Life At 144 Beats Per Minute: A Day In The Life.

Crazy day, crazy day, and to unwind I'm hitting the techno pretty hard. If that seems contradictory, we'll get back to that, but first a ramble about the day. Decompression at 144 beats per minute.

First stop, the Ethical Dilemma issue with all the comments and advice...wow. Thanks, everyone, I didn't realize that many people were paying attention. I fired off an email on Thursday afternoon (today is technically Friday) to someone who stands a better chance of getting results than I. Everything is on hold for Monday at 4:30 p.m. I hope it's resolved by then, honestly, because that whole situation belongs in the Book of Suck ^tm.

Or in the world of Web 2.0, maybe it should be the Book of Suck ^Beta. No idea. Film in 2011 when the Venture Capitalists talk about the 'Web 2.0 Crash of 2006'. Or... Web 2.0 Crash of 2006 ^Beta. Well, you get the point, and if you don't, you've saved a lot of money and avoided a laugh at some ascorbic humor.

I'm dealing with Reality ^Beta.

The Pinball Wizard Died

I got my contact lenses - finally - so I can see again. This is good. JustLenses.com got them to me pretty quickly considering that I ordered them while most of the world was drunkenly watching Atlas's balls dropping around the world. That's right, my New Year's celebration was ordering contacts. When I checked on the order a few days later, it said 'processing' - so I fired off an email to see if everything was OK. Sure, they were just out of stock and were getting new stock in during January - I got that by email within an hour. They said expect them in late January/early February. Tada. Here they are. I'm seeing again. Good price, good service, recommended. And no, I don't get anything for saying that.

Los Abogados

Lawyers today - not about the ethical thing (though it was mentioned), but about some other things. Lawyers are funny people, especially if you've been reading local law books and start tossing stuff back.

Some lawyers get a look of relief in their eyes - these are the ones you can trust, because they are relieved that you have been looking into things. Other lawyers get a concerned look, and this can also be good because maybe you're interpreting things wrong. But when they cast their eyes downwards, or take extra long blinks or stare without blinking, you know you want to play poker with them. The key is remembering when they do the latter.

And have you ever noticed that when people lie, they talk faster as if the explanation will work better if it's rattled off with some authority?

So, I was studying a few lawyers today and they were probably knocking on the glass of my aquarium as well. Most people wonder what makes me tick. The problem for most people is that I don't tick, I tock. When I talk I tick, when I tock I don't talk about what I'm tocking about until I'm ready to tick. Have fun with that one, and meet me in the next paragraph when you're done.

Los Rancheros Malo

Being able to see them was, of course, of great benefit. Trying to help out a fellow who bought some land that is being disputed by someone who has arbitrarily claimed it is interesting, especially with the land laws of Trinidad and Tobago. I don't really stand to gain anything of value from this but an education in how such things work - or, rather, don't work. The first thing one must do when dealing with Trinidad and Tobago real estate is carefully gather your common sense, your intuition, your values and any concept of justice (unless it's sufficiently warped) - neatly package them, and toss them under a large moving vehicle, such as a garbage truck.

Here's the scenario in a nutshell. A fellow purchased a lot of land. He has a deed. Signed, sealed, delivered, it's his - and that means it went through the Red House - the scaled down version and red version of the White House you see on TV (the allegiances may be the same). The person disputing this is someone who claims tenancy because back in the 1960s, their grandparents had a tenancy. You with me so far? If you're not, go back to the last paragraph and try that garbage truck thing again. You see, people inherit tenancies here. It's probably a holdover from the colonial system - or a holdback brough forward - but what this means is that this fellow has a claim of tenancy. And, apparently, the Land Tenants Association of Trinidad and Tobago (which for good reason doesn't have a website) is using this as a test case for... adverse possession. What some people call 'free holders', 'squatters' and so on and so forth.

Now here's an interesting twist - the Land Tenants Association is supposed to be stabilizing rent so that people don't have to pay exorbitant rents. Fair enough, that makes sense. I've rented things, I think some control is necessary. But some tenants have been 'renting' land for years - at less than $50 US an acre - without paying rent. Evicting a tenant involves all sorts of things, but usually costs the landlord about $3,000 U.S. or more to evict (estimated legal costs based on one case I have seen so far). Guess what? Landlords don't want to rent anymore because of the Land Tenants Association keeping rent so low that they simply can't afford to evict a bad tenant.

Why are the Land Tenants Association folks - including Kamla Persad-Bissessar - assisting someone who claims tenancy without paying rent with an adverse possession case? Interesting question. One answer: More tenants than landlords, more votes. Law and Justice are divorced on the survey lines...

I can't talk too much about that case, but the premise of the case is wonderfully delicious to me. When you can afford to step back and look at something in the big picture, and see how profoundly stupid a situation is... well, it beats Sex In The City and Seinfeld_MadBull - combined.

I laughed during the whole discussion in an office, and one lawyer laughed with me, 2 frowned at me, and one looked down. One that frowned talked fast. The laughing lawyer and I laughed more. If the lawyer that could look down further could have, I'm certain that this lawyer would have. Look-Down-Limbo.

I so much prefer lawyers than doctors for entertainment. Doctors don't usually try to hide things unless it's really bad news. Lawyers practice all the time. I'm also surprised at how little the law has to do with the practice of law. That Mrs. Ethics Law left Mr. Law for Ms. Justice has always been a confounding problem in society - one that is so old, Romans borrowed it from Asia and Africa (like almost everything else). Yes, the Greek and Roman Gods were inherited.

