Yesterday, I was a little too cavalier in the use of my automobile's gas, and I finally ran out after being on E for the trip to my store. I was told to run an errand by my boss. So I did. But the car wouldn't start. A quandary. Luckily I was right next door to a gas station.
There was a man there pumping gass. He knew my dilemma. The man smiled slightly. In the blurry heat I looked back at him without expression. There was silence, or as much as could be allowed in the urban setting. We stood there. He and I, looking at each other. After a moment, the man shrugged and went back to his business. I nodded. A crossroads had been passed. The man would trouble me no further. I went inside and got the gas tank from the clerk. I filled my car with a gallon of gas from the plastic jug's insides. My car drank thirstily. I returned the gas tank to the clerk, and came back outside. I wiped the sweat from my brow. I got in my car. I then drove. The city swallowed me.
~Fin
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Yo Joe
So I've started collecting the new G.I. Joe comics. I love 'em. The nostalgia factor, the kick ass uniforms. The codenames. The fact that each Joe had a specialty. I eat it up. I don't have a clear idea why. I think I enjoy the clearly implied good and bad. G.I.Joe is good. Cobra, is bad. I especially like how they made it easy to identify that Cobra were the bad guys by forcing you to identify them with, well, the Cobra. Cobras are dangerous reptiles! Poisonous! Stay away kids!
Let's cover the codenames too. Man, I really loved the codenames. Once you become a bad ass, you get a codename. It's brilliant. And, 95% of the time, your codename perfectly described some aspect of your job. For example. Shipwreck? jaunty sailor guy. Roadblock? Big black machine gunning guy. Although, he does have a penchant for rhyming that perhaps he could get some therapy for. Tripwire, demolitions and booby trap removal. Clutch? Vehicle specialist. Tunnel Rat? You guessed it, he went through tunnels and such. Gung Ho? Marine! Good times. Let it not be said that this privilege was extended only to G.I. Joe. Nay friends, nay. COBRA, had its share. Though usually it was a type of soldier, they called vipers, with some helpful prefix that described their position. I.E: Televipers. Telecomunications dontcha know. Alley vipers. Urban warfare. Snow vipers. Ice and snow terrain soldiers. they also had some character specific ones. Dr.Mindbender? Mad scientist. Cobra Commander? Self explanatory, The Baroness? Evil Baroness dig it. On occasion however....the codenames go a little awry. Take Destro for example. Now....Destro is one of the commander of Cobra's army. He's not a guy you wanna screw with, owns his own country even.....but he wears a metal mask covering his head completely.
He's not called like, Metalhead, or...I dunno....Alloy. He's just Destro. But, he has some troops and a castle and stuff, so I guess he made a good decision or two outside of the whole mask arena. For G.I. Joe? We have Snake Eyes. Now....Snake Eyes is like a ninja bad ass. Everyone who likes G.I. Joe loves him. He also never. speaks. WoOoOooO But really? I can't exactly figure out why he went with Snake eyes other than his visor is slitted. Or since he took that vow of silence, the other Joes got drunk one night and just sort of gave it to him, and he couldnt say anything about it. Whatever.
There is another thing I always considered a little odd about G.I. Joe. They always sent like, one really odd choice for the mission. Like, they'll know there is this hidden base in a town over run by cobra agents, so they'll do something like send Duke, Lady Jaye, and Shipwreck. You know. Because a sailor is really that bit of extra something we need here. Or for the under water show youll have Wetsuit( the diver guy), Gung Ho, and Roadblock. You know. The MACHINE GUNNER. Because if the shit hits the fan in a sub, I want the guy with high velocity .50 cal slugs dispensed from his gun to get nervous. Oh yeah, and G.I. Joe, also had a spy. Apparently he was pretty good. And a bit of a wise cracker. His name........ was Chuckles.
In the cartoon, CHUCKLES wore a loud hawaiian shirt. and green pants. He would dispense intel on occasion.One assumed he dressed up as a cobra agent or something.But, Cobra knew who he was! It's the 007 syndrome all over. He goes in, get the info from a Cobra guy, thanks him, Cobra guy smiles and lets him practically leave the base before he THEN curses and scrambles the troops with the Alert siren. I mean, cmon Cobra. Sheesh.
One last item. On the Cartoon show, at the end,G.I. Joe did public service announcements, you probably remember them......
Duke: Johnny! Dont put that cat in the blender! Appliances should only be used for their original purpose, or you could get hurt! Also, that's sick!
Johnny: Oh my gosh Duke! You're right! That is messed up! Now I know!
Duke:.........*big grin* and knowing is half the battle Johnny! Yo Joe!
Johnny: ....Yo Joe!
