Leaving Gnashvegas

Going, going... not quite gone.

A man, a scam... Panama.

I will miss Amy.

Wanda on the sidewalk just outside my room at The Broken Spoke. Less visible, here. This is not a good part of town. Handyman goob for the motel suggested I pull her into the room, overnight. "Maybe not, but thanks for the suggestion!"

I gave the driver of this the Evil Eye out the window, as he was idling outside my room for sometime, and a box truck can fully well-conceal a Wanda, any day.

I fear not being able to find a nearby Dollar Gen for my travel needs.
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Luv All Kittehs (Help NatGeo Raise $50K, Too)

National Geographic  has set up a site to upload your kitteh pixels and donate $5 (or more) to help their Big Cats Initiative to slow and reverse the decline in big cat populations. Richard_thunderbay posted a beautiful photo of a snow leopard cub at Baby Blue this morning, so h/t to him for reminding me to spread the news.

If you don't have a kitteh pixel, feel free to use one of mine on this site to make your donation. Thanks!
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Have You Had Transient Lingual Papillitis?

Sure you have. The little inflamed, white bumps on the tongue that hurt like a sombitch?

Well, here's the treatment, as unlikely as it sounds.

Get some liquid Maalox, Mylanta, etc, and some Children's liquid Benadryl (store brands, as pictured above are just fine, and cheap -- that stuff above cost under $5, tax an' all). Mix it 50/50 in the little cup that comes with the kid's Benadryl, and swish it around in yer mouth. 60 seconds later, spit it out.

Repeat as needed. Don't swallow it unless you wanna go to sleep (Benadryl affects many people thataways).
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Hired, No Interview

Vanderbilt University, Peabody College Office of External Affairs. Web Content Editor. $20/hour. Temporary, no bennies.

Still, it's a sure thang -- and I start Monday, 12/18 , 8:00 a.m.

I am astounded, to say the very least!
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I'm Back!

But just here.

Elsewhere, I'm just too tired of the goddamned drama.
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Oh.

H/T the blogless MisterX.
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Help Mia, Please

I haven't really talked about the new badge over on the right, here, yet.

sittenpretty is a blogless friend I have from Florida (some of the coolest people I know live in Florida... why does it get its own Fark tag...?!?) who swooped in to save a poor dog from a certain and horrifyingly agonizing death. She did it because she loves animals, and she did it without thought about how it might impact her. Mia's not even her dog.

So, it'd really warm my heart if you can either toss a couple of dollars her way, or place Mia's badge on your blog or site(s). If we all pull this weight, together, it'll be oh-so-much lighter work.

And speakin' of work, the first twenty contributors of $25 or more will get up to an hour of free curlytech phone support. So, hop to it, animule lovers. Your mission, should you choose to accept it...

UPDATE: To clarify, my sole involvement in this is setting up and hosting the site for sittenpretty, and doing the curlytech sponsorship -- the link that goes to PayPal is her account. I don't even see (or keep stats on) anything going on. sittenpretty will send me only the PayPal info (addresses) I need to be able to mail out postcards and gift certificates from curlytech, but that's all I need to know.

UPDATE II: I ♥ Blogdiva B. Gilbert! And NTodd, in a manly, non-homosexual way. :)
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Peace Be Unto You

It's the best I can do for the season, folx. Enjoy!
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ATRIOTS: Have Tech Issues?

I'm giving FREE phone support to all Atriots, because that's the way I roll. It's all part of the karmic debt repayment plan, dontchaknow. I'm your huckleberry.

Here's how it works: Call

615 627 8269

... anytime, 24/7/365, and leave your Atriot handle (at least), your phone number, and a good time (CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, please) for a return call. You can also leave a brief description of your tech issue, if you like.

If I'm online, not terribly busy, and you say it's a good time, I may call you right back. I call back using Skype (free VOIP phone), so the caller ID will be either (call) or (anonymous) or ([whateveh!]). You may have to wait a day or two, if I'm really busy, but I'll try to get to ya via e-mail, if nothing else (assuming I have your e-mail address, and can manage to connect it to the info you leave in your message).

