Now just because I happen to be a local News Reporter/ Investigative Journalist, Editor,and News Video/Photographer for the Popular Hobo News & Entertainment blog thing doesn't mean that I've lost my objectivity, my balanced perspective nor have my political views been reconfigured somehow in order to attract more readers to this place. However, it seems that over this past month, despite my
most diligent (and exceedingly sober) safety-conscience stream of decision making and movements around San Diego, I've seen and/or have been impacted by more acts of violent street crime than ever before.
As you may recall, on March 7th while updating this blog at Starbucks ( 2899 University Ave.) in North Park, my Macbook was snatched out from under my fingertips as I sat outside the coffee shop at 7ish pm with pedestrians everywhere around me. I'm still upset by that incident and I'm a bit hyper-afraid as well (which, fyi, is two steps below "shit less" on the official fear scale).
After that, I was going to leave this little dumpy apartment here in North Park where I've been staying
with my friend, Uncle Bill. Its been over three weeks since I came here to stay with Uncle Bill for a "few days". I'd felt lucky to be invited to stay here and get out of Mira Mesa for a while after having a nasty confrontation with Mira Mesa's official venomous reptile, hobo Chris White. Any encounter I have with that insane idiot can explode into violence because that's the only thing he thinks about and engages in when he's not in jail. When he made it clear to David Mick and I that he's going to kill me while I'm asleep somewhere around MM, I wasted no time in rounding up a few tools of self protection/defense against an attack. But as you can imagine, after that, I was not sleeping very well
and I was on guard constantly. Plus its very depressing to feel like you're near future is going to be when either you die from stab wounds or you're gonna go to prison because you successfully stopped some would-be killer from making good on his threat.
The more I think about the mortal danger/risks of sleeping outside in Mira Mesa vs. the prevailing crime wave that's alive and kicking my a$$ in North Park while I stay in Uncle Bill's insane apartment, the more inept and vulnerable I feel. That's not good.
Just call 911,you say? Sure its good to them if you have 20 minutes or so advanced notice of being attacked. But a cel phone and the threat of the police arriving is no deterrent to any real boogieman.
The ideal protection a person can hope for in most cases are attentive/alert people nearby you. Preferably a few young guys who can run fast and who will jump to your aid if you're in trouble.
I'm that kind of guy, and I'll always jump into a situation and help the victim but when I'm the victim,
it seems that cowardice is everywhere.
Meanwhile, while I was holed up inside the apt. hiding under my sleeping bag and sulking over the loss of my Macbook and software and feeling like another boogieman may try and snatch more of my vital and expensive devices/stuff, Uncle Bill walked across the street to a crappy little dive bar the other night and got robbed by the bouncer/employee there!!No shit. He was ordering a beer and had his $ out in his hand and some big thug/goon simply reached over his shoulder and snatched it out of his hand.
Sure Uncle Bill called the po-leece and they got there in a few seconds, but they did nothing.
After all ,what could they do? The bouncer denied it and none of the 6 or 8 patrons at the bar
claimed to see or know anything. Bill's lucky he only lost $35.
To make matters worse, his robbery prompted a discussion between us. Apparently, Uncle Bill has been giving cash to a couple of the regulars at that bar whom happen to be homeless! That means they may know where Bill lives and it wouldn't surprise me if Bill's told them that I'm staying at his place with my laptop and bunch of other electronics crap. (He doesn't realize that some hobos are NASTY CRIMINAL THIEVES.)
These recent incidents have led me to consider buying some sort of safety protection gear.
Firearms are not a likely choice for a hobo but there are other things available that I'm considering.
If I continue to stay here at Uncle Bills crime wave flophouse/apartment, some serious door locks are in order and maybe some surveillance cameras as well. Otherwise, I feel like I need some sort or personal safety device(s). A few hand grenades would do the job but they're not sold in stores.
A nice professional nail gun would be intimidating but not very feasible for riding the bus with.
A marine distress flare gun would be just lovely.You just shoot the boogieman in the ass with a
flare as he runs off with your shit and follow the trail of smoke and bright embers of pretty red twinkle lights shooting out of his asshole for 3 minutes!
