Happy appropriated pagan holiday, everyone. Although I will not personally be doing the kind of fertility celebration I would like to be doing, I hope that everyone is looking forward to and celebrating the coming of spring, the bountiful abundance and energy of nature, and the life we each are blessed to have, broke and frustrated or rich and comfortable.
Every day is a gift and that's the truth - cheesy and idealistic or not. Enjoy and appreciate what you have ahead of you and if you ever wonder, my dear three readers, I am grateful for you.
24 March, 2008
16 March, 2008
craning
So there I was, tucked safely on my roof on a fantastic Saturday afternoon, reading an article about endurance and middle distance athletes (which widely reinforces my own notions, by the way) and then came the loud bending, crashing noise.
A crane took out 4 people and 3 buildings and subsequently set into motion a chain of thoughts in someone, over which I had no ability to soothe or influence. So I was fine; horrified for the inflicted, irritated at the masses, but fine.
And there we were in the midst of a bunch of jackasses, I would have happily punched in their St. Patrick's beer-drinking mouths, watching debris fall and cops cluster. I felt the grip of the fingers on mine and we walked around the block the long way to get back to my house, before a hasty exit was made and I started watching the afternoon news with a new sense of urgency.
Thank you for the calls of concern and well-wishing. I'm fine, with the exception of the sorrow I feel for those who lost their lives and for those who must attend to the affairs of those who lost their lives.
Apparently things like this don't happen elsewhere, but since they happen here, I'm hopeful that this is the last time for a long time. Someone's got to buckle down on a joint that has had 9 serious volations; pay-off or no. How does a union, or non-union gamble 20 stories up, with a man's life?
They should all be ashamed and sued to bankruptcy.
A crane took out 4 people and 3 buildings and subsequently set into motion a chain of thoughts in someone, over which I had no ability to soothe or influence. So I was fine; horrified for the inflicted, irritated at the masses, but fine.
And there we were in the midst of a bunch of jackasses, I would have happily punched in their St. Patrick's beer-drinking mouths, watching debris fall and cops cluster. I felt the grip of the fingers on mine and we walked around the block the long way to get back to my house, before a hasty exit was made and I started watching the afternoon news with a new sense of urgency.
Thank you for the calls of concern and well-wishing. I'm fine, with the exception of the sorrow I feel for those who lost their lives and for those who must attend to the affairs of those who lost their lives.
Apparently things like this don't happen elsewhere, but since they happen here, I'm hopeful that this is the last time for a long time. Someone's got to buckle down on a joint that has had 9 serious volations; pay-off or no. How does a union, or non-union gamble 20 stories up, with a man's life?
They should all be ashamed and sued to bankruptcy.
12 March, 2008
tomorrow and today
Today 2 things will happen.
Someone I like will go for something really big and will almost definitely blow the fucking doors off of the joint with his talent and poise. I will cheer until my lungs are out of wind.
Then, what no one will see, is that someone I love will have been behind the whole show and that person will learn from today, and will know that the instincts had about the activity performed are right on.
Both people will take a fantastic, evolutionary step and the world will go on as it should. But the bigger deal is that 2 souls will be fed full of what they have been searching for, for a long, long time. And after they are fed, they will be so hungry for more, that on their respective paths, no one will ever be able to close a gate or a door or a vault, ever again. Because this road is, and will always be, wide open for any and all who want to enter, have athletic success and overall happiness enter their sport, their psyche and their world.
I am proud of two people today, and for one of them, I would change the orbit of the earth, if needed.
Someone I like will go for something really big and will almost definitely blow the fucking doors off of the joint with his talent and poise. I will cheer until my lungs are out of wind.
Then, what no one will see, is that someone I love will have been behind the whole show and that person will learn from today, and will know that the instincts had about the activity performed are right on.
Both people will take a fantastic, evolutionary step and the world will go on as it should. But the bigger deal is that 2 souls will be fed full of what they have been searching for, for a long, long time. And after they are fed, they will be so hungry for more, that on their respective paths, no one will ever be able to close a gate or a door or a vault, ever again. Because this road is, and will always be, wide open for any and all who want to enter, have athletic success and overall happiness enter their sport, their psyche and their world.
