Lou Pickney's Online Commentary
Day In The Life
Saturday
June 21, 2003
"I've got some things I just can't say"
-Counting Crows "Speedway"
I'm in a random mood, and thus here's a collection of some random thoughts...
There's comedy, there's high comedy, then there's seeing a video crew recording Hillsborough County public access superstar "White Chocolate" on the streets of Ybor City on a Saturday night.
Unfortunately, Ybor City is on the decline from the standpoint of people coming out to 7th Avenue on the weekend. In my opinion the renaissance of Ybor peaked in October 2001; after Guavaween '01, it was all downhill. Ybor is still more fun than 99%+ of the rest of the U.S., but it's down from its top position. Which is a damned shame.
But if you're in the need for some character subjects for a short story, then there are few better places to be than a bench on 7th Avenue in Ybor on a Saturday night. Everyone walking by has their own agenda and concerns and dramas, many of which are sounded out in conversations (some more civil than others). All you need is Joey Styles yelling, "What started as a mild disagreement has escalated into an Ybor City street fight!!!" to make it complete.
There's nothing quite like having someone the same age as you call you "sir" when they accidentally take your seat at the bar. I tell you, there's something to be said for this whole shaved head thing.
I've got two ideas so far for the annual Tennessean Summer Fiction Contest. One is a horror plot that is amateur hour at best (there's only so many ways to do a story about a child killer inside a grocery store in 850 words or less). The other is a chance encounter/subtlety of the passing of time story that should win me first prize if I can put it into words the way it's storyboarded in my mind.
Monday should be off the chain. I can't wait to hear the Orlando listeners calling into Bubba's show.
WJRR has a ridiculously strong signal that gives city-grade coverage all the way into Daytona Beach. Gotta love the power a 100,000 watt signal from a 1,597' tall tower.
The
Phillies/Red Sox game today on Fox was the most enjoyable baseball game I've seen all season. Back-and-forth drama, extra inning long-ball, and best of all Boston losing. All in a good day; if Yankees vs. Mets has to be rained out, then that makes a nice consolation prize.
I read this article today, and found it horribly disturbing. For you readers here in the U.S., rest assured that the
RIAA and
MPAA are conspiring to eliminate your Fair Use rights:
http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-1019811.html?tag=lh
If you enjoy reading what I write, then do me (and yourself) a favor and tell your U.S. Congressional Representative to vote NO for House Bill HR-2517, the so-called "Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2003". I promise, it won't take more than 60 seconds. Click here to find and contact your representative. Thanks to those of you willing to help with this. You're protecting your freedom as well as mine.
On the "legal" music tip, if you want to hear three CDs that are great in their entirety (in entirely different ways), check out Oasis' "What's The Story (Morning Glory)", 2Pac's Greatest Hits Disc 2 and the Counting Crows' "August And Everything After"...
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