Use the back door! Revisited

Yesterday I had the opportunity to ride on a newer bus. It was not much different from the older busses, though a little less worn and used looking. One major difference though was that each time someone signaled they wanted to get off the bus in addition to the bell that sounds, there was also a recorded voiceover that announced “Please exit through the rear door”. How clever, thought I upon first hearing the announcement. How annoying for the driver, thought I after the third, and fourth, and fifth announcement. But what was really interesting was the impact the announcement to “Please exit through the rear door” had on the behaviors of passengers. Do you think that unlike other busses, the majority of passengers on this bus with the prominent reminder of expected behavior actually exited through the rear door? Of course not! The majority of the passengers exited through the front doors, just as if it were all business as usual. Do they just not care? Is it a learned behavior that I do not understand because I did not grow up using busses? Is it some sort of odd status system? What am I missing?

YOU DO THE MATH

What makes 100%?
What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?
Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?
We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%.
How about achieving 103%?
What makes up 100% in life?

Here is a mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:
IF:A,B,C,D,E,F, G,H,I,J,K, L,M,N,O,P, Q,R,S,T,U, V,W,X,Y,Z
IS REPRESENTED:1,2,3,4,5,6, 7,8,9,10, 11,12,13, 14,15,16, 17,18,19, 20,21,22, 23,24,25, 26

THEN:
H-A-R-D-W-O- R-K=8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%
AND
K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E=11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%
BUT,
A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E=1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5= 100%
AND,
B-U-L-L-S-H- I-T=2+21+12+12+19+ 8+9+20= 103%
AND
A-S-S-K-I-S- S-I-N-G=1+19+19+11+9+ 19+19+9+14+ 7= 118%

So one can conclude with mathematical certainly, that while HARD WORK and KNOWLEDGE will get you close, and ATTITUDE will get you there, it's the BULLSHIT and ASSKISSING that will put you over the top.

(Thank you for the chuckle to the anonymous teachers and the people who passed this around the web.)

Always good advice, no matter what system of belief you subscribe to.

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money! twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT.

Every saint has a PAST...
Every sinner has a FUTURE!

I actually arrived home last night before sunset and was so pleased to see my neighborhood in bloom that I had to take a few pictures.

15 PEOPLE GOT $50 MILLON!!!!!

Regardless of the current state of the economy overall, when there are people in your society who are starving and homeless, or working 2 and 3 jobs, but still barely can feed their children how do you justify ANYONE getting a bonus of over a million dollars? And why did it take our economy coming to a standstill for us to realize Hey, maybe there IS something wrong here???

I have taken until now to write this because I simply had to calm down. For the past few days I have been able to do little more than scream into the wind (or at my TV) 15 PEOPLE GOT $50 MILLON!!!!!

It is especially galling as the MTA passes huge fare hikes (my monthly pass is going to increase by $23) and some people are honestly not sure how they are going to get to work. Yet... 15 PEOPLE GOT $50 MILLON!!!!! I cannot help but let out a loud grrrolp!

I am not going to get into whether AIG did the right or wrong thing in honoring the contracts they had. My issue is the fact these contracts, allowing these kinds of oversized funds to go to individuals EXHISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!

I am going to stop writing now, as I am getting worked up again.

How many people does it take to move in Manhattan???

The answer, I discovered this weekend, is at least 3 (2 if you do not have any furniture). Why these numbers you might ask? Well this would be because when using a moving vehicle (truck/van whatever) you cannot leave it unattended, ever. This is for two very logical reasons.

1. There is no parking in most of Manhattan so you either have to double park or park in front of a fire hydrant and therefore have someone available to move the vehicle on a moment’s notice to avoid getting a ticket or someone ramming their vehicle into your (rented) vehicle as they try to get out of a spot.

