Month: October 2005

When the news first talked of the “bombs” at Georgia Tech, I wondered if it was a dry-ice bomb. According to the AJC it was. The exploded bottle in this picture is the remains of “device” that Theodore Hollot made.

Dry-ice bombs are nothing more then a sealed container with frozen CO2 and water. The water heats the dry ice, which sublimates from a solid to a gas, and the gas builds up in the container until it fails. Think of it as a carbonated drink on steroids. While the bomb is explosive it’s not combusive, with no flames or heat. And while the pieces of the bomb do go flying, it’s more sound with little force behind it.

If you have ever seen fog in a theaterical production, it may have been created with the use of dry ice. And on some of the productions I worked in the past we made CO2 bombs when we were done with the dry ice. At the end of a particularly tough traveling production, the crew was blowing off steam after dealing with a lighting designer who was a complete nightmare. After the last show while both the traveling crew (my guys) and his crew were celebrating the end of last show, he retreated to his office. And he was on the receiving end of a dry-ice bomb near his office door, made by one of his crew. Scarred the shit out of him, but no harm came to him.

So the kid at G-Tech, screwed. In a less paranoid time, he may have faced some moderate disciplinary action and continue on with his education. Hopefully terror-related hysteria won’t prevail, and the kid will be subject to a level-headed and appropriate punishment and he will continue attending the school.

“As I would later find out, most Republicans hate ‘cool’ (‘They all think they’re so cool and artistic,’ griped one woman as she watched Fox coverage of Democratic delegates arriving in Boston). Many of the parent volunteers I met were especially bitter because they think that cool is what liberals use to lure their children away. Which they might very well be right about, of course.”

Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi spent ten week volunteering in the Orlando Republican Party campaign during 2004. His comment on the perception of “cool” was one of the more revealing aspects of the article. It made me aware how groups could see the trappings of coolness: the clothes, the bling, the slang, music, etc as a wedge between different people and their beliefs. The culture wars have been ranging for years now with conservative arguing that pop culture not only was degrading our nations morality but actively marketed rebelion, sex and sin in the hunt for profits. And there was a time now long ago that TV and music reflected the values and tastes that adults mainly felt safe exposing their children to.

But there has always been fads that have taken hold with “terrible” result and the critique that children have been adversly affected by damaging stories. In the great book, Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, covers both topics, fads and children are talked about. The 1841 book is long out of copyright and has been reproduced online in several places. Chapter 14, “Popular Admiration of Great Thieves” has footnotes of interview of young thieves who stole to see the play of notorious thief Jack Sheppard.

“J. L. (aged 15). The first time I was ever at the theatre was to see Jack Sheppard. There were two or three boys near to the house who were going, and they asked me. I took sixpence from the money I used to lay up weekly for clothes. The next time I went, which was the week after, I borrowed the money from a boy; I returned it to him the Saturday after. I then went many times. I took the money from my mother out of her pocket as she was sitting down, and I beside her. There was more than sixpence in her pocket. I got a great love for the theatre, and stole from people often to get there. I thought this Jack Sheppard was a clever fellow for making his escape and robbing his master. If I could get out of gaol, I think I should be as clever as him; but after his exploits, he got done at last. I have had the book out of a library at Dole Field. I had paid twopence a book for three volumes. I also got Richard Turpin, in two volumes, and paid the same. I have seen Oliver Twist, and think the Artful Dodger is very like some of the boys here. I am here for picking a pocket of 25…”

So, how can you not love a boy how turned to a life of crime to support his theater and literature habit? Lastly, I will leave you with the wisdom of Del Close and John Brent. In their spoken word album, “How to Speak Hip,” the parody of social psychology has an examiner talk to a beatnik hipster in an attempt to understand what’s the matter with kids these days.

“Mr. Romo, I must admit that I am puzzled. You hipsters claim to be such relaxed, free spirits yet your rules for social behavor are even more set, tight and rigid then those of square society

Yeah, well, dig, it’s simple. I’ll spell it out for you a lot. A lot of the simple everyday behavor is illegal. So, there is aways a lot of heat on us, see? You know, you have to protect yourself. Now if you break the rules of hip you get put down, now that’s true. But you break the ‘square rules’, they put you in the slam. That’s a big difference

There’s only two basic rules of hip… You protect yourself against the possibility of police intervention, which means you don’t associate with uncool people and you protect your state of mind. You follow the hip commandment, thou shalt not bug thy neighbor, which means be cool, that’s all…

…The hip thing is to be able perfom the exactly appropriate action at all times. And that is not easy.”

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He’s Got the Whole World…, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Alternative Titles:

The Man Who Rented the World (Apologies to David Bowie)

Atlas Shrugged, and Lowered the Rent

CRACK!… a car alarm, and the lights went out. Late friday night had us in the dark, something loud had happened in front of out apartment that killed the power to our place. A trip outside found that the whole block was dark and shining the flashlight around showed the cause. One of the many Bradford Pear trees in front lost a big limb, spanning the street and resting on the power lines opposite our apartment building. Two our fellow residents were outside calling Georgia Power and kavetching about the 5 times in the past our property’s trees had lost limbs. About 40 minute after the neighborhood went dark, a big hook-and-ladder from Atlanta Fire pulled in, shined its lights on the tree and held tight until Georgia Power came by.

I’m going on faith that the arrest of Preston from kissatlanta.com happened the way it was reported on FAB’s site because I was so burned up at the idea of it that the following got sent to the AJC…

“What is the difference between an Atlanta police officer and a criminal? On the right day and time, not much.

Apparently parking in a handicap parking spot, destroying pictures of said parking offense, destroying cameraphone, and arresting the individual complaining about said offenses is all in a days work for one police officer. Forunately, the man in question was wheelchair-bound so he was easily subdued, and his phone confiscated/destroyed. Additionally, this all occurred wth additional officers witnessing the whole altercation, so backup was at hand in case things got rougher then they already were.

Is this indicative of most of the city’s police force? No. Is this the worst they could have done? No. But it boggles the mind that a local officer would find himself taking up actions against a wheel-chair bound individual, instead of simply parking anywhere but in a handicapped spot, like the rest of us do.”

Since my letter is just reacting to what I read online, and lacking in any sort of crediblity, I would ask that anyone closely associated with this event send a note to the AJC. This sort of thing will be completely ignored unless a stink is made about it.

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1 Bdrm Studio, No Strs, Jst a Lddr 1, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

GW has nominated Harriet Miers as his choice for supreme court. Never married, no children, never a justice, she hasn’t left much of trail. Democrats are amused that she gave to the Gore presidential campaign, religious conservatives don’t like that she hasn’t voiced a their agenda. Me, I made the comment that it would be pretty funny if George W. put the first lesbian on the supreme court. My wife…

“She looks nice for a barren spinster.”

My sweetie has a mean since of humor. Love her so!

Some months ago I lost my wedding ring in Vegas. I had 3-of-a-kind, it looked like a sure bet…

…actually, it was while I was at work at the MGM Grand that it went missing, never to be found again. The place where I bought the original ring was in New Orleans, so they aren’t able to help. So, I’m looking for suggestions on finding a place locally that I could get another. It was a modern white-gold band without a comfort-fit roundover, looking more like a slice off of a silver tube. With our wedding anniversary coming up, I need to be dressed for the occasion. And a new ring would be a good start.