Satcherday Fewlishness

JPennant: hail up, yout.
McClint: Greetings and salutations back at you
McClint: :-)
JPennant: irie, I.
JPennant: :-)

McClint: oh a couple months ago on cable access I saw some program shot here in jax but it was 100% jamaican
McClint: I couldnt understand a word they said hahaha
JPennant: I thought you had caribbean blood :-)
JPennant: hehehe
McClint: i do but even when I hear my dad speak it, it sounds alien to me
JPennant: you need to make a trip home, iyah
McClint: when we back back to the island back in 1990 my dad would bump into childhood friends and he would instantly slip from English to whatever it was they were speaking
JPennant: yup
JPennant: your mind automatically switches gears
JPennant: I only feel comfy talking in patois to other Jamaicans
JPennant: otherwise my mind is constantly interfering trying to adjust and translate according to the listener
McClint: you woulda loved this tv show. I could only GUESS that the father on the show wasn't pleased with the friends his son had taken to hanging out with
JPennant: heh
McClint: but for all i know they could have been discussing a very important purchase of a gallon of ice cream
McClint: :-)

JPennant: some english programs are like that too
McClint: British english?
JPennant: yup
JPennant: the stereotypical 'black' folk on their sitcoms are usually of Jamaican or West Indian ancestry
McClint: yeah. i love british comedies but sometimes I just have to pretend I understood what they said
McClint: yeah
McClint: ala "Chef!"
JPennant: zactly
McClint: sometimes i think england is more of a melting pot than the US is
JPennant: in a way it is
JPennant: its the 'mother' country, so all parts of the far-flung empire brought people together
McClint: i think it's cuz in england you see all kinds of faces speaking with the same accent. here you have many groups who try to stand out and retain their ancenstral voice
JPennant: hm
McClint: not much melting going on
JPennant: mmm, I would disagree
JPennant: but I agree on the cultural part
McClint: fer example: i know many people who were born and raised 100% in the USA but they identify themselves as puerto rican or anythign else and English isn't even their 2nds language. it's more of a 3rd language if they speak it at all
JPennant: tru

McClint: Chicago trip is getting closer :-)
JPennant: how's the itinerary?
McClint: i still have some of the links you sent me for chicago tourist stuff
McClint: i think i definitely wanna print out the train routes/stops
JPennant: yup
McClint: what exactly is "the Loop"?
JPennant: downtown chicago
McClint: and i'm not refering to a yummy place to eat in Jax :-)
McClint: why do they call it the loop?
JPennant: its where the elevated tracks loop around downtown in sorta an elliptical oval (actually squarish)
McClint: aahhh ok i can see that on this map
JPennant: thats where the restaurant got its name
McClint: duh :-)
JPennant: the El (for the Elevated trains) is the name of the elevated portion of the subway system
McClint: is it like boston where a train may have parts of its tracks above and parts underground? or are there 2 seperate kinds of trains?
JPennant: like boston and new york
McClint: oh ok
JPennant: the subway is pretty much only underneath downtown chicago
JPennant: most of it is elevated
JPennant: except for the Skokie Swift portion which is mostly at street level
McClint: ah
JPennant: chicago is a very 'planned' city
JPennant: so it grew up around the fixed portions
JPennant: thats why a lot of the El goes within feet of peoples windows
McClint: just like in the Blues Brothers? :-)
JPennant: LoL. yup :-)
McClint: i'm gonna have to take a blues brothers walking tour
McClint: hehehe
JPennant: thats not such a bad idea..
McClint: actaully... probably a combo blues bros & Ferris Bueller
JPennant: cept you wont have time to go to the Wisconsin Dells :-)
McClint: yeah. where is that?
JPennant: Wisconsin :-)
McClint: and what scene?
JPennant: Actually, I think the concert was in Geneva, Wisconsin
JPennant: "And we're wearing sunglasses. Hit it."
McClint: :-)

McClint: are there any parts of town my country-bumpkin ass should avoid?
McClint: how about downtown at night?
JPennant: pretty much most of the southside
JPennant: if you go to Comiskey Park, dont go wandering around outside
JPennant: to the train station and back, dont deviate
McClint: yeah I didnt see too much on the map south of downtown that I'd be compelled to see
McClint: oh wait...
JPennant: DOnt get me wrong
JPennant: there is a LOT to see
JPennant: the best eating is on the South Side
McClint: Adler Planetarium?
JPennant: thats off downtown
McClint: oceanarium too?
JPennant: Shedd Aquarium. right beside it
McClint: are they worth the trip?
JPennant: only thing southside is Museum of Science and Industry. WORTH going, definitely.
JPennant: Only the Field Museum blows. Dont waste your time.
McClint: where is that, i cant find it on this map
JPennant: which one?
McClint: the museum
McClint: hmmm near 55th st. that seems to be way out there
McClint: i'm looking on the msichicago.org site you sent me
JPennant: it is. but def worth it
JPennant: if I had to pick only one
JPennant: thatd be it
JPennant: make it #1. trust me
JPennant: shedd, adler and the Art Institute after that
McClint: k. i will see if i can squeeze it in

