Thanks for the great birthday present, Neurocam.

I would have posted this sooner, but I've been tied up during every moment of the day doing something to properly enjoy the occasion:

----------------------------------------
From: "Midnight"
To: "Clyde Citrine"
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 7:16 AM
Subject: Is it True?

Dear Clyde Citrine,

I'm contacting you because Maxwell Knight felt he coudn't answer my enquiry about something I saw yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon I happened to notice a Neurocam poster on an electrical box, and I wanted to know how it got there. I wasn't assigned to put it there, and I thought maybe one of the other operatives put it up. Did they?

Maxwell told me you were the "Neurocam representive" for the city, so maybe you can tell me what this is all about. Forgive me for speaking so informally--I'm a bit frazzled by the prospect of someone representing Neurocam being stationed in Los Angeles full time.

Is Maxwell pulling my leg? Are you really in Los Angeles? If so, why are you here?

I would have liked to have made a more formal introduction, but my mind is just bursting with questions at the moment. Although, you probably have already read my file and know all about me (I bet you read my blog, too).

Any kind of information or response you could give me would be most appreciated.

Regards,

-Midnight

----------------------------------------

And guess what I got in response?

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From: "Clyde Citrine"
To: "Midnight"
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2005 2:24 AM
Subject: Re:Is it True?

Dear Operative Midnight,

It's a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance.

Don't worry about introducing yourself properly--it would just be a waste of both my time and yours.

As you've guessed, I've already read your file, and I've become quite familiar with who you are and your history in the time you've been working for Neurocam International. Do I read your blog? Yes. But don't suddenly feel compelled to censor material against your better judgment. I thought it was common knowledge that Operatives' blogs were monitored?

I'm glad Maxwell instructed you to contact me. Although I'm surprised he didn't forward your enquiry directly to me. No matter, though.

It seems that you have found one of our small promotional posters--I was wondering when you would come across one. Believe it or not, the one you found was actually one I set up myself--as opposed one of the other team members.

Here's the truth: Absolutely none of the Los Angeles operatives have been given an assignment or have been ordered to put up such things around the city. You're free to check with Charles on that one. My team and I have been the ones spreading them around.

Is that a sufficient enough answer to your initial question?

Alright, let's move on.

I can confidently inform you that, at this point in time, Maxwell Knight is not pulling your leg. I am most definitely in the City of Los Angeles, and the last time I checked I was not somewhere else.

Why am I here? Well... that's a complicated one. For now, I'll give you the abbreviated version:

Several months ago, Neurocam International deemed it necessary to take more active measures to bolster its operations and presence in other countries. It was determined that merely having minor, outpost-like bases in cities scattered throughout the world was not sufficient enough. Thus, a group of delegates was selected to be dispatched overseas who would take command of those sectors and help direct operations accordingly.

I am one of those delegates, and that is why I am now back in Los Angeles.

I hope that is enough information to quench your thirst for the moment.

Please feel free to e-mail me at any time--it should be less complicated without that 19-hour time difference to get in the way.

Regards,

Clyde Citrine
Operations Division
Neurocam International
clyde.citrine@neurocam.com

(P.S. Don't worry about posting any of our correspondence on your blog. I'm sure the readers and operatives are all asking the same questions you did. If I don't want you to post something, you'll know.)

----------------------------------------

Un...freakin...believeable.
I have even more questions now...but I'm majorly burnt out.
Have fun mulling all of that over, people.

Flipped out so hard I fell off my chair

----- Original Message -----
From: "Maxwell Knight"
To: "Midnight"
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 2:14 AM
Subject: Re: Advertising?

Dear Operative Midnight,

Unfortunately I am not currently in a position to adequately answer your enquiry.

It is for this reason that I recommend you contact the Neurocam representative stationed in your immediate geographic locale--Clyde Citrine.

You may reach him at the following e-mail address:

clyde.citrine@neurocam.com

Regards,

Maxwell Knight
Head, Human Resources Security Division
Neurocam International
maxwell.knight@neurocam.com
-----------------------------

What...the...HELL!?

Neurocam representative?

Clyde Citrine?

My immediate geographic locale?!?!!

If that means what I think it means.......oh my god.

There's someone from Neurocam actually stationed in LA?!

I'm going to go compose myself a bit--maybe take a cold shower or two--and then I'll e-mail this guy.

You're not going to believe...

what I saw today.

A little while ago I was out driving to BestBuy to pick up a new cable for my speakers.
I'm cruising down 3rd street and I catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye.
I thought I recognized something on one of those big metal electrical wireboxes that the city places on various intersections to regulate things.
I wasn't too sure, so I decided to hang a right and circle around the block.
I stopped at the corner to turn back onto third, where I had a view of the box. There was this small white poster stuck onto the box.
I made the best illegal u-turn ever and parked my car on the street and ran out to the corner.

This was one of those moments I'm thankful I take my camera with me wherever I go.
(Hah, and people actually laugh at my shutterbug-ness! Who's laughing now?)

Here's what I saw:








It's difficult to describe just how much I started freaking out when I was standing in front of that box, looking at that poster.

