Monday, September 24, 2012

A Tense Conversation, a Bottle of Booze & Editing



“What do you mean you had to post that Adult picture of a Domme with her tits hanging out and a bdsm symbol over her lower regions?”  

The woman on the other end of the phone (who I will not identify) finally blew off steam regarding the post “Chip Again: Serving Vexxie”.  

The conversation although tense, revealed much about our points of view.  The woman I will, for this post, refer to as ‘B’.

“This is an adult blog ‘B’ and I know that posts like ‘Chip Again’ are hard stories to look at and bring outrage when read, it is salacious and sensational because it’s supposed to be.”  
          
“I just think you get off on demeaning women and looking at porn, your just a deviate and a pervert…nobody decent is into S&M RJ.”  “You are living in a fantasy world or sometime in the 1980’s ‘B’ and if you read the story it’s the ‘man’ who was marginalized and victimized, not the woman.”

“Your just a fucking pervert, you don’t have to put those kind of pictures in the posts, if you want more readers you should tone it down a little RJ.” “Look ‘B’, if you and others like you really wanted to see a difference in the posts you would leave comments, but you don’t!  Do not make accusations at me for being anything but direct in dealing with issues your newspaper won’t talk about ‘B’.”

“I honestly thought you were a decent human being, a God fearing man, a real gentleman, but your just like the rest…maybe a little better educated and whole lot more devious.  God knows what you would do to a woman if you got her alone RJ.  And what’s with the homoerotic pictures of those boys in that god damned post, where in the hell do you get stuff like that if your not subscribed to some kind of deviate magazine or something.”

“Look ‘B’ I could accuse you of being a predatory booze guzzling bisexual milf, which would be the truth because you admitted to that years ago.  

But it doesn’t change the fact people do horrible things and behave in the darkest possible ways to satisfy the basest of desires.  I am not writing or putting out anything that hasn’t been dealt with at least once in the last 2,000 years by every major literary work from every empire from Macedonia to America.”

“Bullshit RJ, like what serious literary work would have such deviate, nasty, perverse behavior like you write about and illustrate in this obscene chronicle you call a ‘blog’…tell me, I bet you lie RJ.”  “Calm yourself down and listen!  I will give you one major literary work no one doubts being valid, where people behave badly, that work is the ‘Holy Bible’ all kinds of nastiness is going on in there.”

“Blasphemy, you goddam blasphemer, you are going straight to hell, you lying, no good, low down, ass kissing punk ass dog…” “SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN ‘B’! It’s in the Bible and I can tell you where to find all the nasty stuff that God condemned the Israelites for right now ‘B’.”  “Ok RJ, where?”

Everywhere in the Old Testament and the New Testament but I will just give a few examples: 2 Samuel 13, the rape of Tamar by her own brother Amnon, 2 Samuel 11, the killing of Bathsheba’s husband and her adultery with King David; 
           1Kings 18 the slaughter of the prophets of Baal (child and animal sacrifice, sex with objects) at the brook of Kishon, also cannibalism in Samaria, 2Kings 6 and the account of two harlot sisters that screwed every Assyrian, Chaldean and Babylonian they could, only to be butchered (the accounts are very graphic) in Ezekiel 23
  
Yeah ‘B’, it is now as it was then, sex, power, lust, sin, desire and abomination are all very much part of the human condition, no human being is sinless and no human being can say they don’t have some sort of secret or not so secret desire they seek to satisfy, be it sexual, be it political or just plain twisted, its happened before.  

The reality is perversion and depravity will happen today and it will happen tomorrow, got that ‘B’!”

‘B’ was quiet for a moment and then said, “look, change the pictures on some of the posts to make them less graphic so I can look at some of this when I take my laptop to the library, can you do that RJ?”  “Yeah, I will do that ‘B’, I will edit some of the old posts, especially about Chip, OK!”  “That will be good RJ, sorry I called you those names…now you can apologize to me RJ!”


‘B’ waited for a quiet moment and said, “well are you going to apologize RJ?”  “OK, I could have found a more articulate way to describe you, for that I will apologize.  Like Diana, the Huntress of myth, you are a wine sipping, ominsensual being who can love anybody and you usually do ‘B’.” 

“Fuck you RJ!” ‘B’ hung up on me.

