Thursday, December 25, 2014

Embracing the Inner-UBER

Whenever I fall into conversation with a passenger regarding how this new industry is affecting previously existing (taxi-cab) infrastructure, I like to remark that the slow death-rattle of an older-trend is simply the result of basic, old-fashioned, American capitalism.  Someone came up with a much better idea, and while it's unfortunate that people are losing work ... in the end, the idea itself is infinitely more important than the people it leaves behind in the proverbial dust.
It's worth mentioning that many of these drivers are simply shifting into the on-demand world, not just to make better money and better lives for their families, but also because it's a product of the rampant popularity that quite naturally has come with the territory.  So while I'm not yet at a point where I feel sorry for these current and former taxi-drivers, I have noticed that these people just have the worst occupational reputation.  I don't possess the sociological insight (or the desire to stir up controversy) to comment as to why exactly taxi-drivers seem to be viewed as the dregs of the earth. But what I find remarkable is that a similar stigma has not been placed on myself or other drivers of my ilk, who were not previously associated with the cab industry.

Perhaps this endeavor is still trendy enough that we're considered cool before we're considered poor, lazy, or simply lacking in ambition?  Perhaps what we're doing is  ... dare I say ... somehow sexy?
To me this is an odd concept when I think about how much of society views traditional taxi-driving as a distasteful, lower-class method of making a living.  But somehow we've distinguished ourselves as a new genre of socially-acceptable, occupationally-respectable workers.

As I've started to slowly reimmerse myself into the world of dating, I've been terrified that every interesting, attractive woman I meet will quickly call for the check just as soon as they find out what I do to pay the bills.  However, to my great surprise, there seems to be something intriguing about this new occupation and it actually has the exact opposite effect when it comes to how people react.  Now I won't go so far as to say that my driving has excited a romantic interest to the point of me getting lucky, but I guess my point is that it hasn't driven anyone away either.

It extends beyond dating as well.  Coming out of my old relationship, I've not only had to seek out new friends and other forms of companionship, but I've also had to find a new place to live.  One of the first thoughts that crossed my mind when I started to consider this challenge, was "oh shit ... who the hell is going to trust a cab-driver to pay the rent on time?"  And yet again ... I've been blown away by how accepting people have been to the idea of welcoming someone into their home despite what I thought would surely be viewed as an unreliable and unsteady form of employment.  It's also been incredibly remarkable to see how many of my potential roommates are also driving on-demand for a living ... really it's staggering how many of us are out there nowadays.

I would love to credit these phenomena to the simple fact that women and society at large are growing more and more open-minded (we're definitely making huge strides), but I actually think there's something more, something truly UBER at work here.  My theory is that this idea has been so ground-breaking and pervasive that it's already taken it's place as a vital component of modern, socio-cultural dynamics.  

Throughout this entire experience I've always worried that I'm trapping myself in a situation in which I'm not living up to my potential or fulfilling the societal expectations placed on a person of my background/education/upbringing/age.  But I've slowly come to a point where all of that anxiety is really just becoming noise that I can filter out if I want to.  I'm starting to embrace the scenario as part of who I am right now, and thanks to a more accepting and supportive world, I don't really feel any sense of shame or disappointment that I might not be doing what I'm supposed to do or contributing as much as I can to humanity.  The truth is, no matter who you are or where you come from ...

There's nothing wrong with being UBER.

I can't anticipate everything that's going to happen to me in the future, but I know that I don't see myself doing this forever.  As exciting as this business can be, it's also hard work that can be financially straining, physically and emotionally draining, and oftentimes immensely lonely. There's really no two ways about it: on-demand driving is a grind, and it can take quite a bit out of you.  But for what it's worth, I like to think that the experience has taken out far less than it has added to the richness and depth of my character.  My life is completely upside down right now, but I know that I'm a far better person today than I was when I started driving 6 months ago.  I don't have much of anything these days ... but I do have this really cool, extremely UBER part of myself that I'm fortunate enough to share with all of you.

And if I can be so bold as to offer advice ... no matter what you do with your life, if you want to be the best version of yourself ... always, and I mean always ... embrace your inner-UBER!

UBER ON!!!    

Thursday, November 20, 2014

When being UBER get's ... UBER!!!

