Pt. 2
1.2.2k2
Continued from 1.1.2k2 …
My quasi-obsession with Tetris led to a strange phenomenon that I have heard is not unique: I would begin to see the Tetris shapes in real-life objects. The Number 151 Sheridan Road CTA bus looked just like a 4x1. The space between those buildings needed a “Flat-S.” My TV set resembled the 2x2 square. It was a bit weird at first. Unsettling. I grew to like it, though. There was a strange sense of convergence between the abstract universe where it constantly rained geometry and the strange city where I lived. I never knew what to expect, so I stopped anticipating. That is a lesson that I have to re-learn often.
But enough about the Tetris compulsion, it was merely to be used to illustrate the concept I’m writing about. You might remember I mentioned the gray area between hobby and obsession. Well Tetris usage grossed that border, or straddled it at the very least. I got something else evolving similarly: Used to be I didn’t give two hoots about vacuuming my shoes. Now I can’t get enough. It’s starting to take over my life.
Some would say that vacuuming shoes might develop into an obsession, but such a thing would never start out as a hobby. I disagree. There is a level of utility to vacuuming one’s shoes, just as there is in shining one’s shoes. That being the act of doing the chore one’s self rather than paying to have the service done. When does the chore start becoming desirable? Do you like the outcome of your actions? Don’t your shoes look great now that you’ve shined them? Isn’t your yard the best-looking on the block due to your hard work? Doesn’t your bike ride better after you detailed it? I maintain that the chore does indeed morph into a hobby.
So what started as a chore – vacuuming shoes – became a hobby. Now that hobby has started to become an obsession.
To be continued …
Tonight: Sadie’s Flying Elephant
News: Some of the Venue Announcement regulars, such as Tonight’s Contest, Porn Title of the Week, and Linkey Loo! have been absent so far this year, but fear not, for they shall return soon. Some of the List members have been absent from meetings so far this year. It’s up to them if they will be returning soon. Hi to List Members and good luck with the Southern Cal satellite meeting.
See you all at the Elephant. You may remember it as being a favorite TNSC destination. Bring yer pals. I know I will. bye-ee!
Thursday, January 10, 2002
Thursday, January 03, 2002
Here we go!
1.1.2k2
An obsession? Sort of. A hobby? Maybe. It’s a stretch, but maybe you could call it a hobby. It certainly falls in that gray area between obsession and hobby. I would guess there’s a point where every hobby crosses that border. I myownself have gone overboard with one or two hobby-like interests. One just gets a little too into it.
There was a time when I couldn’t get enough of the game Tetris. Before school, after work and well into the night, I’d be flipping around those blocks building and disintegrating that wall. Sure there was the typical high-score-related rivalry with my roommates, but it went beyond wanting to kick their asses like stepchildren. I liked the hypnotic effect of endlessly rotating the Tetris bits. I’d slip into a three-hour Tet-com (Tetris-Coma) that would seem like 15 minutes. It sure was a fun game to play, but not necessarily to watch. There wasn’t much to do. You could root for a “backwards L” to drop next or root against your highscore being defeated but that was about it. Mostly a bunch of BS and small talk. One hot topic of conversation while someone was getting their Tet on was the origin of the game. There was some bullshit story about the game originating in Russia or the USSR or some crap. I never bought it. The Reds could build nukes and pop corn and distill vitamin-V, but computer games?
“Yeh, but, what about them Kremlin-thingys on the box?” I didn’t have an answer for that except for: “Some package-design geek drew the Kremlin. They were probably listening to Sisters of Mercy when they were designing. That’s where the Russian influence starts and stops. Oh, and they were probably hungover from a Stoli binge.” One dill-hole said they knew for a fact that children used to play a version of the game a long time ago on the wind-swept, grassy steppes of Siberia. “Explain that one to me, brainiac. How do you play a practical version of Tetris. Scrabble translates to video game, so does hockey and deer hunting, but Tetris? You’re on crack.” He didn’t have any rebuttal, but he stuck to his guns. Idiot.
To be continued …
Tonight: Shanghai Kelly’s
News: Well hell. 2002. I’m banking on this year being a lot better than its cousins – Y2K and 2K1. Those years seriously sucked. I’m grateful they’re behind us. Hope all had nice holidays, got everything you wanted and didn’t get food poisoning.