RJ




Friday, September 21, 2012

POW/MIA OBSERVANCE DAY


POW/MIA OBSERVANCE DAY

Non-Fiction / News

Given the nonsense and the drama going on in politics, international incidents, wars, acts of terror or ‘insignificant bullshit’, like the release of a new type of cell phone, it’s difficult to remember ‘some of those’ who helped make it possible to live in a world where all the wonderful liberties and freedoms we have; Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines may still be alive; living in captivity or imprisonment or a service member may have died as a POW/MIA.

In a nation that has Congressmen and Congresswomen who have bastardized their oath to the United States of America, and like a German National Socialist swore an oath to a man not to raise taxes, I am reminded of those precious American souls that never made it back home, living in fear and terror, maintaining their oath to this nation every day of their lives, in a bitter, vicious captivity.

“Today, Americans across the country will pause to remember the U.S. servicemembers who never came home, either living or dead. The third Friday of September is designated as POW/MIA Recognition Day to honor those U.S. servicemembers that are either prisoners of war or still missing in action.

The day is one of six in which Congress mandates the flying of the POW/MIA Flag; the others days are Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.” (http://www.legion.org/security/212218/today-powmia-recognition-day)


To quote from the President’s Proclamation: 

“On September 21, 2012, the stark black and white banner symbolizing America's Missing in Action and Prisoners of War will be flown over the White House; the United States Capitol; the Departments of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs; the Selective Service System Headquarters; the World War II Memorial; the Korean War Veterans Memorial; the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; United States post offices; national cemeteries; and other locations across our country.  We raise this flag as a solemn reminder of our obligation to always remember the sacrifices made to defend our Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 21, 2012, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day.  I urge all Americans to observe this day of honor and remembrance with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

No matter what you feel about the President or what your politics are, the President did what a President of the United States is supposed to do.   Of course, that is recognizing the men and women who are still unaccounted for or still being imprisoned by malicious governments on the face of this planet.  Are you ‘citizen’ doing what your supposed to do?  Are you taking some kind of action to remember and recognize the POW/MIA’S?

If the tone of this blog entry lacks warmth, tact or compassion give what I apparently lack to a veteran, any veteran of the United States Armed Forces today as a token to those who are still unaccounted for. 

RJ 

Friday, September 14, 2012

Intimate Partner Violence: Public Service Announcement


Intimate Partner Violence: 

 Public Service Announcement

Non-Fiction/Informational

Yeah, it’s that time again.  It is time for another health warning from the CDC. (Centers for Disease Control)  We know times are hard, life is hard and the general mood and spirit of the country sucks.  There are all kinds of people, events, entities and other things real or imagined to blame, even yourself, especially yourself.

But some of us in this life are lucky to have a partner 'in' life.  Some of us actually have someone to share this life with despite the apparent shortcomings that we have (short, fat, bald, broke, ignorant, stupid, crazy, etc.) and we share the good, bad and blah in our lives with them.  

And the CDC has made it clear that in society persons who have someone to share with also make them the recipient of all the bad, by using force on several levels to take it out on that partner.

It starts with teens and can end with elders.  I doesn’t matter if you are intimate sexually.  If you have a partner that your intimate with (intimacy is not exclusive to sexual relationships) and you care about them you should read what I’m writing.  

If you care and don’t want to read what I’m writing visit the CDC website and get information and help.  Either that or die unhappy, confused, broken and alone.

IPV is a real problem and hides in the stats of many different police, hospital and municipal records disguised as domestic violence, depression, assault or neighbor complaints.  So let’s start with some simple ways of viewing that which we would otherwise choose not to see.

• Screening for Partner Violence:
 Ok, so some partners like to be beaten down, humiliated or demeaned (you did read the last blog entry, didn’t you?) but for those who don’t a screening protocol is needed. 
Hospitals are starting to keep records on domestic violence and involve the authorities when necessary.

Police are taking no chances anymore, usually both parties in a domestic violence call go into custody and the kids go to CPS.
Self motivated couples (or groups) can go to professional counseling or to religious groups.   It would be in everybody’s interest to be ‘self motivated’.

• The CDC has an Evaluation for Improvement: A Seven Step Evaluation Empowerment Evaluation Approach.  Evaluation for Improvement: A Seven-Step Empowerment Evaluation Approach Adobe PDF file [PDF 2.8Mb]
The ‘Evaluation’ is for people and groups who want to be proactive in not just solving their own IPV issues, but help others that may be close to them or those who are seeking some kind of help.  Click on the link and download for details.

