luscious_purple: "avoid heralds" (avoid heralds)
(Reprinted, with some editing, from the friends-locked entry at https://luscious-purple.livejournal.com/425258.html. I have eliminated the usernames of some people no longer on LJ/DW, so I might as well make this an unlocked post.)

Twenty-five years ago (NOW FORTY YEARS AGO) today ... I had finished college a semester and was out getting my first taste of the working world in Boston. During the day I worked for office temp agencies when they had work. (Two years of business typing had given me a semi-marketable skill outside journalism; I quite prided myself on being able to set up and type complex tables on the typewriter by backspacing from the center of the page.) Some evenings I worked from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Red Cross building near Kenmore Square; the job was to call past blood donors and ask them to roll up their sleeves again.

I remember starting one temp assignment in the New England Merchants National Bank building near Boston City Hall. (Don't ask me what that building is called today in the wake of all the bank mergers that have happened since.) I reported to the twelfth floor, I think, and was seated at one of two desks in the reception area. I typed up some letters on the IBM Selectric typewriter. At the other reception-area desk, one of the permanent secretaries was typing things into a Wang word-processing terminal. A second secretary would come in and out of another office to exchange papers with the first one, schmooze with her, and whatnot. I can't remember their names after all these years.

It was a very uneventful, boring day until sometime in the middle of the afternoon. While I was placidly typing away at some boring letter that didn't need to be entered into the Wang system, secretary #2 sauntered up to the desk of secretary #1.

"Did you hear what happened to Reagan and his press secretary?" secretary #2 asked casually, as if she was telling a story about a couple of co-workers.

"No," said secretary #1.

"They were shot," said secretary #2, as if she was reporting that somebody's kid had been accepted at college or something.

She went back to her own desk, and as the new temp, I was totally unacknowledged and ignored. But I heard every word of the brief exchange, and suddenly my hands were wet and clammy and shaking like a leaf. I had to excuse myself and go to the bathroom, where I sat on the toilet and tried to compose myself.

Now, I was not, am not, never was, never will be a fan of Reagan. Bleah. But during the 1980 primary season, my friends and I at my college newspaper had concluded that George H.W. Bush was even scarier than Reagan, because Bush (there was only one in public life then) had said (during a debate, I think) that "nuclear war is winnable." So the idea that the finger on the nuclear trigger might be connected to someone who thought he could win the game of mutual assured destruction was quite terrifying.

Not to mention the A-word (assassination). The earliest memory I have that I can date exactly is November 22, 1963, and as a kid growing up in Massachusetts, I'd read all I could about that tragic day. From all I'd ever read and heard, people stopped whatever they were doing when they heard the news -- people went home early from work and school -- it was a HUGE DEAL that John F. Kennedy had been slain.

I went back to my desk and was freaked out that everything was still normal. Secretary #1 was still typing away on her terminal. Down the hallway I could see other people at their desks. Nobody was running around or freaking out. I could hardly believe I was the only one who was scared shitless. For the millionth time I felt that adolescent angst against the corporate world.

I was twitchy all the way through the last couple of hours at the job, and once I established that they wanted me back for a second day (I ended up spending five or six weeks there), I practically vaulted out of the building. To burn off some energy I walked up Tremont Street toward Park Street station instead of getting on the T at Government Center. My mind was consumed with one question: "WHAT HAPPENED?" Somehow I wanted to hear the news ... but how. The year was nineteen-freaking-eighty-one. The Walkman was a brand-new product and not many people had them, or their Walkmen (Walkmans?) played only cassette tapes and didn't have a radio. Tremont Street didn't have any stores with TV sets in the windows, and I didn't have time to make a detour to Jordan Marsh and Filene's in Downtown Crossing, because I was supposed to be on my way to Kenmore Square for the Red Cross job. A guy was selling the Boston Globe in front of the Park Street entrance, but even the evening edition didn't say anything about the assassination attempt, and the guy who was selling the papers said he hadn't heard anything. Aack! My brain was demanding a 21st-century news cycle in a 20th-century world....

By the time I got off the T, I realized I had to make a detour on my way to the Red Cross building. I had to get myself to a place where I knew there was a functioning Associated Press teletype machine clacking out news stories at 64 words per minute. So I practically ran over to the old familiar building on Cummington Street and burst through the front door. Fortunately, since I had just graduated, I still knew most everyone on the staff. The news editor was standing at the reception desk.

