Another NYPD Run-In
I had no idea when I moved to New York that I would have so much contact with its police force. You may remember the episode of last December when we were summoned for looking at the water.
Well, tonight, because my week needed to end on such a positive note, I had another one. I went out tonight with Paige and some other people. It was only ok. Paige and I went to dinner (wish I had that money back now; but this is what happens when you finally get your freelance check in the mail -- you think you have money) at this Thai place called Long Tan. It's good. I'm still full and I didn't even finish the food. After that we went to a bar. It was actually kind of boring but whatever.
Paige wasn't feeling well so she decided to leave. I left around midnight and walked to the train. This particular platform is outside so I decided that I would smoke while waiting. I took a seat on the ground, which now I can't believe I did, what with all of the urinator stories I've told. And I lit a clove. I even thought to myself, "I don't think I can do this but I'm going to anyway."
I even imagined a cop walking up to me. Seriously. Just then, I turned to my right and saw this guy walking rather inconspicuously toward me. He was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and wearing tennis shoes. He also had headphones on. After scanning his wardrobe, I looked away to see my train approaching. When I turned back, he was closer to me and flashed a badge. I wonder what kind of power one feels while one is flashing a badge. DAMMIT! "You're not supposed to smoke on the subway platform." I didn't know this. I was outside. To no avail."Unfortunately, you're going to get a summons tonight." Then, he started talking to someone who had appeared out of fucking nowhere on my left. He took my ID, asked me how long I've been living here, and told me I should get a NY driver's license, all while filling out my ticket.
It's gonna cost me $50. I calculated if I don't eat lunch for two weeks, I can swing it. And I guess if I don't buy cloves anymore...The first cop said I could call in and ask to make payments. That was nice of him. Whatever. So what a great week I've had. $50 in the hole. Maybe I should go find some more psych experiments. And you know the really stupid thing about this? I said thank you when they left. "Thank you?!" What the hell is that? Well, while I'm here...I didn't read today. I've been trying to take in as much of the Freud as I can before I go on.
Paige gave me a couple of paper ideas, so after I finish the book (tomorrow back at Housing Works!), I'm going to get started on the paper. I'd been thinking about the "subject" that Freud discusses throughout the text. Being able to identify this, as well as the object and how the sexual drive operates between the two, helps me in my understanding of it. Also, I became interested in his ideas of infantile and hysterical amnesia. I was thinking of doing something with that, but Paige suggested doing something on how Freud develops the subject. So I may go that route.
Sorry to bore you with my Freud thoughts (I can barely call them thoughts), but it does help me get into an analytical mode, which needs to happen for the purposes of writing a paper. I do need to get better at choosing paper topics. I think too big, which is always a bad thing. Hopefully I'll get better this summer. I am only taking three more classes, though, so I'm not going to worry too much about it. And one of them is a writing class, so I'll be given assignments.
My next text is going to be Foucault's History of Sexuality and Paige told me to think about power and discourse and how it creates identity. Like how sodomy becomes a representation of homosexuality or something like that. Speaking of sodomy, I'm trying to find out if the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the Texas sodomy case that came down last spring. I attended a panel discussion at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law a couple of months ago about the case. It was interesting and so I'm eager to see what the high court rules. And while I'm on the subject of gays and the law, how about Canada, huh?
I'm not sure how I feel about marriage from a legal standpoint in general -- all of the benefits afforded married folks, etc. -- but I am a romantic, and I'd be lying if I were to say that public recognition of love (which to me also includes the party, the presents, and the trip, of course) isn't something I'd be interested in...much to the chagrin of some of my friends, gay and straight. Can't help it.
If you do take a look at the story on CNN.com, you'll notice that it ends with this: "Do you suppose Canada -- which opposed the U.S. war in Iraq -- is doing these things, in part, to stick it to the United States? Hmmm ..." What the hell kind of journalism is this? Save it for the editorial pages, please. Ok, I'm going to bed. I'm surprised that I'm not too pissed off that I'm into NYC for $50. I'm just happy I can do whatever I can to help the city try and ease its financial crisis.