.................Ok,Ok, so I used a little poetic license, but the real problem is how sometimes the strangest person would be used as the moral deliverer. Like, I could swear I remember an episode where Roadblock is warning kids not to get into a car with a stranger. Good message. Being delivered by a 6'4 brick house of a black man that has a tendency to rhyme. Huh? Stick Duke on this or something. It was also odd, because I dont remember the ladies on the team ever doing a safety thing. You figure Lady Jaye might have at least done an Archery Safety Announcement. Ah well. *hums the theme song*
Let's cover the codenames too. Man, I really loved the codenames. Once you become a bad ass, you get a codename. It's brilliant. And, 95% of the time, your codename perfectly described some aspect of your job. For example. Shipwreck? jaunty sailor guy. Roadblock? Big black machine gunning guy. Although, he does have a penchant for rhyming that perhaps he could get some therapy for. Tripwire, demolitions and booby trap removal. Clutch? Vehicle specialist. Tunnel Rat? You guessed it, he went through tunnels and such. Gung Ho? Marine! Good times. Let it not be said that this privilege was extended only to G.I. Joe. Nay friends, nay. COBRA, had its share. Though usually it was a type of soldier, they called vipers, with some helpful prefix that described their position. I.E: Televipers. Telecomunications dontcha know. Alley vipers. Urban warfare. Snow vipers. Ice and snow terrain soldiers. they also had some character specific ones. Dr.Mindbender? Mad scientist. Cobra Commander? Self explanatory, The Baroness? Evil Baroness dig it. On occasion however....the codenames go a little awry. Take Destro for example. Now....Destro is one of the commander of Cobra's army. He's not a guy you wanna screw with, owns his own country even.....but he wears a metal mask covering his head completely.
He's not called like, Metalhead, or...I dunno....Alloy. He's just Destro. But, he has some troops and a castle and stuff, so I guess he made a good decision or two outside of the whole mask arena. For G.I. Joe? We have Snake Eyes. Now....Snake Eyes is like a ninja bad ass. Everyone who likes G.I. Joe loves him. He also never. speaks. WoOoOooO But really? I can't exactly figure out why he went with Snake eyes other than his visor is slitted. Or since he took that vow of silence, the other Joes got drunk one night and just sort of gave it to him, and he couldnt say anything about it. Whatever.
There is another thing I always considered a little odd about G.I. Joe. They always sent like, one really odd choice for the mission. Like, they'll know there is this hidden base in a town over run by cobra agents, so they'll do something like send Duke, Lady Jaye, and Shipwreck. You know. Because a sailor is really that bit of extra something we need here. Or for the under water show youll have Wetsuit( the diver guy), Gung Ho, and Roadblock. You know. The MACHINE GUNNER. Because if the shit hits the fan in a sub, I want the guy with high velocity .50 cal slugs dispensed from his gun to get nervous. Oh yeah, and G.I. Joe, also had a spy. Apparently he was pretty good. And a bit of a wise cracker. His name........ was Chuckles.
In the cartoon, CHUCKLES wore a loud hawaiian shirt. and green pants. He would dispense intel on occasion.One assumed he dressed up as a cobra agent or something.But, Cobra knew who he was! It's the 007 syndrome all over. He goes in, get the info from a Cobra guy, thanks him, Cobra guy smiles and lets him practically leave the base before he THEN curses and scrambles the troops with the Alert siren. I mean, cmon Cobra. Sheesh.
One last item. On the Cartoon show, at the end,G.I. Joe did public service announcements, you probably remember them......
Duke: Johnny! Dont put that cat in the blender! Appliances should only be used for their original purpose, or you could get hurt! Also, that's sick!
Johnny: Oh my gosh Duke! You're right! That is messed up! Now I know!
Duke:.........*big grin* and knowing is half the battle Johnny! Yo Joe!
Johnny: ....Yo Joe!
.................Ok,Ok, so I used a little poetic license, but the real problem is how sometimes the strangest person would be used as the moral deliverer. Like, I could swear I remember an episode where Roadblock is warning kids not to get into a car with a stranger. Good message. Being delivered by a 6'4 brick house of a black man that has a tendency to rhyme. Huh? Stick Duke on this or something. It was also odd, because I dont remember the ladies on the team ever doing a safety thing. You figure Lady Jaye might have at least done an Archery Safety Announcement. Ah well. *hums the theme song*
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Red, White, and Blah
I am not a patriot. Now, don't get me wrong.... I like my country pretty well. I mean, there are things about it I really enjoy. But I also notice the hypocrisy and double dealing our country does. I don't think it's right. But I also don't think it means our country is the worst around. I'm not political, because I refuse to get that involved. This will undoubtedly result in commentary...and that's great....but I guess what I'm really trying to say is....I don't care that much. And the times I do care? People just screw it up. I dont think we should be in Iraq. Nope. Seems like a lot of bad business. On the other hand, Iraq wasnt doing so hot before we came along. I dont think we should be keeping that woman alive by artificial means. Doesnt mean I like her husband. I like that we gave England money. I enjoy the BBC. I dont like that it sort of made England our bitch in the political arena. I enjoy John Travolta. I dont enjoy Scientology. I appreciate modern art for being art, but I dont appreciate the price i'd have to pay for some. I like the armed services. I dont really want to join them. I am pro choice. Doesnt mean I want to kill babies, or have drug babies born with horrible problems. I could continue on.
But the thing is.....I dont really want to get wrapped up in any of that. I dont feel as if any of that defines me specifically as a person. I cant picture myself in an anti war strike, because I can appreciate the positive affects of war along with the life destroying negatives. I have opinions. Some of them are strong. But I wont take away other's ability to voice their own opinions, or hamper them unless it significantly threatens something I love. So. Republicans. Democrats. Have your squabbles. But, dont preach to me. It's annoying. And yes, I do think Tom Delay is a dick.
