his sticker company to field an inquiry about his side hustle creating the worst album cover art ever seen by anyone.

Help! My Girlfriend Still Hasn’t Heard The Marriage Proposal Hidden In My Band’s New EP

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Rachel Steele

I love my girlfriend Sammy. She’s the most supportive and kindest human being I’ve ever known. She attends every show with my band, Twisted Fister, and she listens to all our music regularly. At least, that’s what I thought, but now I’m not so sure. It doesn’t seem like she has heard the marriage proposal I’ve hidden on the last track of Twisted Fister’s newest EP.

I had my suspicions the day after I sent Sammy the link for the EP. I asked what she thought of it, she said “It was great, babe,” At first I took that as a “yes,” and went right into planning mode. “I was thinking April, we can have your family come down, but not your racist uncle, we can serve empanadas and French fries, I have a buddy who can get us a real nice deal on a limo…” But then I noticed how confused she looked. She was all “Why would we take a limo to dinner?” and “I don’t think they have empanadas at Chipotle babe.”

Sammy is a notorious procrastinator, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt for a couple days. Days became. weeks. I started dropping hints, but they went over her head. I asked her what she thought of the EP, she said “It was great, babe.” I asked about the last track, with the solid lyrics and the exciting bridge and that totally insane last chorus, then she said, “Oh man, that was so great, babe,” without looking up from her phone.

It’s getting pretty uncomfortable. My bandmates are starting to ask if she’s heard it yet, my mom is getting in my head suggesting she already heard it, and her enthusiastic parents are struggling to hide their surprise engagement party favors. I had a new plan to make the song her ringtone, but she answers her phone super fast. I sat her down and played the song for her, but she got bored.

Twisted Fister may have broke up three months ago, but tomorrow I‘m going to invite Sammy to a super exclusive private show, no distractions, round up all the band members, hire a drummer since fucking Linda left to become a cop, and play the whole EP in its entirety, with an accompanying slideshow. Nothing can go wrong.

I’m also posting this on our fan page, which she manages, just to cover all of our bases. Wish me luck, and thank you for continuing to support Twisted Fister in whatever form it takes. Looking like maybe a solo act. A very solo act.

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