31 October 2007
new orleans
i'm sitting at the shared computer in methodist church volunteer center. the center was set up almost immediately after the storm, and we're lucky enough to be able to crash here, even though we unitarians have some significant differences of faith. we're stashed up in the youth wing, which i have to say is about the sweetest youth room i've ever seen -- they have a pool table, ping pong, air hockey, two foosball tables -- now if only we had energy or time to play!
yesterday i was picked up at the airport and driven straight to gregory middle school, where they've had to deal with three moves *this school year* -- that's moving an entire middle school three times since the beginning of september. and the district removed their much-beloved principal on monday. our job was to organize their boxes and take them to proper classrooms. it's a surreal place to be -- a middle school in giant gleaming white modulars with no grass, no place to play, surrounded by gravel pits and directly in the looming shadow of their old destroyed school.
it's a school of contradictions. the computer lab is well stocked and the the science lab is spotless. but the computer lab isn't ready to use and the science teacher, in his first week in new orleans (our guess is teach for america) didn't know where the science lab even was. they have an array of a dozen computer workstations in their library, but our donation to the school is going to be office supplies, because they don't have paperclips or paper. i'm serious, the secretary hoards paper to give to kids who need it.
i can't figure out who decides what supplies go to the school. it's obvious that much is donated -- why else would they only have 100 copies of book two in a series but no book one? but for real, in a school with 80 students, why do they have three *palettes* of graphing calculators? they literally have hundreds upon hundreds of graphing calculators. and my guess is that the nearest school may not have any.
we'll be spending the week at the school pretty much doing whatever they need us to. that may be planting flowers, or moving gravel, or figuring out what the hell to do with a thousand calculators.
after we left the school yesterday, we came back to the church for a cooking class with a luminous woman who taught us how to make a proper creole roux for gumbo while talking about the history of the food we were going to eat. it was wonderful, standing in a hot, smoky kitchen with two dozen volunteers, watching this woman cook ancient foods that actually traveled from west africa with the slaves. did you know that the bantu word for okra is kigombo? thus, gumbo. how cool is that?
looks like it's time to make some lunch and head back to the school. and maybe another cup of the worst coffee known to humanity.
yesterday i was picked up at the airport and driven straight to gregory middle school, where they've had to deal with three moves *this school year* -- that's moving an entire middle school three times since the beginning of september. and the district removed their much-beloved principal on monday. our job was to organize their boxes and take them to proper classrooms. it's a surreal place to be -- a middle school in giant gleaming white modulars with no grass, no place to play, surrounded by gravel pits and directly in the looming shadow of their old destroyed school.
it's a school of contradictions. the computer lab is well stocked and the the science lab is spotless. but the computer lab isn't ready to use and the science teacher, in his first week in new orleans (our guess is teach for america) didn't know where the science lab even was. they have an array of a dozen computer workstations in their library, but our donation to the school is going to be office supplies, because they don't have paperclips or paper. i'm serious, the secretary hoards paper to give to kids who need it.
i can't figure out who decides what supplies go to the school. it's obvious that much is donated -- why else would they only have 100 copies of book two in a series but no book one? but for real, in a school with 80 students, why do they have three *palettes* of graphing calculators? they literally have hundreds upon hundreds of graphing calculators. and my guess is that the nearest school may not have any.
we'll be spending the week at the school pretty much doing whatever they need us to. that may be planting flowers, or moving gravel, or figuring out what the hell to do with a thousand calculators.
after we left the school yesterday, we came back to the church for a cooking class with a luminous woman who taught us how to make a proper creole roux for gumbo while talking about the history of the food we were going to eat. it was wonderful, standing in a hot, smoky kitchen with two dozen volunteers, watching this woman cook ancient foods that actually traveled from west africa with the slaves. did you know that the bantu word for okra is kigombo? thus, gumbo. how cool is that?
looks like it's time to make some lunch and head back to the school. and maybe another cup of the worst coffee known to humanity.
30 October 2007
devastation, public and private
dang, someone wants the computer. i haven't slept. not the best time for writing. but so much to tell! i went from closing the bar straight to the airport and from the airport straight to a new orleans middle school in temporary modules because their nearby school was completely destroyed. there are trailers everywhere next to huge piles of insulation and moldy wood. some of them used to be houses. some neighborhoods look okay, but the vast tracts of public housing that supported the working class communities here are still boarded up and abandoned. how do they expect people to come back if there's no place for them to live?
that's all for now. it's hot and humid and i'm at a methodist church helping bake a cake.
that's all for now. it's hot and humid and i'm at a methodist church helping bake a cake.
29 October 2007
aaaah!
i leave for new orleans tomorrow morning. i am too busy to write anything! hopefully i'll be able to get some things online while i'm down there. if not, see you next week!