Other options include Bear Spray (a potent pepper spray for use against bears), mace (military tear gas), and less exotic tools like box cutters. butcher knives, hatchets and crowbars etc. One thing I do
also instinctively whenever I'm sensing danger nearby, is stop along where ever I'm walking and look for one or two big rocks that are small enough to fit inside my coat pocket and heavy enough to stop some big thug in a heartbeat if I'm attacked. I pulled one out of my pocket one time and that was enough to stop a would be attacker from getting near me. Its also wise to yell and holler for help if things are getting real dangerous close by. Yell for someone/anyone to call 911 and they will...usually.
I hate the very thought of having to defend myself against a thieve or an assailant with a weapon of some sort especially the kind that make messes and are most likely to result in some one's death or severe permanent injury. What I hate even more is the uncertainty about the dangerous elements that I'm trying to defend against. Its foolish to sit around with a brick in one hand and a knife in the other and think that you're impervious from violent criminals.The fact is (from my own experiences)
that, the biggest advantage the attacker has over his victim is the element of surprise. In order for you to fend off an attack or thwart a robbery, you almost need to anticipate it and have your weapon/ protection ready to use before he strikes.That means that you've gotta walk around all day and night everywhere you go wound up like a spring, looking around 360ยบ profiling everyone you meet and otherwise behaving as if you're on the front line of a military battlefield waiting to encounter the enemy. That's too much work and besides its not very sociable to look like that.
Is it really getting to be that dangerous out here in Hoboville? Do I really need to carry more crap
than I already have in my pockets just in case I get attacked.I wish the answer was NO but as long as I see violent ex-con insane predators like Chris White cruising around looking for trouble and punk ass thieves laughing like children as they run away with my stuff, I've got to have some sort of self protection. I can't afford not to.
While most folks can make firm choices about where to live very quickly when their safety is at risk,
for me safety has become merely one more abstract attribute for consideration. I've been robbed and beaten up by total strangers and other creeps too many times since becoming homeless to assume that I can avoid danger anywhere I go. For me its gonna come down to logistics: How much extra crap to I have to lug around everywhere I go in order to safe guard my shit? What restrictions/ inconveniences do I place on my mobility while carrying tools for safety?How much jail time am I willing to risk serving for using some sort of "weapon" to defend myself (assuming there are no witnesses around to back up my story)?
Safety is about risk taking-- taking one dangerous risk to reduce another. Possibly and preferably spilling someone elses blood in order to avoid them spilling mine. There is only a "fair to good" chance of being safe even if I take the risk of preparing myself against the risk of danger. Yes merely preparing for self defense incurs a substantial risk of me possibly being arrested for carrying a concealed weapon (although I don't envision myself walking around holding a 16" long butcher knife in my hand everywhere I go although I'd use it to cut my hamburgers and fries into little pieces at Jack N The Box and to stir my coffee at Starbucks).
Funny how depending on the situation, conceivably ANYTHING a person carries could be deemed a weapon..a hair brush, a toothbrush,a ballpoint pen, a can of deodorant, a can of chili etc.
Last month I went downtown to the Hall of Justice to meet with the District Attorney regarding the trial of a local idiot who attacked me with a piece of lumber back in June and I was asked by the Sheriff Deputies to leave the building after I set off the metal detectors with my metallic fork and spoon that were inside my backpack. I could return if without my fork and spoon but since I had no hotel room or storage place downtown to stash my metallic stuff, I called the lawyers and they came come down the elevator from their 11th floor offices and met with me outside on the sidewalk. They weren't afraid of my fork and spoon and they know I'm a hobo and that I carry lots of
my "household goods/belongings" with me where ever I go.
All in all, this entire situation...the inevidible crime wave I'm seeing here can perhaps best be reduced by me getting off the streets and back into the work force. Otherwise I just seem to lend myself to these dangerous situations.
From Mira Mesa,Ca.,Popular Hobo News & Entertainment is a candid multimedia exploitation of the local hobos with news reports,stories,editorials, gossip and the issues and events they contend with and much more. PARENTAL GUIDANCE is advised here due to the high probability that gutter-mouthed hobos will often say vulgar/profane stuff...
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
I'm an incurable MAC ADDICT...is that so wrong?
To those of you whom are skeptical about the POPULAR HOBO's integrity..."How does a hobo afford to buy a Macbook unless it was a stolen one?"As I said before, I buy all my stuff at retail stores and I pay with 'hobo cash' that I made from panhandling and doing odd jobs here and there. And then, last week I reported that I got my Macbook stolen by a thug/ghetto thief!! Its true that I am a hobo and its also true that I got my Macbook stolen out of my hands last week at friggin' Starfucks coffee shop @2899 University Ave. and guess what--I just bought another Macbook!
