Like most of us here, I like gizmos, but the bluetooth headset wearing fools are grating on me. I used to not really care that our fellow citizens like to walk around looking like Lt. Uhura with metal sticking straight out of their ears. I guess the use of hands free stuff is good for the car drivers and such. The past week and half however, I've been pressed into service at various Time Warner payment centers and these chucklheads are popping up at a high rate of speed. People so abosorbed in a phone call they can't be bothered to pay attention to the person directly in front of them. I used to think that the biggest sin was in being too fucking lazy to reach into your pocket ( or god help us, to your belt clip) and answer the fucking phone. Has it not dawned on us as a people that just because we can take a call anywhere does not mean that we actually have to take the call anywhere.
I set a guy up with internet service without him actually speaking to me. I wandered to the front of the Buffalo Time Warner building the other day and there were no less than four people carrying on intense conversations with people who were not there. Happens all the time on Allen Street, except the people doing the talking there really have blue teeth, if you know what I'm sayin. I mentioned this to my supervisor and we agreed that if we could set em all down, you'd have a helluva round table, prepared to castigate the mayor, tell the Islanders to quit whining that it was a goal and many other issues.
I couldn't resist. As each person got to the counter, none of them got off the phone. Each clerk had to wait for lapses in the conversations or episodes to transact business.
Oy, in other news, I got invited to a short party at Pearl St Brewery tomorrow at the start of the Sabres game, get to have my picture taken with the Stanley Cup. The fact that this is exciting is a tad worrisome to me, but what the hey.
Beta testing for digital phone means I'll have a home phone in the next couple of weeks. TW is going to make a full launch in June. As soon as the prices are determined, I'll say something. Anybody with an adelphia.net email is going to complete the Road Runner change soon.
Lastly, how about that thursday??!?? I only got a little sun at the end of the day, but damn going from Lancaster where I was working to Wegmans on Amherst for foodstuffs was the most fun I had all week. Window down, Ipod cranking some decent driving music, hell, I was giddy just walking to the car.
My firefox weather add on says 68 and Sun tomorrow. People will be hugging spontanously in the streets. Could almost smell (e:joshua)'s grill firing up, as I got closer to down town turned out it was just Cocoa Puff Day at the Cheerios plant.
My Dad stopped by the office to leave me some souvenirs of him and Mom stocking up on Canadian pharmiceuticals. A case of Sleeman's Draught - damn fine beer, yet another reason to believe that the best liquor store around is still the Ft. Erie Duty Free.
Dad needs to stop by work more often.
Mrmike's Journal
My Podcast Link
04/19/2007 22:54 #38966
Bluetooth jackoffs and other odditiesCategory: potpourri
04/17/2007 09:19 #38924
Mr. State TrooperCategory: potpourri
I have to work in Lancaster today and the journey did wonders for my morale. I was cruising down the 90 doing 55ish. A doofus in a Toyota didn't think I was properly showing my manhood. He was riding my bumper and just as we past the Ogden Street toll barrier, he blew past me, bird flipping all the way. Also at the Ogden St toll barrier is a favorite hiding spot of the New York State Troopers who saw the whole thing. Said Trooper spots the doofus as we collectively make the turn to head north. Trooper waits until the turn is finished for him and cranks on the lights. I pass the stopped cars to see the doofus getting a ticket and looking properly red faced.
Made my morning and we're just getting started.
Hopefully an omen for the day.
Made my morning and we're just getting started.
Hopefully an omen for the day.
theecarey - 04/17/07 11:49
sweet.
usually i am just wishing a trooper would pull the offensive person over- nice that you got to see that :)
sweet.
usually i am just wishing a trooper would pull the offensive person over- nice that you got to see that :)
joshua - 04/17/07 11:28
Magnificent!