See ya all at the bar. Get there early, get there late, just get there. I spent Christmas Eve there. It’s nice. Bring yer pals. bye-ee!
Oh, and, remember ... "two thousand two." Not "two thousand and two." Don't piss me off.
1.1.2k2
An obsession? Sort of. A hobby? Maybe. It’s a stretch, but maybe you could call it a hobby. It certainly falls in that gray area between obsession and hobby. I would guess there’s a point where every hobby crosses that border. I myownself have gone overboard with one or two hobby-like interests. One just gets a little too into it.
There was a time when I couldn’t get enough of the game Tetris. Before school, after work and well into the night, I’d be flipping around those blocks building and disintegrating that wall. Sure there was the typical high-score-related rivalry with my roommates, but it went beyond wanting to kick their asses like stepchildren. I liked the hypnotic effect of endlessly rotating the Tetris bits. I’d slip into a three-hour Tet-com (Tetris-Coma) that would seem like 15 minutes. It sure was a fun game to play, but not necessarily to watch. There wasn’t much to do. You could root for a “backwards L” to drop next or root against your highscore being defeated but that was about it. Mostly a bunch of BS and small talk. One hot topic of conversation while someone was getting their Tet on was the origin of the game. There was some bullshit story about the game originating in Russia or the USSR or some crap. I never bought it. The Reds could build nukes and pop corn and distill vitamin-V, but computer games?
“Yeh, but, what about them Kremlin-thingys on the box?” I didn’t have an answer for that except for: “Some package-design geek drew the Kremlin. They were probably listening to Sisters of Mercy when they were designing. That’s where the Russian influence starts and stops. Oh, and they were probably hungover from a Stoli binge.” One dill-hole said they knew for a fact that children used to play a version of the game a long time ago on the wind-swept, grassy steppes of Siberia. “Explain that one to me, brainiac. How do you play a practical version of Tetris. Scrabble translates to video game, so does hockey and deer hunting, but Tetris? You’re on crack.” He didn’t have any rebuttal, but he stuck to his guns. Idiot.
To be continued …
Tonight: Shanghai Kelly’s
News: Well hell. 2002. I’m banking on this year being a lot better than its cousins – Y2K and 2K1. Those years seriously sucked. I’m grateful they’re behind us. Hope all had nice holidays, got everything you wanted and didn’t get food poisoning.
See ya all at the bar. Get there early, get there late, just get there. I spent Christmas Eve there. It’s nice. Bring yer pals. bye-ee!
Oh, and, remember ... "two thousand two." Not "two thousand and two." Don't piss me off.
Thursday, December 13, 2001
Gershon
12.2.2k1
The Fly - the remake. Not the one with the swapped heads. I like the one with the swapped heads, but it ain’t no David Cronenberg version of The Fly. That’s the way to remake a scary movie. John Carpenter did it with The Thing too; he took a great, old scary movie and made it shit-your-pants contemporary-scary. Both of these movies had the “on the surface” horror as well as your “lay awake at night hoping that creepy fly guy ain’t crawlin’ up yer wall” scary. Or the “god dang the cat’s been acting weird lately … I hope he doesn’t split in half and shoot out a tentacle that eats my face off” scary.
I really get into that psychological horror and the remake of The Fly sure deals it out. I seen it recently. Jeff Goldblum was born to play the part of that wacky scientist. That was his best work ever (until he started with the VO of them Apple Computer spots). Gina Whatserface did some terrific acting herownself. That part where she gives birth to the fly baby freaked me way out. I remember the first time I saw that scene and I remember thinking after seeing it: “No way I’m EVER gettin’ knocked up.” Then I remembered that there ain’t no biological way I can get knocked up ‘cause I’m a dude and what the hell was I thinking? Am I on dope? I concluded that Cronenberg is so dang good at scaring people that he can trick dudes into thinking that they can give birth to fly babies. Then the half-Jeff Goldblum/half-fly starts, well, “getting into” being the fly. And why not? He figured he was done for, so why not walk on the ceiling and such? And after all, he had the brain of a scientist, did he not? It was only when that red-haired rat pal of Gina Whatserface forced the fly to stop being wacky-scientist-fly-dude and become rampaging--gross-ass--killer--six-foot--fly-monster and chew the rat pal’s face off. That’s your last bit of horror – that you actually feel pity for oozy-insideout-fly-freaky. Normally one would like to see the 10th Armored Brigade shelling such a monster from the safety of the far riverbank. But here the hero is … a nasty mess. And poor Gina Whatserface. Has to shoot her lover, the fly. Love run amok. Science run amok. Woo-hoo! I’m gonna buy that sucker on DVD!
