Some rants and raves on the city and stuff like that

I have to say that I don't understand the stupidity of some. Now I know your saying that hey New York is full of people, some of them have to be stupid, it's just the law of averages but why so many and why such a concentration here. I was down by the Hudson Today and these kids are running around, screaming, making a huge ruckus, disturbing everyones peace and nice day. Where are their parents? I don't know I guess people are more patient than I am.
Moving on, I was walking the other day on Broadway, I saw a hippie type dude, by that I mean he was a bit scraggly with the long hair and a bit out of it, but that's ok because there's a lot of people in New York like that. He had a cardboard sign that just read "Smile" he caught my eye as I was watching him and put his fingers around his mouth as if to say smile and I did. He woke me up from my generally scowling type face I have on. The power of one man to change anothers feeling with a simple sign. I love it, that's what New York is about.
What is pissing me off is this influx of out of towners and just non-native New Yorkers. I know this is the melting pot of the city but I don't have to like it. I don't have to like being priced out of my own neighborhood that I helped to colonize when no one wanted to even live here. I am speaking of Tribeca. Now because some yuppy wants to pay 2 million bucks for a loft or rent a two bedroom apartment for 4,900 dollars a month I have to move? Fuck that. Fuck them and their brooks brothers suits and their wall street mindset. I was down here when they had no idea what tribeca even was. I am proud of that. You wouldn't even recognize Soho anymore, if for instance you left New York in 1980 and now came back you would say "what the hell happened here?" The corporation of that is what happened. Ok my bitchfest is over on that note.
Have you ever seen a guy riding the subway with a big plastic pail on his head covered by aluminum foil? I have. I saw this guy a few times over the years and got to calling him "Pail head" original isn't it. I recently quit smoking cigarettes after 20 years! I have defeated Marlboro's attempts to kill me for the moment and i'm proud. Although I must say, 3 months in and I still want to smoke so the psychic bond is still there. I want a damn cigarette there's no doubt about it. So far I have resisted this temptation. The fact that a pack of Marlboro's is now going for $9.25 a pack at my local deli also helps. That is approaching the same expense as a crack habit, in fact you can probably be a crackhead for cheaper now than a cigarette addict. The world is becoming a sad place.
Another issue I am seeing so much of is the nanny issue. All these yuppies and big money people down here, are having kids at record levels. I see strollers everywhere, 95% of them on a weekday are cared for by a nanny, so we have a whole generation of kids being raised by strangers and they have parents who basically see them after 6pm and on weekends. What the hell does the future hold? Do you see one of these maladjusted tykes at the helm of our government someday with the red phone next to his or her desk? What if they have a bad day and remember mommy and daddy left them with zoraida the nanny most of their life and then threw her away like a used napkin. There going to be pissed and who do you think their going to take that out on, some poor unsuspecting third world nation I suppose. Ahh the world we live in.
Now I am going back to school, at my late advanced age. I have decided to put myself even more in debt with no guarantee of ever paying it back. But I am soldiering on in the hope that there actually might be jobs by the time I graduate hopefully next year sometime. If not I guess I can just go bankrupt or try to hide in Alaska and hope the people looking for my loan repayal find some other stiff to fuck with.
I digress, so I am surrounded by mostly kids ranging from 18-22 years old, and i'll tell you something. I am scared for the future of the world. These kids some of whom are very witty and smart, and others who are more adept at texting than anyone I have ever seen. Pay less attention than a dope addict short his fix and who are up talkers and use like more than anyone I have ever known or care to know. They are all not this way just a bunch of them. I can always spot the people who are out of towners, they are too nice and give too much of a shit what people think of them.
What else can I say today, do you see where my psyche is? I have mostly been alone without human contact or speech for many days. What this does to one is create a human being that has issues to say the least. I will be back more and more because I realize without these venting sessions I am close to the end of my rope and instead of going there i'll vent here and hopefully amuse a few people. Thank you for your attention to the nightmare which is my daily existence see you again soon.

Ash