Magnificent!
mrdeadlier - 04/17/07 10:30
that is the best feeling in the world.
i remember once i was driving down parker in tonawanda and some jerk zipped out in front of me, coming from a sidestreet. like 5 seconds later a cop appeared out of nowhere, zoomed up next to me and shouted "did he just cut you off?" i replied with an affirmative and then said cop zoomed away to get him some tickety goodness (i assume).
it felt good since it always seems there's no one around when that stuff normally happens. :)
that is the best feeling in the world.
i remember once i was driving down parker in tonawanda and some jerk zipped out in front of me, coming from a sidestreet. like 5 seconds later a cop appeared out of nowhere, zoomed up next to me and shouted "did he just cut you off?" i replied with an affirmative and then said cop zoomed away to get him some tickety goodness (i assume).
it felt good since it always seems there's no one around when that stuff normally happens. :)
zobar - 04/17/07 10:14
I was commuting Buffalo ↔ Rochester for a while and [well, it was kind of a boring commute] determined my optimal gas mileage was at 68mph - faster than most of the semis but slower than most of the passenger cars. Whatev!
I cannot count the number of times some dillweed would blow by me at 80mph+ only to find, when my slow ass finally made it to the Williamsville toll barrier, he was still getting a stern talking-to and not looking likely to be getting on his way any time soon.
- Z
I was commuting Buffalo ↔ Rochester for a while and [well, it was kind of a boring commute] determined my optimal gas mileage was at 68mph - faster than most of the semis but slower than most of the passenger cars. Whatev!
I cannot count the number of times some dillweed would blow by me at 80mph+ only to find, when my slow ass finally made it to the Williamsville toll barrier, he was still getting a stern talking-to and not looking likely to be getting on his way any time soon.
- Z
04/15/2007 13:35 #38902
Another self-pitying personal postCategory: feh
Can't say you weren't warned
Lot of death lately. A couple of peripheral people in my life are gone or feeling the effects of losing somebody close to them. That combined with my recent posting about the passing of my former Anderson Place neighbor has me feeling, well a little morbid. My now former dad-in-law is in week 3 of chemo. His potential mortality has me thinking. It makes me want to pull over on my way to work and kick the folks smoking under the Roswell No smoking banner in the shins.
This has hit my ex even harder. I'm doing my best to help, but I'm coming to the fact that I signed my lease to leave the house formerly known as mine 3 years ago today. In the six months that immediately followed, I got to deal with the useless response from family members, at one point, she told me that she "wanted the family of her, our kids, and her partner" to find their way with the initial holiday season. Given that I didn't stray, that I took crappy jobs at night to support her and be there for the kids, I was dumbfounded. Point of that anecdote, other than to gloat that the partner is no longer in the picture I guess is to illustrate that despite being generally cool with each other, I resent the circumstances that brought us to this point. I think I'm pretty much over it all, but occasionally something can stir and piss you off all over again. I thought it would be best and easiest that I move (and it was), but it sort of felt like that me guilty in some way. I've struggled at times to remain Dad and buy into the logic that we were just broadening the sphere of people who care for the kids. I mentioned to my eldest that I didn't think a certain person held much regard for me. She, being an enlightened child, replied that I shouldn't sweat it, the certain person is like that with everybody.
Alas, it has made me wonder if I disappeared who'd notice, but when you think hope is evaporating, conversations can reveal a lot. We cleared the "table" of a lot, how things progressed too fast at the house after I left, steps we take together for the kids, etc.
I'm not quite sure where I'm headed with this. Figured getting it down would be better than having these things rattle around in my head. The first bad divorce realtionship send me an email the other day to say hi and I guess that triggered the flipping pages of my mental rolodex.
So, I'm trying to help and be a stand guy and help her when her transitional lesbian relationship takes up with a mutual friend, both of whom insist it's not a relationship from next door to the kids. They are pissed off at me because my kids know them both well, so I made them come clean to kids.
I'm such an asshole.
end of pity
Lot of death lately. A couple of peripheral people in my life are gone or feeling the effects of losing somebody close to them. That combined with my recent posting about the passing of my former Anderson Place neighbor has me feeling, well a little morbid. My now former dad-in-law is in week 3 of chemo. His potential mortality has me thinking. It makes me want to pull over on my way to work and kick the folks smoking under the Roswell No smoking banner in the shins.
