The things that aren't said - thoughts on the "public" aspect of public transit

On the subway, there is a certain distance that is kept between passengers, a sort of, "I have to be here in close proximity to you, but you don't have to acknowledge that I am." To some extent, it is a matter of courtesy, since the co-commuter doesn't have much choice in whether they are there, and it isn't fair to take advantage of their helplessness by pressing them into conversation. But still, there are the occasional things that you want to say. For instance, to certain individuals I have seen,

"It's nice to see the Seersucker still in use. It looks great on you."

"I like seeing someone with the boldness to do a crossword in pen."

"You know, even though you have removed the dust jacket, people can still see that you are reading Harry Potter. It's a great book, but you should have the confidence to just read it."

Interestingly, there are things that should probably be said but aren't. For instance, yesterday, the person behind me in a crowded car probably should have said,

"What do you have in that backpack, bricks? Did you know that if you take if off your shoulders and put it on the floor, it will save space and also not hit me in the face when the driver brakes."

And then there are the things that are fun to say, but aren't said much. When I used the urban rail system more for transit and less for pure commuter purposes, I ran into a lot more tourists who didn't know much about the system. One could be kind to them, and it was often worth doing, but sometimes they were oblivious enough that it took a loud

"Walk on the left!"

to get them to gather up their selves and children and bags and other obstructions and let people through.

Another favorite category of mine are the things that are said by body language, specifically, the exercise of force or momentum. For instance, if a group of people are standing in the train's doorway, and have seen you make maneuvers to get to the door, you could say,

"Pardon me, but I need to get off at this stop. Would you please step out for a moment? You can get right back on when I have exited."

Or you could just lower your shoulder and take them with you. The talking way risks miscommunication or the need for further negotiation and convincing of the possibility of your getting off, all of which takes time which you and those behind you may not have before the doors snap shut. The keep-moving way is a sure thing (even for a little guy like myself - just yesterday I ran into a guy who weighed about half again what I do and had about 8 inches on me, and who was walking directly at me, but I hit him a little off center, and he spun out of the way like a shrub off a truck's brush guard). Besides, the looks on their faces is priceless.

Music, in its more modern forms

I have a question over on our other blog. Here's how it is: I know a lot about music in the sense of how to make it, how to create interesting motion within it, how to write it down, etc. However, I lack a certain depth of immersion in pop culture that your combined experience does not. I would find myself in your debt should you share your portion of that immersion. Thank you for your input.

Offworld Beverages

Have you ever noticed how one of the big "advances" of alien civilizations in sci-fi is powerful beverages that "really do it to you"? Romulan ale, Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters, etc.? I mean, we on earth already have readily available liquid concoctions that can make you blind, that can cause you to halucinate, or that can knock you unconscious instantly. Just how much room is there for new avenues of perfection in chemically altered states of mind?

Quote of the day

"Growing up in Serbia, we didn't know whether the Americans or the Russians would win, so in the schools they taught us both English and Russian."

--Nik, our pool's lifeguard

Back to class

In another week, my summer is over, and I hit the books again. (So is my wife, but only for one class.) I have a few interviews lined up for post-graduation work; it's something to think that I will finally be done with the full time student thing and have to move out into the somehow more-"real" world. I will also be working some during the semester, which will be nice. Books and ideas are nice in their own way, but I enjoy more working out actual problems for real people.