FLIPPERSMACK 002

culturemag for a penguin generation
http://www.flippersmack.com


Last night, the Penguins attacked on Futurama. Interesting episode, but
definately less mauling than I expected. A group of us snacked on sushi
and threw stuffed penguins around the room during the episode. There
needs to be more penguins on TV.

-pinguino



tABLE oF cONTENTS

Fighting The Homeless...........................Monk
Intro to Urban Infiltration.................Pinguino
Party Decor Ideas...........................Pinguino

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Fighting the Homeless
by Monk [monkstah@hotmail.com]

     Have you ever walked down the street on your way to pick up cigarettes 
because you've got two left, having given them all out throughout the course 
of the morning, day, or night? Have you just lit up that one cigarette, 
saving the one left so you can barely make it to the gas station smoking the 
whole way? Have you ever had just enough change to buy a pack of cigarettes? 
and what always happens everytime you start that trek in the city? I'll tell 
you what happens, a guy usually in clothing stained with holes, cuts, rips, 
and tears walks up out of nowhere. You try to keep walking but you cannot 
stop his voice before you clear the distance. All of a sudden you hear......

"Can I get some money so I can eat?????"
"Can I bum a cigarette???"
"Can I get a quarter man... please, my kids need to eat..."

You know what I say, I say fight back. Don't just walk away, don't feel bad 
for turning them down, don't succumb to their lies... fight back. Here's how 
to do it.

If you see a homeless person on the street, and you know they are walking up 
to you, you can beat them to the punch. Prepare yourself. Before they get a 
chance to speak, ask them the questions they always ask you. Play it off 
like you are homeless. It works. Besides confusing them for a good while, 
you sometimes do get change or cigarettes. Hit them first before they hit 
you.

Another thing is, if they say that children line to you, and it's 2am in the 
morning, ask them why they are out on the subway, street, bus at that time 
when their kids need them at home. It's stopped many a homeless person in 
their tracks believe me.

Anyways, these are some decent ways to combat the homeless saga. Remember, 
strike first, and laugh later.

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Intro to Urban Infiltration
by pinguino [pinguino@kythri.net]

Urban Infiltration is the art of being somewhere you're not supposed to
be. As kids we do this naturally, exploring the neighborhood around us.
As we grew older, most of us became responsible and orderly. In others,
the impulse to explore does not die, but instead spurs nocturnal
inquisitiveness. These are the people who explore tunnels under the city,
roofs along the skyline, and abandoned buildings. It's really quite
impressive; infiltration gives one an entirely new outlook of the city
and the beauty hidden within. There are many photographs scattered
throughout the web; each has a structural intensity and allure unique to
the concept of underground.

Safety always comes first, especially if you're exploring an area still
in use. Steam pipes can burn you and the third rail can shock you.. but
only if you're totally oblivious to your surroundings. Another important
rule is that an urban explorer needs to respect the area he's in, because
regardless of how abandoned it appears, someone owns it.

Ready to go explore? Here are some starting points:

http://www.infiltration.org
http://pages.whowhere.com/lifestyle/impish/vadding.html
http://www.zone-tour.com/front-page.htm

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Party Decor Ideas
by Pinguino [pinguino@kythri.net]

Guests at a party expect a certain atmosphere, and appreciate efforts in
creating that atmosphere. Especially if they're paying $20 a head to get
in. Choosing a theme for your party is often a good idea. Here's a list
of random party-decoration ideas:

- http://www.oriental.com has random cheap toys to give out.

- Plant life adds color to any rented facility. Try a tropical look.

- Endearment had a foam machine. It makes snow-looking stuff that melts
  quickly. The foam is actually a soap-like substance.

- Everyone loves bubbles. Shower visitors with delicate bubbles as they enter.

- Create cutouts of popular characters and have them blown up at Kinkos.
  Glue them to cardboard and set them up along the perimeter of the dance
  area. Or better yet, use them with your signs so that guests trying to
  find your party in the middle of the woods don't get lost.

- String a giant oriental dragon across the ceiling. [or other streched
  animal]

- Create goodie bags with candy and flyers. We usually just do collages
  on paper lunchbags.

- Saw an interesting effect where a giant white cube was strung up in the
  middle of the dance area, and different projections were shown on it.

- Ripped apart old TVs are also a great effect. Try a post-apoctolyptic party.

- Did you know that you can buy live butterflies for events? I'm not sure
  how ethical it is..  
  http://www.labutterfly.com/
  http://www.monarchsalive.com/

- If you want to buy thematic backgrounds, try these guys:
  http://www.shindigz.com/

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Flippersmack is on the lookout for quality writers! Send articles to
pinguino@kythri.net

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