I think it's safe to say that I've reached a point in my ramblings where I should no longer fall back on how this experience can be portrayed as some sort of social commentary.  I'm sure you guys get it right?  It's an amazing idea ... it's changing the world ... yada yada yada.  It's high time to just let the stories do the talking and I'm sure I'll find a way to let everyone know just exactly what I think it all means.

So to begin, I'm so proud to announce that ...

IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!!!  

It took the better part of 5 months, but at long last, I was able to witness two passengers engaged in a hard-core make out session in the backseat!  
Of course I've seen (and sometimes heard) a quick smooch here and there, but on this occasion ... well let's just say that the interaction was slightly more involved.  I should start at the beginning though and set the scene ... you know, so I get things just right.

It was a Thursday night, and the big event of the evening was a sold-out Pearl Jam concert at one of the local professional sporting arenas.  It was a good night to be in this line of work, because when the demand picks up the the prices increase exponentially.  And the demand always renders the best material to write about because in my experience high demand almost always means there are a plethora of inebriated people out and about, trying to get home.  

The show probably ended around 11:30pm and from that time on, the business was a-boomin'!!  I probably cleared around 150 bucks in 2 hours.  But getting back to the story, it was around 1:30am that the stars alligned for this fortuitous event.  As I pulled up to the pick-up spot, I noticed that there were several people waiting for rides like mine, so I called my passneger to let him know where to find me.  

When he did finally come out of the bar, it turned out this gentleman was extremely tall.  Now I'm 6'3'' and this man easily had 5-6 inches on me barefoot.  He was accompanied by 2 noticeably intoxicated women that must have maxed out around the bottom of his sternum.  One of the girls piled into the backseat with my UBER tall passenger (I have no idea how someone that tall fits into the backseat of any car) and the other girl jumped into the front next to me.  The destination of choice was a bit vague ... 
They wanted to go to a strip-club but were undecided on which particular venue they'd like to visit. Now dropping of people at these sorts of establishments was nothing new to me, so I rattled off the two places that I was familiar with, placing emphasis on the club that was less than a mile away.  Of course my passengers decided they'd rather check out the tackier of the two choices which was maybe 5 miles away.  To me that just meant extra money, especically with inflated-demand prices, so I cheerfully agreed and we started to drive.  

Drunk people are always interesting from my perspective as a driver, but the first thing that made this ride particularly unique was the girl in the front seat.  Now both of the female passengers were wielding single roses of the darkest shades of red when they got into the car.  And as soon as my front-seat companion took one look at me, she started to stroke my face with her flower (literally people ... don't be gross).  Something about my face must have intrigued her or perhaps it was simply my contrasting sobriety that had her so fascinated, but she just couldn't get enough of sticking that damn rose into my face and softly petting my nose.  

As the ride continued, the girl in the backseat who hadn't yet begun to fondle my passenger, loudly began to demand some lively tunes.  I started trying to find a radio station that would suit her tastes, but with every failure to do so, my actions were met with swift punisment.  The rose petting was quickly replaced with rose slapping.  I was assaulted from both the front seat and the back and there were rose petals flying everywhere.  At first I was a little wary of the distraction as I was in fact trying to safely deliver these people to their destination.  But it was pretty hysterical and I played along as best as I could. Around the time that the flowers had been reduced to puny stems, I had found suitable music and we were well on our way out to the "burbs".  

I was trying not to look in the rear-view mirror when the sounds of sloppy kisses started to emerge from the backseat, and instead I tried to focus on the conversation I was having with the slightly more relaxed passenger sitting next to me.  We were just shooting the shit really, but it wasn't long before the exchange turned into a running commentary on what was going on behind us.  By this point in the ride the girl in the backseat had fully mounted her gentleman friend and while I'm pretty sure there was no intercourse involved, I can only assume from the drunken sighs and the steam slowly clouding the windows that there was definitely some heavy-groping going on.

It was all very amusing to me.  I did my very best to keep the car steady, but inevitably there was a turn or two where the girl in the back lost her balance and fell into one of the windows.  I really can't imagine that the experience was very comfortable for the guy either, who as I've mentioned was quite tall, but no one was complaining so we continued to make our way to the club.  Of course upon arrival, it turned out that this particular institution was only open until 2am on Thursday nights.  The girl in the backseat was enraged, and started yelling loudly at the bouncer, but we convinced her to get back in the car as the first club I had suggested was still open and would be so until 4am.  

