A voice you'll never hear again from
a southside call box
 Here's
something that actually utilizes the internet in a practical
way: Skype.
It's an internet-based communication thing that allows users
to 'call' each other and talk like a phone call. My friend James
just suggested we use it as he recently moved to London, making
regular phone calls a bit too expensive. I finally dug out the
headset that came with my webcam (which I never use anyway).
My sound card doesn't have a headphone jack, and I have the
line out going to my stereo, so it was a bit strange because
James' voice was coming out of my stereo as I babbled into this
ridiculous headset, but it works. It's remarkably clear, far
more so than most overseas phone calls (although it is interesting
to note that when Sylvia calls Buzz from Berlin she sounds like
she's right next door; when he calls her it sounds far worse,
why is that?)
I gotta admit, I don't like talking on the phone much. It's
rare that I'm ever just sitting around, not doing anything
to the point that I enjoy taking calls from people and just
chatting away. If you wanna do that, I say let's go to the
bar or something. Phone calls seem too disembodied. But this
thing seems less obtrusive, the headset means I don't have
to cradle the phone against my shoulder, and because it's
free I can always cut a call short and call back later. There
often seems to be an etiquette of phone interaction that requires
people to stay on the line for a little longer than I am comfortable
with.
So I submit to those who may feel a need to talk to me, look
me up on the skype directory and contact me through that.
Better still, Skype has a chat feature, which is even less
intrusive, so just send me a message. Actually, maybe you
should just email me in that case. Or maybe don't bother at
all. I'll see you at the bar eventually, right?
Speaking of which, tonight at Galapagos:
a screening of Up
With People, a feature-length documentary about the
band Oneida. I guess it follows Oneida
on tour and gives some insight into how a band deals with
being on the road. I'd fear it would be horribly boring since
touring involves so much driving on desolate highways, but
the guys in the band are so witty, I'm sure there's a lot
of amusing banter. After the film, the band will play a few
selections from their new album with a string section! Not
bad! Plus it's free, so what's stopping you? Oh, you don't
like that bar? Eh, neither do I. But still, free show.
Posted By Jimmy Legs
| Non-PermaLink
|
I
have one suit to my name, a dark four-button affair my father
bought for me when I graduated college. I believe he thought
I'd need it for job interviews or something. But the truth
is, I can count the times I've worn it on one hand in the
past decade. How many suits is a guy supposed to own? I like
dressing up occasionally, but putting on the full suit is
a rare opportunity these days. It's a nice suit that will
probably remain stylish enough, at least until huge lapels
and butterfly collars come back into vogue. But it has one
problem. It doesn't really fit. 
I
wear the suit so seldomly that I always forget in the interval
that the pants are too tight. They seem to have been that
way since right after I got them, as I can recall a wedding
I attended in 1997 in which I felt that pinch of the waistband.
And now I must again face the reality of my one suit and my
gut. 
