Post Script

I didn't think of it until Jeanne mentioned it, but hopefully the possum got out and the trash dudes didn't throw it away and crushed him.

Although at the end of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Casey Jones presumably killed the Shredder by crushing him in the trash compactor, but in The Secret of the Ooze he survived.

"At the Library"

I was taking the trash to the curb this morning, so I looked in them to see whether or not to take both of them or one. The second one I checked (which had its lid tightly secured) had a possum in it. It looked up at me as if to say, “Hey Dude,” and went back to its business. I quickly put the lid back on and went in to tell Jeanne.

I looked at the trash can itself to see if it were the one with a crack on it. It was whole. I have no idea how it had gotten in except that it was next to the wood pile and maybe the other day when the lid had been off it had gotten in and had been living on trash for a couple of days.

I again checked to see that the lid was secured and that there were no holes and rolled it to the curb. Once there I opened the lid slightly and left. As I walked down the street I kept checking back but it hadn’t left yet. Hopefully the trash guys get a surprise.

I’ve been needing a massage for a while but not had $60 extra to do so. Since I’ve also had an extensive year of working out/toning out via Kung Fu/Tai-chi/bicycling I think it’s about time. Luckily we have several massage schools here that I can get it at $20/hr.

The Leavenworth bike lane deal apparently is approved and I’ve heard two sides to it. One being that the improvements and such are being done but it’s a ways away. The other is that it’s happening soon. Sooner the better…I’m tired of battling my way up that way with morons that can’t seem to realize that traffic isn’t that bad there and that I keep catching up to them at each red light and then passing them and that it’s their fault that they’re going to have to start losing lanes because of their ignorance and arrogance towards any other means of transportation other than driving.

That moron Herman Cain is all happy about his lead in the Florida straw polls. That’s guy’s such an idiot. I never knew much about him before this presidential candidacy, but the more I hear that guy talk the more I’m upset about that one time I ate at Godfather’s (mediocre) Pizza.

I’ve finished recently reading:

Playing Right Field: A Jew Grows in Greenwhich - Good book. I missed reading this guy's columns in MRR. It's funny how dismissive Americans - especially Christians - are about our dark past and how they think we're beyond all the racism, sexism, all that stuff and we're now infallible and we should never bring any of that stuff up again. This was a good read, great writing and stories, and shows how anti-Semetic people were and how hateful language and actions carry on through your kids who a lot of times don't understand the full extent of what it means, but know that it's hurtful and demeaning.

Also, made me remember how unfair it was growing up with the label of being a bad kid and how anyone's claim against me went unchallenged. Granted, a lot of times it was me, but there were lots of times I'd been unfairly victimized and my character was already deemed bad so therefore I was bad.

Like Hell - I've got a lot against Ben Weasel, but sometimes he makes a good point - like in this book. It's in his nature (and somewhat mine) to be argumentative, but in his case it's more often hypocritical and not just to make a point but he goes against everything all the time and it's all just what fits it. There are many examples I wrote down from "Weasel Radio" but Larry Livermore gave an example of Ben's ranting for the Tea Party antics and anti-government spending and whatnot and Larry explaining that Mrs. Weasel's government job and the health insurance it provides is exactly what Ben's rallying against. Then Ben banned Larry from his Twitter account saying that Larry couldn't get political without being personal. Then the Republican Governor got voted in and did what the Tea Party supporters had been rallying for and then Mrs. Weasel's job and benefits were being threatened and then Ben's all up in arms about that...that's just like most Americans. Until it affects them, no one gives a fuck.

This book, however, sums up a lot of what he is and why and, to a point, his some what hypocritical nature - SOMEWHAT. I could see crowd-baiting and such for fun or just playing on the political idiocy of punks, but in real life when it actually affects people and his character it's not the act it's his personality and integrity now.

The New Jim Crow - This is a good book, but hardly anything new, but it gives you some good examples for arguments. She knocks Obama for things in Audacity of Hope and in his campaign for the presidency and his current presidency and administration, but in that same book she references, he explained what she's saying he didn't. He gives a well laid out example about that guy in Chicago who owns a restaurant in an area that he's a big property owner and gives felons a new start at life and job opportunities.

