Thinking good things.

On rotation

Can I Take You Out - Luther Vandross

As I sit and think good thoughts, a few images...






















































Yeah

I Wanna Be Down - Brandy w/Mc Lyte & Queen Latifah

Running the gauntlet

Being broke and homeless myself, and having slept under the stars a few times lately, Im gaining increasing sympathy for those having to brave the chill of being without shelter on the East Bay's cold streets.

But Saturday is Market Day, specially in Berkeley - which means that everyone is open for business, including the folk on the street.

I have half a suspicion a good portion of the folk crowding Berekeley's Shattuck Avenue, pleading for spare change have

A) a fair amount of cash on them, and
B) Have a place to crash

Ok, call it cynicsm - but panhandling can be a very profitable career.

At least thats the impression you get running the gauntlet of dozens of people asking for spare change down a city street on a Saturday.

I ask myself the question - would I?

I will never say never, but nah - Id rather not.

I dont like asking people for cash as it is, even when I absolutely need it, and so going around begging strangers? *shudder* .. no

Id be more than disdainful of myself.

No.

---------
As I was typing the above outside the coffee shop:

"Brother, would you spare some change today."

I look up and into his eyes..

"Sir, you probably have more money than I do now."

Not the answer he was expecting. He pursed his lips, nodded and moved on.

It would be nice if one of these guys handed ME some cash right now.

Then, theres no need for moral superiority.

This is Berkeley. Ive heard of it happening.

But I wouldnt hold my breath.

Praythee tell me of other words for "Call me for tech support again, and I will wrap my hands around.."

GAH.

I want to be free.

Free of idiots calling me how to set up shit like FTP servers on their home machine and then start arguing with me when Im trying to explain how to *^#*&#^$^ do it.

ESPECIALLY when Im trying to fucking write!!!

God.

THEN, they fucking expect me to be nice about it.

At least this one got the hint when I hung up on him. He apologised profusely and kept it short when he called back.

And they wonder why Ive been so adamant about NOT having a phone.

I dont want THEM to call.

Jeezus.

Gah.

I have a lot of long letters to write.

---

"Worry is the downpayment on stuff that rarely happens."

I worry about a lot of things.

People tell me not to worry, but I do.

However, experience tells me - not to worry, but still I do.

Experience tells me to take a breath, not trip, and deal.

It all does work out. Really.

But still I worry, and that famously rational brain of mine is undermined by that famous fear of mine of losing myself to emotions.

Things will work out.

Yeah, I know.

angelz: baby
angelz: JUST LOVE ME
angelz: please
JPennant: *big ol grin spreads across face*
JPennant: ok :-)
angelz: i want our happily ever after, love
JPennant: :-)
angelz: and there's no space for divorce there
JPennant: LOL
angelz: hee

JPennant: good answer :-)
julez: awwwwwwww :-)
JPennant: *reads woman's noise dictionary*
JPennant: = you are impressed and it makes you feel good and it means "thats so sweeeet"
julez: kekekekekekeke :-)
julez: it means "duh" :-)
julez: of course she wants you to love her, so just love her already :-)
JPennant: LOL
julez: guys worry too much :-)
JPennant: *hug* you da best :-)
julez: {{{{{{joe}}}}}}
JPennant: :-)

angelz: LOL
angelz: she's so right
angelz: tell her she's a genius
angelz: hehe
JPennant: she is. thats why I confide in her
angelz: :-)

julez: awwww :-) *blush*
JPennant: heehee

Maybe I just think too much......

Congratulations, in order

To Cubicle Girl, for her first upcoming book Dish It Up, Baby.

She'll sign your copy when it comes out.

I would take her up on her offer.. trust me on this.


For Pammy (site shutdown for the usual people tripping reasons), on her first front page story.

Heh, and your subjects plaigarized you to boot...

IMAGINE my shock when I discovered that the Philippine Social Science Council had used a study I conducted a few months ago as a reference.


I was thumbing through the materials given to us at the conference. One of them was a background paper which would basically set the tone for the congress. I flipped through the references. I don't know why, but for a fleeting moment, I thought, "I'd probably fall of my chair if I found my name here."


And then I saw it. My name. My study. In the list of references.


I stopped breathing.


No, I didn't fall off my chair.


But, wow.


Yeah. To steal Joey's expression of amazement, pleasant shock, disbelief and wonderment, WOW.



***

Yes m'dear, you ARE a real journalist.

And Im anticipating seeing your more of your work in all the major outlets.

And books. :-)



To Gabz, for getting back into The Swing Of Things.

Down to the final seconds....3...2...1... *ding*
Just as unemployment went bye bye, I signed a contract. This should prove to be an experiment in "Out of The Box"-- I am not talking about that children's show on Disney.

Man girl, I miss the lyrical flows you swing. No one does it like you.

Dont stop.

--
To the magical Marn, for her *coughety-cough* Birthday.

Today is my last day of being 51. As of 8:15 a.m. on May 22 I will officially be 52, or, to put it in technical terms, Even Older Than Dirt.

Heheheh.


Just because you an me are prematurely grey hon, doesnt mean the rumors are true.. ;-)

Yay!

Mercury is no longer retrograde as of yesterday.

No more off-kilter shytte until...

the End of August.

*!*

Of course. My birthday.
-----------
These last few days, the temperatures have been nearly 80 degrees in the coastal Bay Area.

Not 80, NEAR 80 degrees.

These last days the refrain of "When is this heat wave going to END???" has been echoing around me.

I am not joking.

Neither were the natives.

Chicas were out in tank tops and short skirts.

Dudes were sporting summer shorts.

Never mind that it still drops below 50 degrees after dark.

I kept my jacket on.

These people are crazy. :-)

Why

My Angel

Best picture Ive ever taken in my opinion.

-----
[a day later]

julez: saw the picture of [angel] on your blog by the way
JPennant: whadja think
julez: did you take that with a digicam? or was that a screen cap?
JPennant: screen capture
JPennant: she's not wearing makeup by the way. Beautiful, aint she?
julez: cute but she needs a better camera :-)
julez: too fuzzy
JPennant: heheh
JPennant: its a basic web cam, low light.
julez: yeah, those suck
JPennant: eh, I'll take it for now :-)
julez: better than nothing :-)
JPennant: yes ma'am
JPennant: nah, it was late in one of our (online) sessions, she was quiet, tired and happy .. and I saw her kinda just looking at her laptop screen like that. Tender was the heart, but my photographers instinct took over ;-)
JPennant: so I waited for the right image, zapped it with printscreen, and voila
julez: nod
JPennant: I like the raw quality of it
julez: nod
JPennant: heheh, gonna add this to the entry ;-)
julez: go on :-)
JPennant: :-D
julez: did you add it?
JPennant: editing now
JPennant: gotta change names, places, evidence etc ;-)
julez: hehehe okay

(a few minutes later)

JPennant: added
julez: hahahahahahaha!!! :-D
julez: you are quick :-)
JPennant: ;-)
julez: when you said "gonna add this to the entry" i didn't know you meant this conversation, lol!!!
JPennant: *kekeke*

Where the magic happens.

Someone asked me what the Kinko's where I hook into the internet into looks like...

Here ya go.

(I was gonna write something serious about deprivation, cold and homelessness.. but eh, Im not feeling that right now.)

Kinko's, Berkeley





















*shrug* Its a Kinko's.

Eh. Nuthin to see here.