For now, let's just say: a lot.

After visibly flipping a shit, most likely convincing many of the passing motorists that I was losing my mind, I ran back to my car, grabbed my camera, and snapped those photos.

I mean.....wow....just. Shit, I still don't know what to think.

I definitely know I didn't put this up, so don't even try accusing me.
And I strongly doubt one of the other LA operatives put it up.

What the hell is going on? Something is up.

I'm sending an e-mail to our pal Maxwell Knight.

Maybe he can give me some answers...

Boom Boom Dolla

My blog is worth $564.54.
How much is your blog worth?

I got this from The Cat.
I didn't think this worthless thought-outlet actually had...well...worth.
It would be interesting to see what kind of algorithm they used to calculate the value.

Now, do any generous investors out there want to buy some stock in my blog or perhaps purchase the entire entity?
Maybe I'll franchise it...

I'm open to any generous cash-offers you have.

Neuroveggies

FOOLS!

Neurocam is a potato.

I thought we had established this long ago in NeuroIRC.

Cabbage?

What the hell is this rubbish...

(Oh, by the way: I'm back.)

In an upwards direction

Just though I'd let you all know I'm going to be in absentia for the next few days.

I'm sorry if I'm depriving you of that meaningful part of the day where you get to say "Oooh, happy joy joy! It's time to check Midnight's blog!"
(I'll be damned if anyone actually does that, fyi.)

I'm cruising up the coast to visit some hombres in some part of northern californialand.
(Does it have anything to do with my new assignment? No comment...)

Maybe I'll stop by Eureka for a while and link up with Chris Titan so we can have a couple of sodas and discuss the practickal aplickations of magick....

Herbert "No Dice" Murphy

Even though I've got a new assignment on my hands, I still had some spare time and thought I would try talking with some different NCI people.

I remember a long time ago, when the infamous Neville E-mail came out and there were all sorts of names listed in it.
One of the people on that list has still been around, hanging out in the comforting shadows of NCI: Herbert Dyce Murphy.

I remember at one point he was an Enquiries Officer (temporarily) after NCI was getting back on its feet from the Security Breaches incident, but I get the feeling he was around way longer even before he was doing that. A friend of mine told me he later moved on to "Inductions Officer," because he was the one who processed said friend's application.

So, in an effort to keep in touch with who's doing what, and where, I sent him a friendly e-mail.
I received this in response:

---------Original Message--------
From: herbert.dyce.murphy@neurocam.com
To: midnight4@gmail.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 8, 2005 5:04 AM
Subject: Re: Anyone there?

Dear Operative Midnight,

In answer to your initial question: yes, I do in fact "exist," and I am not simply some passing name in Neurocam folklore.

You can be certain that I do have a real job and I actually carry out a significant role in the day-to-day runnings of this organization. If, for some reason, you have convinced yourself otherwise, I must inform you that you are utterly misled.

Unfortunately my demanding schedule leaves me only a modicum of spare time, which I am not inclined in the least to use up on small-talk. If you stop and think for a moment, you may find that there are in fact several other parties that you may engage in dialogue other than myself. Try starting with your fellow operatives.

Regards,

Herbert Dyce Murphy
Head of Admissions
Neurocam International
herbert.dyce.murphy@neurocam.com

Modicum?

Umm.... Zelle much? Haha.

For Sale: One (1) Neurocam Intl. Slightly used.

I was poking around on Craigslist LA because I was bored and I thought I could find some junk I could buy from people, and then maybe sell on E-bay to turn a profit.

Yeah, well, I didn't find too much cool junk, but I typed in "neurocam" for a lark, and guess what came up?

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/act/108268377.html

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/com/108267947.html

I know for a fact that I didn't put these up there, and I'm pretty that one of the other LA operatives wouldn't have had the guts to put them up either.

Thus I am left to conclude that Neurocam is doing some more clever advertising.

Interesting...

Neurocam is not HotTopic

[Actual IM conversation I had a while ago]

(Friend): you okay?
Midnight: yeah, wh...
Midnight: sorry
Midnight: was just writing an e-mail
(Friend): lol, no, not that
(Friend): nevermind, i'm out of my mind
Midnight: .....
Midnight: curious...
Midnight: how did you get out?
(Friend): wha?
Midnight: "get out of your mind.....and slip into something more comfortable"
(Friend): ....
Midnight: hehe
(Friend): bah
(Friend): you loser
Midnight: best motto ever
(Friend): ...?
(Friend): sounds like a HotTopic bumpersticker or t-shirt to me
Midnight: ...
Midnight: ....how insulting
(Friend): hahaha

(I apologize to those of you who are unfamiliar with the pathetic company that tailors its line of merchandise to the interests of America's various angsty teenage subcultures)

Hey kids, guess where I went?

Don't ask me why I was there, though.

If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

Apologies in advance to Avery and Constance: Sorry for not hitting you guys up when I was out there so we could hook up and chill for a while. Didn't have any computer access...

Anyway, enjoy the cliché touristy photos of the sights:

(Times Square is freakin' crazy, even at 11:30pm. I saw so much funny stuff)

[/end cliché NY tourist photos]