The ride back into town was more of the same, though my front-seat passenger had passed out, and I learned that the guy was actually a professional basketball player, which explained the abundant height. About half-way back, the couple decided that they were hungry ... for food that is, and they wanted my advice regarding late-night eating establishments.  I suggested a popular diner, but again I was dissapointed when my passengers decided on some sort of fast food option. Sigh ...
Our first attempt was at a local chain restaurant that specializes in burgers and frozen custard.  They also closed at 2, which had the girl in back hanging out of the open window screaming profanities at the drive-through speaker box.  I was convinced that she had a few anger issues, but then again she was pretty heavily under the influence.

So we finally found a 24-hour McDonald's at which they ordered an insane amount of greasy fries, nuggets, and god knows what else.  From there it was a quick ride back to the guy's hotel, though they insisted on beginning their meal in the backseat (I hate that)!  All told, the ride took the better part of an hour and it ended up costing the guy around $120 but given his profession I didn't feel too bad. 

But even more than the money, the ride itself was truly the reward.  It was one of the most bizarre trips and really one of the most bizarre experiences of my life.  The car was littered with rose petals and unused ketchup packets when I got home, but my life was so much richer for the experience. And I promised this wouldn't digress into social commentary, but this is really what I love about the whole operation.  How else could I have witnessed this?  How else could I have been in the position to tell you all about it?  

It IS an amazing idea ... 

It IS changing the world ... 

And I'm so happy that I get to be a part of that.     

UBER ON!!!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

It's not easy being UBER

I should begin by admitting that I've been in a tremendous funk the last couple of months and as such, it's been difficult to spend time writing. I've never been in a prolonged job search before and as it turns out, it really sucks!  I also just had a birthday that, by a cruel twist of fate, happened to fall on the most solemn and holy day of the Jewish calendar: Yom Kippur.  For those of you unfamiliar with this holiday and it's traditions, we tribesmen typically spend the day praying, fasting, and saying how sorry we are for everything we've done wrong in the past year.  It isn't much of a stretch to say that there are definitely better times to celebrate another year on this planet.

And everything shitty in my life culminated recently as my relationship with my girlfriend sadly came to it's conclusion. Suffice it to say I have been and am still very much in love with this girl, and even though I know it's the right decision for her (and probably me as well) ... no matter how you slice it, it's still a a gruesome kick in the nuts.
So at the risk of this entire post becoming one long, melodramatic whine, I just have to add that this has been the most difficult time of my life.  Never before have I been so hyper-aware of my shortcomings, so completely overwhelmed by everything I haven't been able to achieve.  And never before have I felt so helpless, trapped, and so utterly alone.  In other words, it's been extremely difficult to manage any sense of being UBER.

It's strange but until this latest tragedy in my depressing personal life, my driving has not only served as my only source of income, but also as a very necessary escape and distraction.  For 10-30 minutes at a time I have the opportunity to live vicariously through my passengers' lives.  As I shuttle them from one place to another, I find myself using my background in film analysis to escape into their stories.  More and more I try not to talk about myself (admittedly it's a painful habit) and instead focus on listening and imagining a reality different from my own.  And until yesterday ... it actually helped.

But as I stirred yesterday morning, not really having slept more than an hour or so ... I snuck out to my car to get away from my tears and all of the pain. Shivering in the 15-degree darkness I filled up on gasoline, and got the signal to pick up my first ride of the morning at 5:15am.  Normally on a Monday this typically would be someone going to the airport ... really it's the only reason any of us are crazy enough to wake up so early.  But on this occasion, my passenger was a young woman with no luggage and a quirky smile on her face.  Selfishly I wanted the longer airport fare that I was expecting, but I also craved any sort of distraction at the moment so I smiled back and started driving.

I was foolish to believe I'd be able to muster up any sort of conversation in my emotional state, but she seemed perfectly content to strike up the banter herself. And of course, of all things we could have discussed, she immediately wanted to know about my girlfriend.
It took enormous self control to not break down in the driver's seat as I briefly related my sad story to this unusual girl.  And as we pulled up to her destination, my tale complete, she simply nodded her head, smiled, and told me to "have a nice day".  There was no offer of sympathy or anything close to resembling consolement.  She jumped right into my life and just as quickly jumped out, never to be seen or heard from again.  I don't think I've ever felt so vulnerable and for a few moments I might as well have been paralyzed.  But the rest of the morning I never stopped wondering as to who exactly had been the driver in our scenario: me or her?