But just like her book needed to prove a point which I feel is why she took that approach, it's the same reason that he does what he does in office and why he needs to do that until he gets re-elected. He can do a lot now, but he won't get re-elected and a lot has to do with the stupidity and easily-led mentality of our country. If he stood up more for Muslims the dumb argument of whether or not he's a Muslim (like it matters) comes up distracting from real issues...and on and on.

But also for people who say he's not strong enough and tough enough, he's tackling taxes and Israel, two things that are election killers. How is that not tough?

Girls to the Front - All right read. There are some aspects of Riot Grrrl that I could've done without. I know this book is for them, but to me it watered down the agnst and aggression that I like about the Riot Grrrl movement. It was a great read, though, especially the Omaha part only because the unmentioned boyfriend was Chris Murray.

Despite Everything - Always a good read. This one I just pick up every now and then and read portions. After reading Cometbus #54? In China with Green Day (which was a great one), it's great to see the then writings from the first Green Day tour to when they made it big along with Larry Livermore's accounts on that as well. Even Ben Weasel's articles about major labels, it makes it dumb why bands would want to go to one. Also why 1,000,000 units sold on a major label is considered a failure.

Punk is a Four-Letter Word - Ben Weasel columns from the MRR-era I read, but now it's in the context of where I'm at now, and it's great. Great stories about work and about being backstage at the Aragon Theatre when Jawbreaker opened for Nirvana with Mudhoney.

I think there may have been another book in there. Current reads are:

The Bible by Karen Armstrong. A biography of the Bible which explains how the New and Old Testaments were put together and how and why and why it can't be taken literally, how they were changed over years and writers, how during translations words were changed and context and original meanings changed the overall affect of the messages that are taken way wrong now...then this lady at the bus stop asked what I was reading and asked what church I go to and I told her I don't go to any church and she asked why not. I told her that I'm a good person and not judgmental nor imposing of my beliefs on anyone or anyone's lifestyle. She tells me that it's not enough to just be good you need to worship and blah, blah, blah.

She was a perfect example of what I see wrong with religious people. It's not for you to tell people how to worship or anything. What you do is up to you. That's it. As long as no one gets injured, oppressed, and you don't impose your beliefs on anyone, this world would be better. That's the core of most religions, especially the world's three biggest ones - it's plain and simply written in the current versions of them all...yet the fundamentalists see beyond those...or the abrigationists.

Journey Into American - Everybody should be reading this book. Basically it's the journey across America from a Muslim perspective but doesn't just talk to Muslims and go to Mosques. It's every aspect of America from immigrants, Muslims, Mormons, Nation of Islam, reformists, The head of the KKK and his daughter, etc. It's asking people of their thoughts of the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, and what it means to be American. Greatly written, very intropective, and well balanced.

I'm trying to get through the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy. I'm on "the Secret of the Ooze," and it's great. I don't know anything about the third one so I'm excited.

"Fuck Facebook"

Right on, James Taylor from Funny People.

I heard the other day that fucking Zuckerburg guy made some new features on Facebook so people can now waste more time than they already did on that piece of shit social network that I use once in a while.

I just went on there to respond to a message, like how I only use Facebook like email, not really (although sometimes I do, but I'm never on the site for more than five minutes every so often) engaging in mindless bullshit. I see all these status updates on the side and not only is it distracting, but makes me lose faith in people. I'm assuming that's what Twitter's like....

"I'm at lunch with moron."

"[blank] has been tagged in a photo with moron having lunch."

"About to eat dinner."

"Placed plate on table."

"Table has been tagged in photo."

"Just made coffee. Looks like a good pot."

"Fuck you you dumbfucks!"

I'm currently watching the posts for the lunch update. It must be some boring lunch and lunch companion and shitty food if they can't fucking just enjoy themselves without having to keep posting everything. Who the fuck cares that much about your life?!!!! Why go to lunch with anyone? Why not stay at home and eat lunch with your fucking Facebook friends.

I don't know if it's worth having Facebook anymore. I don't like talking on the phone and I like to keep updated, but I don't like devoting my whole life to it. I hate having to keep justifying it with myself.

Lincoln

Here in the public library. Jeanne and Ayana are at the Children's Museum, but I've got an assignment and test to do. I went to the coffee shop and took a look around and got my stuff to go and came here.

I happened to find the only table next to an outlet.