McClint: oh.. what about downtown? is it safe to go out at night?
JPennant: yeah, mostly..
JPennant: try not to hang out past Roosevelt and State
JPennant: (south part of the Loop)
McClint: okie
JPennant: aw man, theyre restoring the U-505
JPennant: http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/U505/index.html
JPennant: its closed til 2005
McClint: that woulda been cool
JPennant: well, the inside is.. you can still go underground
JPennant: http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/U505/moving.html
McClint: they have the Apollo8 Command Module too?
JPennant: :-) yup
McClint: cool. I saw one at the Pensacola NAS air museum but I dont know if it was a real one or a mockup
JPennant: this one is real
JPennant: this museum is cool
JPennant: you also wanna go to the lower level to "old town" and have yourself a malted shake
JPennant: I havent found anything close to what I used to have there .

McClint: well i gotta run and try to find a K&N air filter for my Mini then run to Home depot. later man
McClint signed off at 12:25:44 PM.
McClint signed on at 1:54:24 PM.
McClint: you there?
JPennant: yup
JPennant: sending spam
McClint: did you get my previous IM?
JPennant: McClint: well i gotta run and try to find a K&N air filter for my Mini then run to Home depot. later man
JPennant: da last ting
McClint: oh.. i sent one a few minutes ago.. i guess you didnt get it...
McClint: Guten Abend, Herr Pennant. Wie geht es Ihnen? Haben Sie eine Ahnung wo man kann Damen in Chicago kaufen?
JPennant: What about Chicago hookers?
JPennant: :-)
McClint: hahaha i was just trying to see how much German I remember
JPennant: heheh
McClint: I havent had to carry on a conversation in german since FSU... 10 years ago
McClint: the only German i've been exposed to since then is WWII movies
JPennant: why fluent in duetsche, Scotsman?
JPennant: when you can hardly speak patois, your daddy's mother tongue?
JPennant: BUAHAHAH!
McClint: hahahah

Negotiations

Walking along Berkeley's Ohlone Greenway Trail ...

(companionable silence, with birds chirping, insects buzzing and whatnot)

Me: Hm, would you move from Berkeley?
Her: No.
Me: Hm.

(return to silence)

Her: Will you be leaving Berkeley?
Me: Knowing me? Probably.
Her: Oh.

(return to silence)

Me: I need a homebase tho. Someplace to come back to when I travel.
Her: Mm.
Me: Would you mind traveling?
Her: Mm. No, not really.
Me: Mm.

(silence)

Her: You need to get your ID's taken care of.
Me: Monday.
Her: Hm.

(silence, change of subject)

Via George..

JimiIzrael does a Drive-By

Drive-by Op-Ed:

FRIENDS: White people lament shows set in a world without you---which is their Utopia. They loved the FRIENDS New York because it was escapist---they didn't have to grab their purses or even acknowledge you existed. It was like Mayberry with tall buildings. It might as well have been The Jetsons---Euro-Sci-Fi. No minorities at all---not even working in the restaurants or drinking coffee? Niggas drink coffee, man. getdaufukouttahewitdat.

Heh, noticed that for years.

Sex and The City also falls strongly into that category. In their version of NYC.. NO minorities, not even as background noise.

You have GOT to be kidding.

So does NYPD Blue now that most of the shooting is in LA (note the token hispanic and black supposedly in a city full of hispanicz and blackz, hell even hispanic blacks..).

He continues:

IRAQI PRISONER PORN: Shock and Awe, right? People are all "That isn?t how America gets down on the normal." But the truth of it is, that?s exactly how America gets down on the normal. This is how America acts when we think no one is watching.

Im not even gonna bother going there.

Quality Time

"And then you get what you want. Oh my god. What a *fuckin'* nightmare!"

- Marissa Tomei (I forget her characters name) in 'My Cousin Vinny'

Ive not had as much time to sit and write, even with a machine at hand.

Naturally, Im gonna blame the Taurean for some of this.

To be fair, its not like she is monopolizing alla my time. At all. She gives me room. (Although being a beautiful woman, she does get a bit peeved at not getting the attention she's used to. Meh. I didnt come to her, she picked ME up.)

But the boyfriend/girlfriend thing is throwing off my rhythm, man.

Im used to sitting at the coffeeshop.. alone.. or flirting with the Japanese/Italian/LA student du jour (living in Berkeleytown does have its benefits, yes indeedy)... with my headphones on, writing.

Now, I often have company.

I give up the laptop so she can check *her* mail. Have a conversation. Play footsies under the table.

Oh my god, what a fuckin' nightmare!

And thats why Ive not had much time to write.

Scene.

Time Wont Give Me Time

My father, in frustration at my lackadaiscal ways, would always go "Boy, you do things at the appointed time.."

To translate the british empire colloquillism: "Wait until the last possible moment to do things."

Yup.

As motivation, I use dedadlines as motivation, otherwise its hard to rouse myself.

Not good, no.

The Taurean is similiarly frustrated at my seeming lack of urgency to Get Things Done. Sez I dont listen to a word she sez.

I do listen to everything she sez..and I tell her... but women need more reassurance than that.