26 October 2007
fun behind the bar on birthdays
17th century drinking throwdown
the plan for my next party includes the punch-bowl fountain:
you know what makes a drink great? 1400 pounds of sugar.
The record for history's largest cocktail belongs to British Lord Admiral Edward Russell. In 1694, he threw an officer's party that employed a garden's fountain as the punch bowl.
The concoction? A mixture that included 250 gallons of brandy, 125 gallons of Malaga wine, 1,400 pounds of sugar, 2,500 lemons, 20 gallons of lime juice, and 5 pounds of nutmeg.
A series of bartenders actually paddled around in a small wooden canoe, filling up guests' cups. Not only that, but they had to work in 15-minute shifts to avoid being overcome by the fumes and falling overboard.
The party continued nonstop for a full week, pausing only briefly during rainstorms to erect a silk canopy over the punch to keep it from getting watered down. In fact, the festivities didn't end until the fountain had been drunk completely dry.
you know what makes a drink great? 1400 pounds of sugar.
finally, an excuse
i didn't really want to make my bed anyways. i mean, i'm just going to mess it up again tonight!
untidy beds are healthy.
untidy beds are healthy.
25 October 2007
drinking with oedipus
after a productive day at red hot (!) i met some friends for dinner and a show. one of my friends is in a production of oedipus rex so of course we had to go and see it. we were all impressed with the quality of the production. it's an updated adaptation -- and those are always risky -- but this one held its own. the chorus became reporters and the play was essentially set up as speeches and press conferences. very interesting. oedipus yelled a lot.
when the play was over, we took our starlet out to drinks at nearby slainte, an irish bar on the bowery. not my favorite place in the world, but a good draft list and lots of screens for watching the game one massacre. when we sat down, my friend ordered a black and tan -- that's guinness and ale or lager, a standard drink in american irish pubs (wikipedia points out that it's not commonly consumed in ireland). the snaggle-toothed waitress stared at her blankly. a black and tan, my friend said again. okay, our waitress said cautiously. my friend pointed to his black pants. black, the color, and tan, it's two beers mixed together, just tell the bartender, he'll understand. alright, she says and walks away.
two minutes later: her thickly accented question, you said black and tan right? um, yeah, what's going on here?
two minutes later: busboy approaches. you wanted a black and tan?
yes, my god, how hard is this?
the drinks arrive. no more problems.
boston begins their two out hedonistic scoring spree.
some of the cast joins us. oedipus has washed the blood from his eyes.
round two arrives without a hitch. because we order from the bartender.
later, my friend with the black pants orders a black and tan, from the waitress. should have known this wouldn't go well.
yeah, can i have a black and tan?
you want guinness?
no, a black and tan.
guinness?
black and tan.
okay, guinness.
miraculously, a black and tan arrives.
when i ask the bartender for our check, he apologizes.
do you think our waitress still has a job?
i don't mean to be cruel, but i doubt it.
when the play was over, we took our starlet out to drinks at nearby slainte, an irish bar on the bowery. not my favorite place in the world, but a good draft list and lots of screens for watching the game one massacre. when we sat down, my friend ordered a black and tan -- that's guinness and ale or lager, a standard drink in american irish pubs (wikipedia points out that it's not commonly consumed in ireland). the snaggle-toothed waitress stared at her blankly. a black and tan, my friend said again. okay, our waitress said cautiously. my friend pointed to his black pants. black, the color, and tan, it's two beers mixed together, just tell the bartender, he'll understand. alright, she says and walks away.
two minutes later: her thickly accented question, you said black and tan right? um, yeah, what's going on here?
two minutes later: busboy approaches. you wanted a black and tan?
yes, my god, how hard is this?
the drinks arrive. no more problems.
boston begins their two out hedonistic scoring spree.
some of the cast joins us. oedipus has washed the blood from his eyes.
round two arrives without a hitch. because we order from the bartender.
later, my friend with the black pants orders a black and tan, from the waitress. should have known this wouldn't go well.
yeah, can i have a black and tan?
you want guinness?
no, a black and tan.
guinness?
black and tan.
okay, guinness.
miraculously, a black and tan arrives.
when i ask the bartender for our check, he apologizes.
do you think our waitress still has a job?
i don't mean to be cruel, but i doubt it.
24 October 2007
to the person sitting next to me on the subway
hey, so you're reading the post. awesome. i'm totally going to read over your shoulder.
okay, i'm done with that page. turn the page please.
no really, did you stop reading or something? i'm done. next page.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING I AM TRYING TO READ HERE PLEASE TURN THE PAGE
dammit here's my stop. thanks for nothing, post reader.
okay, i'm done with that page. turn the page please.
no really, did you stop reading or something? i'm done. next page.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING I AM TRYING TO READ HERE PLEASE TURN THE PAGE
dammit here's my stop. thanks for nothing, post reader.