Yesterday at the shop next door some dude got caught snapping a picture under the skirt of a woman bending over. Donna called him out on it and the lady's husband was about to beat him, but was held back while the cops were called.

Gonna read today's paper and study.

In Today's News...

Few pages in to today's paper and I already hate the world. Good day so far. Nice weather, get to the store to get provisions and wait long with two people in two different lines, but I didn't even have to wait long for either bus and got two cupw of coffee in me with another in my travel mug.

So Troy Davis did get executed. I am anti-death penalty, but all that aside I don't know why people are so eager to kill people or have them die as a proportional response. Especially when there's ANY doubt, let alone several or more along with questionable evidence, as in the case of the West Memphis Three.

Even if you are for the death penalty, how is killing someone who you think is the suspect with horrible or questionable evidence? How does that make you feel better? Is it just the fact that someone has to die and it doesn't matter who? Scapegoat?

If Jimmy Carter and Desmond Tutu, amongst many other figures including some Congressmen are asking for clemency, I think there should be some international law that allows it for who they are, what they've done, and what they represent.

The other thing was the trial and sentencing of three kids in a murder here in Omaha last year. They wanted to rob a pizza guy so they ordered pizzas, lured, robbed, and stabbed this guy. One kid went along with them, curious to see it played out and didn't go into the apartment where the assault took place. Yet when the victim came out bloodied, he did nothing. Didn't help or call for help.

His response to why was, "He was just a pizza delivery guy."

You know, it's this type of labelling that society's placed on people, especially in blue collared jobs that is so detrimental to our shitty existence. People who look to them as low people who can get a better life if they only applied themselves. I was deemed sucessful when I worked in an office even though I got paid less than I do now and with most demeaning and demanding tasks. I have more freedom and respect now and I'm able to make decisions based on what's best for the current situation and things get done.

People like Clarence Thomas is one of those who think that if people don't like their menial jobs they should do something about that. The mentality that he struggled and got through it and succeeded so what's the other people's problems. Not everyone is the same or get the same breaks, and that mentality is unfair and potentially dangerous, especially for a Supreme Court Justice.

On top of which, there was a post before on where I work about the employees' attitudes as being short and rude and that, "I guess I'd be miserable too if I were 30 years old scooping ice cream." First off, who are you to judge and make prejudiced opinions? Secondly, the job is great and if you deal with people how we do and get the barrage of fucking idiots you have to deal with, especially with your attitude, you're the part of the job that's unbearable, asshole!

Some people can only get these so-called "menial jobs," while other like them, and we need them in this Functionalist Society. It shouldn't be in anyone's place to judge them. You have more freedom here than in an office job, though that's not to generalize and knock white collars, because there are some office situations that are good and worthwhile.

To me success is enjoying what you're doing while being able to still do what you like and not be oppressed and demeaned. Yes, there are aspects of every job that you hate, but it's the people and employers that make all the difference. We need to stop putting labels on people and judging them all for what they do, especially when you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

Yet Again.

Late last night, after a manic search for my tire levers, I fixed the flat on my front tire. As I turned onto my street on Monday my tire slid and it was losing air. At least I made it home, right?

So today after my workout I'm heading to the Old Market and as I approach 20th street I veer to the left lane and while doing so the front wheel slides a bit. I look down and it's looking a little down. I stop and feel it and it's still full but with a lot of resistance.

I end up walking the rest of the way, cash my check which already is low because I'm not only going to get a new tube, but may as well get a new tire since this one's old and getting tons of mileage and I need one better suited for urban Omaha.

After class I caught the bus back to the Old Market and walked it to Greenstreet. My back tire, which was purchased in June, is already looking like it'll be going soon so I end up getting two new, supposedly, good tires and $109 later, I'm riding home.

I took a different route, more hilly and longer hills, but less traffic. Not sure about replacing my normal route, but I'm not letting the Leavenworth traffic get the best of me, so no dice there.

I mentioned not making it the meeting last week and was told 75 bicyclists showed up. Nice. Hopefully I make it to more of these decision making meetings with the city and fuck people!

There was a dude at the shop picking up a bike he purchased earlier and was pretty cool and asked about shirts that said, "I'm Biking" or "On A Bike MF." I passed his house on the way home. As I rode Hamilton through Dundee his had just gotten home and was showing his wife his bike. We exchanged heys and I battled 72nd and Cass Street traffic.