I am proud of two people today, and for one of them, I would change the orbit of the earth, if needed.
11 March, 2008
quote o the day
The world was peopled with minds, whirling faster than any wind, in search of distraction and escape from the predicament of change, the dilemma of life and dealth - seeking purpose, security, enjoyment; trying to make sense of the mystery. Everyone everywhere lived a confused, bitter search. Reality never matched their dreams; happiness was just around the corner - a corner they never turned.
And the source of it all was the human mind.
And the source of it all was the human mind.
10 March, 2008
the binge
Let's talk about one of the greatest mysteries of all time: why people drink to get shitfaced.
Are you serious? I saw this article and laughed out loud. Is this news? Is it really such a mystery why people binge drink? I'm guessing that some smart ass talked someone into releasing a fairly significant amount of funds to conduct "research" on the subject, most of which was done in a variety of dive bars and high end martini lounges. The researcher would, of course, have to ingratiate himself to his subjects by imbibing right along with them, thus adding a more personal and empathetic touch to the story.
One fantastic and astute note was how men seem to drink more and hold their liquor better than women. Hmmmmm.....that's a mystery!
Give me a fucking break. I'll save everyone a lot of time and money here. People drink for a variety of reasons, but mostly they do it because it's social, enjoyable, and getting out of your tree every now and then is fun. Occasionally this sort of activity leads one down a couple of perilous roads such as......
1. A total rejection of everything contained within one's stomach and bowels. This sudden evacuation usually happens in the most embarrassing and inconvenient of places and leaves the puker with some pungent souvenirs dotting various parts of his or her clothing. Occasionally, this is all caught on film and is then saved for posterity and blackmail purposes.
2. One of several "blackout" scenarios; our drunk opens his or her eyes the next morning to a pounding headache, new surroundings and unfamiliar sleeping partner. The opening of the eyes is then followed by a leap from the bed and frantic search for missing items of clothing. At some point, there is a desperate effort to recall the events of the night and more often than not, our subject comes up empty handed, but full of a fantastic array of regrets. Running for the door quickly ensues.
3. Another of the blackout scenarios has our booze-bag in a horrified frenzy of apology to every person he or she came in contact with the previous night. This could be for any of several reasons such as fighting with good friends, defiling someone's car, making out with someone's girlfriend / boyfriend (or cockblocking....also a grievous offense), or any of a bevy of other friendship infractions. In my experience, those friends and loved ones are quick to forgive the first time or two, but it's best not to go to that well too often.
4. The extremely uncomfortable and stale smelling workday. When engaging in "after work" drinking gone awry, the subject usually picks the night before a major work event or day that cannot, for any reason, be missed. This means that the day is spent making frequent trips to the bathroom to either pull the trigger or defile the company restroom, whilst wishing for a mallet to the temple. This awful series is also accompanied by an unmaskable perfume resembling a brewery or distillery, thus announcing to everyone around, what our subject is trying desperately to avoid.
I could go on and on and I'm sure that all 2 people who will enjoy this post, would be able to add an arsenal of additional consequences for over-consumption of alcoholic beverages, but the point here is, life experience and acute observational powers will deliver a powerful thesis that need only be accompanied by remedial written and descriptive abilities to be conveyed, even in the Times.
Bottom line.....people drink. They drink to have fun, they drink to escape, they drink to get drunk and to explore the parts of themselves that they are too chicken to check out in real time. Done. Can I get paid for my dutiful notation of this puzzle now?
Are you serious? I saw this article and laughed out loud. Is this news? Is it really such a mystery why people binge drink? I'm guessing that some smart ass talked someone into releasing a fairly significant amount of funds to conduct "research" on the subject, most of which was done in a variety of dive bars and high end martini lounges. The researcher would, of course, have to ingratiate himself to his subjects by imbibing right along with them, thus adding a more personal and empathetic touch to the story.