23 October 2007
a full mouth
so finally the other half of my mouth is clean. that was a strange week, to have the right side of my teeth sparkling and wide-gapped and the left side still covered in crap.
but it's all good now.
svetlana took me into the radiology dept and gave me a full set of x-rays. in the middle of the session with a film set between my teeth, there was a knock on the door and a wizened crew-cut carpenter came in with a rolling palette. i have to work in here, he said. now we're talking about a tiny x-ray lab and here he comes wheeling this wide load into the room. he gets about four feet in before he discovers that his palette won't fit through the door into the next room. slam! he tries to jam it in. slam! i start laughing and the film falls out of my mouth. svetlana starts laughing. al? paging al the carpenter? the radio blares. he pulls his palette out of the room and is gone. i guess he didn't have work to do after all.
in the radiology waiting room:
aw, the radiology teachers have pets!
yes, that is definitely my plan.
but it's all good now.
svetlana took me into the radiology dept and gave me a full set of x-rays. in the middle of the session with a film set between my teeth, there was a knock on the door and a wizened crew-cut carpenter came in with a rolling palette. i have to work in here, he said. now we're talking about a tiny x-ray lab and here he comes wheeling this wide load into the room. he gets about four feet in before he discovers that his palette won't fit through the door into the next room. slam! he tries to jam it in. slam! i start laughing and the film falls out of my mouth. svetlana starts laughing. al? paging al the carpenter? the radio blares. he pulls his palette out of the room and is gone. i guess he didn't have work to do after all.
in the radiology waiting room:
aw, the radiology teachers have pets!
yes, that is definitely my plan.
22 October 2007
weak week
i've got a hectic week coming up and i'm worried that blogging time will be at a premium. i leave for new orleans early next week and i've got some preparing to do. i'll do what i can to keep you informed about gay wizards and mayor-killing monkeys.
in the meantime, here are two blogs i recently discovered that i think are awesome. enjoy!
the "blog" of "unnecessary" quotation marks
this one is particularly close to my heart.
mustachesofthenineteenthcentury.
savor these words, for they are my last.
of the day.
on my blog.
in the meantime, here are two blogs i recently discovered that i think are awesome. enjoy!
the "blog" of "unnecessary" quotation marks
this one is particularly close to my heart.
mustachesofthenineteenthcentury.
savor these words, for they are my last.
of the day.
on my blog.
19 October 2007
wish me luck
it's not looking good folks. in fact, there's a 100% chance of precipitation today. usually, i don't mind the rain, but i'm spending the day with my kids, and i haven't had a rainout yet.
i'm a little concerned that they're going to go insane, cooped up in the house, playing with next-gen transformers. damn these new toys are cool! the optimus prime that flips with a flick of the wrist into a loaded nerf cannon is one for the ages.
maybe i'll teach them how to gamble.
i'm a little concerned that they're going to go insane, cooped up in the house, playing with next-gen transformers. damn these new toys are cool! the optimus prime that flips with a flick of the wrist into a loaded nerf cannon is one for the ages.
maybe i'll teach them how to gamble.
18 October 2007
if only i had that laptop
one question: how is 12 beers a month a lifetime supply?
NZ brewery offers beer for laptop
A New Zealand brewery is reportedly offering a lifetime supply of beer for the return of a stolen laptop.
Local media said the laptop was stolen from the Croucher Brewing Company in the central North Island city of Rotorua earlier this week.
Owners were desperate to retrieve the computer containing designs, contact details and financial information, the Rotorua Daily Post said.
They have offered free beer to anyone giving clues leading to its recovery.
Co-owner Paul Croucher said the company would provide a lifetime supply of about 12 bottles a month to anyone who could name the thief.
The company has back-up copies of the material stored on the laptop but these are not up to date, the newspaper said.
yet another vice
rockstar games, why did you have to go and make this? my life is over.
no seriously, this game is awesome.
no seriously, this game is awesome.
17 October 2007
cloak of invisibility, here we come
so close, so very close. i can't wait to be invisible:
New 'Metamaterial' Brings Scientists Closer Than Ever to a Cloaking Device
New 'Metamaterial' Brings Scientists Closer Than Ever to a Cloaking Device
sunday bartenders rest easy
last month in nearby red hook, there were back to back brazen daylight robberies at local watering holes bait & tackle and moonshine. all us sunday bartenders were wary, especially since the bartender at bait & tackle was tied up at gunpoint in her first (and last) month of bartending.
but this afternoon the new york times reports that the thieves have been apprehended -- after going back to the bar to have a drink! read on.
but this afternoon the new york times reports that the thieves have been apprehended -- after going back to the bar to have a drink! read on.