NON-ATRIOTS can also use this service, at the regular rates. $10 gets you a callback in 2 hours or less, or I refund your $10. If your problem is more complicated than $10-worth of phone consulting, I'll give you a quote on what you'll need to add to the $10 already paid in order for me to resolve by whatever deadline we agree upon. Fair deal, eh?
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Doody

I don't see 50,000 hits happening by my blogoversary, but I'm okay with that. November has been only my second 5K hit-month (the first being last month, when Echidne hit me with her (guest) rhythm stick). So, that's a huge boost to traffic in these last couple of months. Not sustainable, of course, but who the hell really cares about blog hits on a cat blog, eh? :)

Now, one blog I'd like to see get some Nashville Love would be this one -- my new day and night gig.
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Vehicle, Baby

SCOOTER: Primary. SHOE: Secondary. MTA: Tertiary.

"I'll take you anywhere you wanna go!"

UPDATE: As I explained earlier in this week's photo mash, this is an old pair -- still serviceable for doing tasks that might involve ruining better shoes. I do have two good pair -- some cheap jogging shoes in Titans colors, and the Tony Lamas. Both those pair are in top form, btw.

And the reason MTA is tertiary? Well, I'd still have to use one of the others first to get to the bus stop, 1.5-2.0 miles away. :)
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Missouri Prezzies!

From pg/Missouri Bird, in KCMO, to be precise!

Dang! Y'all are too good to Curly and me, I'm tellin' ya. Since she can't make it to the great Gnashvegan Atriotic Gathering this coming Thursday, pg wants me to share these items with those attending, as she would have brought them, were she going to be here in person.

Eveyone attenting will get an ink pen or two, emblazoned with KCMO's highest officeholder's name and title, and as many Bogdon's Double Dip Mint dessert sticks as you're willing to arm-wrestle to win. After drinks, those who want to come back to the Curly condo for coffee (oops -- someone needs to bring a bean masher), crackers and pate are welcome. :)

Thanks, pg -- you rawk!
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BadBadIvy's Bone To Pick

Thanks for your opinion, Ivy.

I've always though Kat was adult enough to "play rough," as she has with me, and others. I treat her no differently than I would anyone else who does likewise. I like Kat, too, and I'm sorry if you or she don't understand or perceive that.

As for the inappropriate post at NiT, I apologized for that, and I don't much care if you accept the apology, or not. I'll take whatever lumps I have coming for that, 'cause it was wrong. I said as much, and I'm saying so now.

However, get this part straight: I did not "refuse" to remove the post out of some sense of entitlement or defiance -- I left it there so as not to be a revisionist. I don't try to hide or cover up my glaring mistakes.

That is all.

UPDATE: I should thank Ivy, since her poteau flambé drew me ~150 hits before 10:00 a.m.; I usually don't get that much until much later in the day, if!
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Ohio Prezzies!

Lookit what Buckeye, dealer of rare coins sent Curly and me! A variety of catnip toys, and a Kroger gift card! How very, very sweet. Y'all are FAR too good to us. Much ♥, dear, and much thanks.
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Karma, Food and Fun

Let's do this: If you've ever sent me $20 or more, and would like to have a Curly DVD (or another copy of the Curly DVD), e-mail me your snailmail address, and I'll shoot one out to you, ASAP.

Regardless, if you're an Atriot, and think I'm trustworthy, send me your snailmail address, and I'll send you a special Curly postcard, good for One Beer when we meet.

I'm trying to build a database to keep handles + e-mails + real names + USPS address + phone in some usable form that will NOT be made publicly available, ever. So, if you feel froggy, here's the place:

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Rain Delay

Wednesday November 15, 2006, 09:10 CST

It's pouring the rain (hence, Curly considers it ideal sleepin' weather... heh), and yes, there's lightning, thunder, and the whole summertime vibe -- it's about 60°F (not atypical for mid-November in Gnashvegas, but... those days are fewer and fewer this time of year), so to save the electronics, and so as not to further aggravate the minor cold I'm trying to catch, I'm staying in all day, today. I'll be working on some promised (and overdue) web site designs, and working up the next sunny day game plan.

