It's Not A Protest If You Don't Get Pepper Sprayed

The G20 reared its head in Pittsburgh last week, and I was front and center for the best non-violent, no-protester showing event of those glorious 48 hours. Some people blow off work to go golfing, I blew off work to see someone meet the business end of a water cannon.

Alas, hundreds of local and state riot police, with a smattering of federal agents set up skirmish lines like Civil War re-anactors at Gettysburg. They formed in abrupt skirmish lines, practiced putting on their gas masks (this, much to the dismay of myself and 50 or so other onlookers who thought we were going to be getting a nose full) and jockeyed us spectators around from one block to the next.

A small group of protesters showed up, about 50, and were festooned in their best black t-shirts. I believe they were the feared and dreaded "Anarchists". I also feared and dreaded the idea that they were completely unaware of what anarchy meant, let alone actually believed their song of protest..."No Banks, No Borders." Huh?

Anyway, when faced with armed confrontation, they quickly dispersed like scattering bugs. They only committed people were the police and the onlookers and we got bored with each other. We dispersed ourselves, besides, I had to get to the bank.

Change Blows

"I change by not changing at all." Eddie Vedder

Ever wonder why stores, every once in while, decide it best suits its customers to move shit around to different spots? This happened about a year ago at the Giant Eagle. since I don't shop much, it took me a while to get my hands around where things were and then they up and re-arranged things. I blame it all on the "organic movement. It seemed as though they needed space to include a big "organic" section...hence, the logical thinking must have been, "Listen, we need to make room for the organic, soy, free-range, pesticide free llama burgers, so lets move the canned carrots from aisle 3 to aisle 8."

More recently, the local Barnes and Noble had posted a sign that read "Parden us while we re-arrange all the sections of our store so that you will wander aimlessly looking for the area you can no longer find and you can ask one of our friendly sales associates to assist you." Or something like that. So now, while looking for a book by AJ Jacobs, I find myself accidentally looking at books with titles like "A Gay Man's Guide To Employement Policy," or, "Eighteen Ways to Lose That Baby Fat."

I mean really, what the fuck? At least the Giant Eagle added something, even if it was overpriced arugala grown by dirty hippies. B&N did nothing but move things...and in apparant random order.

Sometimes things are fine the way they are...don't fuck with them.

OK

I think it is obvious there is no way in hell I can write on this fucking blog everyday! Look at the last few posts...they suck! This will slowly meld into a huge year-long crap if I don't find a direction for this behemoth!

Damn...things bore me!

I may never get one single solitary word ever published...but I will not be boring!

Wednesday 9-9-09

Made some Roasted Tomato Soup with tomatoes from the garden...a last ditch effort to salvage some of the last from a bumper crop.

Now, if I want to play poker I can drive by two PA casinos to still go to WV to do it. How the fuck does the state get away with such stupidity?

We survived Obama's Speech

Much ado about nothing is the phrase of the day. President BO delivered the hitherto controversial speech to the school kids today. For some reason, SV did not participate. I can pnly hope it was a scheduling issue and some stupid conserva-nazi agenda. The speech was very motivating.

The swtich to First Niagara from national City went anything but smooth at work. The direct deposits didn't deposit, the remote deposit didn't deposit.

I am stuck thinking about who in God's name I can write about for my next writing assignment. What makes it tricky is that the person I choose, not only do I have to write about their good and bad qualities, I have to then write about an "experience" with them. Hmm. So, if I write about someone who has distinct good and bad qualities, I need a good experience with them. This leaves out most of my friends, not that they are perfect, but hey have few bad qualities. I was thinking about flipping a coin and doing it about one of the kids ut that may be mean spirited.

The Pirates now have the longest season losing streak at 17 consecutive seasons...what an achievement! Steelers start on Thursday. Early prediction...11-5.

Labor Day

This is my goal...try to write something every single day for a year. 'Nuff said about that. (Well, one more note, I am going to do this without editing much...actually I will not edit at all.)

Big news today at the house are these baby gerbils. Supposedly we were sold two males. Well, unless one underwent a sex change, this was not the case. We now have, at last count, six gerbils including mom and dad. One baby died at some point and he is now in the outside garbage can, My wife asked Chris if he wanted a box to bury him in. Thank God he said no, so the little guy is in the garbage. It took us until this afternoon to figure out who in the hell the mother was. But seeing Blackjack standing outside her purple house with two babies sucking on her teets solidified that.

It was an animal day with a trip to Living Treasures...other than that the rain fucked up just about everything else.

I am going to rate this day a C...it could have easily been a solid B but the other B was in a bad mood.