Monthly Archives: January 2004

Why can't I get motivated to work?

So, I’m sitting in my office, and I should be working. Instead I’m on the Internet. I don’t know what I would do if I still had the kind of job that monitors everything I do.

Meanwhile, I’m slightly afraid that I might die here in my office in a most humiliating fashion. For reasons that are partially to do with traveling and poop (see “Uncharacteristically base”) and partially to do with hypochondria, I decided to take a dietary supplement including fiber. Most fiber supplements come with the warning

Warning: Take this product with at least 8 ounces of fluid. Taking this product without adequate fluid may cause choking.

How must this look, choking on fiber? In my head, it involves massive swelling like one of those foam rubber in a pill toys, but worse.

All of this makes me wonder about Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which I am suspect could be a pharmacy-industry invented “disease.” Actually one of the doctors I work with told me when she was a resident, it was the diagnosis given to folks (mostly women)who complained a lot about their digestive system but didn’t have anything wrong with them. They would come back unsatisfied when they were told there was nothing wrong, so IBS sounded real and stopped their whining. I’m not sure, but maybe it has something to do with the fact that chicks aren’t allowed to fart. Granted the doctor who told me this fun fact is a total cynic (who thankfully is a research doctor who doesn’t see actual patients any more).

There’s a new commercial for some pharmaceutical that shows various women and their presumably bloated, distended bellies that really makes IBS seem invented. A friend of mine, whilst we were comparing the bowel habits of men we know (which is a long and stupid story in and of itself), basically sums it up that men need their special bathroom time everyday or think they are dying, while women cycle through constipation and whatnot and think it’s no big deal.

Yes, I am stuck in a Freudian psychosocial stage that puts me mentally around three years old.

In regard to the post below, and the resulting comment, I searched around the web for
Kanduna and figure I won’t be moving there any time soon. Like Nigeria doesn’t suck enough, this little ancient corner features a plethora of both Christian and Muslim fundamental nut jobs.

I also searched some of the text to see if it’s a known Internet scam. I didn’t find anything, but I came across Boys under Attack, a Christian website helping boys to cope with the scourge of puberty. I actually landed on the page under Sex Addiction after searching the phrase “After my prayers, I searched the Christian sites in the internet.” Go figure. I feel a little bad for the kid who has never developed normal relationships with girls, because he was feverishly rubbing one to three or four out every day, but with Christianity he is learning to talk with girls now. With the help of God, maybe someday he will SCORE.

Random thoughts

Here are some random things that may be good for a chuckle:

Nice use of Google. A gal just can’t be too careful. (This article was sent to me by a certain M., who I may have mentioned. So far, no FBI listing shows up in Google for him.)

I got the following mail from MRS ALIFAT SALIYU:

St’ Mary’s Catholic Church,
Amadu Bello way,
Kaduna.
Beloved In Christ,
Calvary greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am Mrs Afsat Salisu, a widow to Late Musiliu Salisu, I am 65years old, I am now a new Christian convert, suffering from long time cancer of the breast. From all indications, my condition is seriou
s and according to my doctor it is quite obvious that I may not survive the sickness, although as a Christian, I believe God and I know that I will not die, I will leave to declare the glory of God. My late husband and my only son were killed during the
Kaduna Crisis some years back and I am presently Leaving alone. Our Lord Jesus Christ is my comforter.
I have the sum of $15,000,000.00(Fifteen million US Dollars) The fund is in cash, packaged in Consignments deposited with a Security Company for safety and security reasons Presently all the documents concerning the consignments are with my Lawyer. Now t
hat my sickness has gone to this stage, I am scared I might die any time therefore wish that the fund be used to the glory of God. This money is the proceeds from the sale of properties and shares and physical cash I inherited from my late husband.I have
prayed and I told God to direct me to a honest Christian who will receive this fund and utilize it for things that will glorify the name of God.
After my prayers, I searched the Christian sites in the internet, I found your email address and I decided to contact you. Please if you are honest and faithful enough to use this fund strictly for the work of God, please send to me your full names and a
ddress of your ministry to enable me give it to my lawyer for immediate arrangement with the security company on how the consignments that contained the fund will be delivered to you.
Thanks and God bless you while waiting to hear from you.
Mrs Afsat Salisu.

However did she come to realize that my site is, of course, a Christian one. Unless you interpret “Christian” as having something to do with believing in Jesus as the Son of God and the trilogy and one holy and apostolic church and that kind of thing. In which case, Mrs. Salisu seems to have made a mistake.

