Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Twitter moods across the country
Science! has determined where in the U.S.A. has the happiest tweets. Sadly, the East Coast seems to be in a permanent mood of "I AM GOING TO CUT YOU"
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
NYC to Philly in a wheelchair, Take Two
To contextualize this a bit, I should mention that I am writing these entries as part of a metafilter project, wherein a bunch of folks are writing how-to articles. My 'how-to' is how to move from NYC to Philly and deal with this adjustment on four wheels. It's quite a specific audience this piece has. But disability issues are often pretty fucking funny, and there's ample opportunities for humor in the NYC/Philly transition, for a variety of reasons. So perhaps this will amuse those of the ambulatory variety.
I think that there is a measure of difference in how New Yorkers respond to weird shit as opposed to Philly folks. Sometimes in Philly it just feels like weird shit is par for the course. Case in point: The Phils fan who intentionally projectile vomited over a fellow fan and two children. There is something quite fascinating about a man who decides that the best course of action,when told to keep it down, is to stick his fingers down his mouth and vomit all over children. I mean, really, what is the thought process there. It seems like punching or maybe kicking would be the go-to activity there. Who likes to projectile vomit on children, anyway?
I can't stop thinking about the vomiter. Yet nobody that I've been around has seemed interested in discussing it. Am I wrong in thinking that in NYC it would be a hot topic? Would there not be debates about whether or not it was bad-ass vs. totally fuckin' stupid to intentionally vomit upon children?
In other local disturbing news that is interesting to contemplate, some arsonist torched a children's playground in Camden, melting the slides and swings and everything into a puddle of plastic.
I am opposed to arson. However, if one was an arsonist, why would one choose to melt a child's slide? I am opposed to arson, but if one was an arsonist, why not go after the gazillion BP stations in the area? I am opposed to arson, but wouldn't the torching of a gas station, with the accompanying giant fireballs of burning gasoline, be more satisfying then melting a child's slide?
Maybe whoever did it just really loooooooved watching plastic slides melt. I can think of no other motivation.
I think that there is a measure of difference in how New Yorkers respond to weird shit as opposed to Philly folks. Sometimes in Philly it just feels like weird shit is par for the course. Case in point: The Phils fan who intentionally projectile vomited over a fellow fan and two children. There is something quite fascinating about a man who decides that the best course of action,when told to keep it down, is to stick his fingers down his mouth and vomit all over children. I mean, really, what is the thought process there. It seems like punching or maybe kicking would be the go-to activity there. Who likes to projectile vomit on children, anyway?
I can't stop thinking about the vomiter. Yet nobody that I've been around has seemed interested in discussing it. Am I wrong in thinking that in NYC it would be a hot topic? Would there not be debates about whether or not it was bad-ass vs. totally fuckin' stupid to intentionally vomit upon children?
In other local disturbing news that is interesting to contemplate, some arsonist torched a children's playground in Camden, melting the slides and swings and everything into a puddle of plastic.
I am opposed to arson. However, if one was an arsonist, why would one choose to melt a child's slide? I am opposed to arson, but if one was an arsonist, why not go after the gazillion BP stations in the area? I am opposed to arson, but wouldn't the torching of a gas station, with the accompanying giant fireballs of burning gasoline, be more satisfying then melting a child's slide?
Maybe whoever did it just really loooooooved watching plastic slides melt. I can think of no other motivation.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
NYC to Philly in a wheelchair. Take One
It's been as hot as hell, as my sister in law says, so it is, yes. Bought an air conditioner for the first time in decades. It (the AC) is really fucking loud. Glad it doesn't sound broken-loud, or I'd be worrying about whether I'd broken it in the amazingly stupid trip I'd taken it on from the bed to the wheelchair, in the wheelchair across the room to the window.
Is there NYC-ish stoop culture in Upper Darby? There's a bit o' action on Long Lane, but not much. I've seen some gaggles of youth, although they seem to be really quiet and doing a lot of texting on their cell phones.
In addition to being hot as hell it has rained. Rain and rain and rain and rain.
The most wonderful thing in Upper Darby, as far as I am concerned, is H-Mart. Try the marinated chicken! It's brilliant!
Biggest bummer ever in the hood happened a few days ago -- dead cat on the sidewalk, same markings as my cat Trudles. Made me think of the number of cats I see outside (many) here vs. NYC (only the occasional, lost looking one). Long Lane gets as much traffic as many a street in NYC; don't see why people don't care for their animals. Indoor cat. Say it with me.
One not significant but noticeable difference in my life has to do with the disposal of trash. Last apartment in NYC: Garbage chute ten feet from apartment, would throw my trash out wearing stained sweats and my hair wild. Second to last apartment: Flung bags of garbage out of lobby exit into a dumpster that was a few feet away. Upper Darby apartment: Balance bags of garbage on lap, go down a hill, through a big puddle if it's been raining, wrench open this rusty iron door on the side of the dumpster and hope that rancid whatever won't come steaming out, and throw trash in.
My life! The panting drama!
Is there NYC-ish stoop culture in Upper Darby? There's a bit o' action on Long Lane, but not much. I've seen some gaggles of youth, although they seem to be really quiet and doing a lot of texting on their cell phones.
In addition to being hot as hell it has rained. Rain and rain and rain and rain.
The most wonderful thing in Upper Darby, as far as I am concerned, is H-Mart. Try the marinated chicken! It's brilliant!
Biggest bummer ever in the hood happened a few days ago -- dead cat on the sidewalk, same markings as my cat Trudles. Made me think of the number of cats I see outside (many) here vs. NYC (only the occasional, lost looking one). Long Lane gets as much traffic as many a street in NYC; don't see why people don't care for their animals. Indoor cat. Say it with me.
One not significant but noticeable difference in my life has to do with the disposal of trash. Last apartment in NYC: Garbage chute ten feet from apartment, would throw my trash out wearing stained sweats and my hair wild. Second to last apartment: Flung bags of garbage out of lobby exit into a dumpster that was a few feet away. Upper Darby apartment: Balance bags of garbage on lap, go down a hill, through a big puddle if it's been raining, wrench open this rusty iron door on the side of the dumpster and hope that rancid whatever won't come steaming out, and throw trash in.
My life! The panting drama!
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