A call from a district attorney in Illinois wanted to know if I had any info on a payphone location from 1957, apparently involving a cold case from that era. They have proof that a call was made from a payphone, and they were able to verify the number for that payphone, but they need more proof to pinpoint where, exactly the phone was located. Pretty cool stuff but unfortunately I don’t have anything on phones that old, and no particular access to historical records from that area not readily available to the DA’s office. I offered to post a story about it all on my web site, in case that could gain any traction, but I doubt they’ll accept that offer. Too bad.
Just shipped 3 boxes of LPs to my sister in Florida. I’ve been digitizing records and donating most of them to thrift shops but thought she might enjoy the 70s-era records, some of which I think used to be hers anyway. I discovered that the Automated Postal Center thingie does not know about Media Mail, so I had to stand in line, which went quickly enough but was annoying anyway. Had I used the APC and not known Media Mail exists (like a lot of people, I suspect) I’d have paid about $12 each. Instead I paid less than $12 for all three. I even filled out the survey on the receipt to complain.
The digitizing of LPs has managed to clear a full shelf. That should be the end of that project for me for a while, if not for good. Will keep the ones left and listen to them at random.
At the ghetto coffee shop, listening to very loud gossip about someone who just came here who stinks bad. I guess the gossip comes indoors now that the weather is cooling. I didn’t notice the stink but I did notice the perfume someone sprayed throughout this place to make it go away. That smell is making me ill, as is the loud clatter of gossip and insults about the foul-smelling customer.
Actually what was worrying me most (the crowd has moved away) was that the most garrulous of these people would try to get me into the conversation. This has been the place I go to not be bothered or to not be involved in chumpy gossip. I like it here because nobody tries to get to know me. Hoping it stays that way.
A friend asked me the other day what impact I think the Internet has had since we got involved with it 20+ years ago. I said “I think the internet is filling the world with shit.” Actually I said that later, to myself, as I was still thinking about the question a day later. I think what I responded at the time was that the lynch mobs and meta-associating of unrelated incidents has conflated a new superreality. But I’ve been saying that for years. Filling the world with shit, though, that’s a new one. I like it.
Christ, this dude sitting next to me is yelling stuff in a language that sounds kinda like Arabic into his phone, and I don’t know if he was terribly worked up about whatever he’s talking about but the stool on which he is sitting fell out from under him. Looks like he hurt his ass something bad but he keeps on with the conversation. Think I”ll get the hell outta here.
