They haven't done this in a while.

Ask & Receive

"How are you feeling?"
"Good, thank you."
"The head feels alright?"
"Yes, absolutely, right as rain."
"So you feel ok?"
"Yeah, totally."
"It's like summer out here!"
"Yes it is!"
"How does this happen?"
"We're in the eye of the hurricane."
"Really?"
"Yeah, it will hit us coming the other way."
"Really? Is it going to hit us again?"
"Well, I don't know, but I'll just assume that."
"Oh. Glad you're feeling better."
"Thanks so much."

Previous changes

Changes, Brooklyn

The idea struck me this morning, as ideas often do, late and previously formed yet remaining unstriking until the need makes taste on my brainy tongue, that it would be good to take what people say at face value. Mercilessly. No reading into anything. No filling in the gaps. It then struck me as a sure descent into Ayn Rand territory, an unsympathetic, anti-empathetic, wholly dogmatic and ridiculously unpleasant place to be. It also struck me as something one cannot simply decide to do. If one is not predisposed to such cut and dry communication, one would simply fall prey to pretension of the worst sort. Mean pretension. I have a friend who is actually naturally this way. His is not a hearty, flowering sense of humor but he is far from mean and being around him is like a breath of fresh air.

1 & 2

Makeover, Brooklyn

There is an old trick to getting ahead in the British Foreign Service. It entails sitting back and smoking a pipe during meetings. Just as a discussion on a given topic starts to come to a close, speak up and reiterate all that has been said, summarizing the arguments then putting forth what seems to be the consensus observation as one's own. Apparently really does wonders for general esteem. The pertinent question is whether a bubble pipe would suffice.

Previous makeover here.

Sign Painters, Brooklyn

(Heavy, methadone infused street accents)
"I'm from New Orleans, I play the jazz."
"The jazz and the blues!"
Hand slap.
"The jazz and the blues."

(Light, posh English accent)
"Yeah, yeah, I am just across the street from Balthazar. Momentarily, you'll be seeing a dashing young man crossing the street. Wait, where are you?"