• The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)
CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) is an ongoing, nationally-representative telephone survey that collects detailed information on sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence victimization from adult women and men in the United States. 
NISVS is the first ongoing survey dedicated solely to describing and monitoring these forms of violence as public health issues.
View, download or print: Full Report Adobe PDF file [PDF 4.2MB]
Understanding Intimate Partner Violence: Fact Sheet
This 2-page fact sheet provides a basic overview of intimate partner violence. It is intended for the general public.

Why this subject now?  Because when we are going through very tough issues in life we as human beings tend to dump our anger on the people closest to us who are in some way effected or affected by what we do or do not do.  
The resulting tension can cause real problems that cannot be effectively drowned out by a night out at the bar or mass quantities of alcohol consumed at home or under a dead end freeway underpass.  (Oh yeah, tried it)
So do something.  Some of the readers have complained about the blandness or the extreme wild graphic content of the blog, though exciting, is somehow tactless.  Well, this aint Burger King and you won’t get it your way unless you really say something or present other views.
If you live wild you will pay the price.  All of us can have a fun life despite the long list of things that attack and distract us if we choose to confront the problem and do something constructive. 
So if you have a complaint, opinion or just something to say, commentOtherwise take your daily ass whipping and keep your mouth shut.
RJ
Citations and References







Chip Again: Serving Vexxie


Artists Rendition of Domme Vexxie
Vexxie, as her subjects call her, reigns quietly yet supremely in her dungeon settings.  

One in Rockland County, New York, one in Western New Jersey near the New York and Pennsylvania border and one in the sub-basement of her Uncle’s apartment building in the Eastchester section of the Bronx. 

Vexxie, a Domme in the modern sense has a 19th century temper concerning her subjects.  Much like the White Witch of Rose Hall did in British ruled Jamaica of the 1800’s.

Vexxie, who has gone from being an RN to a Physician’s assistant is exceptionally well educated, born in 1976, she went to Catholic school in Westchester, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in New Jersey and served in the Naval Reserve, being deployed to Iraq.  After her tour of duty she attended the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. 

Vexxie, a statuesque West Indies woman of Cuban, Trinidadian and British descent, she spent some of her youth growing up on her Granddad’s sugar cane plantation in the Leeward Islands.  With slave and slaveowner blood in her she is hot and assertive but compassionate with patients in her profession.  Her light tan or high yellow tan skin is smooth and luminescent and her features are striking, she looks like a Mayan goddess.

It had been three days after his encounter with Mindy, but Chip decided to tell Vexxie everything.  The depth of his subjugation was alarming, like a penitent sinner going to his Priest, but Chip was enthralled, excited and addicted to what Vexxie dished out.  Vexxie and Mindy have a past ( I won’t get into it here) but their circle of friends and acquaintances know you keep gasoline and fireworks away from each other. 

Chip was barely physically prepared for what Vexxie did to him, psychologically he was not.  No one had seen Chip since he went to Vexxie.  I got a call from him Sunday night and visited him on Wednesday evening in Rockland County.  Chip was wearing an earring with a weird ying/yang symbol in his right ear and had prepared a late dinner for three.  I got myself a beer out of the fridge and sat down to hear what he had to say.

Chip was still buzzing around the kitchen while he related his ‘experience’ with Vexxie regarding Mindy.  Chip said, “Vexxie found out about me and Mindy before I could tell her, but she didn’t let me know until I finished telling her everything?” I asked, “how do you know?”  

“When we went into session" said Chip in a broken emotional voice, "Vexxie had on Mindy’s lavender sarong”.  I said, “grow some balls Chip, you need to assess this relationship with Vexxie.”

“Really RJ, it was me who did the wrong, my Domme, my mistress made me right.” “What the fuck did she do to 'make you right' Chip, what did she do to turn you into…this?”  

Before Chip answered he asked, “Are you going to have wine or stick with beer RJ?” “Beer Chip!”  Chip said, “When we went into session she had on no leather, no rod, no whip, no heels…she said I needed to make a decision about my servitude RJ.”