"Christopher!" I shouted at him. (I sometimes called him that because, for a while, he had been dating a Christine.) "Who is the president of the United States?"

"It's still Reagan," that Christopher said. "He's in surgery. Don't worry, we're on top of things."

Well, I'd given so much sweat and tears and other bodily fluids to that newspaper over the years, how could I *not* care about how it was covering the story? I was just thankful to get an update on the situation. In this day and age where we get instant CNN alerts in our e-mail boxes, it seems downright quaint to recall how information-deprived I felt that day.

I went off to the Red Cross and distinctly remember that I was assigned to calling the B-negatives that night (past donors were classified according to their blood types). When I called one man, his wife answered the phone, and then I heard her say, "Honey, it's for you, they want you to give blood for Reagan!" And I just sat there, ever the good liberal, squirming and thinking, "I didn't say THAT! I don't even know what his blood type is!" (Or was. Still don't.)

Anyhow, the world has certainly changed. I've been to that Hilton where the shooting took place. I've attended scientific meetings and black-tie dinners there. And I work just a few blocks down the hill [or I did back in 2006]....

Over and out....
luscious_purple: If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention (outraged)
I already figured that things would be tense on Capitol Hill this afternoon because of all the planned objections to the certification of the electoral votes, which should have taken no more than half an hour. But Despicable Trump rallied his storm troops at Lafayette Park and they subsequently forced their way into the Capitol and let loose the chaos. TV stations broadcast live images of the insurrectionist mob all afternoon, even though the jerks had earlier stomped on a bunch of television equipment (they didn't get it all).

Many, many questions remain about how easily the rioters were able to force their way into such a secure building and why the cops didn't do more to stop them (can you say "white privilege," among other things?). The Washington Post has called for the immediate removal of Trump from office.

I am trying to avoid using the word "crazy" for any of this, because the word discriminates against people with actual mental illness. This crap today was just evil, and Trump just egged it all on, to the point where Twitter, Facebook and Instagram all gave him a timeout. (FINALLY!!)

There's no way I can get all this into one post, but here is a screenshot:

2021-01-06 (4)

My reaction: I wrote up a short assignment for pay this morning, and then I was awaiting verbal shenanigans in the afternoon. But when things exploded (literally, when the flash-bangs and tear gas went off), my shock and disgust grew. A couple of my Facebook friends were in tears, but I didn't feel that way until just before my online Toastmasters meeting kicked off, when I turned off the TV and felt the momentary lull. And the regularly scheduled meeting was like a refreshing splash of aftershave or toner.

Congress is dutifully finishing up its EV count right now. Apparently the seditious senators have dropped their objections, so we should get this taken care of soon. However, as columnist Eugene Robinson wrote: "The wounds Trump has inflicted upon the nation, however, are ragged and deep. We will be paying for the mistake of electing this bitter, twisted man as president for a long, long time."
luscious_purple: Snagged on LJ (great news)
Some of you may be wondering how I can get so excited about the Nationals in 2019 after cheering for the Red Sox in 2018. Obviously I have deep roots in Massachusetts. My Dad was a huge Red Sox fan (even though the only time the Sox won the World Series during his lifetime was when he was 12 months old), and I went to college a few blocks from Fenway Park. So Boston will always be the American League team of my heart.

But I was happy when Washington ended its baseball drought in 2005 with a National League team. Even with the current trends in interleague play during the season, the Red Sox and the Nationals seldom play each other (and I don't think they have a matchup on their 2020 schedules). And it's downright fun to cheer for the home team.

So I have two favorite teams, one in each league. And now that these two teams have won back-to-back World Series championships, I will be happy to add a 2019 Nationals championship banner to the 2018 Red Sox pennant on my wall.

