| And Then.. |
[Jul. 22nd, 2007|12:27 am] |
"Wilson surveyed his surrounding---a panorama of broken, burning wagons and shattered cannon, made small by distance, and cries of far off wounded men carried eerily over the battle field wind. Viewing the wreckage it was not easily discernible who had actually won the little skirmish; Opposition soldiers seemed to lie dead in equal numbers to Wilson's own troops. Sainwax put a comforting hand on Wilson's shoulder. He brushed it aside without looking back, not out of anger, but out of a simple need to be alone with and to understand the disaster of the day."
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| Race Relations! |
[Jun. 16th, 2007|11:27 am] |
Drove to Canton, MI with Tekoa yesterday to help his mother move. Not a thing was packed and the truck was not ready, but that was cool. We'd cope---the three of us went to pick up the truck. Drama ensued. It ended with the U-haul manager refusing us service and throwing Ms.Cooper's deposit on the ground at her feet. In the end we got a truck from a friendlier store.
Now, while I agreed with Tekoa that racism was to blame here, over drinks with Will and Laura later we dissected the incident further. From my perspective it happened like this; the white merchant views the two black customers with veiled hostility and suspicion. The black customers respond in kind (in this case, with sarcasm). Hostilities escalate. Both parties likely went home with the notion that the other was entirely to blame. Now, the Merchant does bear the larger share of blame, because it was his store and he had a basic responsibility to be civil and helpful to his customers. To me it felt like a self-fulfilling prophecy in the works. The white manager thinks: I'm going to get trouble from these people. The black customers think they're going to get a hard time from him. And that is exactly what happens.
A few hours later all was moved and well in the universe. On the drive back a detailed discussion of the pros and cons of social services. Tonight; work. Tomorrow, settlers. |
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| This ain't a sex thing... |
[May. 8th, 2007|11:02 pm] |
Just got off work---busy, busy, so many intakes. Criminals all. Saturday went out with housemate Fasil and Tekoa's crew. Very interesting discussion about Pakistani Fasil's friendship with Indian-born Joe (another housemate) Their countries have fought three wars all due--in the end--to the British empire arbitrarily drawing boarders on a map without understanding the tribal loyalties and centuries of history therein. Sound familiar? Anyway...
Tomorrow dinner with John & family.
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| *bar moment* |
[May. 5th, 2007|01:51 am] |
Have beaten, one after the other, two of the most competent billiards players at Metro, in spite (or because) of mild drunkeness. The Coolest of Beans.
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| Corrections Bear |
[May. 4th, 2007|10:51 pm] |
Have been working at KPEP a week now and have found it to be good. Today not so much; made a paperwork mistake which a resident then took advantage of, getting him in trouble later on and embarrassing myself. But it is a learning process---lots of new stuff to master this month. Picked a client up from the jail this morning. That was neat. Motivated me to pay my outstanding traffic tickets soon lest I join them.
Facility is a block from my apartment. Currently houses about 40 young to middle aged men. Have to assume that they are all sociopaths---on my toes all the time and take everything they say with a scoop of salt. A busy, high energy work environment, decent pay, and lots of room for advancement.
Tomorrow help Ginny move. Tonight: Metro. So looking forward to Spider Man 3. I predict Harry is killed by Venom in the end after a dramatic change of heart. |
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| 8675309 |
[Apr. 25th, 2007|04:13 pm] |
Just found out that I got my KPEP job as a part-time resident coordinator---this is only a foot in the door, to be sure, but I am still quite pleased. What else? Went out to Tekoa celebrating his graduation last night. All was well until I stormed out of the bar when he refused to drive me home, calling a cab for me instead. I walked home and am told the cab showed up immediately after I left. Ghhhh. Stupid.
But anyway. Dinner tonight with Ginny. *moments later* Dinner canceled--Ginny not feeling well. Maybe later. I spent much of today assembling belt sanders at Kalamazoo Industries. I like the physical work and building stuff, but damn, those guys are mean to the hispanic workers. Don't know how they put up with it.
