Squirrel!!

I can't say i'm thrilled with the way things are going.  Are we going to just see-saw back and forth for the next century?  Enact, repeal, enact, repeal.  Do people really think we have some gung-ho gun slinger in office doing things no one wants?


Is the only way to combat this to yell louder than the next guy?  To get some entertainer to corral people to another point of view by talking down to them?  Except the speakers I'm referencing (Beck, Rush, etc) aren't talking down.  I genuinely am starting to believe that they are talking on the level of their listeners.  Their listeners are just lacking in intelligence.  "Squirrel!"  And I hate to say that, but its becoming increasingly obvious.  


In discussions with apparent learned individuals, I come across basic facts, that they can't argue, they just were completely unaware of.  And when confronted with these facts, they acknowledge them, and then move on in their same direction.  If it doesn't back up their opinion, it must be irrelevant.  


Are you aware that there is a whole world out there?  People that do things differently, and they work!  


So it seems in order to combat the blatant, raging ignorance that is so popular now, we must lower our projected intelligence, use smaller words, louder voices, and flashier lights.  "Squirrel!"






"If you amplify everything, you hear nothing" -- John Stewart


How true.  How true.  


But what do we do?  How do we get our point across to people who make decisions with their bodily humors? 


Idiocracy is truly coming about.  I am sad.

The BBC seems to be age-matching now.  Listening to a report on housing problems for the elderly in China.  They dub over the Chinese ranters with sex matched pensioners.  I shouldn't laugh, but it's like some sort of awful theatrical production.

Working on rally pictures.

And watched about 6 movies last week.

Soon to be updates.

a Movie.

It's Kind of a Funny Story.

This is a cute movie.  Zach Galifianakis does an excellent job in a serious role.  Is this movie worth 10 bucks?  No, but it's definitely worth a Netflix or a Red Box.

Jeremy Davies makes an appearance.  For once on the other side of insanity, as an employee of a mental ward.  He seems to be patterned after Bob Forrest, the substance abuse counselor and radio DJ.  He's still Jeremy Davies.  That man only has one personality, and I love it.

Jim Gaffigan, another comedian put into a serious role.  Kind of a waste of talent on his part, but he does a fair enough job.

I'm a sucker for mental institutions, so I was going to love this movie anyway.

It's cute, it's not sappy.  Watch it.

In other news....RALLIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mavis Staples, Jeff Tweedy, The Roots.

Bringing the long zoom.

Feet Fetishists

Twice.  In a 24 hour period.  Twice my feet were the object of sexual deviance.

First:  I went to a bar.  Often these stories start like this.  I went to see an old-timey americana band.  Quite good.  The Hot Seats as well as Pokey LaFarge and The South City Three.  Innocent enough endeavor.  As I'm standing outside, the gentleman taking the money says, "You have pretty toes.  Are you married?"

weird.

but not as weird as

Second.  Yesterday evening.  Metro.  A miniature Spike Jones walks up. with the personality of Karl Childers or David Blaine. and the voice of Ben Stein.  He asks how I am.  I say, Fine, how are you?  He says good.  He looks away, I look away.  I'm already weirded out by this fellow.  He says, "Are those some sort of hiking sandals?"  I say, "They're pretty tough."  He says, "What size are they?"  I laugh nervously and reply, "Large".  He says, "About a 9 or a 10".  another nervous laugh.  I'm starting to think he wants to try my shoes on.
He says, dead-pan, completely seriously, very David Blaine-esque "Will you wiggle your toes for me?"  ...   ...   ...   ... yeah.  I just said, "I don't think I need to do that."

WHAT?!?!

gross.


i got the first volume of The Autobiography of Mark Twain.  It's huge.

i'm spending my weekend volunteering with an organization battling Modern Slavery, a shift at the Green festival, and helping to organize a volunteer appreciation party for a local neighborhood.  yeah, i'm busy.  oh yeah, i have an interview for a part time job somewhere in there too.

someone come clean my room before andy and kristin get here...

Dogs

Dogs.  I don't care for them.  You know who I care less for?  Dog owners.

On Sunday, a dog was shot at the festival I was working at.  Piecing together stories, including some from eye witnesses, a foster parent of an abused pit bull was walking the dog down the street...WITHOUT A LEASH.  Huge crowd, dogs everywhere, children.  And you want to bring your abused pit in here without a muzzle, much less a leash?  It attacked a smaller dog.  It may or may not have turned on the cop.  The dog is dead now, and it's the foster owners fault.

On a lighter note.  I don't even have grass in front of my apartment to be protective of.  But I walk past grassy lawns with nice signs saying, "No pets".  I.e., don't let your pet defecate and urinate on our grass.  At least twice a week I see someone letting their dog do their business within 3 feet of these signs.  And often, it's a tenant of the apartment building!  I realize there are not so many places to toilet your dog in the city.  So how 'bout you don't get a dog?  How 'bout you get a fish, a cat, a lizard, a bird.  All manor of pets that are suitable for a concrete jungle.  Or how 'bout you do a good self examination before getting this animal.  Will you take the time to walk it the blocks and blocks needed to A) find a suitable toileting place. and B) give it the necessary exercise it needs?  It's an animal!