“So what did you decide Chip?” “I told her I was wrong and expected to be punished for what I did RJ.” “So what did she do Chip?” “Vexxie said I was unworthy of her and had become filthy, she said I had to ‘resubmit myself’.” “What the heck does that mean Chip?”  

“She said before I could ever associate with her on any level again I would have to submit to a ‘ritual purification and systematic penance’ or walk out of her life forever RJ.”

“Chip, knowing you or what you have become has me asking, and you don’t have to answer, but why did you ‘resubmit’ and what did she have you endure?”  Chip got defensive, “RJ, what makes you think I just ‘resubmitted’?”  “The earring with the ying/yang bondage symbol for starters Chip, what the fuck happened to you?” 

Chip declared “I couldn’t have a bdsm relationship with anyone else but Vexxie and I would…I would not want to exist without it, not now.”  “Chip, this sounds like it has kind of transcended a bdsm relationship, it sounds like it has become something psychosexual, something twisted that has you totally screwed up in the head.  What did Vexxie do to you Chip?”

Chip had finished running around and started pouring himself some wine and sat down on the plush brown velour couch across from me.  The marble coffee table had a National Geographic magazine and a bowl of cashews, Chip set his wine on the table and looked at the clock.  Chip said, “I will explain this quickly because Vexxie will be here shortly and I want you to here this.”

“Go ahead Chip, I’ll leave when she gets here so you two can be alone.”  “No, RJ let me explain and I’ll need you here for awhile after Vexxie arrives, let me explain it all, OK!” “Go and don’t stop until your done Chip.”  Chip drew a breath and said, “I told Vexxie I would do anything to keep our relationship.  She told me to come here because this place has medical equipment…” 

“Hold on Chip, this is Vexxie’s place?”  “Yes, one of them,…let me finish.” I sat back, alarmed as Chip continued, “She told me to cuff myself to the modified rack that she has in her new chamber and I did, she came in and declared that we were in session and any resistance or disobedience would be the end of it all, then she cuffed my other hand to the rack, took a switchblade and cut my clothes off.  

She intentionally nicked up my back with the tip of the knife, I could feel the blood running down my back to my ass.”
Chip took a sip of wine and went on with his discourse, “Vexxie massaged my penis and put a cockring on me, then took a belt and beat my stomach and thighs.  

Vexxie then unchained me from the rack and chained me over the bench, my hands to the floor, stretching my back, securing my feet to the tie-downs.  She took a bullwhip to my back and the back of my legs until I cried, then she said, ‘now your ready for purification’.”

Chip rattled on, “Vexxie poured some kind of sticky, pungent mixture over my body and it burned and itched, I wriggled uncontrollably trying to scratch, but couldn’t.  Then she had a spray bottle with the same kind of stuff and sprayed it on my cock.  It got harder, but I was in real pain, the blood wouldn’t drain from my penis and it hurt.  

As the pain intensified I started to shout, she shoved a ball gag in my mouth and tied it tight.  Vexxie said, ‘Go ahead, scream, cry, let it out.’”

I looked at Chip like he’d become some kind of alien.  It was if I didn’t know him anymore.  But I did not dare interrupt.  I wanted to hear this, somehow I thought it was criminal or damn close to it.  

Chip continued, “ I screamed in pain, I was burning and itching all over when she said ‘be still, relax your sphincter and push when I tell you…’, I did as she said, she shoved the enema tip into my butt and said that it was a mixture of mineral oil, grape seed oil and other spices and to hold it.”

Chip took a sip of wine and continued as if he were a victim being interrogated by a SVU officer.  “I held it as the pressure became unbearable, she then walked in front of me to show me several short penis shaped icicle phalluses still in the mold.  

She then took them out of site and showed me a sex toy machine with a black, hard rubber dildo attached to it that oscillated in and out at varying speeds.

‘Vexxie walked behind me with a bucket and said ‘let it out’, I did, all of it, it took a while.”

I said, “go ahead Chip” as I got myself another beer.  “She put some kind of lubricant up my ass then put the sex toy machine in my butt and turned it on slow, the black dildo had some kind lubricant that burned my asshole as it went in and out of me, it could have been Ben-Gay, this took my mind off the itching and burning on my body and my cock.  After about an hour of enduring this sex toy thing at various speeds, Vexxie stopped it and rolled it away.”