And, here’s a weird reality check kind of thing — Twice now, someone has given me an object with an image that consists of a huge cluster of identical or similar lady bugs, and one walking away that’s a different color. Apparently, people perceive me as a non-conformist. What the fuck is up with that? I swear I’m the same.

Interestingly, in a synchronicity kind of way, lady bugs are named after “Our Lady” aka Jesus’ mom. So yeah, I’m all about Christianity.

If it weren't for waffles

Waffles are my new religion. They offer nothing but generous, sweet goodness, and in this century of war and upheaval, they are my salvation.

Running late for an open mike last night, I whipped up a couple of waffles using the batter from the night before. A quick slicing of a banana, a little cinnamon sugar, and I have the best fucking sandwich in the world!

Turns out it was a good idea to eat before leaving the house instead of at the destination bar, since en route, bam, fucking pothole and a new flat tire. In total spatial retardation, I could not at all work out the algorithm for removing the round tire from my small, squarish trunk. Just couldn’t do it, even though I have changed tires before and have no doubt I could have changed this one.

Inspiration struck, however, when I realized the benefit of having no soul and some disposable income. My car, which is only about a half-year old, came with roadside assistance, including flat service (a fact I only recently discovered). So, why should a spoiled, female, middle-aged yuppie, such as I am, stand in the cold and snow and get her tiny hands soiled? Why, indeed! A quick cellphone call later (never leave home without it), I’m holding the flash light and telling some tow-truck driving kid to “hurry the fuck up with the tire, I have places to go.” (No, really, I may be a spoiled yuppie, but I’m not a total cunt. I thanked him profusely, offered to help several times and gave him a tip for kneeling in the snow.)

Turns out the open mike last night was at a place that a while back had another open mike. I went to the old one religiously, since in my early suckitude, it was one of the few places I could guarantee getting some stage time. I remember almost terror whispering into a quiet mike that barely carried over the collective noise of sports channels, drunks and hecklers. I was all warm and fuzzy being there again, and pretty much getting attention and getting people to laugh (something which seemed pretty fucking nigh impossible not that long ago).

Hey, it’s only a week and a couple days until the triumphant return (or some other cliched phrase) of my boyo!

Bored and restless

I should be finishing a work project that has become my albatross. Week after week it is incomplete, and I am not even sure why exactly I find it so difficult to finish.

In the world of comedy, I also feel kind of apathetic and unable to complete things. I signed up for a new open mike, which should be a good thing. But, maybe it’s the snow or the barometer or general ennui, but I just don’t feel like going. I was also planning to go to another open mike in Dorchester afterwards, but now it seems blah. The same goes for tomorrow night, when I’ll be at the Comedy Studio at the Hong Kong in Harvard Square.

I’ll very likely snap out of it, when I have to and do fine, but still and all it would be nice to go home, eat waffles and watch TV. I’m all up in the waffles these days. Waffles rule!

Oh, there is now incontrovertible scientific proof that I am a whining, pathetic douchebag. After not getting invited to do a show and braying ad nauseum in these very pages, I got an email today to be a part of it. Cynically, I wonder what’s up for the request of my presence, like maybe someone else dropped out. Or there was a sudden call for a talented, mouthy, middle-aged tomato, such as I am. The true measure of my foolishness is it doesn’t even fucking matter, since I have always planned to be on vacation that week. Yes, indeedily doo, I am an insecure weasel.

On the bright side, my friend’s brother who I mentioned last night made it through surgery. It’s going to be a long road, but at least for now there is a road. Still wishing I had something to say or contribute beyond concerned thoughts.

Maybe more later if I think of anything worth typing.

Instead, maybe I should order some waffles to go with my WWWWWHHHHHHIIIIINNNNNEEEEE.

Nothing cohesive

Mostly random thoughts in my head these days.

Kerry won NH, which gives me hope that beating Bush is possible. Maybe not probable, but possible. I’ve been thinking aboutDean’s supposed meltdown. A while back I realized as an employee of a major hospital, I couldn’t ultimately vote for an MD. I respect a lot about the folks with whom I work, but I’m their administrator. I have to organize stuff for them and create systems to make governance possible. Most of them aren’t committee thinkers, and every now and again there is a burst of background sniping or gossiping, because some moon-sized ego causes a tidal wave and leaves destruction in its wake.

Because I am the office wise guy, I told the our Grand Poobah (a doctor) that no way in hell could I ever vote for a physician on “moral grounds.” Surprisingly, after giving me a goofy eye for the “moral grounds” part of that, she agreed that Dean, as an MD, is probably unfit for president. She went on about how doctors are taught to think and how scientists minds’ work and concluded that they would make crappy politicians. Based only on experience with her and her ilk, I concur. (I can’t remember exactly, but this whole conversation may have preceded the barrage of criticism of Dean. At any rate, it was not germane to it.)

