super freak, rick james is dead
the stark realism of dealing with the USCIS is clearer after a day of digging through the website, trying to find out what we need to do next.
the bureaucratic behemoth that is the USCIS thrives on the magic words `one more thing,` so now that this particular hurdle has been leaped there is another set to get over.
apparently the approval only means that i am now clear to apply for a change of status. so having gone through all of this, this change of status should be straightforward right?
guess again, i have a 35 page application form, which includes copies of forms that we`ve submitted on two different occasions thus far. i also have to do another medical, i wouldn`t be so irritated by that except i had to find money to do a medical less than six months ago to get the visa i`m currently on. oh and i missed one of the important factors, we have to shell out another $385 and that doesn`t include the cost of pictures and the medical.
i think the thing that irritates me about this is that there are at least two different sets of paperwork floating around with all the information that they require and now i`m about to start another batch. i thought the whole reason for throwing billions of dollars, revamping and renaming the INS was to make them more efficient.
and it gets better, i just checked the website for the processing dates for this particular application at the Memphis office; they are now up to applications with a receipt date of March 2002. and people wonder why there are so many illegal immigrants.
edited with the revised cost after a conversation with NCS help line and the hope that the medical i did will still be valid.
i`m fascinated by many of the dialogues i see occurring here on journalspace, if this keeps up, i think the posts are going to get more interesting as the elections draw near.
i can`t say i`m an entirely impartial observer but i would like to believe i have less of a bias; this may or may not be true, but i do have is the benefit of a completely different historical frame of reference. i grew up in the Caribbean and had some of the best history teachers in the region. the scope of our studies encompassed from the native American peoples; Caribs, Arawaks, Azteks, Incas, Mayans to Caribbean independence.
one of the interesting developments in the course of Caribbean history has been US intervention. during the Wilson administration the US intervention in Latin America was at an all time high and set the stage for the Batista, Trujillo, Duvalier and Samosa regimes. none of this seems widely know in the US outside a few scholarly texts.
all history is revisionist, the winners get to write it, but as the adage goes, those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.
call me a cynic but it seems that graphic novels, seem to be the new cash cow in Hollywood and as a fan i`m loathe to see them ruined, so far the bad outweigh the good.
here is a short list:
Constantine from WB, with Keanu in the lead role. i`m leaving this one alone, i just recognise the character from a couple of Gaiman books.
Alan Moore`s Watchmen; the only thing that`s confirmed about this is that it`s supposed to be directed by Darren Aronofsky, who did Pi and Requiem for a dream, this might not turn into a fiasco.
Sin City; with a cast of thousands and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, in a sea of possibilities this looks like a damn good pick.
and wrapping up the rest of possibles are a couple from Neil Gaiman, including; Death: the high cost of living, Books of Magic and Mirrormask which now in post production.
beautiful, intelligent children, an apartment, bills, a car; but no car payment, debt, jobs, food in our refrigerator, good friends, a life together.
a year ago today, vic left Trinidad for the first time and we were unsure what vagaries the USCIS held for us. one year later, we`re together at last, savouring the simple things, curling up next to each other in bed for that extra five minutes in the morning, laying in bed reading before we fall asleep, sharing the kitchen, that kiss before we separate for the day.
i am eternally grateful for everything we have. it`s been almost 5 months since i arrived here and it`s not been all rosy and sunshine everyday since i`ve arrived, but i can deal with that too.
we have each other.
i was having a conversation with a friend this morning about similar aspects of our personalities; specifically the inability to say `No` and by extension our ability to think it`s our duty to fix everyone`s problems but our own.
this is ground i`ve covered before but listening, well reading; her perspective on it, reopened some old wounds for me. i haven`t been able to articulate my feelings in any coherent manner since then. i have typed this paragraph about five times and deleted each one because i still can`t quite put into words.
i think part of this is a feeling of guilt. my ex-mother-in-law died yesterday, i get along fabulously with my ex, she`s the mother of my younger daughter and i count her as one of my best friends in the world and i can`t do anything for her and that bothers me. she`s one of the few people that has been here for me no matter what and now she needs someone and i can`t reciprocate.