I lasted another couple of hours, picked up an airport ride, and sat in an annoying amount of traffic on the way back, before I sensed that I was starting to lose control and headed home.  And as I wallowed in misery throughout the day, it dawned on me that I could never truly escape my own realities in the verisimilitude of another person's life.  I realized that so long as I committed this driving experience to a simple distraction, I would never truly be UBER.

So moving forward I think it's time to stop trying to escape, and approach everything that I'm afraid of facing with renewed focus and deliberate intention.  My life might suck presently but I'm not going to let it get me down.  If I'm to truly be the UBERmensch, I can't very well play that role without the proper motivation.

UBER On!!!        
   

Monday, September 8, 2014

The Treasures Left Behind

As someone who has lived in a large metropolitan city, I'm well versed in the anxiety that goes hand in hand with getting in and out of cabs on a daily basis.  Passengers engulfed in this culture are consumed by a deafening inner-monologue screaming questions like "Is this cabbie gonna dick around to make some extra money?" and "Did I just leave my cell-phone in the backseat?"
I can't claim any expertise relating to how much this culture has shifted in large cities now that there are on-demand options.  But in my own experience as a driver, I have noticed a much more relaxed and calm demeanor when it comes to these general concerns.  Of course it goes without saying that every once in a while I do find little surprises in the backseat that were forgotten or even left behind quite intentionally.  Now the usual suspects typically include things like empty beer cans, spare change, and bar-tab receipts.  However there are those rare occasions when I find or am given something that makes for a truly blog-worthy story.

I suppose I could talk about the numerous occasions that I've been given a $20 tip on a $10 fare.  For those of you unfamiliar with how the process works, we're not really supposed to accept any tips and even after I informed the passengers of this policy, still they insisted out of the goodness of their hearts.  But while these were very nice gestures, the stories themselves are not all that interesting.

I guess I could also mention that one time a particularly flirtatious passenger left her phone number for me in the backseat.  In my younger, more adventurous days (when I was still single) I would have been delighted by such a development and we can all imagine the scenarios that might have materialized.  However what really made the situation funny is that I didn't even realize what had happened until later in the evening when another passenger discovered the number and pointed it out to me.  Admittedly I felt bad throwing away the number at the end of the night, but I think it definitely makes for a cute story.

I think I can do better than cute though ...  yeah I can do much better than that!

Since I now live in a very liberal-minded state ... and by liberal I'm referring to the population's predilection toward the legal consumption of cannabis ... I'd be remiss not to detail those precious moments when

the worlds of weed and on-demand cab rides collide
  
I'd say there's at least 2-3 occasions every week when a passenger asks if I'm "420 friendly" ... to which I politely inform them that while I don't have any personal issue with marijuana, I can't allow it to be smoked in my vehicle. After all ... I wouldn't be very much of an UBERmensch if I did ;)
However on one occasion, an airport-bound passenger asked me if I smoke.  When I told her she couldn't smoke in the car ... she laughed and retorted that she really wanted to see if I would be kind enough to take/pass along her supply of herb.  You see she was not very comfortable taking the product on the plane ride back to a state with less liberal (at least for now) legislation.  While I don't personally indulge in the recreational use of marijuana products, I was definitely tickled by the request, and I told her that I'd be more than happy to pass it along to someone who would enjoy it.

Now this might have just been a bi-product of the times that we live in, but the way that it all went down was fascinating (and hilarious) to me.  And again I think this story speaks to the kind of bonds/relationships formed between drivers and passengers in these on-demand scenarios.  I highly doubt such an exchange would have ever occurred in your run-of-the-mill taxi cab, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to hear that it's happened to other drivers like me.

No, I think it only could have happened the way that it did and I can back my theory up because several weeks later ... it happened again!  I was driving a woman to the airport who I actually had met the night before when I dropped her and a friend off at a rock concert.  Sure enough, as we pulled up to the terminal entrance, I was met with the same request.  Except this time, the grass came with an accompanying pipe!  