Let's hope my bike's investments are through for this year.

One More Thing...Further Down the Road.

iPod - Public Enemy - Apocalypse 91 - the Enemy Strikes Black

I was getting excited with the cold weather heading in, so I can ride my bike without the hassle of dealing with these morons on the paths. I read a comment from a World-Herald article about bicyclists which a motorist said, with what I believe to be a dumbass remark that he was driving through Elmwood park and surprisingly saw a bicyclist riding on the path and remarked what a miracle it was that he wasn't on the road.

First off, I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but it's not really a bicyclists versus motorist issue, because both sides need to show respect and awareness for one another. But motorists have an advantage which is that almost anyone who drives a vehicle has at least a base-level knowledge of driving rules, such as you drive on the road and a few other things. Any idiot can get on a bike, but only avid bicyclists have a general knowledge of bicycling.

That being said, fuck off. I don't think any motorist can say anything about bicyclists until they've ridden a bike around Omaha for a week. Try riding through Elmwood Park. It's the reason I avoid it. People and bicyclists alike don't understand the path and just fucking take up the whole path no matter how many bicyclists have to call out that they're passing, even five in a row and they still don't come to reality that, "Hmmmm, maybe we should get out of the way or at least look back to see if anyone else is coming." It's easier to ride the street or walk your bike through.

People can barely walk with common sense, let alone ride a bike - and definitely not driving. As much as I'd like to promote alternative ways of transportation and making this city more bike-friendly, I don't want to increase the amount of people riding. One of they reasons I like bicycling is to get away from pedestrians and motorists. The last thing I need is nowhere to go. Yes, pedestrians! Friday rush hour, try biking through downtown, especially past the Orpheum with a good production going on. People don't look!!! I'm yelling and weaving through dumb-motherfuckers. And outside of Leavenworth Cafe, I'm keeping up with 35 mph traffic, yet, they feel that they can just cruise in front of me, so I have to swerve.

So I was looking forward to the colder weather to weed out these weak fuckers and give me some peace of mind. In LA, the beach has two paths - bicyclists and pedestrians, and pedestrians still stroll into the bike path and almost get hit and get upset at the bicyclists.

"Weekend at Bernie's 3"?

So much for Chris Stolls' lifelong ambition for his "Weekend at Bernie's 3" script...or so I thought before checking out this article. Unfortunately, aside from these two guys looking like a made-for-TV version about the making of "Weekend at Bernie's," I was disappointed.

Aside from them showing up at their friend's place and finding him dead, they didn't really live up to the movie. They went around town to party but left him in the car.

Entertaining Guy

At least this guy was entertaining at the bus stop this morning. He's one of those guys with no inner monologue and can't stop talking. He was in a way trying to sell us weed, but not. So he's talking and a car stops at the light and while he's talking to us he turns and says in the direction of the lady in the car, "Hey, don't go to work. Come over here and let's fuck."

Then back to us. While he's going on and on about everything I notice a lady going the wrong way on this one way street and point it out to this guy. It's an older white lady and she pulls over and puts her hands over her face and looks flustered and distraught. He starts yelling at her and motioning her to turn around and I can only imagine this is making her feel very uncomfortable and without looking around he steps off onto the street towards her. There's several vehicles approaching, one of them being a semi and he puts his hands up towards them and keeps walking towards her. He gets in the middle of the road and still holding his hands to keep cars from coming, motions and allows the lady to u-turn and go.

Then he walks back to us and says, "There's wings on my back. There's wings on my back, but there's a devil on my shoulders, too."

I say, "Well, it'll even you out."

"Gotta do nice things every once in a while."

"Yeah. Otherwise you become an asshole."

"Like the other day. There's this lady, she always buys way more groceries than she can carry. So I tell her, 'This is going to sound weird, but get in the cart.' And she looks at me and I pick her up in there and roll her..."

Honk. A van pulling into the Burger King drive thru honks and him and he is all of a sudden there at their window talking and apparently knows them and then I hear him saying, "A number one."

He turns back to us and says, "I was nice to her the other day and now I'm getting a free meal." Turns back to the van and says he'll meet them at the other end and starts walking as the bus pulls up.

Ongoing Asian Thing Part 38?