Scootering: About 00:50 this morning, there was a break in the rain, so I got the scooter on the road, and was home by 01:10. It was warm enough, I didn't even need gloves, but I learned a valuable scooter lesson: Wet pavement, downhill? BE EXTRA-SOOPER CAREFUL. :) Pulling into the condos, and the recently-resealed parking lot, there was considerable fishtailing at one point. I didn't come close to going down (I did have to put a leg down, momentarily), 'cause I was scootering very slow, but the braking is critical, even with the scooter's anti-lock brakes, 'cause, dammit, I'm on two wheels.

I'm loving the scooter, though -- not only does it epitomize freedom for me, and even cheaper (not to mention 1000% more convenient) than the bus, it is hella fun. I get the same exhilarating feeling I used to get in the 'Stang, with the top down, riding around on this geeky li'l bike. I love it.

I've got a call into a local joint on insurance -- liability, ~$28/mo. -- and I need to go to the license testing center to get the deets on fully-reinstating my driving privs, and taking the test to obtain the "M" endorsement on my license.

On my way to Coco yesterday, I stopped in at Auto Zone around Charlotte and 38th, and picked up a $2 bottle of Gumout fuel treatment. "Hmm... treats up to 21 gallons of fuel." Having just filled up the tank up the street for $2.67, I quickly estimated that I needed to pour about 5% of the gas treatment into the tank. :) Hey, by the time I got to Coco a couple of miles away, it was already running better. So, I'm-o use it for the next 19 fill-ups, to clean out any gunkies that may have formed while it sat in Carols' basement all these months.

I ran into a gent at Coco Tuesday who's going to help me hook up with some small-engine mechanics he knows, since we were talking about the scooter, and I mentioned that it needed a carburetor tweak (about 65-75% up the throttle, it starts acting as if it's getting too much gas in the mix; fix that, and I'll probably top out at 50 mph or so). This gent is also looking for work, and he's going to get me a resume and letters of reference (he has no Internet experience, no PC, etc.), and I'm going to try to help him find and secure a job, too. He's my age, was recently laid off from Baptist Hospital, and apparently had a minor drug conviction 15 years ago that has made the job search more difficult than it might otherwise be (healthcare folx are really screwed by this so-called War on (some) Drugs... even getting busted with a joint can fuck up a promising career, and that's just plain wrong).

In other catching-up news on the karma front...

grandefille offered up some business cards -- thank you! I may take you up on that, dear. Honestly though, the old HCA business cards have probably been a help rather than an unprofessional-looking hindrance. People here are generally familiar with the company's size and scope, and seeing the job title, folx tend to think, "He must know what he's talkin' about, RE: web sites." If they think I'm bullshittin', I can always show them my 1040s and W2s from years past. :) Besides, I've probably got 800 of them left, and I've already paid for them some years ago. Why not milk whatever I can, out of my past association with those soulless, crooked, Republican bastids? ;)

As I mentioned, I made $70 cash between Sunday-Tuesday, $10-20 at a time, just chatting, answering some questions and creating some graphics for a couple of folx while sipping flavored, $1.40/cup coffee at the Cafe Coco. Oh, and I sold a Curly DVD, too (a bit cheaper than the usual $20 price, since I didn't have to buy a mailer and ship it, nor pay PayPal their li'l cut... I think I get $19.12 from PayPal per DVD, then I spend another $2 or so shipping it; the blanks are generally only about 50 cents, each). It feels really good to be of demonstrative value, y'know? And those few beers I bought yesterday -- something called Sweetwater 420 Ale, not bad! -- those beers were oh, so sweet.

One person I met Tuesday was Shayne, a student at Nossi, who was doing storyboards for an animation project he and his friends are putting together. We discussed possible sub-contracting on web sites, where someone wants/needs illustration or caricature work. He works part-time at CompUSA, and told me he'd let me know about deals on SD-MMC cards (I just picked up a 128MB card at Eckerd for $9.99 -- up to 5 minutes of Curly video at one time now, whoo-hoo!), as he said they often have 1GB cards for $20 (!!!), after rebate.