"Youre gonna miss out on a good thing if you dont."

Maybe.

Ironically, my push in doing things my own way is to combat this tendency, this tendency to get too comfortable.
--------
Ok, this is beyond silly.

And more than slightly unbelievable.

Its been nearly a year now and my replacement government ID HASNT arrived yet? Nor the standard receipt letters the government issues. Nor my California ID. Nor any of the official mail they send???

This is straining credulity.

Shitza, now Im gonna have to go BACK to the government offices to find out what happened, paying another 130 bucks I DONT HAVE.

Wait, no.. its been raised. Its 170 bux PLUS another 70 bux.

FUCK FUCK FUCK.

Oh yeah, and deal with the California DMV to get another ID.

I do things very differently this time.

Lesson learned.

You were right Poo. The ID saga is not over. Not after nearly 2 years. Not by a long shot.

Lets hope yuou are just as right about me being rich.. ;-)
-------
Heh.

So a shady character wanted to be a patron. Loved my work, he said, wanted to see it blossom.

He was gonna give me the money today.

Heh.

He had to move quickly after he was accused of selling pills. No TOLD to get outta dodge.

Hey, when youre a starving artist - you dont turn down ANY contribution.

Then again, mebbe the gods want me to get me untainted cash, eh.
---------


Yeah, theres a lot to do..

Clocks ticking.

Trying not stress out.

Maybe this is a good thing. :-)

Go Do Something

Today's horrorscope sez:

Challenge yourself to think bigger. You're tired of maintaining your lifestyle when you could be thriving instead. Your earning power is not the key issue, but it's part of it. Attack problem debt, maybe with a weekend job! The newspaper has some gems!

Think bigger! Yeah!!!

Thriving instead of starving! Yeah!!

Get a job! Ye..! uhh, what?
--------

You seem to be a lot more open and trusting lately - not at all the suspicious Virgo you can sometimes be - and that's a good thing because your positive attitude will attract the kind of people who can really make things happen for you.

You may not be the most emotional individual in the zodiac, but you are quite capable of showing those you care for how much they mean to you. Today you will find it easy to open up and say the kind of words that at others times might get stuck in your throat. Don't be embarrassed: Even a parrot can say, "I love you".

But, but.. it *hurts* when I do that!!

Heh.

Yo

McClint: yo
JPennant: yo yo
McClint: how goes it?
JPennant: mmmmm.. hard to articulate
McClint: so why is it hard for you to articulate today's mood/condition?
JPennant: the show, woman, and looming decisions about money
JPennant: life decisions rather
JPennant: the taurus woman doesnt scare easy, I give you that
McClint: are you TRYING to scare her?
JPennant: yup
JPennant: Us Virgos call it 'testing'
McClint: oh gawd
JPennant: see if they are for real
McClint: we capricorns call it "mind games"
McClint: :-)
JPennant: oh puhlease, you guys do the exact same thing, just different
JPennant: we are just more neurotic about it.
McClint: hahaha
JPennant: do "trust issues" ring a bell? ;-)
JPennant: you guys play for keeps.
McClint: who do you think invented the old "I like you. do you like me []yes []no" notes? a capricorn, I bet. And who do you think added on the []maybe box? probably a virgo
McClint: hahahaha
JPennant: remember, it takes us a LONG time to recover from escapades, which is why we put people through that crapp
McClint: hahaha
JPennant: granted, that is if we are serious

JPennant: so, Im adjusting
JPennant: learning how to adjust
JPennant: and kinda hoping that if she goes away, she goes away sooner than later before any damage is done
JPennant: know what I mean?
McClint: well everyone has baggage. it's just a matter of determining if her Samsonite is compatible with your American Tourister
JPennant: fer starters
JPennant: Yep.

And then something occurred to me just now.

I really should stop this nonsense and do things by that old doctors saying.

"Do no harm."

Yeah, thats always a good maxim to live by.

Songs Im currently acting like Im on stage and bangin' da drums like a chimpanzee...

Love Rollercoaster - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Simply Irresistable - Robert Palmer & Power Station
Gimme All Your Lovin'/Sharp Dressed Man/Thug - ZZ Top

In my fantasy, Im hitting the skins and rims so hard, splintering wood, Im tossing broken sticks and grabbing new wood without missing a stroke or beat...

GottDAMN, Im good in my dreams. :-)
--------
via Dori's Saranwarp

NINETY-NINE bucks for an iPod case??????

Holy mother of shit.

They must think Mac Users are fools who will drop bucks at every new shiny Mac Thing.... oh wait, what am I thinking.

Of course they will. :-)

I had a woman yesterday with a nice 800mhz Snow iBook actually pleading with me to find a rationale for her to go BUY a new G4 iBook, considering she doesnt need one.

She was unbelievably happy after after I, sighing, gave her one. Sheesh.

No, Im not making that up.

Ok, so I would be ecstatic if I got an iPod. But

- I dont need one.
- I cant afford one.
- And even when I can, there aint no effing way Im paying Mac prices for it. Fuck that.

That said, Id take the black leather and clasps iPod case.

Cause it looks cool as hell.