So on the bus ride home, I'm reading the paper and have my earphones in my ears. I'm not listening to anything, but I do this to not have to talk to anyone. This black dude with a cane comes on and sits across from me. I'm still reading the paper. He asks if I'm from Japan. I say no, as I'm not, but say that I am Japanese, but I'm from Hawaii. Back to the paper.

"How long you live in the Midwest, you in the services?"

"Nope. Going to school right now." Back to the paper.

"For computers?"

Nope. Still reading the paper.

"Engineering?"

Nope. "Going for teaching." No way I'm saying for Math, although I'm surprised he didn't ask that one. Back to the paper.

"You do that Shaolin thing." I do, but not in the way he's suggesting and not getting in that conversation with him.

Nope. Back to paper.

"What is that, Chinese?"

Not looking up, "yup."

"You know there's some monks in Iowa."

"Really," still reading the paper.

"They bought some land and their over there. i talked to them once."

"Cool." Still reading the paper.

This goes on for a while and then he goes quiet. One stop before mine he gets up to get off and says, "Maybe I'll see you again. konichiwa."

Fuck you asshole! I don't know why people don't feel that talking to me like that and asking me questions based on stereotypes is like me sitting next to him and asking him how was his fried chicken lunch. Or is he too cracked out to eat. And how it feels to grow up without a father and a crackwhore, welfare mother.

All right, maybe that's extreme, but it would be like me sitting next to him and asking what he thinks of football and L'il Wayne.

I'm also talking in perfect English and I'm not dressed in anyway like I'm a Japanese immigrant.

Version 2.0

I remembered what it was that I hate about computer classes, especially programming ones: People talking about computers and hardware like it's a muscle car or something.

Then there's that lady that doesn't stop talking about Macs-versus-PC's and blah, blah, blah....

Now they're talking about math problems we had for an assignment and how different variations of this and that...

...our pets heads are falling off.

Stupid People

Maybe it's just me, but I'd think that most people don't like lines. I'm rather efficient with how I handle lines like limiting choices, serving people in groups or getting someone who knows what they'd like, steering them in a direction thus minimizing their undecisiveness, etc. People just seem to not understand how things can work better. But then again, these are the same morons who try to drive all fast and what they think is effective and efficient but they're the ones causing the backups and whatever.

Anyway, it's part of the thing with people who wait till the last moment possible to pull out their wallet while holding their ice cream or like today.

Line to the door and I'm freezing ice cream so I have to jump back and forth. Like I said, I can usually move through customers pretty well then I get this family. First their asking questions. No problem there. They ask about the banana split. I tell them it comes with three scoops or their choice and three toppings - at which point I point to the menu in front of them and show them the syrups and candies and nuts - of their choice, with whipped cream and cherries. Sounds good to them.

Let me also say that at this point they've been in the line and waiting for about five to seven minutes. So they take this opportunity to start deciding what flavors we have and to taste some. This is now about three minutes into this ordeal. I can usually run through a group or at least two people by now. They finally decide on the flavors. I should also point out that once they said they wanted this I told them again it comes with three flavors and I then went to get the banana and cut it and put it in the boat and came back and then they started asking about the flavors.

So I get to scooping and while I'm doing that I ask them what three topppings they'd like. I get the scoops on and look up. They're trying to figure out where the toppings are - even though I had pointed to them earlier. We're now six minutes into this order. They finally decide and I get it together. I start handing it to them and they're all happy and I ask if there's anything else. Nope. So I take his card and walk to the register. They do want something else.

I ask what it is they'd like to add on and it's an iced coffee. Would you like some cream with that. The lady walked away so we don't know and she finally comes back and says yes. So I charge them for it and he signs for it. Then she asks to get a small bag of popcorn. No, the large one. So I have to run the credit card again. This is now 10 minutes into this order. I should mention that there is a line to the door. And this is for a husband/wife team and their kid and it's taken this long. That's either going to be one stupid kid or a pretty awesome one who realize what dumb shits his parents are.

Getting some grilling done, though I wish I had a bigger grill. It's going to take a long time since I'm using the Weber. Once the beef is done I'll have an easier time doing the featherbones.

There's this guy in one of my classes that looks like this dude getting served by Grover, with a little bit of George Jefferson thrown in.