2. If you leave it unattended your stuff WILL be gone when you return.

When I moved I was fortunate that I did not have to deal with these problems. While I did have to park in front of a hydrant, I was moving to a residential street in a residential neighborhood in Queens where things are quieter and simpler. No one cared that I was parked in front of the hydrant and my windows looked out onto the street and I could see and immediately respond if anyone needed me to move. This weekend however, I helped move my friend who lives on the upper west side of Manhattan and it was most definitely a different experience.

What was most interesting to me was the number of people who approached us with offers of help. Some made it clear that they were looking for work, others were willing to ‘help out’ but made it clear in their manner they would expect some sort of compensation including two kids around 10-12 years old. It is clear that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.

Funnily, the moving part was the least difficult aspect of our day, she did not have much furniture and she was moving from the 1st floor to an elevator building. What was the worst was trying to go buy some appliances and other items for the new apartment. Because, again, THERE IS NO PARKING in Manhattan and the few parking garages that were near where we were trying to go had ceiling heights that were too small for the moving truck. So… we ended up driving out to Queens by me and going to the stores that I knew had parking lots. This was Saturday evening, and Manhattan is an island, the only way in/out is through a tunnel or over a bridge and EVERYONE else was trying to get in/out as well, add the ever present construction and you have a very interesting ride. Fortunately most of it was comical, no true tragedy ensued, except that the Landlord did not communicate with the super about when she would be moving in and the apartment was not ready and she may not have any heat or hot water for the rest of the week, but other than that all is well;-)

Shame on you, for not spending money on things you don't need.

I am intrigued and a little irritated by news reports about companies going out of business, not because the company was overextended or because they have not been able to get loans or are suffering from many of the other ills we have been inundated with recently, but because people have "stopped buying things they don't need." The report itself is not what bothers me, we have many non-essential industries that are being hit hard by the current recesion. What bothers me is the accusatory tone of some of the reports towards people who have cut back their spending on non-essential items.
What does it say about how we have been running our economy when the fact that people don't buy things they do not need is looked on as being a BAD thing? And, people who do not buy things they do not need are looked on as unpatriotic. This perspective is an example of how skewed our perspective has become regarding how our economy should function, and how ferverently some choose to ignore the fact that we have created an economy that revolves around rampant consumerism that is not sustainable.
I cannot help but wonder how different our situation would be now if, after 9/11, Bush would have led a nation wide reflection instead of encouraging spending as a form of showing our patriotism. Of course do we really want to reflect on what he wants to reflect on?

For Sale??

A big story coming out of India is the purchase of several cricket players, for previously unheard of amounts. The language that is being used to discuss these sales is appalling, the reporters talk about these players in terms of being “bid on” and “purchased”, and the sale not of the contracts under which these players are performing, but of the players themselves. It is disconcerting to hear the reporters talk about wealthy team owners “bidding on players” and of players being “sold”. I know the process is the same for most sports around the world, but the language is usually around contracts being bid on and sold, not people, and about athletes playing for different teams not being “bought”. Maybe I am being a little sensitive, but this language has seriously negative overtones that I think should really be reviewed.

Snow in the neighborhood

These are just some pictures I took while it was snowing .

Butt talk in public transportation

On public transportation you are constantly trying to maintain some semblance of personal space, while sharing with the world. On trains where all of the seats are in long row benches along either side, the attempt to maintain personal space manifests itself by people leave small amounts of space on either side between them and others sitting on the bench. As new people enter, sit, and leave there is a constant shuffle and scooching from side to side in an attempt to maintain some level of space. What I find most interesting about this phenomenon is that there seems to have developed an unspoken code to indicate your intention to sit. I witnessed the perfect example of this code yesterday.
It was early, just before the evening rush, and the train was somewhat crowded with most of the seats filled. There was a woman on the bench across from me who had just enough room on either side of her that a child might have been able to sit there, but not an adult. Several people entered the train, looked to either side of the woman, determined they would not fit, and moved on, but one man looked to either side, chose the side to the woman’s left and indicated his intention to sit in that spot. Although the woman had ignored the other people once the indication to sit was evident, she moved to the right effectively combining the two spaces into one large enough for the man to sit in. What is this powerful indicator that has the power to move tired commuters? When you intend to sit in a space, you approach that space, then turn your backside to the people already sitting and jut out your buttocks. Much like in the animal kingdom, this presentation of the butt acts as a signal to those around you of your intentions. Whether it is actual comprehension of the intended signal or just fear of being sat upon, people move over and so this appears to be an effective means of communication, as let’s face it, no one wants to talk to you on the train.