And I am officially *incredibly* spoiled for future Octobers.....
luscious_purple: Boston STRONG! (Boston Strong)
I, like the rest of the metro area, was high with happiness after Game 2 of the World Series. I mean, FiveThirtyEight.com gave the Nationals an 81 percent probability of winning it all! But now that the Series is tied 2-2, that website gives the Astros a better than 50 percent chance again. *sigh*

Last night I didn't even bother watching the baseball game. I was at the Boo Manor Halloween party and occasionally checked the score on my sports app. Once Houston's score began climbing, I became disinclined to rush home....
luscious_purple: Boston STRONG! (Boston Strong)
Apparently it was 1 year ago today that the Red Sox advanced to the World Series. The Washington Nationals did that just a few nights ago. So, both of my favorite baseball teams in the Series in two successive years! How 'bout THAT?

Tomorrow I'm going to the MD Renaissance Festival with R. It's the closing weekend, so it will be a total zoo. Twice as many people as Pennsic packed into a quarter of the space … remind me how this is supposed to be fun? Eh, I suppose it'll be as fun as I make it. Plus, I have been going every single year since 1993, so why break the streak now?
luscious_purple: Baby blasting milk carton with death-ray vision (death-ray baby)
Spring is officially OVER. The DC area was the hottest part of the USA today. Hotter than Florida, Georgia (including Tall Dancer's metro area), south Texas, Arizona, LA....

Bleah. Still getting used to warm weather after the long, cold winter.
luscious_purple: Julia, the Maine Coon Cat (Julia)
Yesterday was the boy toy's B-day, but I had a short article to write (freelance). So while I worked on that, he did some laundry. Later in the afternoon, we went to the local co-op supermarket to get the monthly "patron appreciation day" discount (5 percent off everything). In the evening I cooked us a meal from one of Jamie Oliver's cookbooks: a fish frittata with a light waldorf salad on the side. It came out OK; I wouldn't want to eat it every day, but it was tasty enough for a change.

Today we went into DC. First we stopped at the American History Museum to see the exhibit on the 1960s, because the building first opened in 1964 -- 50 years ago. It was a small but good-quality exhibit, featuring a beautifully restored 1964 Ford Mustang, a diorama of the New York World's Fair, and some glass tubes from an early build-your-own-laser kit. Then the boy toy noticed the tents for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the Mall, so we walked around that for a while. It was warm and mildly humid, but not oppressively so (like SO many summer days around here).

Next we took the Orange Line to Eastern Market because neither one of us had ever been there. The building itself reminded me of what Quincy Market in Boston might be like if it hadn't gotten all gussied up for the tourists. We didn't bring an insulated bag and we usually get our fresh meat at the Amish market anyway, but we did pick up a chunk of Parmesan cheese.

Finally, we walked a few blocks to a Cuban/Puerto Rican restaurant and had a late lunch slash early dinner. His meal turned out to be a HUGE platter so he will be getting a second meal out of that.

Less than three months to go till my own birthday, which I will share this year not only with the Barony of Storvik, but also Our National Anthem as it hits the Big Two-Oh-Oh. About time I check out some of the festivities at Fort McHenry, and maybe we'll find a cool restaurant somewhere in Baltimore.
luscious_purple: women's rights (Default)
More on last night's sudden thunder-boomer. I wonder whether we're going to have another one of those tonight. It's getting awfully cloudy out there.

Rather glad I'm not out on the Mall, because it is a PITA when the rangers clear people off the Mall because of an impending T-storm and then we all go into the buildings and then have to exit the Smithsonian buildings on the outside of the Fourth of July security zone and then have to go through the security gates all over again. Blergh.

Happy Fourth of July anyway....
luscious_purple: Julia, the Maine Coon Cat (Julia)
Holy moley, I skipped a whole week of LJ/DW without going to Pennsic! Well, I still have been reading things and commenting occasionally. I just got busy this past week -- for three days I day-tripped to Baltimore to cover a cat-toy conference for my previous employer, and then I finished writing about it on the fourth day. Freelance, of course.

(Yes, I know that humans refer to the event as a "laser science conference." My cats tell me that their species allows humans to THINK that they use lasers for Very Important Purposes, such as telecommunications, reading CD and DVD discs, eye surgery, catching speeding automobiles, and erasing gang tattoos. However, lasers are REALLY just The World's Best Cat Toys Evah.)