there was a time when i could be up late for at least a week and when i say up late, i mean night after night on two and three hours sleep before i would begin to feel the toll.
that doesn`t apply any more, my weekend began on Thursday when we went to see John Wesley Harding, by the time we got home and in bed it was 1am, then on Friday night we went to see They Might be Giants, which was great except for the crystal meth guy jumping up on stage and grabbing the mike and getting body checked off said stage by the bassist.
while i`m on the topic of the surreal moments of Friday night, i have to say that while the concept of the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players is a good one, self deprecation and kitsch will only take you so far, i`m truly grateful their set was a short one. and aside from what we discovered the following day to be a mild case of carbon monoxide poisoning from sitting on the ground near the generators and the supply truck and the general aches and pains associated with standing on asphalt for too long, a good time was had by all. we`re heading back this Friday, better prepared to see Issac Hayes.
on saturday we slept in, but the two consecutive late nights were already taking their toll and i had to drive an hour and a half each way to pick up the boy chick, having to a house party later that evening didn`t help either. i spent most of the night sprawled on the couch with a book, i really wasn`t up to dealing with people and by 10 i`d convinced vic that it was time to go home.
and that in a nutshell was my weekend, i`m still trying to recover. vic is home a few days this week with the boychick and i wish i could join them but it`s not in the budget.
my workload has picked up, considerably, i have job jackets; yes more than one on my desk, i have stuff on my desk that doesn`t come under the generic job related function, i feel good.
and vic and i took our lunch hour to open a savings account and start checking on insurance. we`re adults, we`re being responsible. we need to make some time this weekend to finalise the household budget, but i`m starting to feel accomplished in some sense.
tonight we`re going to see They Might be Giants. one of the great things about living in Nashvegas, as i`ve said before is the multitude of live events that are available. because of the plethora of shows and venues, the prices are really good, last night we saw John Wesley Harding at the [in]famous, Bluebird Cafe for $10. Bluebird is the sort of venue i truly love, small, informal and intimate; where, when you think the performer is looking right at you, they just might be.
TMBG tonight is an open lot downtown and that`s $5 in advance and i think it`s competition of a sort for Dancin` in the District, but aside from Cake, there hasn`t been anyone on the Dancin` line up that i think i missed out on. coming next month are a couple of acts that i think $5 is a steal to see, including Cypress Hill, George Clinton & P Funk and the Wailers.
George Clinton & P Funk and the Wailers are playing on the same night and i`m in the process of designing a t-shirt specifically for that event that reads:
“I HAVE NO WEED or associated paraphernalia.”
since i got here vic has been trying to get me to read the Jasper Fforde novels. i didn`t get to the first one until recently, not because i didn`t trust her judgement, but i tend to go off on a binge and the libraries in Nashville encourage me; although after three attempts, i`ve decided to wait for Neal Stephenson`s Quicksilver on paperback. I want to read the book but it`s entirely too cumbersome as a hardback.
in the interim, i`ve gone off on a Neil Gaiman binge, from the Sandman graphic novels to Neverwhere and Good Omens; which was co-authored by another one of my favourite authors, Terry Pratchett, who i`ve since introduced vic too; if the Nashville public library has it, i`m reading it, i still have Smoke and Mirrors and American Gods on the little table next to get to after The Eyre Affair.
Jasper Fforde has a writing style that`s similar to Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett; light, easy to read, somewhat silly but an intelligent silliness, if that makes any sense. it`s hysterically funny, but only if your sense of humour generally involves word play and literary devices.
Neil Gaiman is part of my holy triumvirate of comicdom for me. the other two being Alan Moore and Frank Miller and in one of those amazing coincidences Salon, has an interview with Alan Moore today. [if you`re not a member you can just click through the very short ad and give it a read.]
edit: i`ve just finished reading the Alan Moore interview, stop reading this and go read it, the stupid ad to get a day pass is worth it. go. what are you waiting for.
Are you a Literature Abuser?
Take this test and find out! How many of these apply to you?
[x] I have read fiction when I was depressed, or to cheer myself up.
[x] I have gone on reading binges of an entire book or more in a day.
[x] I read rapidly, often `gulping` chapters.