With that said, here's a neat dog park:

Pooch Park

and a silly cat town

Don't lock yourself out on Rosh Hashanah

I have nothing to say. :(

My job is boring. But easy.

My apartment is falling apart. But easy...to get to the metro.

Here's a funny story:

I locked myself out of my apartment. There is a separate lock on my bedroom...well there was. I locked my keys in my bedroom. From work, I emailed the landlord...a landlord. He gave me the number of another landlord who tried to jimmy the lock with no success. I called a locksmith. I made an appointment for 6pm.

I left work to stop by my roommates work to get a key to the front door. En route I received a phone call from the locksmith, CANCELLING. Why? Because it was a Jewish holiday. And in her words, "98% of locksmiths are jewish". Apparently she was unaware of this when I called her at 3pm.

So I called another company...which turned out to be a front for the first company. So I tried another one. He said they didn't do houses, so gave me another number. I asked if this person was Jewish. He said, "No, he's black". I'm sure there are black Jews. In fact, I think this guy was one. Because I called 3 times, and left 3 messages, and got no response.

So I go home, and try to open the door with my grocery card. No workie. I'm prepared now to sleep in the hallway, but I go downstairs to ask my neighbors if they know any locksmiths.

SIDEBAR: my neighbor is a barber shop called Spott's. "Spott" is actually Lloyd, and Lloyd has two wonky eyes. He is the nicest guy on the planet, but I'm not sure I trust his hair cutting skills. There is another guy that works there who always yells, "Hey neighbor!!" when I come home. They are outside 75% of the time.

So they are outside, and they say they don't know anybody and just then a guy walks out from another house and they yell, "Salmon! You know a locksmith?!" "Salmon" walks over and says no, but Lloyd's not gonna let him go that easy. Lloyd convinces him to try to get it open for me. So after trying to climb the back wall, and beating and prying, my door is now open...and there is a huge hole in my door jam...

And "Salmon"'s name is actually Sammer. We also cleared that up.

- where are you, me, them

This will not be entertaining. This will be informative. A background is needed for future rants and/or raves.

I found an apartment. A block from a metro, the U street/Cardozo metro to be exact. To be more exact, the U street/African American Civil War Memorial /Cardozo metro. Although, I refer to it as U Street/Cardozo and the metro people say something like, "U Street/Cardozo, site of the African American Civil War Memorial." It's a statue at the top of the metro escalator, which is most likely not working.

It seems that at any given time 50 percent of the metro escalators are in fact stairs. No one seems to be working on the "stairs". Just trying to save money on electricity? No thanks for the convenience. Love you Mitch.

The apartment is old. It smells like paint and I think it's going to hold that smell. There is no living room. Just two bedrooms and a small kitchen. The building is old. It is surrounded by new apartment complexes. So a safe neighborhood I think. In my old building are two 2-bedroom apartments, a barber shop, a psychic, and what is soon to be a coffee shop. The building is owned by Ethiopians. I was hoping for an Ethiopian coffee shop, but they just want a regular one. Good luck with that. I'll give them some tips, maybe and make it a hip place. I'm also trying to convince them to open an Ethiopian restaurant in Asheville.

My landlords are a riot. They seem to do nothing but eat and drink. They took me to an Ethiopian restaurant. It was flat amazing. So, my apartment is not great, but I think it will work.

My roommate is a fiery Puerto Rican Buddhist Vegetarian in a PhD program to be a Sex Therapist. She wants everything in the apartment to match. The walls are white...

A map store closed the second week I got here. I bought a ton of maps. I will decorate my room amply. Except I can't get the pins in the walls. Maybe I'll just sit in my room and think about maps.

I have one futon and an extra futon mattress. So guests can sleep near the floor.

I found a table on Craigslist. Small, but solid. Carried it 6 blocks. My legs are varying shades of red and purple. I know what it feels like to be into S&M now.

I found a temp job. Most likely lasting about a month. It involves trying to organize a mans files. This man is in charge with contracting the work for the Wounded, Ill, and Injured programs. He is not organized and seems to be reluctant to let people help, yet wants me to work 40 hours a week. It should be...something. But I'll get the experience of reading government contracts. A resume gem for sure.

You have been adequately updated

.

if you see me walking down the street with my hands on my hips, i'm neither angry, nor trying to be mod. i'm most likely on my way to an interview, after battling the metro, and i'm airing out my armpits. true story.

on this day in history 11 men hid in a room out of fear for their lives. as they huddled there praying, a bird flew in and excreted fire on their heads. once their heads were inflamed, they did not scream, they began babbling in a new language.

allegedly.

squatters

census has been fairly uneventful. today though. holy crap. definitely was chased by some dogs. i was sure i was going to die. i found an abandoned house and was walking around taking pictures. needless to say, it may not be so abandoned. two dogs come out of nowhere and gave chase. i couldn't remember if i was supposed to run or not run. grab a stick or not grab a stick. as i walked briskly and attempted to grab a stick, i almost tripped, so i decided it was, "not grab a stick". holy moly. holy moly. i've never been so scared in my life.