And here's where I bought it...
a laptop that's built to withstand the rough, furious, filthy, fast paced (with lights and sirens all
around you) and dangerous lifestyle of a goddamn HOBO! :)
Btw, I'm sorry I got a little carried away in my zeal and support for these guys at DC Computers. That part about getting a free iPod or iPhone...well that's just straight up bullshit! I just thought if I said that then you would jump in your car go there. I'd advise you to go there anyway though since their prices are so good that you'll save enough $$ to buy yourself a iPod or iPhone!!
That's NOT bullshit!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
STARBUCKS,North Park: We're not responsible!
Yesterday afternoon, a week after I was robbed of my Macbook at Starbucks' @ 2899 University Ave,
I returned to the coffee shop to speak with the either the franchise owner or the head manager about the robbery. However I was told by the young Assistant Mgr. that the store was corporate owned.
He said he was unaware of robbery of March 5 or any other such incident at the store and that any loss of property while at the store is the customer's sole responsibility.When I shared with him that
SDPD told me that they've had a number of theft reports at their address, the employee was not interested in hearing anything about the topics of crime nor customer safety.
He acted as though I were there to try and engage him in some sort of rhetorical socio-political discussion while he's busy trying serve coffee. His concern about me and the theft of my property
can be summed up best by his words: "Ah Bummer...I'm sorry about that but there's nothing we can do it." and "You might try contacting the corporate office but they'll tell you the same thing: Starbucks isn't responsible for what people do, inside or outside the store."
There it is...just as I suggested the other day: This thinking/policy by Starbucks and its employees
ensures the easy access to a gold mine of sweet and easy FREE $$$$ (ie. laptop computers, iPads and other WiFi-able devices) which predator thieves stalk and troll the streets looking for! When
they see the unsuspecting laptop geeks, blissful in their free WiFi and gourmet coffee, they see FREE /FAST MONEY!!!
I was surprisingly calm and polite as I listened to this numb skull. I didn't argue nor raise my voice because I'd prepared myself for precisely this sort of denial and apathy. This Starbucks and other similar complacent North Park small businesses are effectively turning their town into a ghetto.
Sure it seems far fetched and I sound like a raving lunatic..I know. Its amazing how well all those clean smooth upscale sidewalk tiles all along Starbucks help to mislead the average pedestrian
into assuming that he/she's walking in a safe neighborhood.
Last week when the Starbucks employee smiled at me and pointed to the outdoor
patio furniture and said "You're welcome to sit outside and get online if you wish.", at a glance,
that seemed like the mark of good customer service to me. Now I know that I was deceived into believing the place was safe and I'm angry as all hell!!!In retrospect, I'd have enormous respect
for this store and its employees (and plus I'd still have my Macbook), if the employee had said,"Sorry, all our seats are taken right now and the outside seats are not recommended for
laptop users. If you need to get online, I'd suggest that you stop by later or go up to the
other store across from the CVS drugstore."
Their oblivion or denial of the physical endangerment they themselves place their customers
into is breathtaking!! Remember - I was NOT the first and only robbery victim at this store.
They incite/ catalyze this crime upon their unsuspecting/defenseless customers via encouraging laptop users to sit outside their store.
If these Starbucks employees truely understood the value of "customer service" they would first consider how it impacts upon their customer's physical safety, never mind concern about ensuring the very best customer experience possible, then they would remove that patio furniture from the sidewalk and thereby preclude their customers the risk of being the victim of a violent crime.
Simple. ring shop ow
So now I'll procede to contact the corp. office and try to resolve this matter and absent any agreement by them to replace my property, I'll move forward in small claims court.
Stay tuned...I've got some new photos and more insights and info as well provided to me by neighboring shop owners /managers I interviewed.
I returned to the coffee shop to speak with the either the franchise owner or the head manager about the robbery. However I was told by the young Assistant Mgr. that the store was corporate owned.
He said he was unaware of robbery of March 5 or any other such incident at the store and that any loss of property while at the store is the customer's sole responsibility.When I shared with him that
SDPD told me that they've had a number of theft reports at their address, the employee was not interested in hearing anything about the topics of crime nor customer safety.
