Fuck the law!

Today I went to defend myself in front of an adjudication officer against a summonse I received accusing me of walking between train cars. I've witnessed people walk between train cars every time I ride the train. I've seen Chinese slaves peddle bootleg DVDs and AA batteries so they could buy their freedom walk between cars. I've seen black teenagers selling candy without a vending license walk between cars. I've seen two twins put their huge Filene's Basement shopping bags on the seat, covering enough real estate for two fat American asses. The train was crowded and their action was indeed illegal. I've seen a ton of illegal shit. sometimes perpetrated in front of police (like the young white girl walk right between cars on the J train in front of the white police officer who merely stood there and didn't even glance her way). But I get summonsed and the fine gets upheld. I even brought my 67 year old mother with declining memory in to help argue my case, and the adjudication officer accuses her of contriving testimony.

I love New York City, but I take dumb shit like this personally. Was the black officer being racist? Probably, he marked down, on my summons, that I'm Hispanic. Maybe he has something against Hispanics. Whether I'm Hispanic or not is moot. The fact of the matter is, I no longer have respect for New York City's administration. Be it law, or otherwise. The people here without agendas, something to prove or some sort of authority are fucking awesome. The best. But this city has proven to me on several occasions that it no longer wants me. So fuck a New York City.

I'll never pay $75 for a $2 subway ride. I'm not a criminal. The MTA can suck my dick.

The fine was upheld. But they can uphold these nuts.

My mother says you can't blame anyone for hating America.

Happy birthday Prince.

"Slap a white boy, snuff your landlord/
smash a window, break the camcord/
rob the corner store, bomb the precinct/
choke a C.O., stab a D.T."
Stic, on Fuck the law by Dead Prez

Today I'm feeling:

without wind in my sails

Still though, something blows

Yuck

Street Fair, East Village, NYC

Though June doesn't seem to be another April, it sure isn't as nice as May. I smell fodder in the air.

I read that luck is the residue of logic. I don't remember who quoted it, but in my logic, the residue is quite bad. Yucky.

It's supposed to be 90 here in the city on Friday. I see it as another day to feel as though I'm walking through butter. Yucky.

To update you all on my dealings as a teacher of English as a second language, boss lady is leaving and she sent around another mass email telling us that her replacement is one of the administrators that everyone knows. Cool dude, I must say. But he most likely is privy to knowledge of boss lady's stand-off against yours truly. I've also been given another sub gig for a quarter day (which is worth the subway fare, so I'll take it). Should I approach homeboy on that day? What should I say, if anything?

"...your raps' all lazy/
Jigga, the black Scorcese/
what your album lack is more Jay-Z..."
Jay-Z on Pregame by Sauce Money

Today I'm feeling:

congenial to the world

But the world hates me.

Red bull!

What the f?!?!

I think I got caught running a red light. Those "hidden" red light cameras in New York City have always had me a little nervous. The thing is you never run one of these things on purpose. It's always a pothole in the street right before the intersection that distracts you while the light turns yellow and you find yourself accelerating as the thing turns red! It's always something. I think, however, that I had entered the intersection before the light turned though. The thing is, the cameras read your speed first, then if it sees you're going too fast to stop for the light it takes a picture of your car and the red light at the intersection. I have a hunch that it's tied to the calibration of the stop light. I think when the light turns yellow, and it has decided that it is going to snap your picture, it makes the light change just as it predicts you'd be entering the intersection. Sometimes, it even holds the yellow light longer just to tempt you into the intersection. It's such a fucking farce. I hate the system. I fucking hate the system.

This game of life is a frustrating endeavor.

"...for some reason, my lines make thugs stronger/
blow guns and fuck for two hours longer..."
Tragedy on What makes you think

Today I'm feeling:

dark blue

Like I could use a hint of cranberry... in a bucket of Vodka.

What!?!?

Eyes on Darfur, up and running!

So I've been back at the teaching thing for just a couple days. I subbed on Friday, and here I am for one mo' 'gin on Monday. So on Friday I had a lil question for boss lady. Apparently, my lil cubby was relabeled and was no longer mine. I just wanted some of my shit I kept in it. So boss lady was chattin' up one of the new teachers she's hired since I've been sitting at home awaiting work. When she was done, or pausing or just plainly not saying shit anymore, I peeked in to ask my question and she, seemingly provoked, asked "WHAT?!"

Son of a bitch! Preceding this turn of events, I emailed her on the Friday before Memorial Day asking her if she'd be so kind as to give me a nice reference seeing as how I was trained by them folk (which cost them money and time) and what kind of reference would they give me. Now, the thing with that is I made it clear that I wanted to stay put, but they just refused to give me any work. So the sub gig popped up like bad timing. I scooped it up quite quick. Then another one came my way. Still, I received no reply to my email. Sugary. I figured she'd speak with me when I came in, in person. No dice; she barely looked my way. What the F!?