Tonight: Tosca
News: The Jamie Lee Curtis 14 won the Presidio Softball League Championship last Sunday. List Member/Team Members include: Jerry C., Anna B., (nameless) M., Woody T., Dave H. and Amy G. And Robot. We kicked the ass of a team that needed its ass kicked. And we drank a lot of booze. Congrats to Remote List Members DER and RCD for gettin' hitched. You make a Robot cry.
Tonight's Contest: Find the Reference! Yeh, well, last week’s winner was Founding Member John Metsker once again. The clue was the title of the venue announcement, “Cuckoo.” He guessed that it referred to me for thanking him for giving me a ride home the after previous Thursday’s meeting when in fact someone else had given me a ride home. I was “Cuckoo.” Well he’s right and he wins. He will enjoy a lovely prize. (Longtime List Member Bobo also questioned the Robot’s recollection of who drove his drunk ass home and he will enjoy the prize befitting “Honorable Mention.”)
Tonight's Dramatic Reenactment: Another history lesson: The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was first minted on this day in 1978. Well we all know what the heck became of this lame idea: Payouts at the track. Change at the Post Office. Being second-guessed by the Frogger machine. Yep. Don’t ask me what I’ve done with all them Susan B’s. Kay Rough plays the Susan B. and we need a volunteer to play the minting machine.
Tonight's Singled-Out List Member: Kathleen Michaud. She’ll know why she’s singled out.
Porn Title of the Week: Keeping with the Xmas spirit, Porn Title of the Week Coordinator and Longtime List Member Tama says this one puts the XXX in Xmas: A Christmas Orgy
Satanic Word of the Week: this
The picture you see above of the martini was taken at Tosca’s by a dear friend, former List Member Guy Hudson. We could reenact the taking of that picture, for god’s sake. Meanwhile, bring your friends, I know I will. See you there! bye-ee!
12.2.2k1
The Fly - the remake. Not the one with the swapped heads. I like the one with the swapped heads, but it ain’t no David Cronenberg version of The Fly. That’s the way to remake a scary movie. John Carpenter did it with The Thing too; he took a great, old scary movie and made it shit-your-pants contemporary-scary. Both of these movies had the “on the surface” horror as well as your “lay awake at night hoping that creepy fly guy ain’t crawlin’ up yer wall” scary. Or the “god dang the cat’s been acting weird lately … I hope he doesn’t split in half and shoot out a tentacle that eats my face off” scary.
I really get into that psychological horror and the remake of The Fly sure deals it out. I seen it recently. Jeff Goldblum was born to play the part of that wacky scientist. That was his best work ever (until he started with the VO of them Apple Computer spots). Gina Whatserface did some terrific acting herownself. That part where she gives birth to the fly baby freaked me way out. I remember the first time I saw that scene and I remember thinking after seeing it: “No way I’m EVER gettin’ knocked up.” Then I remembered that there ain’t no biological way I can get knocked up ‘cause I’m a dude and what the hell was I thinking? Am I on dope? I concluded that Cronenberg is so dang good at scaring people that he can trick dudes into thinking that they can give birth to fly babies. Then the half-Jeff Goldblum/half-fly starts, well, “getting into” being the fly. And why not? He figured he was done for, so why not walk on the ceiling and such? And after all, he had the brain of a scientist, did he not? It was only when that red-haired rat pal of Gina Whatserface forced the fly to stop being wacky-scientist-fly-dude and become rampaging--gross-ass--killer--six-foot--fly-monster and chew the rat pal’s face off. That’s your last bit of horror – that you actually feel pity for oozy-insideout-fly-freaky. Normally one would like to see the 10th Armored Brigade shelling such a monster from the safety of the far riverbank. But here the hero is … a nasty mess. And poor Gina Whatserface. Has to shoot her lover, the fly. Love run amok. Science run amok. Woo-hoo! I’m gonna buy that sucker on DVD!