Meanwhile, M. is making his mark with Linux and creating new markets for laptops. By the way, if you read this and you know me and you have some cash to drop, you want to take a look at theLC2210 Centrino-based Linux laptop. It’s pretty fucking sweet, although it’s not as pretty as my Powerbook. (Yes, I’m shallow when it comes to looks.)

Speaking of Linux and being shallow about looks, check this picture out from LinuxWorld:

Man, those dudes were hot, hot, hot! I killed time by playing spot the minority, which is a lot like Where’s Waldo? books.

I had an extra surprise when I got back from NYC on Sunday night. My neighbor knocked on my door with a big package he signed for — a late Christmas present from my sister: . I ain’t never owned a waffle iron before, so I whipped up some batter in my new Kitchenaid mixer and let her rip. Tasty waffle goodness for dinner. When M. comes back to Cambridge, I think our breakfast in bed might be a tad elaborate.

Finally, besides the sheer, unbridled vanity of waiting for my 40th birthday (33 days and counting, per my counter), I’m feeling a bit down about mortality. One of my good friends has a brother who, after what should have been fairly routine surgery, is now struggling at the edge of life because of a lot of unknown health complications. I can’t do anything, and I can’t say anything, but I wish I could. It’s just not easy, any way you look at it. At moments like these, I kind of which I was spiritual, since saying a prayer seems like the natural salve.

Secular humanism fails when all you have to offer is best wishes and offers to help in any way.

Home

I’m home from the NYC and tired. I didn’t get mugged, didn’t see any dead bodies and mostly alternated between freezing my face off and eating and eating some more.

I really should go there more often. I forgot how much I like riding in trains. For under $200 and a few hours each way, the Acela train rocks.

M. says I write less when I’m happy. I think it’s more like I’m happy when I’m busy.

And, when I am fucking madly tired, what I write is crap. Such as this is.

Open Source

Open, baby, wide open. Typing this up in the heart of Manhattan on a wireless workstation running on Linux. I almost feel bad for the guys at the Microsoft booth. (The screensaver on this ‘puter is a penguin pissing on the Microsoft logo.)

Not much to say, but obviously I am a closet geek. But, it’s always been obvious that I’m a total loser.

M. and Manhattan

Yup, living another chapter in Meg Ryan-ville. M. met me at Penn Station. Looking through the crowd, I spotted him pretty quickly and easily. There’s something kind of cool in the cliche scene of arriving at a big, crowded transportation depot and seeing a familiar smile greeting you.

We’re watching TV in a hotel room on Ninth Avenue. Pretty cool.

Soon as I snap out of Meg Ryan zombie, I’ll think of something funny or clever to write. For now, all I got is treacle.

Another reason I might be crazy

I was looking in the mirror this morning and thought I might have lost some weight. Generally, there is a direct correlation between the proximity of a man in my life and weight. I tend to not eat as much, if no guy is around.

Ergo, I am no lady, since a lady does not jam her face into a feed bag in the company of gentleman callers. More importantly, obesity is my future if I end up in a satisfying, happy relationship.

Since the clothes they sell to chubby chicks, like thus and so,
are a cruel fucking hoax, any vague sense of style I possess would evaporate. I swear to fucking Christ, clothing manufacturers are giving a big fuck you to overeaters: “Hey lady, since you like groceries, I bet you have lost your eyesight, too.” I once went to one of those stores with a friend, and I swear there was a dress with a Good & Plenty pattern . Somewhere some skinny chick in a design studio was giggling herself weak, “Get it? Good & Plenty, because they’re like fat, you know. Plenty. Ha ha ha. Let’s go eat some salads.”

I guess the plus side (of the plus size) is I, of course, only care about my appearance vis a vis men. Because, at the end of the day, all any woman ever wants is a boy to like her. Am I right, ladies?

Gotta go

I’m ready to grab my bag, take the bus to work and then leave from work to the train station. Yeah, New York City. It actually freaks me out to be going to NYC. In my head, if it’s not a Law & Order episode with a corpse just waiting to be tripped over, it’s Stevie Wonder. I’m “Living for the City,” getting off the bus and getting caught up and getting arrested, even though I’m not a poor, country boy.

On the bright, non-paranoid side, M. and I hanging out, going to the Village and spending some of my X-mas dough and feigning cosmopolitan style should be fun.