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| Womyn's Festival |
[Apr. 23rd, 2007|10:31 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  sleepy | ] |
This is that thing the lady at the BBQ was telling us about. Sounds very fun...and tantalizing, knowing that I can never, ever be admitted. The controversy over not allowing transgendered individuals seems to have tainted it, though. It makes me recall how our Men's group at the Unitarian Church wasn't willing to exclude females from the proceedings. Silly Unitarians..
Anyway. What did today? Work, carving, Dealt With Stuff, and now, sleep. (Why does LJ have "predatory" as a mood tag? Creepy.)
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| Working Bear |
[Apr. 22nd, 2007|10:01 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | Impoverished Bear | ] |
Expecting I'll hear the final word from KPEP this week. Also got a letter to do some pre-hire testing for that public safety dispatcher job. In the meantime, I got a job with a temp service, which promptly put me to work in a factory outside of town. The factory manager offered to pay me under the table instead, saving them some money and paying me a little bit more. So I'm doing that.
What else? Went to Michigan CAMP BBQ yesterday and met many people. Aspiring screen writer Brandon and amateur director Dante---Pretty cool folks. Offered to work the next Kalamazoo pride event. I was assigned to run the hand-job booth next month. I'm told it is essentially a refrigerator box with a hole cut in it.
A lesbian social worker from Grand Rapids was telling us about Women's Week, an annual event in Hart, MI, where no man-folk are allowed. Sounded like a huge orgy--drugs, nudity, no meat of any kind. (although she brings her own steaks and such) Interesting.
More what else? Went to Metro t'other night. For today; explore hidden woodlands behind mental hospital. |
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| On the shooting.. |
[Apr. 16th, 2007|08:20 pm] |
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No details yet about the how or why of the Blacksburn rampage. I'm willing to bet that things won't be the same after today---32 people is just too many to continue "life as usual". Serious changes, to campus security, to gun sales procedures, or whatever else may have contributed, are imminent in the wake of this thing. |
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| Th' Interview |
[Apr. 11th, 2007|01:46 pm] |
Had my interview with KPEP today. Thought it went reasonably well, though it was nerve wracking to talk to two bosses at once. Basically an hour of self-promotion, lies, gloss-over and trick questions. Immediate impression afterwards; something like a 50/50 chance of getting the job. Have rewarded self with Chinese buffet.
"The Interview"
A Play in One Act
REPORTER: Mr.Clements! Mr.Clements! How do you respond to the claim that you are the most easily frightened man on earth?
RONNIE: A...A MICROPHONE!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! (sound of Ronnie fleeing)
END SCENE |
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| .... |
[Apr. 3rd, 2007|09:56 pm] |
Some bad news; Grandma Thro fell the other day and broke her hip. She's now had a replacement put in. It's likely that this is the stage where she transitions to life in a nursing home. While I think that this is a good thing---she likes scheduled activities and trips, and her sister lives in a place she might go---I wish the catalyst for it wasn't this accident. She was trapped on the floor of her bed room for a couple days and I imagine suffered terribly.
Aunt Jana is living with Ralph for the rest of this week. We saw "The Last Mimzy" the other night. Not very good---story better suited to book form. One cool thing; actress in bio-suit at end of movie looked exactly like my sister Katie. Nanotech stuffed animal sent back from the future to retrieve fresh, untainted human DNA...
Went to Kalamazoo version of CAMP today. Was taken aback when group leader revealed that the boys sometimes smoke pot at meetings. Would've thought that the safe sex message would include a "Drugs are Bad" element, like our Columbia group, but no.
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| Saint Stabbins Day |
[Mar. 30th, 2007|11:37 pm] |
The Miracle of Saint Stabbins
From the Wainsglow Scrolls:
In the year of Our Lord 1228, a poore swineherd by the name of Milwyk Van-de-Pye set out from his home in Kent, with twenty and three hogs in tow, traveling towards the village of Barnoldswick-upon-Shire, where he hoped to trade the beasts for corn-pone and mercury. Whilst upon the road, the Good Lord did come to Milwyk in a vision of light and thunderclap, and commanded him thus; Thou shall go into the sinful city of upon-Shire, and take thy cobbling knife and with it stab vigorously all ye may meet, for they are a wicked and naughty people.