Tonight: Tosca
News: The Jamie Lee Curtis 14 won the Presidio Softball League Championship last Sunday. List Member/Team Members include: Jerry C., Anna B., (nameless) M., Woody T., Dave H. and Amy G. And Robot. We kicked the ass of a team that needed its ass kicked. And we drank a lot of booze. Congrats to Remote List Members DER and RCD for gettin' hitched. You make a Robot cry.
Tonight's Contest: Find the Reference! Yeh, well, last week’s winner was Founding Member John Metsker once again. The clue was the title of the venue announcement, “Cuckoo.” He guessed that it referred to me for thanking him for giving me a ride home the after previous Thursday’s meeting when in fact someone else had given me a ride home. I was “Cuckoo.” Well he’s right and he wins. He will enjoy a lovely prize. (Longtime List Member Bobo also questioned the Robot’s recollection of who drove his drunk ass home and he will enjoy the prize befitting “Honorable Mention.”)
Tonight's Dramatic Reenactment: Another history lesson: The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was first minted on this day in 1978. Well we all know what the heck became of this lame idea: Payouts at the track. Change at the Post Office. Being second-guessed by the Frogger machine. Yep. Don’t ask me what I’ve done with all them Susan B’s. Kay Rough plays the Susan B. and we need a volunteer to play the minting machine.
Tonight's Singled-Out List Member: Kathleen Michaud. She’ll know why she’s singled out.
Porn Title of the Week: Keeping with the Xmas spirit, Porn Title of the Week Coordinator and Longtime List Member Tama says this one puts the XXX in Xmas: A Christmas Orgy
Satanic Word of the Week: this
The picture you see above of the martini was taken at Tosca’s by a dear friend, former List Member Guy Hudson. We could reenact the taking of that picture, for god’s sake. Meanwhile, bring your friends, I know I will. See you there! bye-ee!
Thursday, December 06, 2001
Cuckoo
12.1.2k1
Are you the kind of person that notices when spooky stuff starts to happen to you? I ain’t talking about startling stuff, like a door slamming because of the wind. I ain’t talking about full-on supernatural phenomena like a chocolate cake baking itself either. I’m referring to low-lever spookiness. Give you an example.
Last year some time my bike light started to turn itself on in the middle of the night. I’ve got a cool bike rack that is not unlike a floor-to-ceiling stick with pegs to hang your bike, and I hung my bike on the upper of two pegs. Therefore my bike was head-high, if not shoulder-high. I got up late one night to hit the bathroom and blazing away in the pitch black (about head-high) was the little red blinky taillight on my bike. I thought this curious because I hadn’t ridden my bike that evening and hadn’t noticed the light on earlier that night. I switched the sucker off and went back to bed, the oddity of the mysteriously turned on lamp not quite getting through the fog of sleepiness.
I’ll tell you that the oddity of the mysteriously turned on lamp came home to poppa the next five nights in a row that it happened. A simple midnight bathroom visit turned into an exercise in spookiness. Why was that fucking light flicking itself on? How was it doing it … or … (and this is the truly spooky part) what entity unknown to me was flicking it on to spook me? Ghost? Goblin? Ghoul? Or was it just a mere haunted little red blinky bike light? I’ll never know now, ‘cause on night five I’d had enough and ripped that possessed bike light off my bike, threw open the kitchen winda and pitched that sucker into the black of night. Two things: The spooky bike light looked kinda pretty, sailing across the night shrouded Sutter Street, and, dang did my cats give me a strange look. A “the fucks got into daddy?” look.
Tonight: Annie’s
News: Yes we always go to Annie’s, but why not? It’s kind to folks who need to park, and the juke! Nice turnout at the el Bobo last week. Thank’s to all List Members for coming. The Robot had a lot of domestic light beers and started functioning strangely. Thanks to Founding Member Mr. Metsker for the lift home! New features are soon to grace the pages of the TNSC site. Stay tuned!