One fantastic and astute note was how men seem to drink more and hold their liquor better than women. Hmmmmm.....that's a mystery!
Give me a fucking break. I'll save everyone a lot of time and money here. People drink for a variety of reasons, but mostly they do it because it's social, enjoyable, and getting out of your tree every now and then is fun. Occasionally this sort of activity leads one down a couple of perilous roads such as......
1. A total rejection of everything contained within one's stomach and bowels. This sudden evacuation usually happens in the most embarrassing and inconvenient of places and leaves the puker with some pungent souvenirs dotting various parts of his or her clothing. Occasionally, this is all caught on film and is then saved for posterity and blackmail purposes.
2. One of several "blackout" scenarios; our drunk opens his or her eyes the next morning to a pounding headache, new surroundings and unfamiliar sleeping partner. The opening of the eyes is then followed by a leap from the bed and frantic search for missing items of clothing. At some point, there is a desperate effort to recall the events of the night and more often than not, our subject comes up empty handed, but full of a fantastic array of regrets. Running for the door quickly ensues.
3. Another of the blackout scenarios has our booze-bag in a horrified frenzy of apology to every person he or she came in contact with the previous night. This could be for any of several reasons such as fighting with good friends, defiling someone's car, making out with someone's girlfriend / boyfriend (or cockblocking....also a grievous offense), or any of a bevy of other friendship infractions. In my experience, those friends and loved ones are quick to forgive the first time or two, but it's best not to go to that well too often.
4. The extremely uncomfortable and stale smelling workday. When engaging in "after work" drinking gone awry, the subject usually picks the night before a major work event or day that cannot, for any reason, be missed. This means that the day is spent making frequent trips to the bathroom to either pull the trigger or defile the company restroom, whilst wishing for a mallet to the temple. This awful series is also accompanied by an unmaskable perfume resembling a brewery or distillery, thus announcing to everyone around, what our subject is trying desperately to avoid.
I could go on and on and I'm sure that all 2 people who will enjoy this post, would be able to add an arsenal of additional consequences for over-consumption of alcoholic beverages, but the point here is, life experience and acute observational powers will deliver a powerful thesis that need only be accompanied by remedial written and descriptive abilities to be conveyed, even in the Times.
Bottom line.....people drink. They drink to have fun, they drink to escape, they drink to get drunk and to explore the parts of themselves that they are too chicken to check out in real time. Done. Can I get paid for my dutiful notation of this puzzle now?
05 March, 2008
de fraud
Dude. People will rip you off in any way they can.
I am a major fan of Chris Hanson's "To Catch..." series. First, because he has that high, nasally odd voice and the perfectly pouffed hair, but really, because he is always on the prowl for the bad guys. And when he exposes them, the shock and confusion that comes across the faces of those he strings up on hidden camera, is priceless. Pedophiles and con-artists and people who hide and strike from the fibers of broadband, get the helicopter spotlight on what they're doing.
None of them can ever answer why. No one even tries to defend what is unequivocally disgusting behavior. And yet they persist. There are guys who have been caught twice on the show. If they can catch them twice on the same television show, you know these people are pulling these this shit off over and over and over in normal life. The most recent one I watched, had to do with internet scams and duping people out of thousands and thousands of dollars. I thought it all quite horrifying and incredulous, but didn't think I'd be approached by it twice in one week.
So here's the scam: You troll around on Craigslist, praying for a legitimate, normal space to come up. One that has a door and a working toilet and shower and maybe even screens on the windows, if you are lucky enough to have more than one. You even go so far as to wish for something that is both satisfactory AND in your price range and you tirelessly slog through ad after ad on your amazingly optimistic quest.
And then you find it.
There it is: $1600 for a one bedroom in the financial district. On Broadway even. There is something slightly to insanely unrealistic about that, so you inquire as to why it is such a bargain and why the person is vacating. Here is the response you will get:
"I had to move to London (or other city across the pond) for work and I own my apartment. My housing is going to be subsidized by my company, so I just want to cover maintenance fees and a little extra. I can only rent the apartment out for a few years at this point, and since I am already in London, have a solution for how to complete this transaction."