He acted as though I were there to try and engage him in some sort of rhetorical socio-political discussion while he's busy trying serve coffee. His concern about me and the theft of my property
can be summed up best by his words: "Ah Bummer...I'm sorry about that but there's nothing we can do it." and "You might try contacting the corporate office but they'll tell you the same thing: Starbucks isn't responsible for what people do, inside or outside the store."
There it is...just as I suggested the other day: This thinking/policy by Starbucks and its employees
ensures the easy access to a gold mine of sweet and easy FREE $$$$ (ie. laptop computers, iPads and other WiFi-able devices) which predator thieves stalk and troll the streets looking for! When
they see the unsuspecting laptop geeks, blissful in their free WiFi and gourmet coffee, they see FREE /FAST MONEY!!!
I was surprisingly calm and polite as I listened to this numb skull. I didn't argue nor raise my voice because I'd prepared myself for precisely this sort of denial and apathy. This Starbucks and other similar complacent North Park small businesses are effectively turning their town into a ghetto.
Sure it seems far fetched and I sound like a raving lunatic..I know. Its amazing how well all those clean smooth upscale sidewalk tiles all along Starbucks help to mislead the average pedestrian
into assuming that he/she's walking in a safe neighborhood.
Last week when the Starbucks employee smiled at me and pointed to the outdoor
patio furniture and said "You're welcome to sit outside and get online if you wish.", at a glance,
that seemed like the mark of good customer service to me. Now I know that I was deceived into believing the place was safe and I'm angry as all hell!!!In retrospect, I'd have enormous respect
for this store and its employees (and plus I'd still have my Macbook), if the employee had said,"Sorry, all our seats are taken right now and the outside seats are not recommended for
laptop users. If you need to get online, I'd suggest that you stop by later or go up to the
other store across from the CVS drugstore."
Their oblivion or denial of the physical endangerment they themselves place their customers
into is breathtaking!! Remember - I was NOT the first and only robbery victim at this store.
They incite/ catalyze this crime upon their unsuspecting/defenseless customers via encouraging laptop users to sit outside their store.
If these Starbucks employees truely understood the value of "customer service" they would first consider how it impacts upon their customer's physical safety, never mind concern about ensuring the very best customer experience possible, then they would remove that patio furniture from the sidewalk and thereby preclude their customers the risk of being the victim of a violent crime.
Simple. ring shop ow
So now I'll procede to contact the corp. office and try to resolve this matter and absent any agreement by them to replace my property, I'll move forward in small claims court.
Stay tuned...I've got some new photos and more insights and info as well provided to me by neighboring shop owners /managers I interviewed.
Monday, March 11, 2013
MM Hobos Help Disabled Motorist
The video clip you're about to see is one of those fluke surprises that I'm rarely lucky enough to shoot. Its so well timed that it looks staged but its not.
BTW this was the last video I got to shoot with my Macbook and I uploaded it only minutes before my Mac got stolen last week. :(
Let me set this up for you:
I saw David Mick last Thursday morning and he was telling me about his new sign he's been flying on MM Blvd.Its yet another one of his attempts to fly a hobo sign that will make him some hobo cash without using the familiar worn out messages used by other bums.You've all seen their signs --"Need Work Please Help", "Disabled Vet Please Help" , "Will Work 4 Food Please Help","Please Help God Bless" ,"God Bless Please Help","Help Please Please Help" etc etc.
David Mick's previous signs have been original but were too silly or too lengthy to be effective but on this day, he had a good one. And to me that's HOBO NEWS that warrants a video interview and so I got out my laptop and started recording video of him with his sign...and then watch what happened... ;)
I'm glad to be able to share that with you. I can't speak for every Mira Mesa hobo, but helping others is the golden rule, right? Its only human to do so and I didn't just adopt that philosophy since becoming homeless and needy and nor do I sit on my ass until someone asked me for help before I give it to them.When I see someone in need of a little help I bring it to them. (I'm not talking about $$ here,btw, but rather, physical assistance or materials/stuff that I may have to offer someone.)
Anyway, David Mick and I handed the lady about five dollars or so in change. After she pumped some gas into her gas can, I offered to walk back to her car with her and pour it into her tank.
After I gassed her tank, Bianca Koch drove me back to where I was sitting with Randy and David. She gave us some blankets and socks and a hug and we thanked her!!
Bianca is a homeless advocate in Ocean Beach and we were glad to meet /assist her
in her time of need. She's very sweet and we hope to see her again soon.