Another new Coco buddy is Jen, who was there to hear the "staff talent night" on the Back Stage (my default hangspot @ Coco). Turns out she's the new owner of a newish Mac Powerbook G4, and she's recording her own tunes with GarageBand. I got a chance to lay hands on a cool, newer Mac, and I was able to show her something she needed to know -- free of charge, of course. I showed her how to put volume/pan envelopes on individual tracks, allowing for automated mixing and fading. She was ecstatic! Another future customer.

And now look!

The postman rang twice, today -- two packages arrived. Speaking of grandefille, she sent me a care package, with all what you sees, right heah; from top left, clockwise: Scoob... er, Curly snacks, which he loves (although like the other treats he likes, I had to put it in his food bowl to get him to eat one); a coupon for a free can of Iams kitty food; a glovebox-sized First Aid kit (for the scooter's "trunk" -- awesome!); two Hamiltons and a Washington -- $21 American, for four Swipes™ (and, not pictured, a post-paid, pre-addressed padded mailer); and a pair of nice, Thinsulate™ gloves (which, btw, fit like... gloves; oddly, they're size "L," and in spite of other physical indicators -- you know what they say... "big hands, big... gloves" -- I would have guessed my glove size to be "M"). ;) I guess football linebackers have to get size XXXXXXL.

Wow, girlfriend! This whole package rawks! I'll make good use of every bit of this. Seein' as how you only live about 20 miles from me, let us commune in meatspace, soonest, please! We can likely get nashvegasdawg, Litz and maybe Halfdan and Soprano to do a Drinking Liberally session, perhaps. What say ye?

Wednesday, November 15, 2006, 10:36 CSTAnd, not to be outdone nor forgotten, my luscious French-speakin' Canookie radio DJ buddy, Plum P had Amazon feed my haidbone, by sending me the new Keith Olbermann book, The Worst Person In The World (and 202 strong contenders). I can't wait to read this! Keith's too cool, and even though I still won't have his show after Thursday, he and Jon Stewart get most of my C&L download time. :) But, Keith must still die -- too many liberal ladies gots the hots for him, instead of me. ;)

I ask you: Is there seriously anyone who thinks they are more blessed with the greatest friends than me? I'll arm-wrestle you for the title! :)

Thursday, November 16, 2006, 06:10 CST

The landlord and I met up for beeren last night... he'd heard of a blues jam he wanted to go check out in Kingston Springs, a tiny little burg a few miles west of Gnashvegas. Seriously, I was blown away by some of these guys playing for tips. One guitarist, Don Lee Shough... this guy's as pro as anyone I've ever seen, anywhere. Jaw-dropping, monster blues, country and jazz licks, ala Danny Gatton, Steve Morse and Robben Ford, wrapped up in one guy. Chords that made me laugh out loud, hearing them voiced in the context of a straight blues tune -- this guy was NOT satisfied to play a straight I-IV-V. One tasteful mofo, just a smokin' player. And he's playing a tiny bar (a nice, tiny bar, next to a really nice restaurant) in... Kingston Springs? For tips? This guy needs a contract, ASAP.

I've lost my voice, whether because I was hollerin' like an idiot at the smokin' blues jam, or because of the cold, which has not improved. The landlord got to see the Coco Effect in full-force last night, too. I wore the mobile office (backpack w/laptop, digicam and cell phone, + goodies), thinking we might wind up at Jonathan's Grill (free WiFi) in Bellevue, on the way back... I fully expected the blues jam would end up being a schnoozfest, but we closed that mother down.

Anyway, I took some photos, and used the Dr. Shouty-Crackers Coalition notebook to suck 'em into Photoshop while at the bar. One dude came up to me, as I was scaling, rotating and otherwise setting up the photos for eventual use on the web, and was fascinated by whatever he was seeing. Turns out he owns Pardo Hearth Designs, and before long, I was giving him the old HCA card, etc. A while later, he comes by our table again, and says, "Did you say you do digital video? Can you produce DVDs?" ;) He's supposed to call today to work out the details, but we have a handshake agreement to do a 40-60 minute DVD about the process he uses from start to finish on a fireplace installation... for up to $2500. If I can lay hands on a DVcam, I could start shooting for his project as early as Monday. For that kind of jack, I think I can rent one. :)