Bartender Snaps a String of Tavern Holdups
The robbers carried guns into dark bars in broad daylight on back-to-back Sundays in Red Hook, the ballyhooed next-great-neighborhood of Brooklyn that has stubbornly maintained much of its gritty charm and, with it, danger.
News of the first holdup spread quickly: On Sept. 23, shortly after 2 p.m., two men entered Red Hook Bait and Tackle on Van Brunt Street, as laid-back a tavern as they come, with lots of mounted fish and taxidermy specimens. The bartender, a woman, was alone in the place, cleaning a restroom and just opening for the day. The men asked to use a restroom, and when they returned, one was wearing a mask and the other a bandanna over his face, and both held black handguns.
They bound the woman’s hands with duct tape, and stretched another piece over her mouth, the police said. The men took more than $1,000 — the exact amount was not provided by the police. The men then fled in a gray sport utility vehicle, the police said.
The bartender banged on neighbors’ doors until someone opened up and untaped her, said another bartender at Red Hook Bait and Tackle, who, fearful of a suspect still at large, gave his name only as Chris P., 30.
The following Sunday, Sept. 30, the men struck again, the police said, this time at Moonshine, a bar nearby on Columbia Street. About 3 p.m., one man entered, used the bathroom, left the bar and returned wearing a hat pulled low and with another man in a mask.
“They made my customer lay on the floor,” said the bartender, Marni Ludwig, 31. “They held a gun to my head and I gave them the money. They were angry that I didn’t have more money.” The men fled with less than $1,000, again in an S.U.V., the police said.
But this time, surveillance cameras photographed the first man as he approached the bathroom, showing a distinctive teardrop tattoo on his face, said Sgt. Joseph LaBella of the 76th Precinct detective squad. Officers circulated a sketch of the man in area bars.
The next Sunday passed without incident. Then, this past Sunday, Chris P., the bartender at Bait and Tackle, was killing the last minutes of his shift, which took him into the early hours of Monday, with seven or eight friends.
“It’s about 3 a.m.,” he said yesterday. “I see a man and a woman walk in the bar.”
“I notice he has the teardrop by his eye,” Chris said. “I think, ‘This is definitely the suspect.’ They ordered some shots of tequila. They wanted limes and salt.”
Chris said he went to the end of the bar and told a friend, “who happened to be one of the more sober people in the place, to call the cops. I told him in a hushed voice.”
Chris said he tried to act natural while his friend stepped outside to call 911. But then the man with the tattoo suddenly got up. “He leaves the bar,” Chris recalled, while Chris’s friend “is outside calling the police on him.”
The man returned with his hand curled in the bottom part of his shirt, and Chris said he thought he had a gun. He approached the couple. “I said, ‘Guys, if you don’t need anything, I’m just going to use the bathroom,’” Chris said. He, too, called the police, and returned.
The man rose again, this time for the men’s room, where Chris figures he got a good look at his own police sketch, for he quickly left the bar without a word to the woman, Chris said.
Chris said he told his friend to lock the door. “He locks the door. I go over to the woman and say, ‘Do you need anything?’ She asks for another piece of lime for her tequila.”
Then Chris and his friend and a manager of the bar slipped outside, where two of them pulled down metal gates over the front of the bar and the third held the door shut as the woman, who had unlocked it from the inside, was trying to leave, Chris said.
The police found the man hiding under a parked car down the street, and arrested him and the woman, Sergeant LaBella said. The suspect, Luis Rodriguez, 26, of the Bronx, was charged with three counts of robbery. The woman was not charged. The second man remains at large, the police said. The police found the S.U.V. and a handgun inside it, Sgt. LaBella said.
In Red Hook yesterday, Chris and his friends walked the awkward gait that combines patting oneself on the back with looking over one’s shoulder. “We did a little detective work. It was nice,” he said, but added that the robberies were a reminder: “It’s still a little shady. You have to keep an eye on your surroundings.”
a public apology
so on monday i said some bad things about union hall.
and i was rightly called out on it.
so i just want to say that i love union hall. it's a great bar and i adore the staff there. i've thoroughly enjoyed every show i've been to there and the only reason i thought nada surf didn't sound good is that their own sound guy who was touring with them was doing their sound. the house sound guys do a great job.
i hope this doesn't come off as insincere -- i'm constantly impressed with their lineup and would heartily recommend heading to the u.h. for a show. especially when my band plays there on wednesday november 14th!
also, be sure to join me and dick swizzle for late night karaoke this saturday!
ps magnetic field rocks.
and i was rightly called out on it.
so i just want to say that i love union hall. it's a great bar and i adore the staff there. i've thoroughly enjoyed every show i've been to there and the only reason i thought nada surf didn't sound good is that their own sound guy who was touring with them was doing their sound. the house sound guys do a great job.
i hope this doesn't come off as insincere -- i'm constantly impressed with their lineup and would heartily recommend heading to the u.h. for a show. especially when my band plays there on wednesday november 14th!
also, be sure to join me and dick swizzle for late night karaoke this saturday!
ps magnetic field rocks.
