July 4, 2002

Wearing my obligatory Old Navy flag shirt (the unofficial uniform of NYC on July 4th) and little flags on my socks. I suppose you're wondering what an eccentric, imaginative, loose cannon such as myself would be doing on a day like today in a great city such as New York City?

The security issue doesn't phase me. We have to be the safest city in the world today second to Washington, DC. Most New Yorkers share this feeling, and can't be bullied into postponing a celebration of our proud nation.

I'm staying home.

I was actually invited to spend an afternoon with co-worker Anthony, then watch the fireworks from his Long Island City apartment rooftop (LIC is in Western Queens. Nothing in the way between his building and the East River but warehouses). But at this writing at 3pm, the head index is at 101ºF. He's staying indoors. I'm staying indoors.

Also, I was sick yesterday and don't want a relapse. Even though I feel okay considering I had a fever and major sinus congestion. But damnit there goes my perfect work attendance record...

But hey, it's not all that bad. I have AC, there's a Planet's Funniest Animals marathon on all afternoon, then TCM has a special sing-along edition of The Wizard of Oz at 6pm. I'm happier than a dog chasing a flashlight trail. Besides, I have some catching up to do with transcribing (translation: deciphering my handwriting) my novel.

Tomorrow will be at least fifteen degrees cooler. I'll work for some time-and-a-half (to pay for the friggin PC upgrade) and then maybe hang with Anthony after then.

Till then, my breast of veal is ready and there's a horse on TV running around with a bucket over its head.

I stole this from accuweather.com.

DD 3:29pm EST on Thursday, Jul 4, 2002

July 2, 2002

VH1-Classic was so cool. No non-music shows, no interruption save an occasional ad for VH1 or a concert tour listing. Just rock videos. It made digital cable worth the expense.

Now the road to suckage has begun. They have VJ's.

Somebody stop them before it's too late!!!!!!!!!

DD 10:30pm EST on Tuesday, Jul 2, 2002

I suppose some of you are wondering whether I had come to any conclusion about existing in the reverse gender perspective online. As a matter of fact I do.

People are nuts.

The troublemaking males and females each have their irritating quirks:

• The men predominantly come online look to cheat on their offline spouses or girlfriends in an effort to assert in their own minds that they're so manly, they don't even require a physical body to win a woman over. This dumbass predatory behavior is what keeps me coming online as a male. The alternative is to get messaged incessantly for a photo of myself and tolerate banal conversation unworthy of a singles bar. Coming on as a male enables me to actually communicate with their minds with no preconceived notions. Being a "one of the guys" type, interacting over like issues under these circumstances is ideal; any other way would be unacceptable.

• The woman tend to act like pathetic martyrs when caught in the act. The trouble is most of them have a vedetta against men, no doubt due to whatever is going on in their lives. They find someone like me who isn't coming onto them, and deduce I am an easy target. Then there are the other types who - like the men - are out to cheat and make no bones about their predatory inclinations (I know someone who devastated her marriage and her loving husband with this behavior. She won the distinction of being the most evil person I have ever known in my life). They act like table dancers every moment they're online, regardless of the age of others in the chatroom. They're too busy wrapped up in themselves. It disgusts me that the most aggressively offensive people online after teen boys are women in their 40s-60s.

• As in real life, men's online fantasy is being recognized as the epitome of manhood, and so are out to become awarded thus by as many women as possible, while women look for the affection and passion apparently missing in their marriage or current relationship. What amazes me is how people fall for words so easily online without the benefit of a tone of voice or glint in the eye. Anybody can write stuff that you'll want to hear.

• Most women I've run into - about 90% - their word is crap. They are dishonorable, scheming, and ready to use what information they have acquired as a weapon against you. The men are good for their word, but it's usually easy to figure out who would be worth taking into confidence.

• Women are more likely to stalk, although there are exceptions. You can see one such example in the Captain Blood's Secret Rant 'n Rave archives (dated 12/30/98) of a male stalker. He tried the same technique on a former friend from Acrophobia and got nowhere.

Before you get all bent out of shape, let me stress that I know not everybody online is like this. But a lot are. Not everybody comes to an acronym match to play a game, or joins a cooking listserv to swap recipes. That's why I feel the ratio of good people to bad is so incredibly low.

DD 12:54pm EST on Tuesday, Jul 2, 2002

July 1, 2002

Boy the budget is going to be tight this month lemme tell YOU...

I got an estimate for the hardware upgrade and figured I could save $10 handing them the new Hard drive instead of them charging me more for it.

It was weird. When I spoke with the man on the phone and told him my intentions of copying the C drive to the new partitioned disk and relayed the trick of deleting the Enum folder in the registry before starting, he remarked that I seemed to know what I was talking about. Well, it takes someone who knows to realize it's not doubletalk. I've tweaked the registry tons of times, so I won't flinch when that folder goes bye bye. If this is done properly, all my settings and cookies and program drivers will remain intact and the PC ready to roll with barely a hiccup.

In theory of course. I'm glad I still have that open ticket from the upgrade calls. I'll be sure to print out the details and ticket number prior to The Big Shutdown in two weeks.

(oh come now. Me without a computer for two full days on a weekend as well as no TV sound? No way! I'm doing this on weekday nights so I can use the PC at work during the daytime)

DD 11:03pm EST on Monday, Jul 1, 2002

I had printed up two styles of business cards the night before (one type based on the graphics scheme for DD Galleries and the other on this site), and was ready for anything. How odd to see people who I had known back then, who now looked grown up but with the same faces. It was weird. Only a few looked totally different (I don't count hairstyles or clothing here), one having been obese in school and became an aerobics fanatic.

While a handful were successful in art or graphics fulltime, most people either had a dayjob and made art in their own time, or shifted careers altogether. Like me, the vast majority fell into that previous category. And even if it was a change in career or dayjob, it all involved communication (I've always related customer relations with art by that). For example, a cartoonist known for doing lots of sound effects and character voices now takes care of kids at a center by day and improvisational stand-up comedy on occasion. It's all communication. [more]

DD 10:53pm EST on Monday, Jul 1, 2002

High School reunions are funny things. I don't know whether our was normal, because my high school wasn't normal. Traumatized outcasts with artistic potential were accepted (rescued) from all over the New York City limits, escaping their dreaded zoned school to learn with other outcasts in a modern building on the swanky Eastside of Manhattan, cattycorner from a Rolls Royce showroom. The rapport among such souls was unheard of in any public school.

I remember the auditions well. I was fourteen I think, and I went by subway with my friend Renay. It was the first time I rode the train without a parent or grandparent, and we erroneously sat in the last car of an E train. I don't know what it was about the trains then, but we came to learn that day that the last car of that line was bad news. Some old Black guy was carrying on with himself, ranting and raving. We tried not to notice, because eye contact usually incites the loonies. But that didn't matter. I turned and there he was, with half his teeth missing and yelling at me, shaking his umbrella like he wanted to crack it over either of our skulls. We ran into the next car as fast as we could. The actual auditions involved a questionaire and drawing requests, while one's sample art (we came with large manilla envelopes with our names on them) was scrutinized by teachers in the back of the room. I remember being so nervous that for the draw anything finale, I made a tiger with a lionesque tuft at the end of its tail. I realized this on the way home and cursed myself. Needless to say, we both were accepted...

DD 12:01am EST on Monday, Jul 1, 2002