BBQ

Tomorrow I have a day off with little studying to do. I got TaiChi/Quigong in the morning after my workout and I hope I can somehow get beef fat from Cornell I was supposed to pick up last week.

I bought some featherbones to smoke and they didn't have briskets so I got a shoulder, so Cornell told me he has beef fat from a rib roast which I can top it with while smoking, which is the main thing for a brisket is the fat cap. The shoulder is just as good a tough cut.

I brought those in today and realized I had a bunch of chicken thighs, so I'm also going to teriyaki those and figure something out for order of grilling. I have a Weber so I'm limited with my space for grilling and smoking so I have to time things right and in the right order.

I have close to 40 lbs of meat to grill and smoke.

Priscilla is a dork.

Economy

Great speech tonight. He's right. We need something fast acting, we can't just wait 14 months. It's good to see the Republicans only cheering for the part about giving veterans jobs and not having them come back to fight for a job, because they can't seem to not care for the troops. They can, however - or at least seem not to care about, seem like complete asses when it comes to education or the common people.



I hope people wake up in this next election and realize that if you vote Republican and you're not rich, you're an idiot and all those naysayers about limited government especially for social programs shouldn't get FEMA help and the old people shouldn't get Medicare and Medicaide and their Social Security checks. That's all the same thing with people helping people and the government setting up the program for it.

What happened to a nation who takes care of others. This has been a long time coming with how will there be people to support other businesses when they keep shipping jobs overseas and shutting down small businesses and idealistically giving corporations money and tax breaks will create jobs - we tried and it didn't work, so let's move on to the next thing.

Letting It Go

Got to school and now in the library. I hate that they have bad coffee here and if I want to just get hot water for tea I have to ask. They should just have the brewer out in the condiment area with the hot pots, so I can just go get water as I need it. May as well since trendsetter Starbuck have those instant ones now and every thing's now single serve, just like in the old movies about the future.

I forgot to mention that the other day Ayana had her first dental appointment. This is not to be sentimental type of post (although she didn't like it and had a cavity already), but it's about the parking. The parking lot at Creighton's dental school is very packed and tight and fills up quickly. I keep missing parking spots and finally find one except that there's this huge red truck parked crooked blocking a bit of the tight open space.

After driving around several times almost getting hit by people taking blind turns at 80 mph I start getting pissed and say that I want to put a note on that truck telling that moron that's he's a dumbshit motherfucker.

I end up parking in that space leaving next to no space between the cars and I get out. As I'm about to take my bike out of the truck this guy with a kid and carrying a baby in a carrier thing walks to the truck, looks at the situation then to me and says, "How am I going to get in there?"

I look at him like sternly and hold his stare and angrily say, "I don't know. You're the one who parked crooked!"

I get back in and pull out and he puts the baby in and I pull back in. I already hate people, but truck drivers are always aggresive idiots or just stupid idiots.

People are stupid in parking lots as well. Like at work there's a stall next to the patio seating across from the other spaces. I parked there once to go in and grab something and it is a parking space with a sign stating so. Priscilla came out to talk to me and my sister. This dumbass gets in his car and attempts to pull out several times just pulling straight back. Never turning his wheels even the slightest. I say to him, "You've got like six feet left, dude."

Then he says that I need to move my car. I say, "You've got like six feet left, just turn your wheel."

He looks at me with a look that says, "Can't you see I'm a dumb-fuck?"

So I say really loudly, "Priscilla, watch out. I have to move because this idiot here can't maneuver his car."

He's driving like a Toyota or something. I'm in a Buick Century which is twice the size of his car. I pull forward into a now open space, tighter than his, reverse out in less than five seconds and beat him in pulling out of his huge stall.

What a moron. People don't know how to use their cars in this day and age? He was in scrubs, too. Which proves my other generalization that professionals are dumb in real life situations.

I don't know why people don't realize that there's an angle you can use with your car to pull straight back so as to maximize your space and give you a better turning area, especially with a big car. I learned this even before driving semis.

That's enough of that. Got to get some reading done before class.

The buses must have cut down on runs or something because I've been waiting much longer for them. I'm trying to find a bike route to school, but as of now I ride to work and leave my bike there and catch one bus to school and then back home.