Chip looked up from his wine glass and his eyes glossed over then said, “Vexxie said, ‘once you dominate someone you never let them dominate you, yeah you all but raped Mindy years ago, but you never let your remorse take you to a place of subjugation…I don’t mind that you take a woman and use her to service you, but you never give yourself as a subject to anyone…you are my subject, my possession!’  RJ, she then went into this crazy rant.”

I asked, “you remember any of it Chip?”  “Yes, Vexxie said ‘doctors have taken many things out of people’s rectum, cucumbers, carrots, light bulbs, a hard boiled egg, bottles, a zucchini, even a frozen pig tail to name a few, but what I put in your ass won’t need to be removed by a doctor, just be thankful I am here.’  Then she shoved those frozen mini-dicks into my ass and they travelled up inside me.”

I looked at Chip like a pathetic looser but I had to ask, “how did this end, Chip.”  Chip said “Vexxie saw I was distressed after she shoved those things into me, I had tears running down my face as the muffled screams roaring from me were heard by no one, Vexxie poured hospital strength Isopropyl alcohol on and down my back into the nicks she cut into my back, the burning was horrid, I lost my breath from screaming and almost passed out.

Vexxie looked at me like a piece of meat as she squirted dishwashing liquid all over me as I suffered, my cock throbbing, still hard.  Vexxie took a high pressure water hose to me and nearly scalded me to death washing off, the itching liquid, the soap, the alcohol and the blood.  At Vexxie's command, I  slowly squirt the melted ice phallusus from my ass.”

Chip said, “After she unchained me she made me get on my knees as she sat in her high chair, she gave me a handheld vagina sex toy and told me jerk myself off, so I did.”  

I asked, “and that’s it right Chip?” “Not exactly RJ.”  Then the door opened and it was Vexxie.  She was still in hospital scrubs covered in a white doctors jacket.  Chip had jumped up and brought dinner to the table.

Chip introduced me to Vexxie and Vexxie welcomed me to ‘her home’.  I said “I somehow thought Chip lived here, I helped myself to some of your beer”.  Vexxie said, “Good, that’s what it’s there for.”  Her voice was soft, and somewhat melodic, having a West Indies accent with a hard proper English inflection.  Vexxie said, “I’m glad you could make it.  Being a friend and kind of a life advisor to Chip he knew you would appreciate the gravity of what we are going to do.”

I looked at Chip and started to say, “I did not know there was an occasion…” when Chip blurted, “I needed your presence” when Vexxie stared at Chip who instantly went silent.  Vexxie said, “I know your aware of the unique relationship Chip has to me and his confessed ‘breach of trust’ between us.  After dinner, I would like your witness to an action, so RJ would you please stay.”  I agreed.  I wanted to see this.  Whatever ‘this’ was going to be.

Dinner was all cold meats, cheeses and vegetables, pastrami, provolone, roast beef, salami, olives, bread and multi-colored pasta.  After dinner we went into a den area adjacent to the kitchen and the living room.  In that area was a high wooden chair, the kind used for hip replacement patients and back injury recovery.  Vexxie had brought me another beer and had us wait for her.

I said, “Chip what the fuck is going on?”  “This is how my penance ends and my re-subjugation begins RJ.”  “Why are you doing this to yourself Chip? Or I should ask, why are you letting Vexxie do this to you?”

 Chip said, “because I realized what I am and I won’t try to run away from it.  

I am a man who gets off on using women, but I sometimes feel real guilty about it.  When I tried to make amends for something I did I felt guiltier and nearly ruined the only stable relationship I had, the one that completes me.”

Then Vexxie walked in, she was in Domme regalia, she smelled awesome, you just wanted to eat her like she was a last meal.   
         Vexxie’s leather corset, suede, cowhide in varying shades of black bound with pure silver chains hoisted her glowing high yellow-tan tits in a sheer nearly see through bra so the cleavage was in your face. 

 Her black mid-length leather skirt was made of the softest leather, her stockings were super sheer black with toe out black stiletto fm pumps.

Vexxie was about 5’11” almost 6 foot without the heels, with them she stood at least 6’3” tall.  Her arms were glistening and toned out of her short black leather vest wearing sheer lace elbow length gloves. Vexxie placed a tray with a full glass, some crackers, a bowl with some kind of dip, a cloth in a jar and some baby wipes.