16 October 2007
250th post: half a mouth
back from the dentist. if you're interested in a free dental check up (x-rays and all!), click here.
it's one pm in the office of the dental hygiene department at cuny. but the clock on the wall says 9:05. that's not a good sign. it's like george carlin reminding us never to trust a dentist with blood in their hair. ten minutes later it's still 9:05. if they can't put batteries in a wall clock, will i be safe in the x-ray booth?
luckily my dentist for the day/russian model svetlana welcomes me warmly and sits me down in her cubicle. it's quite a scene, cube after cube of dentistry under a low hanging particle board ceiling with pretty serious water damage.
but svetlana's blue eyes and bleached blonde hair are a soothing balm to the treachery of pop radio emanating from speakers on all sides. can someone please shoot rhianna so there's never another disaster like umbrella? thanks a million.
after an initial look, svetlana says i have heavy calcium buildup and that we can't get it all off and take x-rays without another appointment. not a problem. i thought we would do a light clean this time and then finish with x-rays and a deep scraping next week.
instead, i'm left with a thoroughly cleaned right side of my mouth and a left side forlorn and filthy as a romanian orphan. this is totally bizarre.
why i love google image search ("dental hygiene"):
it's one pm in the office of the dental hygiene department at cuny. but the clock on the wall says 9:05. that's not a good sign. it's like george carlin reminding us never to trust a dentist with blood in their hair. ten minutes later it's still 9:05. if they can't put batteries in a wall clock, will i be safe in the x-ray booth?
luckily my dentist for the day/russian model svetlana welcomes me warmly and sits me down in her cubicle. it's quite a scene, cube after cube of dentistry under a low hanging particle board ceiling with pretty serious water damage.
but svetlana's blue eyes and bleached blonde hair are a soothing balm to the treachery of pop radio emanating from speakers on all sides. can someone please shoot rhianna so there's never another disaster like umbrella? thanks a million.
after an initial look, svetlana says i have heavy calcium buildup and that we can't get it all off and take x-rays without another appointment. not a problem. i thought we would do a light clean this time and then finish with x-rays and a deep scraping next week.
instead, i'm left with a thoroughly cleaned right side of my mouth and a left side forlorn and filthy as a romanian orphan. this is totally bizarre.
why i love google image search ("dental hygiene"):
the dentist
ok, i'm spending three hours at a free jay street dentist. this could go badly. i'll keep you posted.
15 October 2007
falling into fall
growing up in california there were seasons, but they were subtle. it took years to glean the changes, a few trees losing their leaves, the rain in winter, the verdant hills which roasted to golden in the summer.
there are problems with a lack of seasons. the years can just wash over you like so many days on end. wait, you say, was that the winter of aught-four? it rained then. where was i that summer when it actually was pretty warm? it's all a little confusing, fogged-over perhaps.
but here, it's a different story. even with global warming lessening the tenacity of our east coast winters, it's very obvious when it's february as opposed to august, especially a block from the harbor. the atlantic avenue wind is already picking up, and although i'm actually a fan of winter (thanks minnesota), i'm not a friend of the bitter chill coming off the water.
so we move into fall, tightening the circle, closing inwards, stashing our proverbial acorns and preparing for the long haul.
bonus? no more looking at capri pants.
there are problems with a lack of seasons. the years can just wash over you like so many days on end. wait, you say, was that the winter of aught-four? it rained then. where was i that summer when it actually was pretty warm? it's all a little confusing, fogged-over perhaps.
but here, it's a different story. even with global warming lessening the tenacity of our east coast winters, it's very obvious when it's february as opposed to august, especially a block from the harbor. the atlantic avenue wind is already picking up, and although i'm actually a fan of winter (thanks minnesota), i'm not a friend of the bitter chill coming off the water.
so we move into fall, tightening the circle, closing inwards, stashing our proverbial acorns and preparing for the long haul.
bonus? no more looking at capri pants.
another hectic weekend
i should know by now that going to a bar where i know a majority of the staff is a dangerous proposition. and when nada surf played on friday, i was surrounded by friends at union hall. unfortunately the sound guy the band with whom the band was touring was utterly incompetent, and my audio engineer ears could barely handle the high treble hiss.
also, the band kind of sucked.