Milwyk did as the Lord commanded. A ways down the dirt path, he met an old monk named Colonius, told him of his vision, and did stab him through the testicles. Colonius fell to the earth and cursed Milwyk three times. Milwyk was not daunted, for he knew his newfound mission was just and divine. He left the monk and walked farther down, where he met Garth the Blind Minstrel. Garth strummed a lute and bade Milwyk give him a copper for bread, or perhaps a ride into town on the back of one of his hogs. Rather, the blessed swineherd did stab Garth through both his eyes and left him where he lie. 
Still further down the road Milwyk came to the gates of Barnoldswick, where he did gloriously stab two boys, a nun, a cooper, and a Roman sentry through his thigh. The sentry and his bretheren then took from poore Milwyk his knife, beat him about his head and shoulders, and dragged him before Suetonius, the town magistrate.
Milwyk told Suetonius of his divine mission of stabbing. Suetonius bade Milwyk renounce his quest and Christian faith, or be broiled alive in oil. Milwyk then did readily renounce his faith, but was boiled alive anyway.
Over time news of poor Milwyk’s holy vision and martyrdom spread throughout the land. His legend grew, and he was canonized as a saint by the Holy See in 1924. While some modern scholars attribute his unusual behavior to the dementing effects of tertiary syphillis rather than divine inspiration, today Milwyk’s memory is honored every year in Barnoldswick-upon-Shire. At the Feast of Saint Stabbins, celebrants sing, dance, and stab one another repeatedly with small paring knives.
This is also cool: Flaming Piggies! |
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| The Biggest Turtle |
[Mar. 26th, 2007|11:10 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | Turtle-photographing Bear | ] |
Friday morning drove to Chicago to meet up with Patrick, his sister Tam and her boyfriend Joe. We had dinner downtown and played Settlers a couple times. Saturday wanted to go to aquarium, but line was very long so went to field museum instead.  Then walked four miles to the ESPN zone, a sort of arcade for adults, only to find it closed for a private party. Four miles back to the car, more Settlers, Flux, and pizza with Tam. Got a lump in my throat saying goodbye Sunday morning. So sad.
Drove from hotel in Monee, IL to state park outside Michigan City, IN---walked around on dunes and built sandcastle for a few hours. Then stopped at Grandpa's on the way home. Aunt Jana is visiting for a week and had rescued two jack russel terriers from the road. She and aunt Wanda had spent the day putting up flyers for the lost dogs, and was disappointed when the owner showed up this morning. She had hoped to keep them as her own basset hound has recently died.
Driving back to Kalamazoo to do my things today, saw the world's largest turtle crawling out of recently unfrozen lagoon.
Applied to job of dispatcher for Kzoo Dep't of public safety t'other day. 17.25 per hour. Fingers crossed... |
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| All that goes on |
[Mar. 19th, 2007|08:49 pm] |
Sick today, spent day recovering in bed. Still was mildly productive; started process of applying for gov't job in Missouri. April 2nd will be my last day at current ROI site. Being transferred to another. All current woes put in perspective by a friend's recent medical problems. Nothing here insurmountable, though hacking away at this debt is going to take time and a new job.
Second time ever met someone entierly off the internet, this time for the purpose of gaming. Internet meetings always tinged with looserism and creepiness, though Tim seems cool---he's trying to get regular group going in Kzoo. Glad I made the effort.
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| Big Horsie |
[Mar. 11th, 2007|10:34 pm] |
The card game turned out to be a bust. Dissapointment, with a looserish aftertaste. Dad here, went with him and aunt Wanda to see giant horse in Grand Rapids.
Thinking of a future project; creating and burying a long-lasting wooden sculpture in the dunes at South Haven, to be uncovered by natural erosion or human discovery, in the course of several decades. Neat-O.
For tomorrow, 300, sleep... |
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