This has hit my ex even harder. I'm doing my best to help, but I'm coming to the fact that I signed my lease to leave the house formerly known as mine 3 years ago today. In the six months that immediately followed, I got to deal with the useless response from family members, at one point, she told me that she "wanted the family of her, our kids, and her partner" to find their way with the initial holiday season. Given that I didn't stray, that I took crappy jobs at night to support her and be there for the kids, I was dumbfounded. Point of that anecdote, other than to gloat that the partner is no longer in the picture I guess is to illustrate that despite being generally cool with each other, I resent the circumstances that brought us to this point. I think I'm pretty much over it all, but occasionally something can stir and piss you off all over again. I thought it would be best and easiest that I move (and it was), but it sort of felt like that me guilty in some way. I've struggled at times to remain Dad and buy into the logic that we were just broadening the sphere of people who care for the kids. I mentioned to my eldest that I didn't think a certain person held much regard for me. She, being an enlightened child, replied that I shouldn't sweat it, the certain person is like that with everybody.
Alas, it has made me wonder if I disappeared who'd notice, but when you think hope is evaporating, conversations can reveal a lot. We cleared the "table" of a lot, how things progressed too fast at the house after I left, steps we take together for the kids, etc.
I'm not quite sure where I'm headed with this. Figured getting it down would be better than having these things rattle around in my head. The first bad divorce realtionship send me an email the other day to say hi and I guess that triggered the flipping pages of my mental rolodex.
So, I'm trying to help and be a stand guy and help her when her transitional lesbian relationship takes up with a mutual friend, both of whom insist it's not a relationship from next door to the kids. They are pissed off at me because my kids know them both well, so I made them come clean to kids.
I'm such an asshole.
end of pity
carolinian - 04/15/07 21:53
After everything you've been put through, I think you deserve a really awesome father's day gift this year.
After everything you've been put through, I think you deserve a really awesome father's day gift this year.
paul - 04/15/07 14:08
"It makes me want to pull over on my way to work and kick the folks smoking under the Roswell No smoking banner in the shins." I can't believe they do that. A few of my co-workers walk to the corner to smoke just at the boundary of Roswell property. I think it is totally sick.
"It makes me want to pull over on my way to work and kick the folks smoking under the Roswell No smoking banner in the shins." I can't believe they do that. A few of my co-workers walk to the corner to smoke just at the boundary of Roswell property. I think it is totally sick.
04/12/2007 22:41 #38872
The Don Imus NonsenseInteresting take on the whole soap opera, written by an African American Columnist
metalpeter - 04/14/07 16:36
That is an excellent article. I think a lot of it is true. I think Al and Jesse do the black community a disservice most of the time. They are just trying to push there own agenda and use blacks for there own gain.
Before I get into the music debate I will say that Imus shouldn't have been fired. What he stated was his opinion just like if someone said "Homosexuality is sin and all gays will burn in hell forever and never see their loved ones unless they are in hell also" I personly don't believe that but a lot of people do. Some people believe whites and blacks should intermarry and have kids and with in a few Hundred years everyone will be a brownish color and bye bye to rascism. So people think that intermixing Races is wrong and even nationalities is wrong. It is an opinion and we are free to have differing ones. It doesn't matter whos way of thinking is the majority both sides should be free to say what they believe with out being punished. There is a difference between thoughts an actions and often that is forgot about. Imus didn't take his hate grab a girl with wavy hair and strighten it and then take her to church to un ho her. All he did was express his thoughts.
I admit that I used to listen to rap music a lot. You have the positive stuff and the Gangster stuff . I'm not saying it all falls into the catagory. Then allong with rap there is hip-hop also. The thing about rap is that (or at least in the past) you heard a lot more of the negative stuff then postive stuff on the radio. Yes women are looked down on in the music. But I do kinda agree with Snoop a little bit they aren't singing about mom they are singing about lose girls who really are hos. But now in terms of the videos is where I would disagree (if you ever don't have porn just watch a rap video, yummy, yum, yum those girls look delicous) Because those girls know what they are signing up for. The thing about Rap Music is that most of the time it is a reflection of the culture. It does glamourise it but that doesn't mean that it encourages it. We all know that art reflects life but not sure if it also the other way around, it could be.
I find it interesting that some of what Louis Farakhan (why isn't he the civil right leaders for blacks) says even though it is hateful towards whites is also what whites say about blacks. I haven't heard anything he has said in a long time so my memory may be wrong. But basicly he wants blacks to correct there wrongs of single mothers and he wants his "sisters" to be strong. There are a lot of problems in the ghetto that compound other problems. That doesn't mean that everyone is a drug dealer or murderer but if you listened to rap you would think that.