Hey Bianca,if you're reading this please call me soon! :)
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Boogiman Snatches Scott's Macbook @ Starbucks, North Park
At around 6:30pm on March 5, I walked into the busy Starbucks Coffee shop at 2899 University Ave.
and glanced around for an empty seat while I ordered coffee. Since my laptop battery was charged up I decided to sit outside at one of their tables and work on the evening's news report for the blog.
I sat with my back to the wall, my backpack containing my power adapters/battery chargers for my Macbook and my Sony digi camera as well as the camera were beside me in my chair. With my 13" Macbook sitting along side the padded zipcover which serves as a mouse pad, I began to write my new post. Periodically, between thoughts, I'd pause and sorta scope out the scenery...acknowledged
new customers who'd just sat down at the adjacent tables.
As the darkness fell, I chatted briefly with one guy who stepped outside to smoke. He wondered if the Library was open. I'd written a couple of paragraphs and uploaded a video file and was focused upon my work typing when suddenly an arm swept across the table top and while I was typing, my computer was swept out from beneath my fingers! The young latino guy who stole it had approached the store running (eastbound) passed the store front. With no railing nor obstacles in his path to slow him down and give me any forewarning whatsoever, he simply extended his arm as he went by me, grabbed my computer with the mouse dangling by its cord and bolted around the corner
down 29th Street.
I jumped up and chased after him, knocking over the empty table and chairs to my right but I could get no closer than 15 ft or so from him as he turned the corner before he outran me for the next block and a half down 29th. As I chased him, I shouted and screamed continuously in hopes that someone down the street in his path would stop him. But after you go just one block down 29th, everything gets very dark and quiet down there as there are no shops/stores and few pedestrians.
After chasing him for one and half blocks I stopped running. Not only was I exhausted from sprinting that short distance, but I'd twisted or jammed my right knee as well but since I'd lost sight of him completely in the darkness, I was reluctant to proceed any further at that point
without any means of self defense/protection.
I turned around and hobbled/ran back to Ground ZERO, the CRIME SCENE @ 2899 University Ave.*** I'd just realized that I'd left my backpack and other valuable stuff behind amidst the pile/trail of Starbucks patio furniture which was strewn across the entire sidewalk and into the street. As I returned to the coffee shop, I saw a guy picking up my cigarette lighter from the street. I told him he could keep it. The patio furniture and debris/property/stuff that I'd left behind all appeared to be undisturbed and left lying where ever they happened to land when I fled the scene to chase after the boogieman.
The portion of this incident you've just read, IMO, is not nearly as amazing and outrageous as what follows. This next portion of the incident is somewhat blurry to me because I was in utter shock from what had just happened. My mind was running in five different directions at once and these were my thoughts as best I can recall: • Call 911 • Go back down 29th St. • NO! Go buy some weapons first then go down 29th St. • Do I have GPS? • Do I have XXXX XXXXX XXXX installed? • Who saw this guy and do they know him? • Was he alone? • WTF does Starbucks have exceeding cheap ass patio furniture? Maybe cause they know they're in the ghetto and have to replace it often! •Are any Starbucks employees gonna come outside to find out what happened? •Did they call 911 ON ME because I flipped over their chairs/tables? • Did anyone else call 911?
I stood there in reeling in shock but painfully aware of the NON REACTIONS from everyone around me who seemed content to just standby and gawk at me. While my adrenaline was pumping like a fire hose to do SOMETHING QUICKLY, I realized that I was completely disabled from any action that would fix this situation. I picked up my backpack and stepped up to the window and looked inside
the store. There were lots of blank faces staring back at me but I saw nothing to indicate that anyone inside the store was upset, bothered or at all distracted from their Starbucks coffee pleasure or from enjoying their free wifi internet session. The employees were focused upon serving coffee and appeared to be unaware that just two minutes prior a predator thief had struck upon one their customers and left their pristine patio in a mess.
Rather than leave silently without being noticed, I opened the door and unloaded a short and very loud and vulger barrage of ideas/concerns and othrwise, gems of wisdom of the streets which popped into my head. As I walked away, I continued to feel the bizarre and lifeless stares from the bystanders all around me whom, after hearing me hollering inside the store and disrupting everyone inside, must surely be stares of ice cold disdain.
That's because in previous incidents, I was either unconscious/incapacit\ununted or too busy dealing with the police to take notice. In times when someone actually helped me, I became aware of it after waking up in the trauma ICU at some local hospital. While I've been mugged and robbed before,
I've never been so immaculately, so precisely, so surgically and so indefensibly raped of thousands of dollars worth of my property in the blink of an eye while amidst pedestrians/folks all around me.