TONIGHT'S DRAMATIC REENACTMENT: Tonight’s Dramatic Reenactment pays tribute to automotive history. Today in automotive history a National standard for license plates was adopted. Previous to 06 December 1955 states designed their own plates, the results being myriad variations. Fifty List Members will play the fifty states’ plates. Some standouts will be Marc Hochman playing Iowa’s pre-’55 plate, which was shaped like an ear of corn; Amy Gatzert playing Texas (a gushing oil well); and Dave Hindley playing Washington State (a Microsoft logo (them ancient-Washingtonians knew a lot about divining the future)).
TONIGHT'S SINGLED-OUT LIST MEMBER: Mary Haring. There’s a picture of her on my fridge and it reminds me that she’s nice. Wonder what she’s up to?
PORN TITLE OF THE WEEK: Porn Title of the Week Coordinator Tama coughed up a host of Christmas-related porn titles and here’s the first: Tits a Wonderful Life.
The dude on the radio said yesterday, “No rain until Sunday.” What an idiot. I’m pretty sure it rained all day yesterday. And he still has a job. Okay. See ya at the bar later. Bring yer pals. I’ll try. See you there! bye-ee!
12.1.2k1
Are you the kind of person that notices when spooky stuff starts to happen to you? I ain’t talking about startling stuff, like a door slamming because of the wind. I ain’t talking about full-on supernatural phenomena like a chocolate cake baking itself either. I’m referring to low-lever spookiness. Give you an example.
Last year some time my bike light started to turn itself on in the middle of the night. I’ve got a cool bike rack that is not unlike a floor-to-ceiling stick with pegs to hang your bike, and I hung my bike on the upper of two pegs. Therefore my bike was head-high, if not shoulder-high. I got up late one night to hit the bathroom and blazing away in the pitch black (about head-high) was the little red blinky taillight on my bike. I thought this curious because I hadn’t ridden my bike that evening and hadn’t noticed the light on earlier that night. I switched the sucker off and went back to bed, the oddity of the mysteriously turned on lamp not quite getting through the fog of sleepiness.
I’ll tell you that the oddity of the mysteriously turned on lamp came home to poppa the next five nights in a row that it happened. A simple midnight bathroom visit turned into an exercise in spookiness. Why was that fucking light flicking itself on? How was it doing it … or … (and this is the truly spooky part) what entity unknown to me was flicking it on to spook me? Ghost? Goblin? Ghoul? Or was it just a mere haunted little red blinky bike light? I’ll never know now, ‘cause on night five I’d had enough and ripped that possessed bike light off my bike, threw open the kitchen winda and pitched that sucker into the black of night. Two things: The spooky bike light looked kinda pretty, sailing across the night shrouded Sutter Street, and, dang did my cats give me a strange look. A “the fucks got into daddy?” look.
Tonight: Annie’s
News: Yes we always go to Annie’s, but why not? It’s kind to folks who need to park, and the juke! Nice turnout at the el Bobo last week. Thank’s to all List Members for coming. The Robot had a lot of domestic light beers and started functioning strangely. Thanks to Founding Member Mr. Metsker for the lift home! New features are soon to grace the pages of the TNSC site. Stay tuned!
TONIGHT'S DRAMATIC REENACTMENT: Tonight’s Dramatic Reenactment pays tribute to automotive history. Today in automotive history a National standard for license plates was adopted. Previous to 06 December 1955 states designed their own plates, the results being myriad variations. Fifty List Members will play the fifty states’ plates. Some standouts will be Marc Hochman playing Iowa’s pre-’55 plate, which was shaped like an ear of corn; Amy Gatzert playing Texas (a gushing oil well); and Dave Hindley playing Washington State (a Microsoft logo (them ancient-Washingtonians knew a lot about divining the future)).
TONIGHT'S SINGLED-OUT LIST MEMBER: Mary Haring. There’s a picture of her on my fridge and it reminds me that she’s nice. Wonder what she’s up to?
PORN TITLE OF THE WEEK: Porn Title of the Week Coordinator Tama coughed up a host of Christmas-related porn titles and here’s the first: Tits a Wonderful Life.
The dude on the radio said yesterday, “No rain until Sunday.” What an idiot. I’m pretty sure it rained all day yesterday. And he still has a job. Okay. See ya at the bar later. Bring yer pals. I’ll try. See you there! bye-ee!
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