Got to remember to get garbanzo beans on the way home. I need to also stop by the Antiquarium. I saw Chris Fischer walking there the other day as I headed home and remembered there was this video/cassette bag for Charlie McAlister Unread release which I think was $5, which I want to pick up.

I've got a bunch of stuff almost ready for my zine. Just a little bit more bits and pieces then I just need to work on the layout. Need to finish before we leave to Hawaii so I can leave some along the way and back.

Penny

After class yesterday I caught the bus back to Ted & Wally's to get my bike. Joe was there talking to Penny, an older lady who we always talked to when she came in. Always great to talk to her.

She had beaten her cancer and quit smoking. She told us about holiday feasts with the Le Sole Mio family (which I'd like to go to), to her life in radio and singing.

She grew up in Montana and got a job at a radio station there in a building with no bathroom. So she had to borrow a car to a friend's house or work her way to the farm next door, which she had to battle the gaggle of aggresive geese. Her father finally gave her brother money to get her a car which had no radio or a/c.

She ended up singing in big bands and groups and toured the country by herself to apparently meet up with the musicians.

She worked at KFAB here in town and sang at the Paxton and other places in the Big Band Circuit.

Her friend also did that as well and she wrote music and put it away. Eventually, 50 years later, she dug them out and gave it to someone to arrange it for a big band and released a CD and performed it in Lincoln to a 500+ crowd. It's in today's paper that (gulp!) Rainbow Rowell wrote, but I'm keeping it and would like to purchase that CD.

Back in School

In the library printing stuff. Went down to get my check and cash it. On the way there I passed La Buvette and Chris Engles was there. I stopped to say hey and Brenden came out. Finally get to talk to him after a couple of years. He'd seen Ayana as an infant but now she's all walking around.

Talked for a bit. Him and Pearl were in Daytona and ran into Verna, Brad's wife, and hung out with them. How random. Like to see them more often.

He got me a coffee and went on my way, and now I'm here and I got a new bus pass. The other one got deactivated somehow. Had to pay yesterday.

"Am I going to be okay in this class? I'm Mac certified but I know nothing about PC's. NOTHING!"

Skewl!

In my Intro to Computer Programming. Long time since I've done any of this. Teacher's name is Tom Tucker. Isn't that the news guy from "Family Guy"?

Family Fun Day

What a nice ride today. I almost came back for a light sweater. The temperature was nice, but the ride was hectic. Too many riders and walkers and I can't stand dealing with them.

Got to work and wrote and read. Today there was the art-car deal, but also it's Sunday so there's a lot of families. The problem with that is everyone is dumb. They all want to taste every flavor, don't listen, don't move the line, fifty people in their group and they all stand there clogging up the place. You ask if they could slide down (which by observation you'd do that anyway), and they look at you as if you asked to punch their face.

One group of three who had the remaining ten feet of counter-space looked at me dumb, and stepped one step over. What a dumb shit.

Fruity Dyno-Bytes

We bought Fruity Dyno-Bytes today which is store-brand Fruity Pebbles.

Oh yeah, Jonah is in town. He stopped in today.

Megabus offers round trip from Omaha to Chicago for $40.

I usually wipe Ayana's nose with my fingers and today her nose was running and she grabbed my hand and wiped her nose with it.

Since I'm not going to UNO until January, I've got yet another New York Times hook up.

Power Bar's Toffee Chocolate Chip is GD awesome.

Game Day

Last night and this morning we had some crazy thunderstorms. It was drizzling a little when we were getting ready for work and we had woken up an hour later than we wanted to. I kept debating whether or not to ride to work and ended up not; though I later wish I did, but was happy anyway since we woke up later I would've not had time to read the paper and write.

Along with the rainy weather, it's game day in Nebraska which equals bad day for the economy unless you own a bar showing the game or around Memorial Stadium. All the stores broadcast the game as well in case you're that desperate for the play-by-play, yet dumb enough to not get your shopping done ahead of time.

What's worse than all this is having to go to the grocery store pre-game and have to deal with all these morons. It's a very irritating phenomena with this dumb-ass Huskers-mania. Every likes them and even ones who I never would expect to be fans I ask, "You're a Huskers fan?"

