The First Church of the Wrath of Baby Jesus and Open Bar™

[Suu]

We had 2 drive-bys today in Rhode Island. One in Providence, and then one in Cranston. Not sure if they were related, but the Cranston one was 2 cars.

This is not fucking normal for us. We have occasional shootings, we have occasional stabbings, we have daily white collar crime like mayors that embezzle millions and state workers "losing" tax credit money, and normal urban crimes, but we do not have drive-by shootings rolling from the ghetto of Upper South Providence (which Roger referred to as Tucson) into suburban Cranston full of families and women with big hair. Even when I lived in SoPro between 2 of the worst damn streets we only had the one shooting on my street corner in the hair salon, which was considered pretty damn out of the ordinary. (This also made me get the fuck out of there.)

Between this new upswing in violent crime, and the creeper who bothered me walking to school a few weeks ago, I'm starting to think I need to get the fuck out of here, or renew my concealed carry and get my 9mm back from Florida. I am seriously unnerved by this. I've lived in Providence since 2005, and I felt safer living in Manhattan back in 2002.

This kind of stuff isn't normal on Federal Hill, at least. We've been having a lot of B&Es lately though. My neighbor on the 1st floor got broken into 2 weeks ago. Through a window in the back in broad daylight. :/

There's obvious reasons for this. The economy in this city is nonexistent. We have the largest unoccupied building in New England, and no interested tenants for it. The state's population is dropping so fast we'll be down to one congressional rep pretty soon. If it wasn't for our arts community and college students, we'd pretty much have nothing.  Our mayor wants to run for governor after one term, during which he fired every teacher in the city.


We're Tucson. With Nature.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Welcome to poverty nation.

[Suu]

Welcome to poverty nation.

I can't say I'm surprised. The recession took Rhode Island and fucked her six ways from sideways dry. We had a shitty mayor after Cianci was thrown in jail that did nothing, which immediately qualified him to become a congressman. Then the new mayor filled the swimming pools with concrete and fired the teachers. He'll be our next governor.

Our only hope right now rests on if Cianci wants to come back as mayor in his 70s, because the state legislation amended the constitution to allow felons to vote and run for office JUST FOR HIM TO DO SO.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

In Seguin, the local paper never referred to them as "drive bys". There'd be some short blurb buried on a back page saying that "a firearm was discharged" at such-and-such address. Because SMALL TOWNS ARE FRIENDLY AND WHOLESOME AND A GREAT PLACE TO RAISE YOUR KIDS.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Just tripped across the footage of the Reagan assassination attempt.  I remember watching that on TV when it happened.

In the background, you can see the "man with the football" running like hell (which was kind of his job at that point).

[Freeky]

So, yeah, a person who has been a friend of mine for more than 7 years just decided to walk away from that friendship because she apparently wasn't listening when I told her about a change of plans.  She wound up where we were supposed to meet, I wasn't there (as I had told her I wouldn't be).  She blew the hell up on FB and told me we were through, without bothering to, you know, ask what happened.

It occurs to me, though, that someone who would dump a 7 year friendship over something like that isn't really someone I want to be friends with, anyway.

That's incredibly lame.

Surprise?  It was Sister Gothique, of all people.  There's some very special irony in this, but it's a long story and I'm up past bedtime.  Will post tomorrow.

Wow WTF?

We had a thing on Sundays.  Gaming stuff.  I tell her at her Birthday party (two weeks ago) that the Sunday group is moving from the shop up to my house.

She either didn't listen or forgot, and showed up at the shop, which is about a 10 minute drive from her place.  We weren't there.  She goes home, gets on FB, and tells me that because I have spoken disrespectfully to/about her guy (years ago, literally, before he matured a bit and went to school and got a steady job...We get along fine now), and because I blew her off (didn't), and because of "odds and ends" (???), she's done.

And I suppose she's right about the being done part, because apparently I don't know her, hell, never MET her, because the person I knew wouldn't drop a 7 year friendship over a misunderstanding, with no prior conversation.  Nor would she say anything that hurtful just to vent.

In any case, nothing lasts forever, everything eventually ends.

Is there any underlying things that might cause SG to flip the fuck out like that?

Her man likes to lie about shit and people to turn people against each other.  A lot.  I know this because I've been the one lied about lots of times, and it's cost me some friendships from people who couldn't be bothered to tell me what the fuck was being said about me.

Sorry about the super duper way the fuck back quoting, but I knew the answer to this one.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

So, yeah, a person who has been a friend of mine for more than 7 years just decided to walk away from that friendship because she apparently wasn't listening when I told her about a change of plans.  She wound up where we were supposed to meet, I wasn't there (as I had told her I wouldn't be).  She blew the hell up on FB and told me we were through, without bothering to, you know, ask what happened.