Vexxie sat down in her high chair and asked me to please watch.  I nodded acknowledging that I would.  Vexxie whispered “Chip, we’re in session.”

Vexxie looked at Chip and said, “Are you ready to complete your atonement?”  Chip staring at the floor said, “Yes Vexxie.”  Vexxie said in a clear commanding tone, "on your knees Chip.”  Chip got on his knees and put his forehead on the floor. Vexxie said, “do you want to serve me?”   Chip said, “Yes Vexxie” Vexxie said, “Will you serve me only?” Chip said, “Yes Vexxie.” Vexxie said, “Are you ready to submit and surrender to me?” Chip answered, “Yes my master”

Vexxie put some dip on a cracker and ordered Chip to ‘open your mouth’.  Chip did and she put the cracker in his mouth saying, “the dip is made from my excretions and the cracker is my body, eat it.” Chip ate it.  Vexxie gave Chip the glass, it  was Absinthe mixed with maple syrup and something red.  Vexxie said, “this drink is my wrath and my blood, bitter and sweet.  Drink it Chip!”  Chip drank it.

Vexxie then took the cloth out of the jar which had on it fresh menstrual blood. Vexxie put some on Chip’s cheek and then some under his nose, which made him cringe and gag.  Vexxie said "this represents contrition and a purchase, this makes you my possession."  Vexxie said, “Do you submit yourself, body, mind and spirit to me?"  Chip said, “Yes, my master.”

Vexxie handed Chip a wipe and said, “clean yourself and present yourself to me with a vow.”  Still on his knees Chip wiped the blood from his face and said, “I am yours to do with what you want, I submit to you only, I serve you, I am yours my master.”  

Vexxie said, “Session ended.”  When Chip stood up Vexxie hugged him and explained to me that, “he and I both wanted a witness to his submission to me.”  I asked, “you wanted ‘me’ to see this?  Why?”

Vexxie said “I won’t let any man have me, but in my relationship to Chip he can do what he wants with any woman, but he doesn’t submit to anyone but me. 

 In fact I will find the kind of women Chip can thoroughly exploit without fear of any legal or medical entanglements."  

Yes, Chip is…sexually disturbed, but I have no doubt that I can quell his disturbances.  You are the only one Chip turns to other than me RJ.  I thank you for being here.”

I warned them both of the significance of what they did spiritually and legally.  I also warned them both not to drag me into a court room over this, criminally or civilly.  I wished them well and went home as fast as I could.



RJ

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Ruby at Game ON!

Ruby at 
Game ON!

Well, the first night on duty wasn’t bad considering the regulars were in attendance and the crowd was mellow.

It was surprising to see how many actually did hang out on a Monday Night.  

Yaega Lee couldn’t do Monday Nights this season because she found a day job that she has to get up way too early to hang the whole night.  

So now Ruby is here and her first night went well according to Poppy J.  At least he was happy enough to cook some wings.

My night was very uneventful even though I did go to an event.  Things did not go the way I expected so I brought me and my disappointment to Game ON to hang with Ruby and the dregulars.  I will post more desperately adult content later.  Now I am going to rest, find a bottle and take my medicine.  (not necessarily in that order).

RJ

Friday, September 7, 2012

SideStreet Cafe / Death of A Neighborhood Dive


Ruby kept that dive clean as possible given the water rot and carpet odors that typified the SideStreet Bar in Cedarhurst.   

It  was a place that reflected the five towns neighborhoods.  Some of the Jewish patrons would come in on Sunday afternoons with the old school Italian guys from Inwood, who dropped in whenever they felt like it.

On Friday and Saturday Nights the Far Rockaway crowd both latin and black would load the jukebox up with all kinds of rap and hip hop and rev themselves up with Red Bull, booze and whatever other pharmaceuticals the patrons were willing to share.  Even though the bar was right across the street from the firehouse, which had police going in and out on a regular basis, the crowd didn’t care.  The cops did and they would bust things up on Friday and Saturday Nights.

During the day well connected “family guys” (not like tv cartoons) would come in and take in the horse races and discuss family and neighborhood business amongst themselves while making gentlemen’s wagers on the outcome of those races.  Working stiffs, corporate girls, delivery men and pretty boys chained to cougars with cash would all stop in during daytime hours to visit Ruby.  They all loved Ruby because she knows how to keep things going.

