Random Sputterings: 1/3/2002

[elSicomoro]

(Warning: A bit long...146 lines)

Idiot Box: My time these days is primarily spent sitting in front of my computer, with the television on in the background. It's rather nice...it's been good for decompressing from my time at my previous job. Some of the more interesting things I've seen lately:

--Starving Artists: You see their commercials on TV..."Absolutely no painting over $49!" I remember when the max was $39...I guess the cost of living has gone up for starving artists, too.

--Bill O'Reilly: Normally, I don't like the guy. But I happened to watch some of his show on Fox News last night (I believe we just got Fox News in NE Philadelphia this week), and I was actually impressed with some of what he said. He was doing his "Talking Points" section last night, and was talking about how we need to conserve fuel, and how a tax should be imposed on SUVs (one of the guests called it a "sin tax"). I would have watched more, but it was after 4am, and I was beat.

--MSNBC: dham (there--see? in lower case. happy now? ) happened to mention his like of MSNBC in another thread. And I have to agree. I'll take MSNBC over CNN anyday. I just like the setup and delivery.

--"Law & Order": I fucking LOVE "L&O!" I babbled about this before, but I happened to watch the repeat on NBC last night...and I just thought it was great. I then watched another episode on A&E early this morning. I've never seen a show change characters so many times...and pull it off so well. I think the cast as a whole is the best it's ever been. My only complaint with it this year is that they need to push the new assistant DA in a little more. She's a hottie...and she's good...but I don't think they use her enough.

This is also my complaint with "SVU" (my favorite of the 3 L&O's). Ice-T's character (Det. Odafin Tuttuola) is brilliant, as he and Richard Belzer (Det. John Munch) click well. But I don't think they use him enough.

--Commercials: There is this commercial for a tech school here in Philadelphia called Pennco Tech. They usually hype their computer classes. In any case, there is this one, where the guy is pondering his future, then it segues to him in a classroom on a computer. During this time, they're talking about how you get to build and keep your own computer. At the same time, this gal down the row from him is making cutesy faces at him...I believe she passes him a computer disk and it has a post-it attached (presumably with her phone number on it). And then he's like, "Thanks Pennco Tech!" What the FUCK?! I'm a big fan of truth in advertising..."Come to Pennco Tech! Build your own computer! You might even get laid!"

A Day in the life of Sycamore: You know, for the life of me today, I could not remember what day it was. For that matter, it's been like that since I left my job. I could have sworn up and down that it was Friday.

Although, I really need to get back to a more "normalized" schedule, particularly since I want to get back to work in the next 2 weeks or so. Lately, it's been:

--11am-noon: Get up
--11am-3pm: Look for jobs online, watch TV, listen to CDs, post to the Cellar
--3pm-4pm: My daily stroll into the world. There was a point last week where I didn't leave the house for 4 days. That was retarded. So, I usually go out...even if it's just to drive around for a bit.
--4pm-8pm: More TV/CDs/cellar/internet
--8pm-9pm: Dinner
--9pm-4am: More TV/CDs/cellar/internet
--4am: Bed

I think I'm going to go do something cheap, ridiculous, and fun tomorrow. Maybe I'll go ride the El and Subway. Maybe I'll go out to the airport and watch the planes take off and land...okay, scratch that one due to security issues.

I had to get something out in the mail early yesterday, so I drove down to our main post office in Center City Tuesday night to mail it. It was nice and peaceful...and the drive did me some good. Saw the Christmas decorations at City Hall. Then, came back to the Northeast and searched in vain for an open beer store...nothing to be had. Probably should have driven over to Jersey...but didn't want to pay a toll coming back.

The Joys of Public Transit: I'll be without a car tomorrow...have to take it for a tranny fluid change and checkup tonight, so I probably won't have it back until tomorrow afternoon.

Shit! I forgot...I'll have to take the bus back home tonight. Better figure out my route home...and fuck! $2.60 for the ride home (including the transfer, b/c I think I have to take 2 buses).

*thinks about public transit, inserts above title*

Philadelphia's SEPTA system is the most expensive in the US, tied with San Diego on base fare ($2 a ride). If you use tokens or a pass, it's not too bad. Maybe Rho left one lying around here.

Although SEPTA is not too bad as a whole, I terribly miss Metrorail and Metrobus. It's the ONLY thing I really miss about Washington. I had the perfect setup when I lived there. My apartment complex was only 3 blocks from the West Hyattsville green line station. I would jump on that, transfer to the red line at Fort Totten, ride that up to Bethesda, and walk one block to my job. Man...that was sweet. And Metrorail is so clean. Although, it's only 26 years old...give it time.

There was one time when Rho and I tried to hit all 78 (at the time) stations on the system. We almost pulled it off, but the early closing hour of Metro (midnight at the time on Saturday) left us just short of our goal. 75 stations--we only missed the last 3 stops on the green line going towards Greenbelt. And we did it all for $5 each for the whole day.

That's enough for the moment...

[Undertoad]

MSNBC - I can't tell what it is, but I can't watch it for too long. I think it's their use of music. It's editorializing. Their graphics are loud and coarse.

L&O: right on. Except for CI. Don't watch CI. Cellarite of old wst3, who is a friend o' mine, told me it was bad; I didn't listen, I had an hour to waste, and I watched it. Well, it was just bad.

[Dafydd Wynne-Evans]

I used to ride SEPTA in Philly when I was out there.

Odd thing is, I'm in Minneapolis now... and the other day, downtown Minneapolis, I saw (I swear!) a SEPTA bus go by.

