Change For A Nickel

Hey gang, I just noticed a new feature that my content provider has made available. You can now preview links to sites without actually clicking on them. Simply hover your mouse over a link and a pop-up box will show you a preview of the link. Pretty cool! Try it here.

There are also other features that I have been taking advantage of on WordPress including the Flick photo feed. You can see my latest photos there.

The RSS feed is my favorite because now you can see current headlins where I’m getting all my left wing tree hugger news. Just page down on the right.

It took a while but I was able to migrate about four months of posts to this new location. Talk about a total pain in the ass! I had to copy and paste each post from the old location to the new one. Unfortunately I was not able to bring across comments. Or should I say, I just didn’t feel like it. If you want to post comments on old posts then be my guest. That’s just too much work! Also, my posts from 8-8-06 and prior are still in tact at the following location which will also be posted on my ‘About Me’ page.

Old Change for a Nickel Posts

I’m also working on pointing my domain (www.changeforanickel.com) to this new location so everything will look like it did before. I’m still working on things and hopefully everything will be back to normal soon.

-pauly

Whew! I think I came out this weekend unscathed. It was rough and tumble there for a minute but on the whole, about what I expected. My Holiday weekend started Friday night with a last minute invite to a Chicago Blackhawks game by my friend Rob. Not that I’m a Blackhawks fan but since his company has a skybox they could be playing tiddledywinks on that rink and it would be all good! I must say that if you have not experience a live hockey game it is a must! The fans are crazy and cute. I was a little disturbed when one fight broke out and a little blood was spilled on the court. The jumbo cam took a close up of the red stain on the ice and the place went ape shit! I thought I was in Madison Square Garden!!

Saturday evening I was invited to a party where the theme was deep fried everything! Everything was delicious (of course!)  but you know I got that high cholesterol thing!  The only saving grace was the host was vegan so we had dishes like deep fried asparagus, olives, squash and sweet potatoes. We also had deep fried french toast, doughnuts and apple fritters. I think I need to make an appointment with the cardiologist stat!

Sunday my friend Benjamin had a dinner party that he has dreamed of having for quite some time. It was mostly for his family but a few friends including myself were prvileged to take part in this monumental event. Dinner was served slightly later than anticipated and there were a couple more relatives than expected (OK, there was a fucking tribe in there!) my boy Benjamin pulled it off as only a Princess of his stature could! Congrats Benjamin!

Monday my friend Oscar hosted what has now become an annual pot luck brunch (originally started by Rob) at his new apartment. I look forward to this brunch every year because it is always nice and relaxing to hang out with old friends before I have Christmas with the family or as I like to call it, the fire pit. I knew it was going to be “One of those” Christmases when my dad called me and I could smell the booze on his breathe through the receiver of the phone. I was not going to go over that house without proper ammunition. I had a bottle of wine I was saving for another occasion but this was an emergency and the seal had to be broken. I think I popped the cork on that bottle before I even took off my jacket! At some point I ended up at my sister’s apartment and my crazy ass cousin Larry was in town trying to mack on my sister’s friend and asking for money at the same time. Question: In what ass backward world does that turn on a woman?? That demanded more booze and some wine (thanks sis!) while I watched this surreal show unfold.

And I say again, Whew! What a weekend. Sorry for the long post but it was a long weekend!!

It’s about 2AM (Saturday night/Sunday morning) and I had just left the Darkroom night club after hearing DJ Lego, one of my favorite DJs. The music was bumping and so were the people! As usual, I had to get some food to soak up the booze. And nothing soaks up booze better than a giant slice of pizza from the all night pizza joint! I waved down a cab, the guy asked me where I was going before I got in the cab. I told him Palmer Square. As I was trying to open the door this asshole floors it and almost takes my hand with him! You would have thought I was waving a gun at him the way he drove off! It makes you wonder how threatening I was at that moment. Let’s see. I’m pretty drunk and I’m sure my eyes were glazed over. Or maybe it was the giant slice of pizza? Could it have been my destination of Palmer Square which is in the heart of yuppieville Logan Square? Or could it have just been the fact that I’m black?? Who the fuck knows. I just know I was pissed off!