saturday i biked off my hangover and went to potentially the second-to-last open market at the red hook ballfields. if you haven't been, this saturday might be your last chance. either way, after next weekend they close until the spring. the tarp-covered foodie's paradise is chock-full of local delicacies from latin and south america -- huaraches, papusas, giant tamales wrapped in banana leaves. it's all delicious. i don't remember the specifics, but there's something about their vendor permits and the parks department and a senator coming there over the summer to support the market staying open.
fyi, if you get the ceviche, careful with the green salsa they provide. that salsa, like c+c music factory, is gonna make you sweat.
did i tell you i'm in the band? well, i am.
more biking to band practice that afternoon. and oops, i forgot my cheat sheet with the chord progressions to all the songs. but hey, i pulled it off ok. it sort of felt like taking the training wheels off my bike. except my bike was a bass guitar.
do you not have dental insurance and live in new york? check this out: FREE DENTAL HYGIENE
i've got an appointment tomorrow. hmmm, but i hate the dentist. we'll see how this goes. three hours at the dentist? there better be laughing gas.
also, the band kind of sucked.
saturday i biked off my hangover and went to potentially the second-to-last open market at the red hook ballfields. if you haven't been, this saturday might be your last chance. either way, after next weekend they close until the spring. the tarp-covered foodie's paradise is chock-full of local delicacies from latin and south america -- huaraches, papusas, giant tamales wrapped in banana leaves. it's all delicious. i don't remember the specifics, but there's something about their vendor permits and the parks department and a senator coming there over the summer to support the market staying open.
fyi, if you get the ceviche, careful with the green salsa they provide. that salsa, like c+c music factory, is gonna make you sweat.
did i tell you i'm in the band? well, i am.
more biking to band practice that afternoon. and oops, i forgot my cheat sheet with the chord progressions to all the songs. but hey, i pulled it off ok. it sort of felt like taking the training wheels off my bike. except my bike was a bass guitar.
do you not have dental insurance and live in new york? check this out: FREE DENTAL HYGIENE
i've got an appointment tomorrow. hmmm, but i hate the dentist. we'll see how this goes. three hours at the dentist? there better be laughing gas.
12 October 2007
park sloop
tonight i'll be sailing the seas of park slope -- nada surf is playing at union hall! text me if you're in the hood.
and now, the story of the mystery cell phone.
yesterday i found a cell phone at the foot of a borough hall subway turnstile. rather than turn it over to the mysterious tombs of the mta lost and found, i decided to keep it and try and track the owner down.
first strange thing: not a single outgoing call had been placed since august.
second strange thing: attempts to call "mom" and "home" met with disconnected numbers.
third strange thing: emails sent to addresses stored in phone all bounce back.
i think i have a new phone!
but i have t-mobile and the phone is verizon. anyone with verizon service want a sweet camera phone?
am i a bad person?
and now, the story of the mystery cell phone.
yesterday i found a cell phone at the foot of a borough hall subway turnstile. rather than turn it over to the mysterious tombs of the mta lost and found, i decided to keep it and try and track the owner down.
first strange thing: not a single outgoing call had been placed since august.
second strange thing: attempts to call "mom" and "home" met with disconnected numbers.
third strange thing: emails sent to addresses stored in phone all bounce back.
i think i have a new phone!
but i have t-mobile and the phone is verizon. anyone with verizon service want a sweet camera phone?
am i a bad person?
your daily anagrams
collided igneous, so lucid old Genie, eluded i sing cool, includes good lie, soul do diligence, duelling so docile, no logic is eluded, so indie could gel.
stolen (as usual) from the blog of mike doughty, poet and former frontman for soul coughing.
stolen (as usual) from the blog of mike doughty, poet and former frontman for soul coughing.
good word, good word
one of my friends/regulars (seems to be a lot of crossover these days) is working all over africa for the next year. his blog is halperin.wordpress.com.
in his most recent post, he explains (along with dickies pants being a gang uniform) that traffic lights in johannesburg are called nighttime authority robots.
really, i couldn't agree more.
interesting, an image search for "destroy all robots" comes up with more results for "destroy all humans."
OH MY GOD THE AUTHORITY ROBOTS ARE GOING TO DESTROY US ALL!!!
in other news, the german sailors who didn't tip me last night can go straight to fucking hell.
in his most recent post, he explains (along with dickies pants being a gang uniform) that traffic lights in johannesburg are called nighttime authority robots.
really, i couldn't agree more.
interesting, an image search for "destroy all robots" comes up with more results for "destroy all humans."
OH MY GOD THE AUTHORITY ROBOTS ARE GOING TO DESTROY US ALL!!!
in other news, the german sailors who didn't tip me last night can go straight to fucking hell.
