journal
And I finally have internet.
No fiber optics in my neighborhood, so I had to apply for a phone line. Once that was finally installed, I applied for a wired DSL connection, once I got that up and running, it became apparent that having a connection isn't so different from not having one at all. It's that bad.
But an electrician who was here to work on something else entirely pointed out to me that all the phone wires in the building were aluminum!
So until I get those replaced with copper, I went ahead and got myself a 5G wireless DSL. It's capped at 140 GB a month, but it's smooth as butter and I'm no longer isolated. Installing it is also a breeze. You just go to the store, pay for it, bring it home with you and plug it in. Wish I'd done this from the get-go.
I haven't read a word, touched a pencil, or even looked at email since getting here. All I've been doing is getting the place in just enough of a working order to be able to sleep, shit, shower and work. Still no kitchen installed, still unclear when that'll happen, as there's a whole bunch of plumbing and wiring that needs getting redone first.
I imagine I should be able to get back to the drawing board in a couple days regardless.🤞
As I dismantle my workspace and pack up my life (and realize I own way more stuff than I'd like to admit), I'm noticing an uptick in “for sale” and “for rent” signs pop up around the neighborhood. Willing to bet this is just the beginning, and many of these places will remain vacant for many years to come, unless prices are brought down to a tenth of where they are now. This is something that will of course not happen given that very few of these places are owned outright; Most home-owners are in fact beholden to banks and the unreasonably high mortgage-payments they're entitled to.
The American crash is a-comin'.
Computer decided to stop working a couple weeks back and only managed to get it back online today. Also happen to be going through another one of those major life upendings.
Both Mythomatic and Garage.Ganzeer taken offline in the meantime. Newsletter likely to commence before they do.
Here's a link to the web edition of the latest RESTRICTED FREQUENCY – 219: The Great Shi(f)t is Upon Us.
In other news, one of my bookshelves made the Shelfies newsletter. Really delightful initiative by authors Jared Shurin and Lavie Tidhar.
A new RESTRICTED FREQUENCY is scheduled. Titled The Great Shi(f)t is Upon Us, it goes out in about 15 hours.
Here's the link to the previous RESTRICTED FREQUENCY – 218: Between Venice, Rome, and Cairo
“Footsteps on cobblestone bounce off the walls in Venetian passageways. Aside from the sound of the occasional motorboat, there isn't much else to be heard on the streets of Venice; A much welcomed change of ambiance for someone who does not drive but hails from a world dominated by cars and multi-lane motorways. In Venice, wherever your eyes fall, there is only beauty to be seen.”
From issue 218 of RESTRICTED FREQUENCY, scheduled to go out late this evening.
I fully intended to blog while on the road, but the way days unfolded kept me from even touching my laptop, which I must admit was a most welcomed change.
I may post a few travel pix over the next couple days, but for a few shots of the exhibition at the Palazzo del Fumetto on ganzeer.com. Not the best pix, as I neglected to bring my good camera and shot all these with my phone.
I've had a foot in and out of the cultural scene in many cities around the world, and still no place compares to Cairo in that regard. The energy, enthusiasm, and genuine interest is simply unmatched.
Above photo from a series of talks related to Egyptian and Lebanese film history at Cimatheque in downtown Cairo a few days ago.