That is an excellent article. I think a lot of it is true. I think Al and Jesse do the black community a disservice most of the time. They are just trying to push there own agenda and use blacks for there own gain.
Before I get into the music debate I will say that Imus shouldn't have been fired. What he stated was his opinion just like if someone said "Homosexuality is sin and all gays will burn in hell forever and never see their loved ones unless they are in hell also" I personly don't believe that but a lot of people do. Some people believe whites and blacks should intermarry and have kids and with in a few Hundred years everyone will be a brownish color and bye bye to rascism. So people think that intermixing Races is wrong and even nationalities is wrong. It is an opinion and we are free to have differing ones. It doesn't matter whos way of thinking is the majority both sides should be free to say what they believe with out being punished. There is a difference between thoughts an actions and often that is forgot about. Imus didn't take his hate grab a girl with wavy hair and strighten it and then take her to church to un ho her. All he did was express his thoughts.
I admit that I used to listen to rap music a lot. You have the positive stuff and the Gangster stuff . I'm not saying it all falls into the catagory. Then allong with rap there is hip-hop also. The thing about rap is that (or at least in the past) you heard a lot more of the negative stuff then postive stuff on the radio. Yes women are looked down on in the music. But I do kinda agree with Snoop a little bit they aren't singing about mom they are singing about lose girls who really are hos. But now in terms of the videos is where I would disagree (if you ever don't have porn just watch a rap video, yummy, yum, yum those girls look delicous) Because those girls know what they are signing up for. The thing about Rap Music is that most of the time it is a reflection of the culture. It does glamourise it but that doesn't mean that it encourages it. We all know that art reflects life but not sure if it also the other way around, it could be.
I find it interesting that some of what Louis Farakhan (why isn't he the civil right leaders for blacks) says even though it is hateful towards whites is also what whites say about blacks. I haven't heard anything he has said in a long time so my memory may be wrong. But basicly he wants blacks to correct there wrongs of single mothers and he wants his "sisters" to be strong. There are a lot of problems in the ghetto that compound other problems. That doesn't mean that everyone is a drug dealer or murderer but if you listened to rap you would think that.
joshua - 04/13/07 15:20
Imus' problems and the problems in inner city culture are mutually exclusive; neither set understands the problems of the other and most likely don't care either.
I agree with what the writer says about Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. These people are race baiters and opportunists who have a vested personal interest in perpetuating a myth - that racial tensions are still at a 1960's level. Their literal bread and butter depends on shaking down corporations for hush money if they feel that their companies aren't as diverse as they would like. Generally I think their practical usefulness to African-Americans has passed them by.
Setting that aside, dismissing Imus' problems to concentrate on a completely different issue IS misguided. Black culture may have created the words that he used, but they certainly didn't put them in his mouth. Bigotry is bigotry and regardless of whether its okay for blacks and not for whites to call each other "niggers" Don Imus just had his last public case of verbal diahrrea.
Imus was obviously guilty and IMO he is deserving of what he is getting - there is far too much precedent in these sorts of things for him not to have been fired.
Imus' problems and the problems in inner city culture are mutually exclusive; neither set understands the problems of the other and most likely don't care either.
I agree with what the writer says about Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. These people are race baiters and opportunists who have a vested personal interest in perpetuating a myth - that racial tensions are still at a 1960's level. Their literal bread and butter depends on shaking down corporations for hush money if they feel that their companies aren't as diverse as they would like. Generally I think their practical usefulness to African-Americans has passed them by.
Setting that aside, dismissing Imus' problems to concentrate on a completely different issue IS misguided. Black culture may have created the words that he used, but they certainly didn't put them in his mouth. Bigotry is bigotry and regardless of whether its okay for blacks and not for whites to call each other "niggers" Don Imus just had his last public case of verbal diahrrea.
Imus was obviously guilty and IMO he is deserving of what he is getting - there is far too much precedent in these sorts of things for him not to have been fired.
james - 04/13/07 14:30
Thank you both.
Just wanted to cover my tracks when I take a plane full of passengers hostage you two can say that I am no hijacker.
Thank you both.