11 October 2007
don't read my blog
why shouldn't you read my blog? because dancing at gunpoint has all the best videos before i do!
ok no wait you should read my blog.
and you should watch this amazing video.
which i stole.
once again.
ok no wait you should read my blog.
and you should watch this amazing video.
which i stole.
once again.
big news!
i'm going to work today.
i have my ipod with five new albums purchased with a previously mentioned itunes gift card.
they are:
iron & wine, the shepherd's dog
jose gonzalez, in our nature
beirut, the flying club cup
manu chao, la radiolina
okkervil river, the stage names
i have copied them onto cds and then put them back in itunes to break the copyright. i am a thief!
speaking of stealing, if you haven't watched the video from yesterday's post, go back and watch it right now. seriously, it's hilarious.
okay, i really have to go to work. i have a great and inspiring story about a school in manhattan that i visited on tuesday. hopefully i will have a chance to put it up when my cube-mate leaves for lunch.
i have my ipod with five new albums purchased with a previously mentioned itunes gift card.
they are:
iron & wine, the shepherd's dog
jose gonzalez, in our nature
beirut, the flying club cup
manu chao, la radiolina
okkervil river, the stage names
i have copied them onto cds and then put them back in itunes to break the copyright. i am a thief!
speaking of stealing, if you haven't watched the video from yesterday's post, go back and watch it right now. seriously, it's hilarious.
okay, i really have to go to work. i have a great and inspiring story about a school in manhattan that i visited on tuesday. hopefully i will have a chance to put it up when my cube-mate leaves for lunch.
10 October 2007
happy happy joy joy
the t key on my laptop is still broken, but i reconnected my bluetooth keyboard and now i have a most excellent ergonomic workstation -- monitor at eye level, foot rest to keep my hips even, wrist pads for both keyboard and mouse.
aahhh, this is the life.
really, just having a keyboard with a working t is a major victory for me. why didn't i get batteries months ago?
i've been busy recently, lots of time behind the bar and working on various red hot projects and taking my twins out for photographic adventures. on friday i bought them each a disposable camera and we walked through the neighborhood taking pictures. i can't wait to see their pictures! even though i'm betting that most of them will be finger-obscured.
this blog stole a video from another blog, and i was laughing so hard that i had to steal it too. enjoy!
aahhh, this is the life.
really, just having a keyboard with a working t is a major victory for me. why didn't i get batteries months ago?
i've been busy recently, lots of time behind the bar and working on various red hot projects and taking my twins out for photographic adventures. on friday i bought them each a disposable camera and we walked through the neighborhood taking pictures. i can't wait to see their pictures! even though i'm betting that most of them will be finger-obscured.
this blog stole a video from another blog, and i was laughing so hard that i had to steal it too. enjoy!
08 October 2007
that's a law? seriously?
an interesting article today from wftv orlando.
It's the first trial of its kind. A man is facing a judge and jury for violating Orlando's ban on feeding the homeless. Eric Montanez, 22, was caught feeding a group in Lake Eola Park earlier this year. The prosecution told Eyewitness News their case rests on video taken of Montanez feeding the homeless, breaking Orlando's feeding ban.
"There are a lot better things for law enforcement to be doing in this town, but this was an outrage," said George Crossley of the ACLU.
Montanez and a small group of supporters marched from Lake Eola Park to the Orange County on Monday morning.
"We're ready to take this on," Montanez said.
Montanez and the group he's involved with, Food Not Bombs, returned to Lake Eola just after sunrise to once again violate the ordinance that has him on trial. Food Not Bombs volunteers served breakfast to about 100 Montanez supporters, most of them homeless. They will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner during what they're calling a three-day "ladle fest," not a protest.
"Me personally, I think that's discriminating for one," said Lamont Robinson, a homeless man.
"We're out here trying to survive from day to day life and this gentleman over here is helping us," said Melvin Moore, a homeless man.
In April, Montanez was arrested for violating the city ordinance that bans mass feeding in one area. His attorney will argue that the law is a violation of civil rights and say Montanez did nothing wrong, because every feeding that he participated in was done at a public park.
"The law itself should be illegal. Feeding people should not be criminalized. Being poor should not be criminalized," Montanez said.
The group is hoping to pressure city leaders into axing the ordinance that they believe is a violation of their civil rights, but the city has made no mention of such consideration being in their plans.
05 October 2007
adventures in babysitting
is it really october? my god it's beautiful outside. nothing like an afternoon at the playground with five year old twins to cheer me right up.
hurt
after a week of pretty much not taking good care of myself at all, i just wanted to make sure that everyone has seen the video of johnny cash covering trent reznor's hurt.
i guess crying is a theme today -- the first time i saw this video i was working at the headquarters of the unitarian universalist association on beacon hill in boston. it struck me so hard that i took the rest of the day off to wander aimlessly through the common.
you've been warned.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go
i guess crying is a theme today -- the first time i saw this video i was working at the headquarters of the unitarian universalist association on beacon hill in boston. it struck me so hard that i took the rest of the day off to wander aimlessly through the common.
you've been warned.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go
it makes me cry
yes, our president has recently vetoed a bill to give health care to poor children around the country.
his explanation?