[x] I have sometimes read early in the morning or before work.
[x] I have hidden books in different places to sneak a chapter without being seen.
[x] Sometimes I avoid friends or family obligations in order to read novels.
[x] Sometimes I re-write film or television dialog as the characters speak.
[-] I am unable to enjoy myself with others unless there is a book nearby.
[x] At a party, I will often slip off unnoticed to read.
[x] Reading has made me seek haunts and companions which I would otherwise avoid.
[x] I have neglected personal hygiene or household chores until I have finished a novel.
[x] I have spent money meant for necessities on books instead. (how can this be wrong?)
[x] I have attempted to check out more library books than permitted.
[x] Most of my friends are heavy fiction readers.
[x] I have sometimes passed out from a night of heavy reading.
[x] I have suffered `blackouts` or memory loss from a bout of reading.
[x] I have wept, become angry or irrational because of something I read.
[-] I have sometimes wished I did not read so much.
[x] Sometimes I think my reading is out of control.
If you answered `yes` to four or more of these questions, you may be a literature abuser. Affirmative responses to seven or more indicates a serious problem.
Once a relatively rare disorder, Literature Abuse, or LA, has risen to new levels due to the accessibility of higher education and increased college enrollment since the end of the Second World War. The number of literature abusers is currently at record levels.
Social Costs Of Literary Abuse
Abusers become withdrawn, uninterested in society or normal relationships. They fantasize, creating alternative worlds to occupy, to the neglect of friends and family. In severe cases they develop bad posture from reading in awkward positions or carrying heavy book bags. In the worst instances, they become cranky reference librarians in small towns.
Excessive reading during pregnancy is perhaps the number one cause of moral deformity among the children of English professors, teachers of English and creative writing. Known as Fetal Fiction Syndrome, this disease also leaves its victims prone to a lifetime of nearsightedness, daydreaming and emotional instability.
Heredity
Recent Harvard studies have established that heredity plays a considerable role in determining whether a person will become an abuser of literature. Most abusers have at least one parent who abused literature, often beginning at an early age and progressing into adulthood. Many spouses of an abuser become abusers themselves.
Other Predisposing Factors
Fathers or mothers who are English teachers, professors, or heavy fiction readers; parents who do not encourage children to play games, participate in healthy sports, or watch television in the evening.
Prevention
Pre-marital screening and counseling, referral to adoption agencies in order to break the chain of abuse. English teachers in particular should seek partners active in other fields. Children should be encouraged to seek physical activity and to avoid isolation and morbid introspection.
Decline And Fall: The English Major
Within the sordid world of literature abuse, the lowest circle belongs to those sufferers who have thrown their lives and hopes away to study literature in our colleges. Parents should look for signs that their children are taking the wrong path — don`t expect your teenager to approach you and say, “I can`t stop reading Spenser.” By the time you visit his/her dorm room and find the secret stash of the Paris Review, it may already be too late.
What to do if you suspect your child is becoming an English major:
– Talk to your child in a loving way. Show your concern. Let him/her know you won`t abandon him/her — but that you aren`t spending a hundred grand to put him/her through Stanford so she can clerk at Waldenbooks, either. But remember that he/she may not be able to make a decision without help; perhaps he/she has just finished Madame Bovary and is dying of arsenic poisoning.
– Face the issue: Tell her what you know, and how: “I found this book in your bag/purse. How long has this been going on?” Ask the hard question — Who is this Count Vronsky?
– Show him/her another way. Move the television set into him/her room. Introduce him/her to sorority girls/frat boys.
– Do what you have to do. Tear up his/her library card. Make him/her stop signing her letters as `Emma.` Force him/her to take a math class, or minor in Spanish. Transfer him/her to a Florida college.
You may be dealing with a life-threatening problem if one or more of the following applies:
– He/She can tell you how and when Thomas Chatterton died.
– He/She names one or more of her cats after a Romantic poet.
– Next to his/her bed is a picture of: Lord Byron, Virginia Woolf, Faulkner or any scene from the Lake District.
Most important, remember, you are not alone. To seek help for yourself or someone you love, contact the nearest chapter of the American Literature Abuse Society, or look under ALAS in your telephone directory.