It's amazing because this is not like someone gave me a half-empty bag of chips. These are products that, while readily available, are not by any means inexpensive.  These passengers just wanted to pass along their unused fun to others who would continue to enjoy the good times ...

and they positioned me, their driver, as courier 

When I think about it, that really is the very essence of this entire enterprise: random people coming together to share the best parts of themselves with each other.   And if I'm going to comment on the most exquisite treasures that are left behind in my car,  I'd truly hate myself if I didn't mention all of the good vibes and happy feelings that my passengers leave in their wake every single night.

As someone who's trying to figure out what to do with my life, having the chance to meet such a wide range of people leaves me with plenty of of great ideas ... as well as an abundance of business cards. Amidst a tedious job search that can often overwhelm me with feelings of inadequacy, nothing has restored my confidence more than the conversations with passengers who express their belief that I can succeed in any number of fields.

And since I've never been one to shy away from the occasional ego-boost, interactions with my passengers truly do go a long way in making me feel good about myself.  I've been invited into people's homes for no other reason than to continue an interesting discussion.  Passengers have offered to buy food for me when we stop, mid-drive, at the late-night taco stand. People have even insisted that I stop driving so that I can join them for a drink in any number of bars and dives all over town (don't worry mom ... I didn't drink and drive).

Yes, I've seen the very best of people come out as they open up to me, a stranger entrusted with getting them to their destinations safely.  And for what it's worth, I strongly believe that these experiences and the passengers themselves truly bring out the best in me as well.

UBER On!!!    

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

The Craziest Ride of All (so far)

Ever since I started this little cab-driving adventure, people have never shied away from asking me,
"What's the wildest, craziest thing that's ever happened during one of your rides?"
For reasons unbeknownst to me ... there's a resounding, public belief that one can only drive for so long before a passenger inevitably vomits all over the car or leaves some other manner of residual stain to be cleaned up.   I might be lucky and this might be slightly uninteresting to report, but ... nothing like that has ever happened to me ... at least not yet (fingers crossed).

Also, contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of my passengers are not drunken buffoons. They're not all mindless, spoiled socialites either. In fact, if I was pressed to do so, I'd find it very difficult to lump so many different kinds of people into one social category.  I've driven hipsters and nerds, yuppies and tourists, minor celebrities and nobodies, high-school students and retirees alike.  White, black, gay, straight, male, female, young, old ... my passengers are decidedly all sorts of everything. But I guess if you forced me to describe one quality that they all share ... well I'd have to say that they're all unpredictable.  Of course, not knowing what is going to happen is definitely where the crazy and unexpected are always most likely to occur.  And since I wouldn't want to disappoint the curious minds of my readers ... here's just a sampling of the insanity that can take place during an on-demand cab ride:

It was a Saturday evening, and I had just picked up a very nice group of 20-somethings who were on their way out for a night on the town.  With 3 passengers in the back and one in the front next to me, it was going to be a short, maybe 5-10 minute ride to one of the most popular watering holes in the city.  I'm sure we were probably having a very pleasant conversation, but in all honestly, I can't remember one thing about the discussion because of what happened about half way through the ride.

As we cruised below an overpass ... we all witnessed what can only be described as a sudden and inexplicable pigeon suicide attempt.  

I kid you not, we couldn't help but watch as this poor, plump squab decided to end it all by dive-bombing directly into the asphalt in front of us. Perhaps it saw a tasty morsel on the ground that it just couldn't ignore?  Perhaps it simply miscalculated the physical dynamics of the space, and it was thrown off by a sudden gust of wind?  Unfortunately ... we'll never know.

And before we could pause to consider the wind-speed velocity of the possibly depressed (but not coconut-laden) bird; before we could even react to this horrific avian tragedy ... another pigeon must have decided that it just couldn't live without it's friend . Except this time, suicidal bird #2 must have confused my dark-grey car with the black beyond of the asphalt.  This time ... the pigeon decided to kamikaze straight through my open window, grazing my left shoulder en route to a feathery explosion as it crashed into the chest of an unsuspecting passenger in the backseat.

It sounds like something out of a movie right?  Afterwards I actually found myself thinking that it was something you might have seen from those funny talking pigeons on "Animaniacs".

"The Goodfeathers"
But 1990s cartoons aside, suffice it to say, we were all completely shocked.  If we didn't experience it together I doubt that any of us would've believed that such a thing could be possible ... but it was one of those moments when you can only react by saying:

THAT. JUST. HAPPENED.  