I'm supposed to try to scoot to the Coco this morning, but the rain is lingering... the gent I mentioned above in regards to looking for work? He's left a resume and references there, for me to pick up. He'll be the first guy I try to help, via Rev. Meeker. And... the Comcast contractor is to arrive between noon and 16:00, to hook up the phat pype. So, if you don't see me the rest of the morning, you'll see me this afternoon, live (and legit) from the Curly Condo. ;) I know I have a Toshiba cable modem, but not sure I can lay hands on the AC adapter.
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Beer-Thirty

Ah, honest beer. Beer bought by the sweat of my brow. So, so sweet, that there ale. :) Of course, it occurs to me, looking at that photo (fresh, helmet-friendly haircut!), that I'm looking less like the lovechild of Marty Feldman & Aunt Bea, and more like the old James Doohan ("Scotty") in my dotage... ;)

I'm looking for work for four people right now, believe it or not... for a guy who can't find a job, this may seem like a stretch, but just you watch -- I'll find all these guys work before I find it, myself, I bet (other than work I make for myself, that is). Then again... I talked to a guy who practically begged me to apply for a job at Asurion, a cell phone insurance/tech support firm near the Nashville Zoo. He works in claims, and said they sorely need people who know a little bit about tech stuff.

I'm happy.

Except... Coco's Internet pipe is clogged up. They use Bellsouth ADSL, and it looks like the problem is on Bellsouth's end. At 7:30, no one knows what to do about it, so, I'm heading home.
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It's Comcastic!

Because a certain shareholder of Curly & Jeffraham, Inc., from the Bay Area in California, sent me a quite unexpected investment stake, I am paying Comcast what I owe them, and having them switch me back on... at the condo. Then, I'll get the HOA to pay the bill, once I have their new website up and running. :)

And, I'll let my neighbs pay a tiny monthly fee to get a net key, to defray costs further...

I'm lovin' it. Thanks, M. P-S! ;)
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Harold... Call Me.

I just switched plans w/Cingular, so instead of paying $1 the first time on any day I use the phone + $0.10/minute, I have like 300 anytime minutes, 1000 night/weekends, and $0.10/message texting.

See, I'm expecting (and getting) a lot more calls. It helps to pretend one has a job... actually, I do have a job: Finding people who will give me rectangular, green slips of paper in exchange for things I can do very well. ;)

And it may seem that I'm fucking off here at Cafe Coco, but really, I'm not. I just had another call from Jeremy's mama (the 15 year old kid who was trying to figure out which bus to take to get to 100 Oaks for his NA meeting, 'cause his sponsor had failed to show up to give him a ride... y'all heard this one, right?). She wants to meet with me to ascertain "how real" I am (i.e. not an addict, looking to bugger her son, I suppose... hey, can't blame her). Jeremy was apparently very excited at the prospects of learning how to use ACID Pro to chop up loops, and make some rap recordings on his home 'puter... and you-know-who told him who could teach him, at a reasonable rate, right? ;)

UPDATE: In meatspace, I've brought 40+ old HCA business cards (see photo at right) each of the past three days to Cafe Coco, and left each day with... zero. Today, I got to havin' a beer with the new artist showing her works here, and she'll be the third "spec" site I'm going to set up on Blogger (cheap, fast, easy... and hey, it's a web site, dammit!) for a commision on sales. So, that's the Bicycle Man, the HandyAndyMan, and Faith, The Artist. See what a li'l jawbonin' will do?

UPDATE II: Oh! Almost forgot -- the Irrigation Systems Guy, but he may not do a "spec" site. For some reason, he's distrustful of the "if you make money, I make money" concept. ;) Okay, be that way -- pay me up front, regardless. Duh!
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Szlzezezpz (or, Sleep)

It's not even 04:00.