Then you will be sent a link to TNT.com. This is a legitimate website and a legitimate company, too. The "solution" is an escrow situation. He will send the keys to TNT to hold, until they receive a wire payment from you, which they will also hold. Once the wire payment is received, the keys are released and shipped to you. The apartment is checked out and subsequently accepted or rejected by you and once that has happened, either the wire or the keys are sent through to the lessor and the transaction is completed. Now, here is why this is odd.
In pretty much any building in New York, there will be a super, or person who maintains the space; especially if it's a building like the one that was being advertised. Any person with a space to let, owned or not owned, will be able to have someone at the building access the apartment and manage the renting process. The super in any situation is a big part of one's life and there is simply no getting around it. There needn't be any kind of "escrow" in order to check out an apartment.
Add to that, while I was on the TNT.com website, I actually found a link to the fraud section they set up to warn people of that very transaction. I became so disgusted that I just had to laugh. My decision at that point was to do something utterly ineffective. I let the thcammer know that I was onto his tricks. I copied and pasted a clip of the fraud warning on the web page and then I simply wrote this:
If you are trying to defraud innocent people out of their hard earned money with bullshit like this, you are a bad person.
I got no response. Huh.
I am a major fan of Chris Hanson's "To Catch..." series. First, because he has that high, nasally odd voice and the perfectly pouffed hair, but really, because he is always on the prowl for the bad guys. And when he exposes them, the shock and confusion that comes across the faces of those he strings up on hidden camera, is priceless. Pedophiles and con-artists and people who hide and strike from the fibers of broadband, get the helicopter spotlight on what they're doing.
None of them can ever answer why. No one even tries to defend what is unequivocally disgusting behavior. And yet they persist. There are guys who have been caught twice on the show. If they can catch them twice on the same television show, you know these people are pulling these this shit off over and over and over in normal life. The most recent one I watched, had to do with internet scams and duping people out of thousands and thousands of dollars. I thought it all quite horrifying and incredulous, but didn't think I'd be approached by it twice in one week.
So here's the scam: You troll around on Craigslist, praying for a legitimate, normal space to come up. One that has a door and a working toilet and shower and maybe even screens on the windows, if you are lucky enough to have more than one. You even go so far as to wish for something that is both satisfactory AND in your price range and you tirelessly slog through ad after ad on your amazingly optimistic quest.
And then you find it.
There it is: $1600 for a one bedroom in the financial district. On Broadway even. There is something slightly to insanely unrealistic about that, so you inquire as to why it is such a bargain and why the person is vacating. Here is the response you will get:
"I had to move to London (or other city across the pond) for work and I own my apartment. My housing is going to be subsidized by my company, so I just want to cover maintenance fees and a little extra. I can only rent the apartment out for a few years at this point, and since I am already in London, have a solution for how to complete this transaction."
Then you will be sent a link to TNT.com. This is a legitimate website and a legitimate company, too. The "solution" is an escrow situation. He will send the keys to TNT to hold, until they receive a wire payment from you, which they will also hold. Once the wire payment is received, the keys are released and shipped to you. The apartment is checked out and subsequently accepted or rejected by you and once that has happened, either the wire or the keys are sent through to the lessor and the transaction is completed. Now, here is why this is odd.
In pretty much any building in New York, there will be a super, or person who maintains the space; especially if it's a building like the one that was being advertised. Any person with a space to let, owned or not owned, will be able to have someone at the building access the apartment and manage the renting process. The super in any situation is a big part of one's life and there is simply no getting around it. There needn't be any kind of "escrow" in order to check out an apartment.
Add to that, while I was on the TNT.com website, I actually found a link to the fraud section they set up to warn people of that very transaction. I became so disgusted that I just had to laugh. My decision at that point was to do something utterly ineffective. I let the thcammer know that I was onto his tricks. I copied and pasted a clip of the fraud warning on the web page and then I simply wrote this:
If you are trying to defraud innocent people out of their hard earned money with bullshit like this, you are a bad person.
I got no response. Huh.
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