After I slammed on the brakes, and amidst the chaos, screams, and hysterical laughter, we were pleased to discover that this lunatic bird somehow survived and was flopping around on the floor. All told, between the moment of impact and finally getting the pigeon out of the car, maybe 20-30 seconds had passed ... but in that short time, our lives (or at least the way in which we think about pigeons and overpasses) had certainly changed forever.      

Now I know that it could've happened to anyone at any time ... but the fact that it happened to us as we participated in the relatively new "ride-sharing" experience, made it all the more special. We shared a truly UBER moment that night and I strongly believe it's the context of that moment, which instantly forged such an unforgettable memory.  And while surely not all rides/stories will end up being quite this bizarre, I hope we all can remember to embrace the stories we experience together ... no matter how crazy they get.

UBER On!!!                      

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Aspiring to be ... UBER

As yet another nail-biting, directionless millenial, I hope that in writing this, I can speak on behalf of a decidedly anxious and impatient generation.  While our sense of entitlement and our use of hash-tags must surely seem obnoxious in the context of cultural evolution, there is hope in knowing that our insatiable thirst for instant gratification has indeed inspired some of the most important new ideas and changes of our lifetime.  

Now I'd never go so far as to say that I've been on the forefront of these changes ... I can't bring myself to say "totes magotes" without the fear of losing brain-cells and I doubt that I'll ever understand the widespread fascination in status updates.  But I am proud to say that there is one bandwagon that I'm not only riding, but I'm actually helping to drive as well. And as I struggle to figure out what I'm supposed to do with my life ... my adventures as an on-demand cab driver have inspired new confidence in my ability to contribute to a movement that is changing the world, and decisively changing it for the better.   

Seeking to document the hilarity and the humanity of the journeys I take with my passengers, I've titled this blog: UBERmensch - not only to cleverly reference the company I now partner with, but also to utilize the various denotations and connotations of the metaphor itself.
The word UBER certainly has a buzz to it these days, but long before this German adjective was popularized into our vernacular, one of the most commonly known references came from a book written by Friedrich Nietzsche.  For him the UBERmensch was an ideal that individuals and society alike should strive toward ... something that was (by definition) above, greater than, or even superior to the mundane reality of the human condition.  While controversial, Nietzsche's metaphor has had a profound impact on human history, ranging from Hitler using the concept as an ideological foundation for national socialism, to the basis of the comic-book character: Superman (another translation of UBERmensch).  To take it even further, the other half of this word/phrase - mensch - is not only the German word for man or human, but in the Jewish tradition, to be a mensch also means to be righteous, respectful, compassionate or as Spike Lee would say ... to "always do the right thing".
So in a way, to truly be a mensch, you first have to aspire to be UBER. I won't lie though ... when I first looked into it, good intentions had nothing to do with my signing up for the job.  For me, it was a fun, easy way to make money as I transition from my old career into whatever the hell I end up doing next.  It never occurred to me that by enlisting in the ranks of this new and exciting industry that I'd be doing anything more than helping people avoid the nightmare of urban parking.  But then I started to meet my passengers and I began to discover that beyond giving these people rides around town, I was also filling a role that is quickly introducing a new sort of human interactive dynamic.

We so rarely get to dive into a stranger's life, even for the briefest of moments, and more and more I feel like our society is becoming less inclined to do so.  However through the wonder of technology, the security of a sound background check, and within the intimacy of a clean, and privately-owned vehicle, we're finding new ways to break through that barrier and really start to get to know one another again.  I can only speak for myself, but I can't remember the last time I felt so connected to humanity, and whatever good I'm doing for my passengers, they certainly are returning the favor a hundred times over.

In a way, I guess that's why I've started to write about the experience.  These annals will be a tribute to the people I've met and continue to meet, and I hope that my writing will serve as a resounding "thank you" for sharing just a piece of their lives with me.  Hopefully the resulting stories will make you laugh and maybe, just maybe make you think about how something like this is having such an UBER impact all over the world.  We're all really lucky to be a part of such a very exciting moment in human history, for as we continue to change how we move around, we're also changing the ways in which we identify with one another.  And in a world where true interaction is more likely to occur accross the spindlings of the internet than they are in person, it really is amazing to scream ... or maybe just to blog out loud ... that yes my friends, the times, they are a-changin'.

UBER On!