Part of me would have liked to go to Spring Crown Tourney yesterday, but I had promised the boy toy months and months ago that we would go to Europe in DC again this year. That's the day when the EU member countries open their embassy doors to the public. Last year we got to the UK embassy just as the day's events were winding down and the booths were closing up (unlike most of the other embassies, the UK's holds its festivities outdoors on its grounds). So this time around, the boy toy wanted to go there first and get some swag, so that's exactly what we did -- get our Union Jack tote bags with all sorts of brochures and a Scottish flag and whatnot. And we toured the pretty gardens and photographed a table set up with the same place settings as at the Royal Wedding reception. Awww.

Then we also went to the embassies of Finland and Belgium. The former is an impressively LEED-certified modern wood-glass-and-steel cube. The latter had an interesting curved front, and I said to the boy toy that this might be a historic visit if the country splits in two and there isn't a single "Belgian" embassy in a year or five. We didn't stand in the separate (long) line for a small wedge of a Belgian waffle, but we did get a couple of small cups of beer on the way out of the embassy building. Scored a piece of chocolate, too.

The UK experience inspired us to watch The King's Speech (borrowed from the boy toy's Mom, an Anglophilic Episcopal priest) last night. Awesome. I used to date a guy with a stutter -- something like 15 years ago -- and I wonder what he thinks of this movie.

Before I forget -- Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers on my f-list!
luscious_purple: Julia, the Maine Coon Cat (Julia)
To honor what would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday, I am posting links to a wonderful set of photos of the Beatles' February 1964 visit to Washington, D.C., immediately after their famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

http://1stusvisit.absoluteelsewhere.net/WashingtonDC/washington_dc.html

(This is part of a much larger site about John Lennon.)

Since it was snowing, the Beatle entourage took the train from NYC to Union Station. This had the added advantage of putting them only a few blocks from the arena where they were going to give their concert, instead of on the opposite side of the Potomac River. (Remember, these guys attracted huge flocks of screaming girls wherever they went, so it was kinda hard for them to move around.)

I'd never seen any of these photos before I stumbled across them last night, so I was captivated by them. On the train ride, the Fab Four were obviously hamming it up for the photographers, yet they also seemed to be having casual fun. After all, at that time, they weren't much older than frat boys! (And, hey, train travel has certainly changed over the years, hasn't it? They don't make trains like that anymore, at least on our side of the pond!)

The sightseeing photos are cool because you can see the Beatles in front of federal buildings that still exist today -- and the District government wasn't any better at cleaning the streets in 1964 than it is today!

Finally, it's fascinating to see the Fab Four take the stage with their primitive equipment. If anybody's curious about the building where they were playing, the Washington Coliseum (formerly Uline Arena) ... it still stands but is used as a warehouse/garage and is pretty rundown-looking. You can see it from Metro's Red Line. It's a pity it hasn't been refurbished. It might be too small for modern rock concerts, but it would be a great space for some sort of arts center.
luscious_purple: Baby blasting milk carton with death-ray vision (death-ray baby)
Last night I got on the Green Line at Gallery Place, as usual, only to find some guy talking really, really loudly on the train car. At first I noticed that he was leaning casually in his seat with his arm up along the back of the seat. The first sentence from thim that my brain processed was "You can get all the sex you want for forty-five dollars!" Hmmm, that made him sound like a crank.

Turned out, though, that he was doing some preachin'. Next thing you know, he's shouting that we all have filthy souls that need to be cleansed by Jesus. And then he started saying that the Bible says that homosexuality is the worst sin of all.

OK, that got my goat. So at the next station, I got off the train and reboarded the next car back. Then I noticed that an off-duty security guard whom I was sitting near had done the same thing. He looked at me too and we both rolled our eyes simultaneously. He made some remark like "I just couldn't stand him," and I said, "Yeah, I've already got my own religion." Then I went back to my reading (one of the collections of Darkover stories).

This morning, on an inbound Green Line train, some guy was playing loud, jangly music from his cell phone WITHOUT earphones. Not a genre I was familiar with, but I'd loosely describe it as techno hip-hop with some electronic buzzing and clacking. At any rate, it was definitely against the WMATA rule about no audio without earphones. To make matters worse, this guy was sitting sideways with his legs up on the seat next to him -- a kind of seat hoggery you're not supposed to commit even at the end of rush hour. People were giving him surreptitious looks but he ignored them. Le sigh.
luscious_purple: Julia, the Maine Coon Cat (Julia)
Today is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's. I just found this out. Runs until 8 p.m. Woo-hoo!!!

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