One day the owner (allegedly visited by some law enforcement folks) was told about the ‘expansion’ of the firehouse across the street and its value as a landmark from the late 1800’s.  Then the owner was asked about some guy who disappeared from his Lawrence home and was never seen again after coming to SideStreet.  The guy who disappeared has a brother who is a fireman who had taken interest in SideStreet, the kind of interest that makes people nervous.

One beautiful day in the middle of August, Ruby came to work and the place was not only padlocked, but had been totally gutted.  Apparently the owner didn’t tell the bartenders he was closing the doors.  (Then, given the right set of circumstances, maybe he couldn’t tell anybody anything). 

Ruby is now working at Game OnMonday Nights.  Check out the Game On, Valley Stream, NY in Facebook.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Real Life Anxiety and Jets T-Shirts


It was Sunday, 26 August and the Jets were playing the Panthers.  

The Jet fans made their pilgrimage to Game On to watch the Jets loose…again.   Yaega Lee was working and no music played while the Jets were on TV, at least for the first three quarters.  

Isley, B.B. (who grilled some burgers, steaks, and sausages) and quite a few other regulars including Mr. Clean (Yaega’s Man-friend) all became steadily disgusted as the Jets lost but none more disgusted than T.D. who chose to keep the faith, even though Jenny chose to leave.

They arrived together from hanging with friends in Manhattan and just spending a day as a couple.  They plan to get married and a small window into married life was going to open up for T.D. in ways he couldn’t begin to imagine.  Jenny was emotional (moon was going into a three quarter phase) and worried about her teenage son, who after a day with friends hooked himself up to his X-Box and played some online war games with other video game junkies.

Even though she hinted she was leaving T.D. kissed her and said he would see her later…after the game.  Sometime in the fourth quarter, after Isley, BB, and some other regulars were beating up on some of the video games in the bar after realizing the Jets were going to lose as usual, T.D. got a phone call.  T.D. spoke into his phone loud and aggravated.  T.D. said “No, No, not now, the game is almost over…what, are you for real?  OK!  OK!  I’m leaving now.”

T.D. stormed out of the bar and left for home.  The regulars decided to watch “Worlds Dumbest Criminals” and I, just decided to finish my beer and go home.  I really had nothing to go home to except aggravation and conflict, but at night most instigators would be asleep and some expectation of peace, just for one night, was calming me down.  But the demons in the universe had other plans.

The Jets game had not been finished yet a half hour when Yaega took a phone call on the bar phone.  Yaega disappeared hanging up the bar phone and calling someone on her cell phone. 

I was now in a good state of mind, not thinking of anything except a hot cup of tea, a shot of Jack and my bible.  When the mellow tunes and the din of talk and laughter was interrupted by the loud exclamation of “OH MY GOD”, Yaega gasped and started yelling into the phone… “don’t do anything, cooperate with them Jenny…I know who can handle this, just don’t do something stupid.”

Every eyeball in the Game was on Yaega as she came straight to me.  Yaega’s eyes were as big as half dollars and her face braced in terror. 

 “RJ, you need to go to T.D’s and Jenny’s something bad is going on, their having some kind of fight and the police are in a ‘situation with T.D.’”  “What kind of situation Yaega?”  “Just go, you know how to talk to the police.”  About that time I wanted to say fuck it and go home, but as a friend and advisor I went to T.D.’s

T.D. lived down the street and around the corner from Goldies, a landmark restaurant in the South area of town by the Gibson Station.  As I went up the road, I was impeded by three police units which had blocked the street.  I called Yaega before I got out of the car and informed her of the situation.  “Yaega, some guy is laying face up, palms up, nearly naked talking to the police, I can’t get through.”  “It’s T.D. RJ, Go and talk to the cops before things get worse.”

I said a quick prayer, asking God for wisdom and rebuking the devil, who screwed up a really good buzz and a good frame of mind.  “Good evening officers” I said upon approach, “I’m Reuben James and I came to see about my friend, T.D., if I may enquire officer, what has T.D. done?   The three tall imposing African American officers all looked at me as if I lost my mind.

The lead officer asked, “So you do know him?”  Before I could answer T.D. yelled “he’s my minister, he’s advising me on marriage”.  I produced my credentials for the lead officer who handed them off to his partner and said, “talk to your friend, he hasn’t done anything yet, but he and his woman are in a dispute.”  I thanked the officer who had his partner hand me back my credentials as he whispered something to the lead officer.