To date, that is definitely the worst case of racial profiling I have ever experienced. Most cab drivers just ignore me. They usually have their ‘for hire’ light on and drive by pretending they don’t see me. There have been several instances of me trying to wave down a cab and the ‘for hire’ light suddenly goes off. That’s pretty bad. But this is the first time someone took the time to pull over and talk to me then jet off. That one pissed me off more than anything. Why even bother stopping? From now on I’m going to start taking down cab companies and licenses then report them. But that means I will have to carry around a pen and paper while I’m buzzed to get this info?? Kind of makes you want to drive when going to the bars!!!

PS- the next cab I waved down took me home.

I recently saw an interview of Tammy Faye Messner’s son. He is now a “punk” preacher? During the interview he stated that Tammy had inoperable stage iv colon cancer. I knew she had been battling cancer for some time but did not know it had progressed to this stage. I have been a big fan of Tammy Faye’s for a long time. She has a spirit like no other person I have ever seen. I know that sounds crazy coming from me, of all people. So I was personally touched to find out about her condition because my mother also died of cancer. And I thought my mom was fabulous! Below is a letter I sent Tammy yesterday.

*She was told at the beginning of this year that she had a year to live.

Dear Tammy,

My name is Paul and I have been a fan of yours since the PTL days. I never thought I would be one to sit and watch someone preaching on TV but your down to Earth personality cut through the glitz. Even to this day when I get a chance to catch you on TV I am never disappointed. You truly live the message. You are a true follower of His teachings and I knew that when you went to visit the man with AIDS at a time when people with AIDS were considered pariahs. My brother and a good friend died of AIDS about a decade after your visits. I believed you helped the nation understand a little better that the person with AIDS is just that, a person.

I recently saw your son being interviewed on one of the news shows. Wow, he has grown up from those PTL days! He mentioned on the show that you were still battling cancer. I thought your cancer had gone into remission. Excuse me. I thought it was gone! Sorry to hear that it is back. My mother also had cancer. She fought it for several years before she was called home. Tammy, you have prayed for and given so much of your energy to others I want you to feel comfort in the fact that I am sending some of my energy to you. Just keep fighting!

I want to let you in on a secret. There is a question that often gets asked, “If you could have lunch with anyone in the world who would it be?” Tammy, I have always wanted to have lunch with you! I have always felt that you were one of the most genuine, down to Earth people I have never met! My friends tell me I’m pretty funny too. I’m sure I have a couple of stories that would make you laugh. I know how good it can be for the soul!

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits especially during the holidays. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Love and Blessings,

Gang, once again the holidays have snuck up on us like a Shi’ite sniper on a Sunni stronghold. With 12 shopping days until xMas you may be in a panic because you have not yet found that perfect gift for your loved ones. Well fear not! Below I have provided links that should help with those last minute gifts and will show your loved ones how much you really care.

Here is a gift that will remind your loved one 365 days of the year what you really think of them. My favorite month has to be August!!

Click here for that ambitious, overachiever in the family. This soft plush gift is just what they need while staying up all night thinking of ways to rule the world.

How about a holiday movie to get you and the family in the xMas spirit?! I’m sure they spared no (taxpayer) expense producing this gem!!

And finally, If your loved one is truly genuine of heart then you definitely want to shop here.

Many of you will be traveling back home to visit loved ones. To have a truly joyous holiday you should plan your trip carefully. Remember, without proper planning you could end up stuck someplace like the airport, bus station or a foreign country without a way to get out in time! Hopefully these suggestions and travel tips will help you have a safe and happy holiday!

After lamenting yesterday at the local pub about my new phone’s apparent watery demise I came home to find a modicum of life still remained. Unfortunately the camera/video function appeared to have taken a bullet and was non-functional.