But then to witness the most unconcerned, apathetic and incompetent non-response from every person present at the crime scene not only puts a sharper edge on the pain and loss I incurred, but it also puts this entire nightmare into sharp focus for me to understand better.
This was no random act. This is not a case of negligence or stupidity on my behalf and nor am I willing lie down and be counted among the silent masses of victims of this and other similar violent crimes. That said, I do feel fortunate to have realized the severity of the rampant crime situation here before deciding to move into a nearby apartment that's been offered to me at an enticing low rent price. I'd considered this apartment offer to be a great bargain opportunity. That is before my computer got jacked out of my hands. During my meeting with the SDPD officer who wrote the crime report, I heard some candid anecdotal insight about the alarming North Park crime wave and
in particular the 9899 Starbucks Coffee shop location which I'd never imagined nor would suspect before becoming a crime statistic.
I must pause for now but I'll return here soon (I hope) to show you some video/photo details about this breaking news story as well as discussion of the underlying and sidebar issues ("the news
behind the news", as we news professionals like to say).
I'd really like to hear from the readers out there with your questions comments or
experiences you may have to share.
In the meantime...
"GODAMNIT!!!I'M SO FUCKING PISSED OFF, I COULD EXPLODE!
***So help me God, from this moment forward,
the 2899 University Ave. Starbucks store shall be
known as Ground Zero North Park, and as the
"crime scene coffee shop" (CSCS).
known as Ground Zero North Park, and as the
"crime scene coffee shop" (CSCS).
Thursday, March 7, 2013
¡¡¡wE're xPeriencing Techno Difficulty...Please Stand By!!!
In the past 36 hrs or so the Popular Hobo News & the Entertainment engineering crew, has been working round the clock to get this blog back online in safe operating order. Due to the highly unstable znd ambulatory nature of the "news desk" and our facilities lately, we sometimes must shut down the news desk editing and report writing operations in a hasty and disorderly fashion.
Like last night when its closing time on the outside flight deck of the U.S.S. Starbucks Coffee shop and the First Mate and Deckhand come flying out the front door with a big mop and a bucket and start swabbing down the flight deck right where you're posted up and spread out all over the table with cameras, memory card readers, Macbooks, mice ,mouse pads, beer cans, coffee cups, ashtrays, and 6 or 8 bags and envelopes full of crap, you don't have time to throttle down and close the operation correctly. No,instead you've gotta start snatching cords out of electrical sockets, stuffing your crap intto backpacks and suitcases, and clearing off tabletops with one sweep of your arm if you want to keep your shit from being flooded or broken. Or like when you're trying to sort thru your picture files and upload a photo to your blog while you're sitting on the crapper inside the grocery store. That's when it seems like all of the sudden everyone in the store and within a 1/4 mile radius has to take an urgent dump in the crapper you're using! You're sitting there watching the progress bar slowly creep along as your photo is being uploaded.
There are times when I refuse to be rushed along by stressed out over-worked tax payers who live inside doors with utilities,and toilets. After several minutes I decide to give them a reason to go elsewhere... "Go away...THIS TOILET IS OUT OF ORDER....I''m having a long slow medical emergency in here...GO AWAY...I'm in labor in here...my contractions are coming hard and fast now...30 seconds apart...Uhhhhhhhhh!! Huuuuuummmmmmph!!!Oooooooooohhhhh!! I think I'm gonna give birth within the next 2 to 3 hours.... but you know how these things can be ... you may wanna just GO AWAY...or you may wanna go find a diaper if you're gonna wait...Urrrrrrrrrhh!!"
I'm used to being in "public" 24/7 where everything you need to do requires using a public facility of some sort or doing personal things in front of gawking speechless civilians and snickering assholes. Whether its brushing my teeth, washing my hair or working on my Mac and blog. But it gets a bit reckless trying to work online in fits and stops when I'm forced to pick up and move from place to place.That's when things start to falter or suddenly crash.My blog didn't crash per se...I almost blew it up /demolished it accidently. It was very easy to do and that's what's scary. (I simply clicked on a different template design to check it out and when I clicked, I lost my entire original customized template that I'd worked on and fine tuned for many hours. I never did recover it but I did learn from that mistake.) I hate things that that are deceptively fragile or prone to breakage/failure.