Pooping Where Giants Tread

As a vagrant walks across the street, he defecates. Interesting patterns, but I spared everyone the photo. The tire tracks will prove interesting, I'm sure. He somehow manages to miss the non-existent white line on Coffee street. That takes skill. I arch an eyebrow.

He should put that on his resume.

The Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, is driven through with his entourage before I can whip my camera out. The entourage spreads the brown stuff pretty thin.

I laugh. The world conspired and gave me a joke that I wish I could have caught on film, but just couldn't. I giggle. The elderly lady with the umbrella stares at me strangely. I think I was the only one who saw that fraction of two lives and two distinct opinions on Coffee Street having an elastic collision.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Little Joe was still trying to milk the chicken.

I stopped by a store on the way down before, and asked the woman there who runs the place if she had sugar. She said yes. I asked her if she wanted Chinese food. She said yes. On the way back home, I bought some Chinese, dropped it off and got my sugar. Remember bartering? Right. Moneywise, I might have lost on the deal, but value wise, I didn't have to walk further with a big bag of sugar. The Chinese food was lighter. Now, how did I get the money to do the Chinese-Sugar exchange? Simple. A fellow bought a few mangos off of the tree this morning. Yup, he wanted about 20 mangoes, and I hit him up for $20 TT (figure about $3 U.S).

Good to know I can still hustle. That's a major factor of the Trinidad I grew up in - which isn't the same today.

Reading a book I'll post a review on later today - another web book from O'Reilly, and a decent one - I kept checking my bank account balance online. Hrmph. So I went out and looked at the mango tree. Hrrrmph. The zaboca (avocado) is flowering, but that will take a while.

Beep Beep. Buzz.

Someone wants to buy the car. Yup, it's for sale. So we talk, they ask me what I want, and I name a price. They ask me if it's the best price. Geez. So, this guy with his wife and kid are there - he's asking me if it's my best price, and I say that we should educate the young man in the back seat and do it properly. I've initiated and offered a price. Now he gets to come back and offer me a price. It's a fine art called haggling. It's something I've come to enjoy, actually, when it's in person. When both people are having fun doing it, it's great. You don't even have to exchange anything but the haggle.

So later today, this fellow will be by about the car. Apparently he wanted some freedom and didn't want to haggle around his wife, which is usually a good sign. We should have probably just skipped the middleman and let me haggle with both he and his wife, because when he shows up he will have a price in his head and will try to justify it by going over the car. In turn, I will have a price in my head.

He leaves.

Ring Ring

An anonymous friend calls, says that he's coming up. He asked for anonymity because in Trinidad, nobody ever seems to be where they claim to be - and since most people do this sooner or later, he's safe. I put on the coffee, and pulled out the Guyanese rum from the freezer. We both had a dose of rum (and I had one more; I'm home, he's not) and drank our coffee. We talk about sleeping disorders, and when this butterfly drug will come down to help us.

Ring Ring

Another friend calls and asks me what I'm doing on Superbowl Sunday. I don't like American football - it's chess with undependable pieces to me, they break, they don't do things right, and when they screw up people cheer the most - so I tell him if we're going to hang out, I'm there for the food and beer. The deal is sealed. We have no idea what we're doing on Sunday, but we're doing it together. He suggested Hooters. I forgot that there was a Hooters in Trinidad. I don't care. Food, beer, friend(s). He's buying. He gets free IT advice. Poor soul.

Clang

Gate closes, friend one departs, dusk is past and I turn on the lights. Crap. The place is a mess. Clean. Need to write something in the weblog. Feeling the rum a bit, but it wears off.

Snap Snap

Uploaded a bunch of pics.

Ping Ping

Yahoo Messenger - The Suriname Connection lost a family member. Crap. Hard blow. :-( I know how that goes. Support, love, and just 'listening'. OK. I tell her to read Douglas Adams, and she'll understand that life doesn't make sense.

Irina shows up on YM. Her site is down. Why? The domain is on autorenew, but CIRA hosed it up. It just goes to show, no matter who is in charge, the bureaucrats guarantee a slow squish as the paperwork hits a wet reality. It's bad enough that she's become famous for this pic, which is the only one I can show you with her cast on her arm. Pan up, kids, pan up. To the right. Yes, the white thing on her left arm (your right).

We talk about this and that. Swap stories about pain medications, talk about broken bones and downed websites. About the lack of payment issue. About life. She's typing one handed. I tell her to listen to Marillion and read Douglas Adams, and life will make sense.

Contradiction to the casual reader, but contextual truth for the more discerning.

Douglas Adams cures everything. Marillion - certain albums are uplifting and fun when on pain medication. Better than Pink Floyd most of the time. Sorry guys, I know you jammed with Douglas Adams, but... there's more dark Pink Floyd than light. Marillion is more balanced, probably because they are more imbalanced.

Too bad Bobby McFerrin became a sort of cliche.

Still Nothing To Write

I have all this material to write, but my head is cluttered - thus you got this post. This song fueled it - 66 minutes and 50 seconds of 144 bpm. Yeah. Groovy. Winding down now, and as you can see my life is an international incident everyday. This was a slow day.

International News

In other International News, Andy Carvin considers pregnancy.

Successful cloning of famous frog, but the voice keeps getting screwed up.

Flickr has a massage.

I wind up to wind down. And I've wound up, now I'm winding down.
3 a.m.

Get up at 7 a.m. Finish the last 4 chapters of the book.

Start over again, only different. Maybe I'll get up earlier and record the birds.

Bah... As tough as life gets at times, I just keep going - laughing along the way. Read Douglas Adams. Trust me.

You are now exiting Taran's World. Please scream calmly as you leave this entry.