To which the reply is, "I'm from Nebraska." That's not a good enough answer for me. That's dumb if that's the only reason you love anything. No thoughts for yourself? I'm a Republican because my family's Republican. I'm a Nazi, because my family's Nazis. We're not allowed to think for ourselves and have our own opinions. But I'm also a cynical ass who can't just enjoy things, so maybe I'm wrong.

So I got to see Drea and Shane and their kids today. I haven't seen their newest addition and I haven't seen Shane in years, so it was good to see them all and actually talk to them. We're hoping to have some time soon to get together.

I hope we're able to have another child. I think it'd be fun and I think Ayana would love to have one and would be a great older sister and have someone to not be bored with around us.

I finished reading Girls to the Front (good read, though exposed too much of the behind the scenes play-by-play that took away from the power of the movement, at least in my eyes. Had scenes from Omaha and Jeanne knew some of them and one I knew from stories about a certain someone from both Bill Hoover and Drew. This person was only mentioned as "the boyfriend"),Audacity of Hope (second time reading this. I last read it leading up to the 2008 election and figured I'd do it again. All his critics should read this. They criticize and question his life and views and it's all here pre-presidential aspirations), The New Jim Crow (which is all right but there's a lot of biased things in here to fit her views. Even criticizes Obama for things which were discussed in his book which was referenced and said references explained what she was criticizing him about).

Current reads: Journey into America by (Admiral) Akbar Ahmed, Play Right Field by George Tabb.

Want to read Dick Cheney's memoir but will not pay for it. I'll check the library.

We got this Roku thing which allows us to stream Netflix on our TV. We don't watch TV, but this has the BBC and alJazeera. Both good and better at giving our news than America is. It's not all about us and how ethnocentric we are and oblivious to other cultures and religions. How can they see than all this anti-Islamic rhetoric and actions are on par with the KKK and such? Replace Muslim with Jew, Black, Jap, or any other minority name and it's all hate. It doesn't make sense.

There's all this stuff about the 9-11 memorial service and how they aren't letting this clergy dude say a prayer or something. They are saying that it's not a religious ceremony it's a memorial one. If they let a Catholic do a prayer, they'll also have to let ann Imam, a Rabbi, then each other religious sect. Of course that's followed by a bunch of anti-Islamic rhetoric.

If anything good can come out of 9-11 can it be that we can see the dangers of what an us-versus-them mentality can cause. How non-tolerance, ignorance, political disguised as religious fundamentalism, hatred and all that can be so destructive and divisive? We should use it to put all those behind us and move forward and not let those actions affect how we treat others, which should be with peace, love, respect, and equality.

Minority Report

I just got back home from a doctor's appointment. First I went to Scooter's across the street and locked my bike up between cars on a light pole because there's nothing else to chain it to. They also didn't have newspapers so I had to then walk across the street to the gas station. What type of coffee house doesn't sell newspapers?

After my appointment I rode back and near the trail I cut through the QT parking lot since that intersection is horrible biking through. The lot is busy so I slow to a crawl and hug the far left of the parking lot. There's a UPS truck so I crawl by and the UPS guy bolts out of the door with boxes and we collide. I said sorry and kept crawling forward and he kept walking.

There was a truck of landscapers that were staring at me. Fuck them. I shouldn't even have said sorry. It wasn't my fault. Who bolts out without looking what's there, especially in a busy parking lot? It's the same reason why riding on the sidewalk is illegal and dangerous.

It's always about how the majority is affected by the minority, though. It's always been that way in history. Like in the 90's with the riots and it wasn't a healthy dialogue to get a solution, it was just how were black people and their image and actions affecting white people. It would've been a great turning point for ignorance on all sides and bring an issue to the surface and work it out. But it doesn't work that way. It's dumb! Let's just keep to ourselves and keep the problem going.

People need to understand, too, that it's not an us-versus-them thing with bicyclists and drivers. Both sides need to respect each other. But you also can't make generalizations, especially based on ignorance and one-instances. Also realize that anyone who drives has at least a base knowledge of driving laws like lanes, traffic lights, not driving on sidewalks, etc. Bicyclists are anyone who rides a bike, which only avid cyclists or smart people know the laws. Any idiot can walk into a Wal-Mart and buy a bike - or a thrift store. It doesn't give them the applicable rules or common sense.

I meant to post pics from that Motley Crue/Poison show, but maybe later.

Bill Hoover's art show's tonight. Should be fun.