Oh Laundromat, why hast thou forsaken me?

I really, really miss having a washer in my building. The other day after work I packed up my laundry and headed over to the laundromat. It is only a block away so it isn’t any great hardship, but when I arrived they were not open. I really wanted to get my laundry done, so I decided that rather than go home, I would try the laundromat that is a few more blocks up. I had only seen it once as I passed by and did not remember exactly where it was, but I thought I could find it. So here I am wandering around my neighborhood with my laundry in tow and 6 blocks later I finally found it. Do you think it was open? Of course not. There was one more another 5 block away, but by the time I got there it would have been too late to get everything in and dried before they closed. So my laundry and I went home and 2 days later it is still sitting in my hallway waiting to be done. I went by the laundromat today on my way to get groceries and it was still closed, with no note or any information as to why or when they would re-open. I really hope they re-open, the other one is a little further than is really comfortable to carry my wash and it isn’t as clean as the one right here. Who knew clean clothes would become a luxury?

Big Brother is watching...and waiting to take over

Yesterday I bowed to the peer pressure of ¾ of the people I know and signed up for a Facebook account. In less than 24 hours I have come to the conclusion that if someone wanted to take over the world, this would be the way to start. Get everyone in the world so involved in what everyone else is doing then no will notice that you have quietly taken over. For those of you unfamiliar with Facebook this thing tracks everything that you, and people you include as your friends, and people they include as their friends, do on your accounts and chronicles it all in a running ticker tape that you can review and know everything that everyone in your purview has done on their account. It tells you when someone makes a comment or adds pictures to their site; it tells you when someone makes a comment to your site or to someone else’s site. It also can tell you, who else on Facebook you might know and might like to invite to be your friend (while of course telling them about you as well). On the surface this is sort of nice, I just started my page yesterday and I already have 10 friends, but simultaneously I am starting to feel like Big Brother is watching. A luddite at heart, maybe I am not quite ready for this ‘social networking’ experience.

HOPE 2009

On Monday night I participated in the NYC HOPE 2009 project. Hope stands for Homeless Outreach Population Estimate and the project consists of organizing volunteers to wander the streets of NYC (in an organized fashion) surveying everyone we meet to determine if they are homeless and to offer them services if they are. From these surveys NYC has an estimate of how many homeless there are and from changes in the estimates from year to year, they make funding determinations and evaluations of current projects. I was introduced to the project by a friend and was assigned to a neighborhood in the Bronx. I have to admit that when I received my assignment I was somewhat concerned, (white girl walking around the Bronx at night? Not the best of ideas) but I talked to a few people who knew the area and the subway stop I would use was located directly next to the project headquarters in one of the better areas and once I got there I would be with my team for the rest of the night. So off I went.
I am really not sure what to make of the experience. The organizers at my base facility (of which there are a couple dozen across the city) were not very organized, so the evening started off with a lot of confusion including: having our team reassigned twice, not having a team leader in our group, having our police escort reassigned 3 times and not being given the proper paperwork. Fortunately everyone in my group was pretty laid back and we just went with the flow, I finally volunteered to be the team leader (even though it was supposed to be someone who had volunteered before) so that we could just get going.