“T.D., what are you doing undressed laying in the street?” (I could not help to notice the number of eyeballs peeping through blinds and curtains, looking out of their windows).  

 “Officer, would it be alright if my friend was able to sit up?”  “Fine with me Deputy” said the officer, acknowledging he ran my credentials. Lead Officer said “we didn’t put him in the street, he did that all by himself.”

“Yo, T.D., stand up, slow, catch your breath and relax.”  “OK RJ,” said T.D. standing up, beer belly sagging, neon pale, near naked, looking like the Fellini version of the Michelin Man, lit up by police car headlights, flashing red and blue strobes, now T.D. put his hands behind his head, dramatically awaiting his fate. 

I had to ask, “Officer, do you have T.D. in custody?”  “Hell no, he told us he wants us to arrest him because if he stays he might do something stupid…can you talk to your friend?” (I had to keep the drunk tank out of T.D.’s future)
“T.D., where are your clothes?”  “In a bag in the garbage with the rest of my Jets jerseys, t-shirts and gym gear RJ.” 

“T.D. get your things out of the trash and get dressed.  What did Jenny do to make you want to call the cops on yourself?”  “Flipping out… RJ, Jenny is shouting, screaming and aggravating me because I want to hang out and watch the Jets…”

Before T.D. could go on a rant I stopped him and asked, “where is your wallet?”  “In the house RJ.”  “Wait here T.D. as I talk to Jenny.”  I asked the lead officer if I could talk to Jenny. “Please!” was the lead officers response.  “Jenny is it all right if I come up?" 

“RJ you can come up but not him, not that nasty lowlife…he called the cops on me!”  Before Jenny could go into ultra bitchy mode (her eyes as big as silver dollars and on fire with pure rage) I asked if T.D. could get his wallet.
“No, he can’t come back in here RJ.”  

“Jenny, T.D. needs identification to fill out forms with the police.”  Jenny took off her engagement ring and told me to give it to T.D. then said “OK, RJ he comes up with the police, that’s the only way.”  Immediately I get the officers to escort T.D. up the stairs to get his wallet.   I told T.D. to make sure he got “everything he needed” especially his keys.  

“I don’t need my car keys.”  After getting his wallet he went back outside with the lead officer. Jenny screamed about getting her $20,000 deposit back for the wedding hall and reception area and ranted about exposing her son to a nasty negative example.  

Jenny went into a panic when the other officer asked her for identification.  (Problems with the DMV)  After the officers took the necessary information they wanted to know if the parties had a resolution.  When they began shouting at each other the officers quickly got them quiet and then looked at me.

I suggested, to quickly defuse the conflict, that T.D. leave for the night or at least a few hours and stay at his mothers house.  The officers said that was a sound idea.  T.D. and I walked out of the door, I stopped and asked him if he had everything he said “yes” and we walked out waiting for the officers to finish up with Jenny.   

The officers, who were happy with the resolution, got off the block as quickly as they showed up.  I collected T.D. who now did not want to go to his Mom’s house. 

“Remember what you told the police T.D.”  “Lets go back to Game On” said T.D. as I rolled down the street as quiet as I could.  “You have your keys T.D.?”  

No RJ.”  “How do you expect to get back into your house when she goes to work?”  T.D. shook his head and said, “I need a beer.”  I took him to Game On where I was going to leave him.  Game On patrons scattered after I left fearing the police would follow me back or I would show up with T.D.

Yaega Lee and Mr. Clean negotiated with Jenny the terms under which T.D. 
could return to his house (which he made clear was his house, he pays the bills, he buys the booze and cigarettes, he also pays the rent).  About that time while T.D. swore he would never apologize for anything, I played B.B. King’s “I Pay the Cost to Be the Boss” and old soul begging music that put him in the mood to apologize to Jenny.  (I was really outraged by the silliness of this drama)

(Jenny did make him beg and humiliated him by having him blow kisses) Hours after he called the cops on himself I took T.D. back home to Jenny, making sure he had Jenny’s engagement ring and his ‘Jetswear’. It was about a half hour before sunrise.

T.D. thanked me, Yaega thanked me.  I got home just in time to put out the garbage. 

RJ