Just wanted to cover my tracks when I take a plane full of passengers hostage you two can say that I am no hijacker.
mrmike - 04/13/07 08:07
No apologies necessary. The beauty of (e:strip) -- we just chattin. I like ideas and how people utilize them.
I'm fresh out of puppy pix, but you didn't hijack.
No apologies necessary. The beauty of (e:strip) -- we just chattin. I like ideas and how people utilize them.
I'm fresh out of puppy pix, but you didn't hijack.
imk2 - 04/13/07 07:24
thanks for the clarifications. i don't think you hijacked the post and i dont think mrmike does either...(right mrmike?) i like knowing WHY people think what they do.
thanks for the clarifications. i don't think you hijacked the post and i dont think mrmike does either...(right mrmike?) i like knowing WHY people think what they do.
james - 04/13/07 00:23
Well, basically I think attacking the culture that arises out of a particular group of people is misguided. Music that deals with drugs and violence, that is mysogonist or racist springs forth not on its own but from a very real environment.
So, in short, attack poverty and not the music of the impoverished.
And here enters arguments about rap music being co-opted and so forth, which is why I shouldn't have entered into it.
MrMike, I apologize for hijacking your post. Feel free to get even by posting random pictures of puppies in any of my entries and we will call it even.
Well, basically I think attacking the culture that arises out of a particular group of people is misguided. Music that deals with drugs and violence, that is mysogonist or racist springs forth not on its own but from a very real environment.
So, in short, attack poverty and not the music of the impoverished.
And here enters arguments about rap music being co-opted and so forth, which is why I shouldn't have entered into it.
MrMike, I apologize for hijacking your post. Feel free to get even by posting random pictures of puppies in any of my entries and we will call it even.
imk2 - 04/12/07 23:55
please elaborate, james...i'd like to know why you think that was a crock of shit?
please elaborate, james...i'd like to know why you think that was a crock of shit?
james - 04/12/07 23:38
Oh man, what a crock of shit that was. An interesting take, granted.
Of course, the culture he wants us to attack exists for a reason. And that in of itself opens up a can of worms too large for a comment on a journal that just linked us to that article.
Thanks for the find, it was a fun read.
Oh man, what a crock of shit that was. An interesting take, granted.
Of course, the culture he wants us to attack exists for a reason. And that in of itself opens up a can of worms too large for a comment on a journal that just linked us to that article.
Thanks for the find, it was a fun read.
04/11/2007 08:54 #38850
A Sure Sign of SpringCategory: weather
Saw the Elmwood "White Lady" twice yesterday and once today on my way to work. Pretty sure I saw the "Buffalo Shall be Judged" Holy Roller outside the Allentown Trading Company this morning on the way to work.
Kinda wished I had my camera with me. I just drove in via Washington St and as you got closer downtown. You could see a veil of frost on the top of the HSBC arena that faces the lake. It would have made for an interesting pic. Alas.
Beatiful thing about (e:strip) -- getting turned on to something new. Stumbled across (e:joshua) 's myspace page and became a fan of Warren Haynes' acoustic work. Went on a mini itunes shopping spree to collect the awesomeness of it all. Knew the great electric stuff, but my ipod is happy to have a bunch of new tunes.
off to work, great day, peeps
Kinda wished I had my camera with me. I just drove in via Washington St and as you got closer downtown. You could see a veil of frost on the top of the HSBC arena that faces the lake. It would have made for an interesting pic. Alas.
Beatiful thing about (e:strip) -- getting turned on to something new. Stumbled across (e:joshua) 's myspace page and became a fan of Warren Haynes' acoustic work. Went on a mini itunes shopping spree to collect the awesomeness of it all. Knew the great electric stuff, but my ipod is happy to have a bunch of new tunes.
off to work, great day, peeps
jason - 04/11/07 11:47
Warren Haynes is GAWD!
Warren Haynes is GAWD!
I agree with Z on that one if they are to big of an asshole to stop talking when they are in line then everyone else can go before them. When they are done talking then they can be waited on. Since talking on the phone is more important to them, then they get service once they are off the phone.
If [God forbid] I was working at the customer service counter, I'd ask 'Can I help you?,' stare at them for about five seconds, then look over their shoulder and call 'Next!' [But then again, nobody ever complimented me on my people skills.]
- Z