Okay, it's one thang to be all "high on life," folx... but this "4 hrs. sleep, then wide awake" shit is for the birds, and it'll eventually get me killed if I don't put my foot down, and refuse to get on that death machine (bad moto' scooter) until I'm well-rested.*

No -- my trip home from the Coco** Sunday night was completely unremarkable. I'm just making a point for safety. Don't worry -- I will be careful, careful, careful. That's why I've vowed not to leave the house (on the scooter, anyway) today until I get another four hours of sleep. Until I feel sleepy again, I'll see if I can't get a neighbor to open up a WiFi connection in exchange for a Tasty-Freez, or a PC house call.*** :)

I took it slow and easy, partly because it was colder 'n fuck out, and the slower you go, the warmer you stay. ;) The other reason was that I was trying to explore a more southerly route to/from my 'hood than the Clifton Avenue corridor, and I found one (click image above for the big, readable map)... I did have to jet up Charlotte for about four blocks, in the Charlotte @ White Bridge area. S'ok -- that's a major intersection, and traffic at ~23:00 Sunday was pretty light, and easy to be cautious. A cop pulled up beside me at the light at that intersection (the west precinct is nearby on Charlotte), rolled down his window, laughing. "Little cold for that, isn't it?" he asked. I said, "Yeah, but it beats the hell out of walkin'! It's not so bad for ten-minute stretches." He just smirked, rolled his eyes, shook his head, and rolled the window back up. Typical cop. I was just glad he didn't wanna fuck with me, 'cause technically, I'm not fully reinstated until the insurance on the scooter is paid and proven to the TN Dept. of Safety. The retired cop here in the condos said that generally, scooters are below the cops' radar, unless you're doing something really stupid (no helmet or tags, for example), or they have a report of someone in the area that's up to no good, riding one. He said if he were me, he'd get the tags, and keep 'em up-to-date, but not insure it until I got a citation. :) Judges always dismiss those if you bring the proof-of-insurance coverage to court, so... the retired cop makes a lot of sense! He's pretty cool, too... got a big-ass gun vault in his living room. And he has a cat! Strikes me as a bit house-proud, though... his place is decked out and decorated better than I'd expect a retired cop's condo to be. :)

I dropped into the 24-hour Walgreen's on the northwest corner of that intersection, as that's as good as any spot to re-insert myself into the neighborhood surface streets, via Miles Edward O'Brien Avenue. Plus, the ends of my fingers were numb from the cold (yeah, I have some gloves... but I need some better 'uns).

I went in to warm up, and to pick up a few more Swipes™, but since I had the mobile office on my back, I thought "Hey, I can use their computer-based photo kiosk to suck a Photoshopped JPEG file off my MMC card (already put there at the Coco) to print out signage for my Swipes™ hucksterism..." Well, I was sooo cold, I just left my Speed Racer helmet on, and walked in. A pretty lady was stocking the tech shelves near the kiosk, and came over, as I was getting ready to print my signs: "Ooh! Can I see your bike?" Heh. ;)

Cynthia was apparently a motorcycle mama. I hated to disappoint her, telling her the "hawg" I was riding was more guinea pig than hog, but she was sweet and funny, and we had a nice chat. Long story made short, she took my altered HCA card, and is going to put in a word for me with the manager for a part-time, evening/weekend/short-notice-fill-in spot in the photo lab (which is also open 24/7). She said they always need someone, especially at night... the night manager has to train to operate it, because they have trouble finding people who'll do it, long-term, other than on day shift. I'm their huckleberry! I'm five minutes away by scooter... to quote The Great Samuel L., playing the role of Jules Winfield, "Sheee-it, knee-GROW! That's ALL you HAD to say!" :) And, point in my favor: They won't have to do a lot of training with me... I'm familiar with PC-based photo printing equipment, and they have a kickass, ultra-mod setup -- their machine requires no mixing of chemicals, even. Just plug in these 3-gallon cartridges, calibrate, and rawk awn.

Why not cover all contingencies? See, even with the good ideers about self-employment, I'm not going to count on that to win the day (even though I suspect that's the route to my eventual crazy happiness). I just saw on the morning news that Vanderbilt's having a job fair today, so I'm-o stop in on that, too. It'll give me an excuse to put on some duds... gee, I wonder if I still remember how to tie a tie... ;)

So... okay! More Karmic Ledger 411 from the 37209, dawg:

You investors in Curly & Jeffraham, Inc. should be seeing your dividend checks real soon. Now please -- don't give me any shit. I know y'all haven't been sending me money that you can't afford to send, but really... some of you have gone waaay deep in the Help Dept. (I've had a few people who've sent over $1000... one, in one swell foop! OMFSM!). I'm gonna e-mail the major stockholders before IDing them -- y'all know who most of 'em are, but I don't want to embarrass or expose any confidences, y'see. Simply put, there's just no way I can't repay y'all and still feel good about myself. So, please... no arguments. "Paying it forward" is cool, an' all, but I also wanna pay all of these big chunks back, okay? Tena understands. :) If you sent me $20, and you didn't get a Curly DVD, remind me, and I'll send one out and (if you're jiggy), I'll be willing to call it even. Anyone who's sent more than that, and haven't gotten a DVD, slap the shit out of me. Please -- bring it to my immediate attention, and I'll send you what I can, as I can.

And, all y'all have to get in line behind my landlord, of course -- he's the majority stockholder in C&J, Inc., but some of you are getting mighty close to a friendly takeover... ;)

If y'all get stubborn (Dr. Shouty-Crackers, who's afraid of a 'ittle postcard, I point in YOUR direction!), I'll insist that you attend a future Gnashvegan mini-Eschacon, and that you allow me to treat you as far as my funds will allow. Deal?

And, for anyone who has checks in the mail, or whatever... from Election Day forward, I'll need your explicit promise to not fight my paying you back. Otherwise, I'll have to turn ya down, even if it means missing a meal.

To be honest, I could use a micro-cash infusion, 'cause I took a big hit registering the scooter, paying the taxes on it, and doing the license reinstatement... but I'm hoping that the landlord will hold the title on the scooter for 30 days, and that some techie and/or Swipes™ cash will roll in fast enough to head off any crises situations. Yes, I re-prioritized this list and spent a big part of November's rent on the scooter/license issue, but it seemed prudent, given that the key to my near-future steady income is dependable, cheap (even cheaper than MTA) and on-demand transportation; the scooter definitely provides all that. Also, I have food, Curly has food... I have a few bux... I just don't have much inventory of Swipes™ (and none of the lanyards), so... if anyone should want to partner...

You'd have to agree to first-priority payback w/vig ("Get your shy runnin' right!" -- I mean for me to agree to it, it'd have to be 10%/month, at least), but if that works for you, let me know. We're talking about a maximum of a couple hundred bux, here, to buy up these thingies for resale. I know I can go downtown during lunchtime, and sell the livin' shit out of these thangs, but I wanna prove that, first, on a small scale, so keep in mind that even $50 will buy a dozen. I'm going to see if I can't get a dozen of them, and a dozen lanyards... if I can sell all of them in two hours, I'll know I have a winner of an idea. Worst case scenario, all my four-eyed buds will have an early Christmas prezzie. :)

Also... Walgreen's can do up professional, photo-quality calendars, using my photos and mad Photoshop skillz... anyone wanna commit to buying one, if they're reasonably priced? Of course, I'd have a preview for ya to see, ahead of time... let me see what they want to print these up. I could probably even incorporate your favorite Curly photos, in a creative montage... whaddya think?

More to come...

* It's now 08:30, and I did go back to sleep for a little more than two more hours, and I feel reasonably alert after a cup of coffee, but not rested. I'll head in, call it an early day. I have to return a book to the library, get a haircut (else be resigned to hopeless helmet head), and check into a few thangs, online (@ library -- short, quick trip).

** Yes, I'm pluggin' the shit out of Cafe Coco, 'cause everyone I've met there has been so unbelievably cool, and so flamingly leftie (or neutral), so I want to keep them in your minds as a place you HAVE to go when you come to visit. You'll like it. Very bohemian! You've seen the photos. C'mon. It's my midtown office. :)

*** I called Comcast last week, full of contrition, apologizing for ditching them with a balance on my account. I was laughed at! The nice Comcast lady said that it happens all the time, and not to worry -- I only owe them $120, anyway. She said they don't even send amounts that small to collection, and that I could get service again anytime after paying up... which I plan to do (pay them, that is... maybe a few bux/month, unless things really take right off), but I think Lisa the HOA lady will hook me up with WiFi Real Soon Now, permanently, in exchange for designing and running the HOA web.
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