"my job is a decision-making job. and as a result, i make a lot of decisions."
i think i'll move to australia.
his explanation?
"my job is a decision-making job. and as a result, i make a lot of decisions."
i think i'll move to australia.
more overheard
another classic from overheardinnewyork.com
What a Plot Twist!
Man: How much for two double-A batteries?
Bodega worker: The good ones or the one-dollar ones?
Man: The dollar ones.
Bodega worker: One dollar.
Man: I'll take two.
Bodega worker: That will be two dollars.
Man: Two dollars?!
--30th & 6th
04 October 2007
the news today...
is somewhat funny and more than a little disturbing.
charges dismissed against this woman who may have killed her husband with a sherry enema. um, eww....
this article should be posted in its entirety...
i know exactly how this orang-utan feels. he refuses to pay any attention to his primate equals and is instead obsessed with heavily tattooed blondes. you and me both, sibu.
and finally, someone has discovered a great use for mr. potato head...
charges dismissed against this woman who may have killed her husband with a sherry enema. um, eww....
this article should be posted in its entirety...
PRAGUE (Reuters) - A Czech couple who decided to take a DNA test to squash persistent pub gossip and prove that their 10-month-old baby was their own got a nasty surprise.
The couple, from the southeastern town of Trebic, had some doubts about the child as her hair was blonde and they both had dark hair. Fellow drinkers' suspicions got on their nerves.
But the test showed neither of the parents had the same DNA as the baby, Czech news agency CTK reported Wednesday, suggesting a mix-up at the hospital.
Authorities were looking into the case.
i know exactly how this orang-utan feels. he refuses to pay any attention to his primate equals and is instead obsessed with heavily tattooed blondes. you and me both, sibu.
and finally, someone has discovered a great use for mr. potato head...
03 October 2007
clooney watch
production has moved to just a block away from me! no blogging today, too busy keeping vigilant celebrity watch.
02 October 2007
the crappy mets
my friends and i were discussing the nickname that history will bestow upon the chokiest of choke teams. that would be my mets, who, in case you missed it, became the first team in baseball history to blow a lead of seven or more games with 17 games left in the season.
the only good one i could think of was the disappoint-mets.
but my friend bill has got the winner. simple, straight-forward and it references history.
how about the dismayzin's?
got anything better?
the only good one i could think of was the disappoint-mets.
but my friend bill has got the winner. simple, straight-forward and it references history.
how about the dismayzin's?
got anything better?
um, what?
i can't tell if someone messed up or if this is just horrendous journalism.
read this story from kpho phoenix. here it is, in its entirety.
that must have been some seriously bad shakespeare.
read this story from kpho phoenix. here it is, in its entirety.
MESA, Ariz. -- It was supposed to be a two-hour Shakespearean comedy attended by 700 Higley Unified School District sixth-through 12th graders.
But it was not to be.
About 40 minutes into the play, a district official halted the show Monday at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts.
"We stopped the show because we feel that this was inappropriate and not a kind of performance that we want them to see," said Tara Kissane, the district's director of visual and performing arts.
that must have been some seriously bad shakespeare.
01 October 2007
the weekend in cell phone pictures
this is cool -- a car on the set of the new coen brothers movie that happens to be in production a few blocks away. i always wondered how they filmed people in cars. it seems like the front seat would be really crowded with a cameraman in there.
two from the dumbo arts festival. dumbo in dumbo!
found what? oh my god, your art is so confusing!
i know it's hard to tell, but take a closer look. i stuck one dart into the other one! slow night at the bar. but at least i am totally robin hood. of darts.
the atlantic antic!!! joy of joys. i love this day! there's something so powerful about watching this street, this street that i both love and hate, worship and curse, be completely transformed, filled to the brim with people and taken over, if only for a day. this is the view from the v.i.p. section, otherwise known as my roof.
special atlantic antic version of...
who wants a mustache ride?
two from the dumbo arts festival. dumbo in dumbo!
found what? oh my god, your art is so confusing!
i know it's hard to tell, but take a closer look. i stuck one dart into the other one! slow night at the bar. but at least i am totally robin hood. of darts.
the atlantic antic!!! joy of joys. i love this day! there's something so powerful about watching this street, this street that i both love and hate, worship and curse, be completely transformed, filled to the brim with people and taken over, if only for a day. this is the view from the v.i.p. section, otherwise known as my roof.
special atlantic antic version of...
who wants a mustache ride?
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