Rob’s blog of posts

At work, people are still talking about the fabulous stuff they bought on “Black Friday.” I think I liked that term better back in my retail days, when it was just something my fellow mall proprietors and I said when either being hopeful about the expected receipts (”Thanks to Black Friday, we get to go on eating food!”) or bitchy about the angry hordes of vicious, rude consumers (”MotherfXcking Black Friday. Don’t you people have anything better to do than make me hate life more?”)

I used to call it “Buy Nothing Day,” and I still don’t take part in the holiday retailgasm (I prefer to make my few holiday purchases either insanely early or hideously late) but this past Friday I did have to buy a pair of gloves from a hotel gift shop.

Why, you doubtless aren’t wondering, were my hands cold?

Many of you know how much I dig the Hotel Pennsylvania, and of my cheerful involvement with the Save the Hotel movement. About a week earlier, we had the bright idea to use Black Friday to get our message out there a bit.

There ended up being about six of us there, on the sidewalk in front of the Hotel in full-on activist mode, during ~40F temperatures and strong winds. We passed out flyers, chanted a bit, and let people know what was going on.

The single thing that really sets this cause apart from the various other political movements I’ve publicly supported like that, is how universal the approval has been. Whether on the Internet, in person, in public, or in private, whenever I’ve described my position on something, there has always been a certain amount of backlash. That’s all part of activism of course, and I’m always just as willing to hear others’ sides of the issue as to describe mine. Debates are often a good thing. In this case, however, pretty much every last person I’ve encountered has been supportive of our plight. They just didn’t know it was going on.

Once they find out, it’s amazing the stories one hears back from people. People worked there, stayed there, heard the songs, seen the films, etc. The sheer amount of local grandparents that worked, played, or met each other there is staggering. (My own late grandfather reportedly worked there as a bellhop for a while.) And others just don’t want to see yet another piece of the old city turn into yet another cold skyscraper full of billboards.

The rally went smoothly. A couple of journalists showed up and spoke with us. The public was highly supportive. Even the tour-bus-flyer guys, who at first seemed a bit peeved that we were hanging around their area, were supportive once they learned what we were up to.

Normally, whenever people hand out flyers on any NYC street corner, you’ll find stacks of them in the adjoining corners’ trash cans from folks who took them to be polite, and chucked them at the first opportunity. I checked when we packed up for the day, and there were about three in the trash out of the ~500 we handed out.

I still have the gloves. They’re pleasantly warm.

The people who you put into office are just like the people you see everyday on the street. They may wear ties and million dollar grins and PhDs and fraternity rings but they still possess the same irrational fears, insecurities, angers, and emotions that we all do. Unfortunately their brains are linked to a structure of power and thus have a much greater chance of affecting the outside world.

- Sergey

What does freedom mean to me? Largely, it means being able to be in my own skin and breathe, feel good about myself, and not be afraid. It means being able to sit and remember my life clearly, and what I felt all along. Freedom means being able to sit inside of myself and remember who I am without having to change what I think of myself because of pressure from outside of me. When I am free, I can relax and let feelings flow around and through me, happiness, sadness, giddiness, and everything else. When I am free, I can move my body as I please and speak without fear.

- Potpourrifae

Last night I happened upon Galbadia Hotel and their ridiculously extensive collection of video game music.

It just goes to show, everything balances out, and we always end up paying sooner or later. The downloads may be free, but now I’m buying a hard drive.

Today’s “people you used to really like suck” news comes courtesy of the Sonic Terrorism blog.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have chosen to sue the makers of a TV show called “Californication,” because they made a song and album with the same name. As quoted on the BBC News article:

“For some TV show to come along and steal our identity is not right,” said the band’s singer, Anthony Kiedis.

He described Californication as “the signature CD, video and song of the band’s career”.

A) Leaving aside for the moment the fact that Kiedis just declared the RHCP CD, video, and song I disliked the most as the band’s “signature,” he seems to have forgotten that they did not invent the word. According to Wikipedia, it was popular in the 1970s, and apparently dates back to at least the 1940s.

2) I know nothing about the TV show, but apparently it premiered back in August, was hyped for long before that, and has been reasonably successful. Why would they have waited so long to sue? If they really had that sort of concern, you’d think they’d want to handle it early on.

d) Perhaps it’s the vestiges of my once-rabid RHCP fandom which peaked in my middle school years, but I had really hoped they were just cooler than that.

The MST3K/Film Crew/RiffTrax folks have a site at cuts.com which lets you load any Youtube clip with pre-recorded heckling clips from the guys.

I’ve turned it loose on the Third Doctor.