Needless to say, living outside out of a suitcase and a backpack and walking all over town
with my Macbook, digi camera, spare and other small pricey electronic devices is risky business.
I debated about starting this blog for many weeks and decided to go ahead with it because
this "news"is the sort of content that you can't replicate at some later date and as I've mentioned, I don't plan on being a hobo for much longer.
But before I move out of Hoboville, I wanna try and present the best and the worst human experiences that the other hobos and I see and deal with everyday.
Like last night when its closing time on the outside flight deck of the U.S.S. Starbucks Coffee shop and the First Mate and Deckhand come flying out the front door with a big mop and a bucket and start swabbing down the flight deck right where you're posted up and spread out all over the table with cameras, memory card readers, Macbooks, mice ,mouse pads, beer cans, coffee cups, ashtrays, and 6 or 8 bags and envelopes full of crap, you don't have time to throttle down and close the operation correctly. No,instead you've gotta start snatching cords out of electrical sockets, stuffing your crap intto backpacks and suitcases, and clearing off tabletops with one sweep of your arm if you want to keep your shit from being flooded or broken. Or like when you're trying to sort thru your picture files and upload a photo to your blog while you're sitting on the crapper inside the grocery store. That's when it seems like all of the sudden everyone in the store and within a 1/4 mile radius has to take an urgent dump in the crapper you're using! You're sitting there watching the progress bar slowly creep along as your photo is being uploaded.
There are times when I refuse to be rushed along by stressed out over-worked tax payers who live inside doors with utilities,and toilets. After several minutes I decide to give them a reason to go elsewhere... "Go away...THIS TOILET IS OUT OF ORDER....I''m having a long slow medical emergency in here...GO AWAY...I'm in labor in here...my contractions are coming hard and fast now...30 seconds apart...Uhhhhhhhhh!! Huuuuuummmmmmph!!!Oooooooooohhhhh!! I think I'm gonna give birth within the next 2 to 3 hours.... but you know how these things can be ... you may wanna just GO AWAY...or you may wanna go find a diaper if you're gonna wait...Urrrrrrrrrhh!!"
I'm used to being in "public" 24/7 where everything you need to do requires using a public facility of some sort or doing personal things in front of gawking speechless civilians and snickering assholes. Whether its brushing my teeth, washing my hair or working on my Mac and blog. But it gets a bit reckless trying to work online in fits and stops when I'm forced to pick up and move from place to place.That's when things start to falter or suddenly crash.My blog didn't crash per se...I almost blew it up /demolished it accidently. It was very easy to do and that's what's scary. (I simply clicked on a different template design to check it out and when I clicked, I lost my entire original customized template that I'd worked on and fine tuned for many hours. I never did recover it but I did learn from that mistake.) I hate things that that are deceptively fragile or prone to breakage/failure.
Needless to say, living outside out of a suitcase and a backpack and walking all over town
with my Macbook, digi camera, spare and other small pricey electronic devices is risky business.
I debated about starting this blog for many weeks and decided to go ahead with it because
this "news"is the sort of content that you can't replicate at some later date and as I've mentioned, I don't plan on being a hobo for much longer.
But before I move out of Hoboville, I wanna try and present the best and the worst human experiences that the other hobos and I see and deal with everyday.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The Northpark Connection
Four reasons why I like this Laundry Mat @ Arizona & University Ave.(North Park):
1)Free Wifi and a broadcast studio quality NEWS DESK (see below)
2)friendly people (not edgy weirdo types) although Ingles no hablo muy mucho. :)
3)vending machines w/ fair prices
4) cheap friendly priced coin op washers and dryers!!
Prices are 50% less than in MM!!!
In less time than it takes to make change from a five dolla bill, I was all set up at their
NEWS DESK, online with their wifi signal, sipping a 211, snackoing on some cookies.
while editing news content and getting my clothes clean! How that for multi-tasking!
1)Free Wifi and a broadcast studio quality NEWS DESK (see below)
2)friendly people (not edgy weirdo types) although Ingles no hablo muy mucho. :)
3)vending machines w/ fair prices
4) cheap friendly priced coin op washers and dryers!!
Prices are 50% less than in MM!!!
In less time than it takes to make change from a five dolla bill, I was all set up at their
NEWS DESK, online with their wifi signal, sipping a 211, snackoing on some cookies.
while editing news content and getting my clothes clean! How that for multi-tasking!
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