But as in most things time heals all wounds. I woke up this morning and tried the camera function one more time. I must be blessed among techno geeks. The camera function worked!! Thank the techno gods!

‘Isn’t it Ironic’ that I just got a new fancy cell phone with all the bells and whistles. A phone that I have been coveting for months. Put my nickels and dimes together to buy. Had it for three days. Discovering all the wonderful features it has. Each day that went by I was falling deeper in love with my new toy. But all that was to change one fateful Saturday morning during a tragic incident.

While cleaning my apartment I carelessly let the new love of my life fall into the mop water. Yikes!!!!!!!! After several attempts at resuscitation and open heart surgery it would appear that my personal Holy Grail of geekiness was gone. I was so hoping to use Rump Shaker or Junk in the Trunk as a ring tone!!! I was blowing into the back of the phone and water was literally coming out of its little speaker. All would appear to be lost. Not to mention $300 down the drain. I placed it in the life giving warmth of the sun on my window sill in a futile attempt at resurrection then went for a simple repast (Along with a few beers) at my local establishment to grieve over my loss.

I arrived home a few hours later. In what I thought was a vain attempt, placed the battery and sim card back in the phone and the gods were half smiling on me. The phone powered up!!!! I was blessed among techno geeks. The screen still showed evidence of moisture infiltration but it worked. The camera still did not work but I surmised that these were my punishments for carelessness. That and the fact I didn’t pay the $34 for insurance. Techno gods, if you are listening. I swear by all that is geeky. I will cherish the gift of silicon that you have bestowed upon me, your poor shallow servant. And I will seriously consider paying for that insurance next time. Where’s that Rumpshaker ringtone at?!?

Sony Ericsson W810i

I have never considered myself a fanatic but when it comes to football I think I have a definite tendency. Last night’s game between the Bears and Seattle was absolutely awesome! The Bears proved themselves as a solid team and a definite force to be reckoned with. They trounced on the Seattle Seahawks 37-6. It was almost embarrassing. No, now that I think about it. It was definitely embarrassing… for Seahawk fans.

So what. The Bears are on a winning streak. What does it mean? I will tell you what it means. I’m going to have some fucked up Monday mornings, that’s what it means. Every time they win I end up celebrating just a bit too much. Last night I left the sports bar where I watched the game and went to a bar in boys town. In my excitement I was trying to talk about the game to guys in the bar. Why oh why do I even bother talking about any sports to those queens? I might as well have been speaking Latin. No, next time my Bears are victorious I will stay in the sports bar where I watched the game. It’s a gay sports bar
so I will be amongst my own kind. Was that an oxymoron??? OMG! I’m turing into a sports fag! AGH!!!

It’s Sunday morning and I’m doing what I do most Sunday mornings. Recovering from a potential hangover. I say potential because I’m still a little dizzy from last night and that always has the potential of becoming a massive headache. I have been trying to give up another guilty pleasure, beer drinking. Summer is always filled with massive amounts of beer drinking because, well, it’s fucking summer! You can’t go to all the street festivals, free concerts, kickball games, etc. without downing a six pack! It’s just not done. But summer is winding down and now is the chance to get this monkey off my back! No more beer drinking!!

But wait a minute… One season may end but another begins! In my experience, Fall has never been one of those seasons that sneaks up on you. My hay fever won’t let it. No, fall usually smacks me in the face like a jilted lover. Basically Fall says, “I’m back, bitch!” And nothing says fall like October Fest and Football!! You can’t do either without beer!! Yes, I’m one of those fags that loves football. And I love the Bears! You can’t watch football without having a tall mug of beer by your side. It’s just not done! I think I’ve given up enough already. I gave up smoking, I gave up soda. I gave up Italian Beef for Christ sake!!!! What am I supposed to do, drink water and eat paste?! No, the buck stops here! I gotta’ have that beer with my Bears! If I have a little beer belly then so be it. It’s getting cold and a little lining around the gut will keep me warm during the brutal Chicago winter. Am I justifying my weakness for beer? You’re damn right! Go Bears!!!!