This morning at the gym when I opened the door, the attendant's
ghetto blaster was at maximum volume. He favors the most offensive
rap noise, what's just a bunch of angry voices of color
shoutin' motherfucken shit. There's some minimal
rhythm which they ain't even following closely, the
only other accompaniment an occasional outburst of
horns (perhaps something sampled from another recording).
This guy's "box" is the tubular JVC
RV-B90 "Kaboom", which uses
ten "D-cell" batteries, and is characterized as "Urban
Assault" in one catalog I receive. On weekdays an older
black man inhibits any radio playing - he's a whole
different trip of loudness, usually holding forth
on some topic or another to a couple of minions in
that small office by the door. It's obvious that he's
been there forever. Fortunately this gym's so huge that
these goings-on by the front door are far removed from
the facilities I use.
Great News from the Fatherland! Wahlsieger Schröder, die große
Verlierer Kohl - Gerhard Schröder won the election! The conservative
old-guard Kohl is history. There's concern over there about the Green vote
being divisive in the Bundestag, however. I heard a thing on the radio yesterday
about improvements to our own moribund two-party system ("throwing away your
vote" problem <1>) where
the proposal was ballots with first, second and third choices - if your primary
candidate lost, your vote would go to the secondary, etc. Unfortunately, as
with Campaign Finance Reform and the method of tallying the Census, the ruling
class has no intention of allowing change which threatens to loosen their grip
on authority, which is why I believe it will take catastrophe to effect positive
change. Fortunately we may be getting that opportunity with upsets caused by
the year 2000 "bug".
Long phone chat with L this afternoon. It's his daughter (and my god-daughter)
V's birthday (she's 12) so naturally I spoke with her too - 'twas the reason
for the call. Her stomach hurts and all fear appendicitis,
but it doesn't sound that serious to me (an old survivor of
appendectomy surgery).