Our canvas area was a residential neighborhood with almost no open public spaces, which basically meant that there was no where for a homeless person to shelter, therefore there were no homeless people for us to count. I thought our assignment to this area was odd, and two of the people on my team who both work for agencies in the city that work with the homeless confirmed that someone who is homeless is not going to be in that area late at night because there is no where to go to be out of sight (of both police who would make them move on and of people who would harass them). But I suppose that if you want to know if the housing situation is so bad that people are sheltering in places they normally do not use this would be the way to find out.
We canvassed our area from 12:30 – 3:30 am and spoke to 17 people who were out and about who all claimed to have homes. Not that I wanted to find lots of homeless people out on the street, especially as the weather was below freezing, but the experience was somewhat anti-climactic. Especially when we returned to the base and I learned that as the Team Leader, I had to complete some paperwork including an evaluation. Now evaluations are standard procedure for just about everything now adays and one of the most basic tenants of an eval is that responses are anonymous. So when I handed in my evaluation, complete with comments on how unorganized they had been, imagine my perplexity when the worker read it and started questioning me about it while I was standing there! Uh Hello, can we say conflict of interest?

So am still trying to make up my mind about the experience. It wasn’t negative, but it wasn’t positive either. It was just rather blah.
For more on the project check out
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/html/press/pr012709.shtml

And be sure to check out the Department of Homeless Services near you, most cities do some form of counting of the homeless population annually.

Use the back door!!

One of the things about living in such a densely populated area is that you come into contact (continually) with soooo many other people (whether you want to or not). This can be great when you think about it in terms of opportunities for people watching, for learning about different cultures and just generally seeing some interesting things. But this can also be frustrating when things that seem like they should be simple common courtesies just do not seem to occur to some (many) of those people you are in continual contact with resulting in the actions of one functioning in a way that make things more difficult for everyone else. These individuals, who move through (or worse stay put) as I move through my day DRIVE ME CRAZY. I often wonder if people don’t realize they are being a pain, don’t know how to not be a pain or just don’t care that they are making things more difficult for others around them.

Case in point getting on and off the bus. Busses have 2 doors for a reason, to make getting on an off more efficient. You have to get on from the front because you have to pay the driver and you should get off in the back so people getting on do not have to wait for you to push your way to the front and then get off. With, of course, exceptions being made for people who for individual reasons cannot use the back door, and/or people sitting in the front who would cause a delay and more problems trying to push to the back. Pretty simple, straightforward, not difficult logic to follow right?

Daily I see people holding up the bus because someone who was sitting in the far rear feels the need to walk all the way to the front of the bus after it stops (as opposed to working their way to the front en route). On a nice sunny day, when you are not really in a hurry this is not a huge deal (although it is still annoying), but on a crappy, rainy day like today, when the bus is already running 30 minutes late and you are standing there getting wet because you put your umbrella down in preparation for boarding the bus not realizing some schmuck is going to try to press their way to the front and then stand there while they take out their umbrella before stepping out of the way… it makes you want to beat that person with a stick.

Although the worst I have seen occurred yesterday. On my way home from work there were two boys on the bus that were probably high school freshmen who, when I got on the bus, were standing in the well by the back door of the bus. Every time that someone wanted to get off using the back door they had to try to maneuver through these two. Finally, when it came time for these two to get off the bus, do you think they used the back door that they had been standing in front of all that time???? Of course not, they walked to the front of the bus and got off. While some of it is obviously teenaged idiocy they are just one example of soooooo many.
Maybe there should be a gate ¼ of the way into the bus and if you go past that gate you can’t get to the front of the bus anymore and you have to use the back door. Of course that would only further exacerbate another bus courtesy issue that I will address in a later post, this one already being much too long.

How early is too eary?

Do you remember your first crush, your first love? When was the first time you thought about getting married? I doubt it was as early as this couple. Check out these early bloomers.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7811686.stm

The Gotham Gazette Garbage Game

Check your sanitations skills in this game. It is specific to NYC but still a good indicator of how far we still have to go in dealing with our waste and frightening to see how much waste is created here.

http://www.gothamgazette.com/games/garbage.php

Central Park

I finally got some pictures of Central Park and thought I would share them out. These are from the south end of the park.