Do they do charters?

...and by the way, SEPTA doesn't suck nearly as bad as you think... I ride the bus to/from work every day in the winter (other 3 seasons it's my motorcycle thank god)... have been puked on / pushed off / mugged / slugged (in the face!) / pissed on (OK just in the seat next to me) / etc...

I'm thinking of putting up a website with my bus stories, if I can make them exciting enough to actually read. My co-workers sure enjoy them anyways.

[warch]

I believe there has been a play written about the 21A that runs from Downtown Mpls to St Paul. It was in the Fringe Festival. My two personally eye opening bus moments. a. getting caught in the crossfire during a quite violent and greasy chicken bone throwing fight on the 21A. and b. trying to get the drunk to stop fondling me going to talk to the driver who I find is cruising down the street shaving with his electric razor- what the?...Feliniesque characters abound.

[elSicomoro]

Originally posted by Dafydd Wynne-Evans
...and by the way, SEPTA doesn't suck nearly as bad as you think... I ride the bus to/from work every day in the winter (other 3 seasons it's my motorcycle thank god)... have been puked on / pushed off / mugged / slugged (in the face!) / pissed on (OK just in the seat next to me) / etc...

I'm thinking of putting up a website with my bus stories, if I can make them exciting enough to actually read. My co-workers sure enjoy them anyways.

I'd be curious to read them.

I love public transit. I don't terribly mind SEPTA. It's not CTA or Metro, but it's cool. 3 bus routes run in front of my house, and I live near 2 regional rail stations, so I can't complain.

Probably the best public transit rides I've heard of come from Chicago street artist Wesley Willis (who puts out 3 or 4 CDs a year). Heh...

[MaggieL]

Originally posted by Undertoad

L&O: right on. Except for CI. Don't watch CI. .

CI wouldn't be bad if it wasn't pretending to be L&O. It's inevitably a let down. L&O was a family tradition when I still was with Bronwyn. Now it's a famtrad with me and ArdRhi. My kids are old enough to dig on it now too, so they watch it both here and at Bronwyn's. And ArdRhi gave me the L&O book for Yule...although she uses it as much as I do, of course. :-)

And *all* the ADAs are hotties. Even the guy.

[elSicomoro]

I personally like CI. So far, I can't complain about it.

[Dafydd Wynne-Evans]

My earlier reference to SEPTA -- I figured out what it must have been. The bus looked quite old; old enough to have been sold to a private party.

warch -- didn't realize you're here in MPLS! Cool!

[ladysycamore]

Hello all. I've finally decided to reveal myself. I'm LadySycamore, s.o. of Sycamore. I'll make this real brief, since I have to get ready for work in a few.

About SEPTA: Mmm..well, as a person who has to take a bus, the "L" (subway) and a trolley to get to work, I'll just say that it would take a TON of money for improvements. Syc and I miss the Metro in DC...we're spoiled I suppose. Hell, before riding the Metro, I hadn't been on a bus since I was...maybe 9 or 10 years old. I got my first car in 1987, and hadn't had a reason to take public transit, until I moved here to Philly. I'm used to it, but I'd still rather drive. Unlike some folk, I love to drive. Something about being behind the wheel and the road appeals to me.

So, that's my two cents about public transit. It's ok, but give me the keys to my car any day.

Peace ya'll.

~ladysyc69~

DC metro really is pretty good. Toronto's public transit system is nice too.

I was talking to someone that's not from around here, and one thing they kept mentioning was how clean the DC metro was - they're like "wow! It's not dirty!" - I guess it's just 'cause we're used to it, but yeah, it is pretty nice. 'Cause they'll arrest your sorry ass if you drink or eat there.

No joke - a 5 year old girl got arrested earlier this year for drinking on the Metro. I think the public outcry was pretty strong, but hey... bet she never does that again.

I like the things I do, so hooray for me - and fuck you!

Now I think about sycamore when I listen to this

[elSicomoro]

Yeah, they don't fuck around on Metro. I can only think of a few unpleasant experiences on Metro, one in particular:

We had a minor snowstorm in February of 2000. I had taken the red line to Fort Totten, but when I got downstairs for the green line, the platform was packed. Apparently, the green line was temporarily shut down, with no idea when it would reopen. I tried to call Rho, but she was on the computer at that time. So, I walked from Fort Totten to my apartment in Mount Rainier. About 2 miles. It was like 20 degrees, windy, and snowing. Man, that sucked.

The only unpleasant experience I had was sitting waiting for the Orange line to Vienna/Fairfax-GMU when a train was delayed by 8 minutes, leaving me sitting in the cold. The delay, of course, meant that I missed my bus, so I had to sit in the cold for an extra 30 minutes. But other than that, I'm down with Metro.

[elSicomoro]

Originally posted by dhamsaic
The only unpleasant experience I had was sitting waiting for the Orange line to Vienna/Fairfax-GMU when a train was delayed by 8 minutes, leaving me sitting in the cold. The delay, of course, meant that I missed my bus, so I had to sit in the cold for an extra 30 minutes. But other than that, I'm down with Metro.

For some reason, when I used to ride the Orange line from Clarendon to Metro Center, I used to get a little anxious riding between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom...b/c of the Potomac River above. It never bothered me riding the lines underground, but for whatever reason, the Potomac River used to freak me out a bit.

I did like riding the yellow line above the Potomac though. One of these days, I'm going to ride the PATCO Hi-Speedline over the Ben Franklin Bridge to Camden.