8.04.2006

enough with this heat already!

So today, our heat wave "broke." By "broke," I mean that instead of being 106°, it's only 95°, which is really no break of any kind if you ask me.

The thing about summers in New York is that, well, anything over 85° gets downright miserable. For example, going underground to the subway platforms adds a degree for ever stair you decend, usually a minimum of 10. And there's zero air movement on the platforms, unless you count the forced hot, putrid air mass that is the pre-cursor of an arriving train.

Then there's the power problems. ConEd, the power company, actually told my office building management to tell us to turn off all "non-essential" equipment to avoid a blackout spreading some 30 blocks. Apparently, this means lights out. Someone went around shutting off all the overhead lights, except those around the outer ring of the floor. This means that people who have window seats are getting sunlight AND flourescent light, and we other suckers are getting neither. How the hell does that add up?

Well, regardless, there's not much I can do about any of it. When it's hot, it's hot. When it's fiery burning hell, it's fiery burning hell. But at least StarBucks gave away free iced cofree for two hours yesterday. I didn't get one, but, just hearing they did it made me feel cool and chilled all over. Not.

8.01.2006

so it's not my imagination...

I was just on the U.S. Post Office web site filing a change of address form. When I was done, I got an email with a ton of handy links to coupons, referrals, and...to the census?

Yes, the census. The post office linked me to a goverment census with information specific to my new zip code. And you know what it said?

One Race:
Black or African American: 89.2%
Hispanic or Latino: 8.0%
White: 2.2%

So...clearly it's not just my imagination that I was the only white girl in sight. But it's aight yo. I know they peeped my snowflake cracka ass. I'm bout to get down in dis joint! Holla!