So check this shit out. I get a mass email from boss lady now telling me that she's leaving the end of the week or month or what have you. She also mentioned some bullshit about sincerely enjoying working with all of us. Clearly it's bullshit because she railroaded me. But what do I make of this now. Should I use them as a reference now? Should I not? Should I wait for the new boss person is installed and ask for a course? How should I go about this? What gives?

Oh the myriad questions.

"...yo, when I'm on stage rhymin'/
I forget what state that I'm in/
the bitches numbers I lost, my baby mama find 'em/
I played the lottery, 40 million that day/
I probably won the motherfucker but I forgot that I played..."
Redman on Jersey Yo!

Today I'm feeling:

groggy

I think I was supposed to do some stuff today and just didn't have to energy to remember much less do them.

Number crunchin'

T-Shirt in store window in NoHo

The remnants of what was once Tropical Storm Barry came to pay us a visit. New York is good that way. We get a lot of bad weather, but you never hear much of the weather in New York other than that it's bad. I think we like it that way.

What the F?!?

I have a Nintendo Wii, right. Now, I waited in line at Target in Danbury, CT for 36 hours leading up to the stores' opening on November 17th to buy a Playstation 3 in order to afford my Nintendo Wii. The Playstation 3, at $600, sold for $1200. I paid back the $600 plus tax to my credit card and took the profit and bought a Nintendo Wii, some accessories and games. But the darned controls on the thing actually eats through AA batteries like a little fat girl eats through pork filled breakfast sandwiches at McDonalds. So I'm just thinking to myself that before it actually becomes obsolete, my Nintendo Wii will cost me more than a Playstation 3 (whose controllers have rechargeable internal batteries). So much for being a profiteer.

"...emcees run away when I kick it/
they so chicken/
they should come with a large drink and a biscuit..."
Canibus on Buckingham Palace

Today I'm feeling:

broke and getting broker

If money grew on trees, I'd live in the Ténéré.

Photo foe, faux

Sorry about not keeping up here.

The Rubin Museum was the latest stop on my tour here in NYC. It's actually a nice place. The ambiance is conducive to enjoying art and most of the top floor was dedicated to photography. Plus it's free on Friday evenings.

That photo is the paramount reason I'm running low on photos for you all. Museums aren't too keen anymore, on letting museum goers, much like myself, take photos. Overhearing a curator or employee of some kind at the Rubin chastise a man who took a photo, the reason apparently, is due to the fact that the temporary exhibitions are proprietary property and I'm guessing they feel you taking your own personal picture compromises the host museum's ability to make money. But then that begs the question, why can you take pictures of the permanent collection at the host museum, though not when it's on loan? Quirky situation, indeed.

Sorry if that point wasn't so well written.

"...so please, yo/
I'm from the killer cap of the kilos/
where niggas clap and fat bitches get yapped for their Cheetos..."
AZ on Can't Stop

Today I'm feeling:

disconnected

Really, I have no recollection of the day's events

101

You know how some people have bad days? I'm having a bad lifetime.

Don't get me wrong, I love the subway. It's part of the reason why New York City can be so amazing. I just hate the people who work in the subway. And no, I'm not talking about the subway performers or the people who bust theirs to keep it clean. I hate the indignant people with any kind of authority or power in the subway whose job it is to make you a miserable automaton; the police and token booth clerks, being prime examples. I've run across a miserable token booth clerk who really took the cake in Toronto a couple years back. For that experience alone I'll try and fix things so I'll never be back to that crap hole of a city. So I can imagine the impression our token booth clerks give to visitors of New York. I'm telling you, they are the worst.

So there was a system wide issue that made it so that none of the Metrocard vending machines in the city could take credit or debit cards. I had no cash and the token booths just don't accept credit or debit either. So I was shit out of luck and my whole day was fouled up. You'd figure the token booth clerks would have enough compassion and let a broke man without a shred of cash through. Instead they insisted I look for a cash advance or some dumb shit, which would cost me more than a ride on the subway, to get some fucking cash. How crass? I asked two separate clerks in the subways stations I visited, and they both thought helping me was below them. But I remember who they are, what they look like and their disposition. Not that I know they'll get what's coming to them, but if I'm ever in a position to help these two individuals, they'll get reminded of this cruel misdeed of theirs.

Not likely to happen, I know. But this is a grudge I'm keen on holding.

"...and I know I shouldn't be drinking on an empty stomach/
but the flyer said open bar, I said 'fuck it'..."
M1 of Dead Prez on Fucked up

Today I'm feeling:

Like I've got a bone to pick

Fuck a meanie!