If you really want some powerful opinions on the circus that is our political structure, give my friend Veronica a hit on her web site: http://www.aldahlia.net/m/
But, for the record? Yeah, I think Tom DeLay is a prick.
But the thing is.....I dont really want to get wrapped up in any of that. I dont feel as if any of that defines me specifically as a person. I cant picture myself in an anti war strike, because I can appreciate the positive affects of war along with the life destroying negatives. I have opinions. Some of them are strong. But I wont take away other's ability to voice their own opinions, or hamper them unless it significantly threatens something I love. So. Republicans. Democrats. Have your squabbles. But, dont preach to me. It's annoying. And yes, I do think Tom Delay is a dick.
If you really want some powerful opinions on the circus that is our political structure, give my friend Veronica a hit on her web site: http://www.aldahlia.net/m/
But, for the record? Yeah, I think Tom DeLay is a prick.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Sleep, The other Deep REM.
Man. I am tired. I am a diagnosed sleep apnia sufferer. Im a pretty bad case too. I have a machine and everything. Only problem is? I dont ever use it. Then I started again almost a year ago, and I broke my mask. so for something like a year or so I havent been using it....and its been affecting my health. Lots of people look at me like im stupid when I say I dont use it. I suppose it is. But it all goes back to my depression and such. I mean, what am I really doing with my life? Im not happy anyway, yadda yadda yadda. I think i'm oooooooooohhhhhh so slowly getting tired of thinking that way though. Also, my vision is shitty now. blurry vision, hard to concentrate....it's one of the Labors of Hercules just to spit out this blog in a semi coherent fashion.
I taped up the mask. Machine doesnt work that great with my ghetto rigged mask, but I dont have the 140.00 to replace it. Yup. That's right. 140. Fuck. That. But I suppose I will in fact pony it up pretty soon. I mean I need to right? Also, being awake is not what it's cracked up to be. People always want to bother you just because you are ambulatory and responsive and such. I could be asleep, and here I am....being awake like a sucker. So I will take steps. And hopefully said steps will lead me to a nice sleepy goodness. Fight the power.
~Dave
I taped up the mask. Machine doesnt work that great with my ghetto rigged mask, but I dont have the 140.00 to replace it. Yup. That's right. 140. Fuck. That. But I suppose I will in fact pony it up pretty soon. I mean I need to right? Also, being awake is not what it's cracked up to be. People always want to bother you just because you are ambulatory and responsive and such. I could be asleep, and here I am....being awake like a sucker. So I will take steps. And hopefully said steps will lead me to a nice sleepy goodness. Fight the power.
~Dave
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Animal Control
I have several pets in my life time. 2 dogs, 3 cats, assorted goldfish (poor bastards) 3 salamanders, 1 large snail. None of these pets have been extraordinarily noisey. Please note that I did not say the dogs and cats were not noisey, but then neither did they constantly make noise. The people keeping the dogs next door, apparently own dogs that don't understand that their incessant fighting and yipping is....well, its really just fucking obnoxious is what it is. Perhaps you feel that the expletive there is a bit much, this is ok, as you have obviously not heard these dogs go at it for over an hour at a time. I live in an apartment complex, and there are many people here who own pets. None, of these other people have had problems keeping their pets behaved. Or at least reasonably well enough behaved so as to be noticed only in one's peripheral. The other thing that bothers me about these dogs? It's not really the dogs fault. I mean, sure, they ARE extremely vexing.......but they also spends hours cooped up in a space something like 10 x 15 or a very similar figure. For hours. Literally. And i've taken a peak, their space isnt clean either. Crap is left on the pavement, the bowl of water, while huge, is left there all day, its shabby. It also stinks depending on the weather. If you dont have the time to spend on some pets....dont keep them. It's rather simple to my mind. Also, it makes you look like a dick if you let your pets carry on like that. Or keep them in those conditions. "A big jerk lives here" is the picture that paints.
I think the other problem with all this is, I will now have to.....COMPLAIN. Now, I've almost never officially had to COMPLAIN, because I hate doing it. I don't want to make waves, or chastise people, I just want to get through a day without having to wince as a dog yips apart my peaceful nap. To COMPLAIN has always to me marked one as a type of person who cant let shit go. But this has been going on for several months. Also, I do not sleep well. So I feel that anything that screws that for me can get a nice cold can of "Shut your dogs the hell up" if they are thirsty.
Peace out.
~ Dave
I think the other problem with all this is, I will now have to.....COMPLAIN. Now, I've almost never officially had to COMPLAIN, because I hate doing it. I don't want to make waves, or chastise people, I just want to get through a day without having to wince as a dog yips apart my peaceful nap. To COMPLAIN has always to me marked one as a type of person who cant let shit go. But this has been going on for several months. Also, I do not sleep well. So I feel that anything that screws that for me can get a nice cold can of "Shut your dogs the hell up" if they are thirsty.
Peace out.
~ Dave
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