It begins and ends with U. My profound words for the year (though they are inherently meaningless).
My question: Do people really take dumps on subways? Happy new year. Carol > On Jan 1, 2015, at 11:17 AM, Paul Brandon <[email protected]> wrote: > > My question has always been: > Where is the end and beginning of a circle? > >> On Jan 1, 2015, at 10:59 AM, Mike Palij <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Best wishes to all for the coming year! May your teaching loads >> be lightened and your committee/administrative work be lessened >> as your salaries are increased. >> >> A few notes about New Year's Eve (NYE), the new year, and >> other stuff: >> >> (1) Some of the news channels started showing how NYE was >> being celebrated around the world, starting with, I believe, >> New Zealand (NZ) which is about 16 hours ahead of the celebrations >> in NYC's Times Square (there a few islands in the Pacific that >> enter the new year earlier but these will only be of interest to >> fanboys of NYE). >> >> (2) One realization as the crystal Waterford ball came down >> at Times Square: there are probably folks in NZ, Australia, >> and the eastern Russian Federation who are starting their >> hangovers as the ball comes down. >> >> (3) While watching the financial news network CNBC, the >> newsreader was excitingly announcing that midnight had just >> come to Moscow and that a spectacular fireworks display >> would light up the night sky. However, as the skyline of >> Moscow remained dark for the next minute, the newsreader >> chimed in "Well, maybe those sanctions really are working!?" >> The fireworks started 4-5 minutes late. >> >> (4) As with every new year, people make resolutions of various >> sorts, usually to achieve positive goals like weight loss, exercising >> more, being kinder to people, giving more to charities, and so on >> (there are those who swear to carry out their revenge against their >> enemies, real or imagined, but I digress) and the NY Times is >> perhaps making suggestions about changing behavior on the >> subway. Let's be clear: "manspreading" might be a problem, >> especially one that some folks like to focus on (you know who >> you are) but New Yorkers who regularly ride the subway are >> all too aware of other "problematic" behaviors which the following >> NY Times story identifies based on polling of its readers: >> http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/29/nyregion/door-hogs-music-blasters-litterbugs-readers-sound-off-about-subway-rudeness.html?mabReward=RI%3A11 >> >> One set of problem behaviors: >> >> |Grievances include smells that offend, sounds that grate and >> |personal grooming not appropriate for a public space. Riders >> |seethed over frequent culprits: the door hog, the pole hugger, >> |the litterbug. >> >> Smells that offend can come from a variety of sources, ranging >> from people with poor personal hygiene to the foods that are >> eaten such as: >> >> |Some think food should be banned on the subway altogether. >> |They had visceral memories of unpleasant odors on the train: >> |Mexican fast food, garlic breath, Chinese takeout. >> | >> |"I actually witnessed a man put on rubber gloves, open a can of >> |sardines and eat it on the train," Yana Ivanov wrote in an email. >> |"It was nasty." >> >> Somebody should do a memory studies for odors experienced >> on the subway. I'm sure they are especially durable. ;-) >> >> And one particular problem that I find offensive is people taking >> pictures on the subway. Consider: >> >> |Several complaints were logged against people who take selfies >> |on the train. Sharmila Mukherjee objected to riders who take these >> |photos with "preposterous smiles on their faces." Women are often >> |the culprits, she said. "They fancy they are girls in pearl earrings >> |and the smartphone camera is Vermeer himself," she wrote, referring >> |to the Dutch artist who painted the famous "Girl With a Pearl Earring." >> >> True Story: after a tiring day of teaching I was taking the subway home >> when a group of about 6-7 youngish people, obviously European >> from their accents, got on my car and started to act as though they >> were in a photoshoot. I could tell that they were amateurs because >> of their "Golly Gee! Let's Take This Shot!" attitude -- your average >> tourist who thought it was great taking photos on the subway without >> asking anyone not in their group if they minded being in the picture. >> I counted down the stations to my stop while this group occupied >> about a third of the car. As I got off at my station I prayed to God to >> send a homeless man to this car so he could take a dump in it. >> >> Another unanswered prayer. ;-) >> >> Good luck with that hangover. ;-) >> >> -Mike Palij > > Paul Brandon > 10 Crown Hill Lane > Mankato, MN 56001 > [email protected] > > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=177920.a45340211ac7929163a0216244443341&n=T&l=tips&o=41348 > or send a blank email to > leave-41348-177920.a45340211ac7929163a0216244443...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=41349 or send a blank email to leave-41349-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