This morning I received the following spam in my inbox:

From: “Donald Newsome” <aexuscouhm@bobsbinding.com>
Subject: danger
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:18:30 +0200

I am working in a detective agency. My name is not important now.
I’m warning you that i’m going to watch you and listen your telephone line.
Do you want to know who is the customer? Expect my next message.

P.S. Of course, you don’t believe me. But i think the tape of your conversation will change your point. The tape is in archive. Archive password is 123qwe

Attached was, of course, a .rar file containing a virus.

Not only is that a particularly odd spam (at least in my opinion) but the telephone line angle reminds me how I not only no longer have a telephone line, I’ve been living without my mobile phone for a couple of weeks. It’s funny - initially, I figured I’d just go without while I save up to get another, but as it turns out, in many ways I haven’t actually missed it at all.

I was a seriously late adopter when it came to mobile phones - I only got myself one in 2004 or 2005. It was freaky how quickly I got used to having that chunk of plastic hooked to my belt, and how quickly I got used to being instantly able to contact or be contacted. All my life I’ve treasured me-time where I would deliberately leave the house without telling anyone where I could be contacted, but suddenly it felt weird for me not to have my phone on me, to have moments when I’m actually out of touch. Whenever my phone would die in the past, I’d sometimes even blog about it as though it were a major blog-worthy event along the lines of a friend getting sick or the completion of a silly Livejournal survey.

My mobile had also entirely replaced payphones, which were once such an endless source of wonder and entertainment for me. It had replaced the need for me to carry a watch, and I’d always loved carrying a pocket watch. I had even gotten myself hooked on the cheesy games in the thing, to the point where I’m still feeling the urge to play too-small-to-see solitaire, chess, or Tetris when waiting for a bus, instead of my old pastimes of reading a paperback, traffic-watching, or (gasp!) talking to people.

That’s right - having a phone on me stopped me from talking to people.

I still occasionally feel the spot on my hip where my phone used to hang buzz as though I’m getting a call every so often. It’s like a phantom limb pain. And that’s creepy.

So, I’ve decided that I’ll probably continue to go without a phone for the time being, just to see how easy it will be for me to re-adapt. I’m still contactable via voice on Skype (username rob_t_firefly) and I’m considering setting up a paying account with them so I can make outgoing phone calls when I’m home. I’m still Rob T Firefly on AIM, or police.public.call.box on Google Talk. And for the moments when I’m not logged into any of that stuff - good old-fashioned email is always welcome, and pretty much always on when I’m at home.

Just don’t send me .rar files containing viruses.

Another survey swiped from Snowgrouse…

1. Take your answer to each question and type it into Google Image Search
2. Post one of the images from the first page of results.

(In order to be less evil, I won’t hotlink them.. I’ll just hyperlink the images directly.)

01. The age you will be on your next birthday:
click

02. A Place You’d like to Travel:
click

03. Your Favorite Place:
click

04. Your Favorite Object:
click

05. Your Favorite Food:
click

06. Your Favorite Animal:
click

07. Your Favorite Colour:
click

08. The town in which you were born:
click

09. The town in which you live:
click

10. The first name of a past love:
click

11. Name of a past pet:
click

12. Best friend’s nickname:
click
Heh, that’s her and I.

13. Your nickname/screenname:
click
Heh, that’s me and my best friend.

14. Your first name:
click
And he owns you. How many gadgets can be simultaneously ultimately cool and completely useless?

15. Your middle name:
click
Or, at least, it will be once I get around to filing a name change that labels me legally as the luminous bug I am.

16. Your surname:
click
On the whole, there are worse people to share a name with.

17. A bad habit of yours:
click

18. Your first job:
click
Poor kid looks like someone sat on him already.

19. Your grandmother’s name:
click
That’s not her, though.

20. Your major in college:
click
Never went.

Grey and I are doing the MySpace.

Go add it if you’re into that sort of thing.

Thanks for the well-wishes, everyone!

50-question survey swiped from sam42 and Snowgrouse…

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
None of them are especially fun.

2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
Probably a local diner.

3. Do you regret losing your virginity to who you lost it to?
No.

4. If you could go back and change one thing what would it be?
My answer to question 4.

5. Name of your first grade teacher?
Miss Thompson. Just had a dream about her last night, oddly enough.

6. What do you really want to be doing right now?
It’s daytime, so I’d rather be asleep.

7. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
That was all over the scale, but usually involved movies or performing.

8. How many colleges did you attend?
Technically none. While I’ve enjoyed the facilities at a few, it was purely on a sneaking-in basis.

9. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
It’s this shirt. I bought it because I thought it was funny, and I’m a fan of the artist.

10. What are your thoughts on gas prices?
I don’t drive, but I do pay the inflated prices for heat, transit, and so on which result from the gas prices. However, if that’s what it takes to get people onto something more sustainable and out of oil wars, then I’m all for it in the long run.

11. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you where would it be?
I always felt I’d be most comfortable either in the thick of a big, crowded city, or as a hermit out in the middle of nature. Either way, I’d probably just bring my cat.

12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
No alarm, but I wanted a piece of the chocolate cake I’d dreamt about.

13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
I fell asleep listening to Queen music, so it was probably about that.

14. Favorite underwear?
Right now my favorites are a pair of boxers covered in bright yellow smiley faces.

15. How many windows are open on your computer?
Too many.

16. What errand/chore do you despise?
Cat boxes.

17. If you didn’t have to work, would you volunteer?
I do have to work and I still volunteer.

18. Get up early or sleep in?
Sleep in. I’m very nocturnal.

19. What is your favorite cartoon character?
Far too many to choose from. Off the top of my head: Killface, Gir, Strongbad, Captain Murphy, Daffy Duck (pre-Chuck Jones,) Weebl and Bob, Gogo Dodo, the Animaniacs, Freakazoid, Homsar, Mark Hamill’s Joker, Insanity Prawn Boy, and more.

20. Favorite thing to do at night with a girl/guy?
That would be telling.

21. Have you found real love yet?
Often.

22. When did you first start feeling old?
I’ve always felt old.

23. Favorite 80’s movie?
Once again, too many. Off the top of my head again: Back to the Future, The Goonies, Ghostbusters, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Beetlejuice, Airplane!, and more.

24. Your favorite lunch meat?
Roast beef, rare.

25. What do you get every time you go into Costco?
A new ID card. I keep losing my one.

26. Beach or lake?
Beaches are awesome.

27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
Marriage itself isn’t, as lots of people can do well with it. However, the attitude that it’s something one has to do is way outdated, and sadly results in people jumping into it purely because they’re seeing the thing itself as a goal. Additionally, the attitude that a marriage ending in divorce is somehow a “failure” is similarly outdated. People change, they can gow apart just as easily as closer, and marriage should never be something that people who aren’t happy together stay locked in “just because.”

28. Do you own property?
For my sins.

29. Favorite guilty pleasure?
The cheesy New York City tourism stuff that locals are supposed to look down upon. I still like New Years Eve in Times Square, the top of the Empire State Building, the Ghostbusters firehouse, and so on. So there!

30. Favorite movie you wouldn’t want anyone to find out about?
There isn’t any that I didn’t delete after the breakup.

31. What’s your drink?
Orange juice, always.

32. Cowboys or Indians?
I’ll have to go with Sam and Snowgrouse and say PIRATE NINJAS.

33. Cops or robbers?
Depends on the cop, or the robber.

34. Who from high school would you like to run in to?
That Guy Matt. Get in touch, dammit!

35. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
No car. My Internet is usually tuned to Radio Paradise.

36. Norm or Cliff?
The best part of Cheers was the old-fashioned artwork and stuff behind the theme song and opening titles. I’d watch that, and then switch over when that bunch of rubbish about some boring people at a bar who seemed to wish they were on Taxi came on.

37. ‘The Cosby Show’ or ‘The Simpsons’?
Simpsons!Cosby.

38. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
None, they all had their lessons.

39. Do you like the person that sits directly across from you at work?
Across from me is a high-traffic hallway. If anyone I worked with were the type of person to sit down in the middle of a high-traffic hallway, I would immediately like them.

40. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Iron Chef Morimoto.

41. Indoors or outdoors?
Both. I like doorways.

42. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
I’ve crashed many bicycles. I’ve also been in a few cab accidents.

43. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
Yes.

44. Last book you read?
Last week I finished “The Highest Science” and “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.”

I’m now reading “Love and War” and “Bored of the Rings.”

45. Do you have a teddy bear?
No, but there is a stuffed eyeball about a foot in diameter which hangs out on my bed, and various other plushes scattered around the place.

46. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
I used to brush my shed baby teeth one last time before putting them under my pillow, so I’ll have to say “in my hands.”

47. Somewhere in California you’ve never been and would like to go?
I have some friends out there I’d love to be able to visit one day.

48. Do you go to church?
Every time I’m outdoors. There’s also a little church my coven runs.

49. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Depends on the career and/or the relationship.

50. How old are you?
I’ll be 30 tomorrow.

Re: the Community Board hearing which was vital to our continued efforts to save the Hotel Pennsylvania:

WE KICKED ASS.

More later. Sleep tiem nao.

My phone is dead. My resources are focused elsewhere at the moment, so I don’t know when it’ll be back on. Email is currently the best way to reach me.

Some cautiously optimistic updates on Jeopardy Jim.