Screaming Orphans at Woodhaven House, Queens, NY

Everything happens by chance and chance met our party of three with the Screaming Orphans at a Queens dive last night. Whether it was ten beers I had already downed before I reached the bar, the dimly lit interior or noticeable absence of any real good options, but this band of sisters caught my eye as we walked into the bar. Their cover tunes were decent and besides walking by the band stand as we staked claim to a non-threatening corner of the bar next to two mildly attractive girls dancing with one of those non-attractive ones (description not necessary), I didn't really pay them mind outside their immediate good looks. I like live music probably more than the next guy does, but I don't care for exposed poppers whose coolgirl fashion imitates what's trendy today. That's what they appeared to be, and their song was a cover on something classic rock. I thought to myself, atleast with the unfavorable ratio and talent, I would have some something to keep myslef entertained outside my two buds.
Then the lead singer spoke. Her delicated brogue immediately peaked my interest. She seemed a little tentative, shy and maybe even lacking in self-assurance, which for a pretty blonde was strangely attractive. And then my peaked interest was rewarded with a few consecutive Irish songs that were played expertly, atleast to my novice ear(of Irish descent). While their American renditions were good but not great, their Irish inspired songs were excellent. The three of us left the bar soon after they finished their set, impressed with the band but more importantly, the pleasure of listening to good and live traditional Irish music. I became a fan of the Screaming Orphans.

"Where the cop is the purp, and the purp is the victim!"

(Copland)

It's not so much that these lines have been blurred beyond doubt but there is some validity to this quote as presented specifically in television in Cop-Thug shows that started with the Shield and continued with what I consider the best television series out there...The WIRE. There is no clear good guys and bad guys and the show demonstrates what's really out there...just people. Some are working behind the guise of the law and others on the corners. But in some twisted way, and certainly by direction of the writers, what side one is on, does not designate them automatically as a protagonist or antagonist...they're still just people. Sure there are the cops you like, but there is also criminals you find yourself siding...errr... empathizing with. And these criminals make you almost believe that selling crack, robbery and murder are... normal. And there lies the beauty of the show. That some things that appeared so foreign at first become commonplace later. After all, the Black ghetto is like a foreign country that happens to be in our cities.

I am a pretty friendly guy. Not a whole lot of things bother me but there are a few things that get to my last calm nerve. This is not a rant because at the point that that last nerve is reached, I usually can rein in that last nerve tight enough that I don’t explode off into a cannon made of fury. There are those rare times when the cords that hold my aggression firmly down get tasseled and I loose my cool. I will not go too far into things that may do the latter, but I am all for exposing for my awaiting audience with examples of the former.

For some reason, reckless SUV drivers don’t bother me as much as a reckless, SUV-driving women, wearing sunglasses too big for her face and actively chatting on a cell phone. The SUV itself is a net negative and the aggressive driving makes me uncomfortable, but I only lose it if it’s a woman driver (sad sexist confession, I know, I know) and there is animated cell phone chatter. It probably has something to do with the probability that she is driving her daddy’s big car and has no idea what the implications of a big bad accident would be like for someone else being hit by her car.

Another thing that just gets me, absolutely gets me, is when you meet people who are obviously trying to show themselves up in front of you and they never realize that the constant barrage of self-compliments never seem to add up with you. You try to goad them along with depreciatory questions and there is never any negative. This happened frequently at college during the early years when you meet somebody new and they would think they needed to provide a verbal resume of their spectacular life’s achievements, usually with getting chicks and kicking ass in high school sports. What usually occurs is later he was really talking about his sister’s friends and his year of JV mytho-reality. It is clearly unacceptable in the limited social contact found in the work setting. No, I don't care or believe your astonishing feats of bravery or urban ferocity. Didn't we used to brag about those things in high school?

People who don’t do what they said they would do. This is the worst of the bunch because these people are usually your friends, colleagues or people that you normally would, or want to trust. “I’ll give you a call back,” is usually the most frequent assertion and it’s not so much that you want to get that call back because 4 in 5 surveyed said that it’s just the idea that they had no intention of calling back that makes them annoyed. If these people had some integrity, instead of misleading (lying to) their “friends”, just be more accurate…”I’ll talk to you later.” Simple and no one feels annoyed/mislead.

This next case is a product of our technological advances. When someone texts you and you call them back, they don’t answer. If you just texted me, and you’re inquisitive about something that I can answer, then why not pick up the f'n phone? Obviously there are sometimes when you are indisposed to answer calls, but we’re not talking meetings here folks, these aren’t daytime calls.

Surprisingly, what do not peeve me are calls to my cell phone during work. I recognize that I am quite busy at work, as are most people working for a salary, but I enjoy a chance of a breather, albeit quick, from the monotony of the daily tasks. I see a call as a welcome reprieve as long as I am not directly busy! So that I am not annoyed by.

There's quite more upsetting things that I have left out. Don't worry, I will include these in a blog article at a later date.

Unread Books

Being invited to Goodreads.com and since, spreading the wealth to my book-reading friends forced me more acutely aware of the daunting amount of books that I have not read and conversely, so few I have. Whether it's science or fiction (or science-fiction) there is clearly too many good books to read. This website (and visual realization) arrives on the heels of a newstory last week about how 40% of Americans have not read a book since grade school and an incredible number of us who don't read ONE book in a year. I celebrate those who use their imagination by reading.

Blog Riotus has already mentioned the problem of obesity amongst urban, young Americans and what impediments are blocking the way to healthy food habits. Clearly, in the case of reading, which can be grouped together with healthy eating and exercise not by similarity, but by mental and physical health indicators, there are far fewer roadblocks. There is not the case of being able to procure healthy food options or lack of a playground/sports field/court. There is only being able to get a book. I think it safe to assume libraries exist in every school in America; now let's get our kids some motivation to pick our a book and start reading them.