Are there a lot of wacky characters where you live? If someone walked down your street in his underwear, do you think people would notice?

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Answers

There are few "wacky" people where I live, but around my school there are some extra "wacky" people. They are interesting to interact with. I think Jen has mentioned the wackiest (i.e. that pirate short guy and his peers).

On a side note, it should be noted that Jen's presentation was awesome! Someone that could talk about the biological basis of sexual orientation in such a professional manner in front of some weird classmates has to be awesome!

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Thanks, David!

I should explain that David is one of my classmates. Also, I pay him to say nice stuff about me.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Out in the Richmond district, by the ocean, we have someone we refer to as 'the Morton salt guy'. Regardless of the weather, he looks like he just stepped off a schooner - black rubber galoshes, a huge gray hooded jacket with the hood always up, and a big dirty-white beard that seems to start at his forehead. Thinking about it now, Morton salt has the little girl with the umbrella - maybe it's some other brand of salt we're thinking of.

During the period I was going to school downtown, I'd always see a guy walking in the financial district in a ratty, poorly fitting suit carrying a picket sign. For a while it said "impeach clinton reagan bush nixon". Then he changed it to the cryptic "twelve galaxies guiltied to a zegnotronic universe". I miss that guy. He's my favorite wacky character. You could always count on seeing him.

I was disappointed that I couldn't find the word "zegnotronic" in the dictionary.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Are there wacky characters where I live? Hey, I live in Rhode Island... we have tons of wacky characters here, but most of them are government officials!

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

In Dallas? No, I think there's a city ordinance against it. They probably have some kind of camp with barbed wire...

Actually, I do see a Dallas version of wacky from time to time (well, I do count bleached blonde ladies with ozone-killing beehives and giant, torpedo-shaped fake boobs and Prada pumps as "wacky", but they're in the majority around here...) There's a guy who used to work at the Radio Shack, who was really very quiet and shy, kind of tall & skinny with an air of quiet terror about him. Sometimes I see him waiting for a bus or walking down the street, but when he's not in his "normal Radio Shack guy" disguise, he's *always* in tails, spats, a bowler hat, with a cane. Sometimes he dresses more "causally", in tweeds and a cravat... but he's always got that hat.

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000

Only the Rice University students who run around during a certain time of year naked covered in nothing but whipped cream then get drunk and have bacchanals. Of course, finals can do that to you.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Plus, if someone walked down my street in only their underwear, lots of people would notice. The hookers call it advertising *LOL* ...in addition, I might be considered wacky. But, only if wacky can be considered sitting around reading issues of Strangers In Paradise, listening to Elliott Smith, with "Fight Club" on mute, pining for Jen and feeling jealous of "Alvin". Oh, come on! Like there aren't legions of guys out there doing the same thing... are there? *L* Oh, well. That's one geek fantasy girl obsession ruined. Guess I'll just have to go back to being too scared and geeky to actually write Janeane Garofalo a fan letter.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

In my neighborhood Im the only wacky person. No one else is allowed. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

-- Anonymous, June 09, 2000

We have a homeless person that we refer to as "fancy preacher". He's probably in his early 40's with this coiffed mane of blonde hair. He's always in a navy suit with a white shirt and looks like the definitive picture for the word "dandy". He would easily fit into the background of a Jane Austen novel. He comes into our bookstore, always heads first to the restroom to work on his hair and then plants himself in the religion section looking for titles that he takes offense with, such as "The Masonic Origins of Christianity" or "Sex and the Bible". Then on the way out, he deposits the offensive titles on the front desk. And will never say a word. Once, after he had come in in one fancy suit and left in another, we looked in the bathroom and found his discarded clothes strewn all over the floor.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2000

I live in New York City. I think everyone in my neighborhood is a little nutty. But there are some exceptionally odd folks around. For example, there's a guy who's lived across the street from me for five years. He has never lowered his blinds, and he wanders around his apartment completely nude -- even in the company of others (of both sexes).

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

Sometimes, after having surgery, I totally lose track of how many percosets I have taken and run the doses together. Then I'll suddenly have this overwhelming feeling that the whole world loves me. But it only lasts a few minutes, and then everything returns to normal.

-- Anonymous, July 01, 2000

Yeah, that's the same guy who "Hitlered" me in that other thread. I didn't think his latest remark was deserving of a response.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2000