It occurs to me, though, that someone who would dump a 7 year friendship over something like that isn't really someone I want to be friends with, anyway.

That's incredibly lame.

Surprise?  It was Sister Gothique, of all people.  There's some very special irony in this, but it's a long story and I'm up past bedtime.  Will post tomorrow.

Wow WTF?

We had a thing on Sundays.  Gaming stuff.  I tell her at her Birthday party (two weeks ago) that the Sunday group is moving from the shop up to my house.

She either didn't listen or forgot, and showed up at the shop, which is about a 10 minute drive from her place.  We weren't there.  She goes home, gets on FB, and tells me that because I have spoken disrespectfully to/about her guy (years ago, literally, before he matured a bit and went to school and got a steady job...We get along fine now), and because I blew her off (didn't), and because of "odds and ends" (???), she's done.

And I suppose she's right about the being done part, because apparently I don't know her, hell, never MET her, because the person I knew wouldn't drop a 7 year friendship over a misunderstanding, with no prior conversation.  Nor would she say anything that hurtful just to vent.

In any case, nothing lasts forever, everything eventually ends.

Is there any underlying things that might cause SG to flip the fuck out like that?

Her man likes to lie about shit.  A lot.  I know this because I've been the one lied about lots of times, and it's cost me some friendships from people who couldn't be bothered to tell me what the fuck was being said about me.

Sorry about the super duper way the fuck back quoting, but I knew the answer to this one.

Not the case.

She and I have mended fences, and it turns out she misunderstood what I was saying concerning the change of location for the game.

Not getting involved in whatever other issues are out there.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I never got into Civ games. I felt like if I did, I'd be addicted and never get any work done.

I have to make a conscious decision to play Civ.

And by that I mean that I will start playing Civ when I wake up and continue to do so until I realize that the sun is coming up, pausing to pee when my bladder is about to explode, and eating when my hands start shaking. Also, combine Civ with smoking, and you're going to go through 2 packs, easily, and not even notice.

[Freeky]

Pure diamond.

BUTT STALLION.

[Cain]

Welcome to poverty nation.

I can't say I'm surprised. The recession took Rhode Island and fucked her six ways from sideways dry. We had a shitty mayor after Cianci was thrown in jail that did nothing, which immediately qualified him to become a congressman. Then the new mayor filled the swimming pools with concrete and fired the teachers. He'll be our next governor.

Our only hope right now rests on if Cianci wants to come back as mayor in his 70s, because the state legislation amended the constitution to allow felons to vote and run for office JUST FOR HIM TO DO SO.

My understanding is that Rhode Island functions pretty much on the basis of graft.  When there is less money in the pot for bribes, nothing gets done properly and the whole thing goes sideways.

[Cain]

-

[Suu]

Welcome to poverty nation.

I can't say I'm surprised. The recession took Rhode Island and fucked her six ways from sideways dry. We had a shitty mayor after Cianci was thrown in jail that did nothing, which immediately qualified him to become a congressman. Then the new mayor filled the swimming pools with concrete and fired the teachers. He'll be our next governor.

Our only hope right now rests on if Cianci wants to come back as mayor in his 70s, because the state legislation amended the constitution to allow felons to vote and run for office JUST FOR HIM TO DO SO.

My understanding is that Rhode Island functions pretty much on the basis of graft.  When there is less money in the pot for bribes, nothing gets done properly and the whole thing goes sideways.

Exactly. Or, when people actually try to be good politicians and do things right.

I mean, we amended our state constitution so that one man who was convicted of embezzlement and sent to federal prison for 3 years can return and get his job back. This is how we roll.


In other entirely unrelated to anything news, I had a dream last night that Roger had a technicolor Fu Manshu moustache that would change color on command. Clearly, we need this technology.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I never got into Civ games. I felt like if I did, I'd be addicted and never get any work done.

I have to make a conscious decision to play Civ.

And by that I mean that I will start playing Civ when I wake up and continue to do so until I realize that the sun is coming up, pausing to pee when my bladder is about to explode, and eating when my hands start shaking. Also, combine Civ with smoking, and you're going to go through 2 packs, easily, and not even notice.

It was pretty easy to hit the gunpowder revolution in a couple of hours with Civ II.  Also takes up virtually no space on the HD.

Of course, by the time you hit railroads, the AI decides it will fuck with you by moving every single unit across its entire territory twice, for no discernable reason, but until that point, it clips along at a decent speed.

I've only played I and III. Also, pollution in III is a pain in the fucking ass. Only way to deal with it is severely controlling the food supply.

[Kai]

Snow this morning. SNOW. It's all gone now, but this definitely marks the end to the field season. I feel bad for the entomology students who are going out aquatic collecting today. Doing aquatic collecting in cold weather is one of my least favorite things. I am happy to be inside and warm, entering data.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Logging off for a nap in my office.  May as well.

See you spags later.