No matter how long I live in and around New York, no matter how jaded I become thinking I’ve seen everything the city can offer up, I am still occasionally surprised and knocked for a loop by it.
Nov 4, 2006
Nov 3, 2006
Are you perfect?
Recently I was forwarded a film by a friend on Flickr. It was an interesting short film, played backwards it showed the person undergoing a transformation from a sparkly, glittery creature to a groggy, sleepy eyed one.
You can watch the film from my friend Sandra here.
I imagine I responded differently than most because the thing that appealed to me about the film more than anything else, was the creature at the end of the piece. This would probably contradict the idea most women would suppose the response of most men to be.
However, what occurred to me in that moment was the great joy I have derived from having the companionship of a women sharing my life with me. Honestly, I thought about my last companion who I thought was the most beautiful creature and how much I delighted in being ‘behind the curtain’ so to speak.
In other words, there was a great joy in being able to live a life with someone without them having on their mask.
Nobody is perfect, even the most beautiful among us and one of the great comforts of relationships is being able to allow yourself to be who you are without artifice. It made me think of that scene in the Wizard of Oz where the Wizard says, ‘DON’T PAY ANY MIND TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!’ Every one of us has that person behind the curtain, no matter what we may present to the world at large.
A few days later, I got a link to this short which you’ve probably seen it as it got a fairly decent amount of coverage in the news a few days after I received it. Part of a campaign for Dove (soap I believe), it shows just what has to happen for the ideal of beauty to be achieved and how that image is so very askew from the reality.
Watch it here: Campaign For Real Beauty.
There have been moments in the past where the ‘image of beauty’ has been taken out and exposed as the ugly lie it really is but, will it change things? I doubt it and that’s a bit of a shame.
Recently I was forwarded a film by a friend on Flickr. It was an interesting short film, played backwards it showed the person undergoing a transformation from a sparkly, glittery creature to a groggy, sleepy eyed one.
You can watch the film from my friend Sandra here.
I imagine I responded differently than most because the thing that appealed to me about the film more than anything else, was the creature at the end of the piece. This would probably contradict the idea most women would suppose the response of most men to be.
However, what occurred to me in that moment was the great joy I have derived from having the companionship of a women sharing my life with me. Honestly, I thought about my last companion who I thought was the most beautiful creature and how much I delighted in being ‘behind the curtain’ so to speak.
In other words, there was a great joy in being able to live a life with someone without them having on their mask.
Nobody is perfect, even the most beautiful among us and one of the great comforts of relationships is being able to allow yourself to be who you are without artifice. It made me think of that scene in the Wizard of Oz where the Wizard says, ‘DON’T PAY ANY MIND TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!’ Every one of us has that person behind the curtain, no matter what we may present to the world at large.
A few days later, I got a link to this short which you’ve probably seen it as it got a fairly decent amount of coverage in the news a few days after I received it. Part of a campaign for Dove (soap I believe), it shows just what has to happen for the ideal of beauty to be achieved and how that image is so very askew from the reality.
Watch it here: Campaign For Real Beauty.
There have been moments in the past where the ‘image of beauty’ has been taken out and exposed as the ugly lie it really is but, will it change things? I doubt it and that’s a bit of a shame.
Friday cat blogging.
It doesn’t matter if I am surfing the net, writing, working on the computer or watching TV (or any combination of all three). Now that the cold weather has set in, nothing will stand in the way of Anna as she seeks out nice, warm spots to cozy up in and take a nap. Her utter lack of regard in this instance is one of the things I love about the little beastie!
It doesn’t matter if I am surfing the net, writing, working on the computer or watching TV (or any combination of all three). Now that the cold weather has set in, nothing will stand in the way of Anna as she seeks out nice, warm spots to cozy up in and take a nap. Her utter lack of regard in this instance is one of the things I love about the little beastie!
Nov 1, 2006
I AM JUST SO MAD!
They killed off Mr. Eko! I had really grown to like his character.
Speaking of which Mike Wieringo does these great drawings each and every day up on his blog. They’re his warmup sketches (Man! I wish I could draw as good as his warmups are!).
He did Kate, Sawyer, Jack, Locke and of course the late Mr. Eko. Check ’em out!
They killed off Mr. Eko! I had really grown to like his character.
Speaking of which Mike Wieringo does these great drawings each and every day up on his blog. They’re his warmup sketches (Man! I wish I could draw as good as his warmups are!).
He did Kate, Sawyer, Jack, Locke and of course the late Mr. Eko. Check ’em out!
Oct 31, 2006
It’s time to take up smoking.
So, I realize it finally is time to take up smoking again. I gave up cigarettes a long, long time ago but, over the last few years it has occurred to me taken up the filthy habit as it might not be so bad after all.
See, I’ve been working a little bit lately and there is nothing I love more than the smoker’s excuse of popping off to have a cigarette. How it possibly became socially acceptable for someone to get up from their work area and just disappear for 20 to 30 minutes at a time three to five times a day never ceases to amaze me. What I love about it, is the fact if you substituted any other drug for tobacco and in the context of this kind of behavior it would be grounds for getting your ass canned.
Think about it.
‘Hey, I’m going to go downstairs and down a fifth!’ or ‘Excuse me, I’ve just got to take a break so I can go and shoot up.’
Here’s the plain English for the situation (smoker speaking) - I have an addiction and bad impulse control, consequently I want the world to accommodate me while I indulge in my addiction. Also, even though my addiction takes me away from my responsibilities for a prolonged time each and every day, I feel it is my right to still be compensated for that time when I am away from my desk indulging in my addiction. I thoroughly expect those around me to pick up the slack for my absences while I am off indulging in my jones for tobacco.
I was a smoker so, it’s not like I don’t have some sympathy but, there comes a point when the whole ‘smoking break’ just becomes absolutely ridiculous. I mean, I probably wouldn’t have as much of a problem with it if it were also as socially acceptable for me to just get up and walk away for a big block of time several times throughout the course of a day and no one would even raise an eyebrow.
But then, that’s just me. What do you think?
So, I realize it finally is time to take up smoking again. I gave up cigarettes a long, long time ago but, over the last few years it has occurred to me taken up the filthy habit as it might not be so bad after all.
See, I’ve been working a little bit lately and there is nothing I love more than the smoker’s excuse of popping off to have a cigarette. How it possibly became socially acceptable for someone to get up from their work area and just disappear for 20 to 30 minutes at a time three to five times a day never ceases to amaze me. What I love about it, is the fact if you substituted any other drug for tobacco and in the context of this kind of behavior it would be grounds for getting your ass canned.
Think about it.
‘Hey, I’m going to go downstairs and down a fifth!’ or ‘Excuse me, I’ve just got to take a break so I can go and shoot up.’
Here’s the plain English for the situation (smoker speaking) - I have an addiction and bad impulse control, consequently I want the world to accommodate me while I indulge in my addiction. Also, even though my addiction takes me away from my responsibilities for a prolonged time each and every day, I feel it is my right to still be compensated for that time when I am away from my desk indulging in my addiction. I thoroughly expect those around me to pick up the slack for my absences while I am off indulging in my jones for tobacco.
I was a smoker so, it’s not like I don’t have some sympathy but, there comes a point when the whole ‘smoking break’ just becomes absolutely ridiculous. I mean, I probably wouldn’t have as much of a problem with it if it were also as socially acceptable for me to just get up and walk away for a big block of time several times throughout the course of a day and no one would even raise an eyebrow.
But then, that’s just me. What do you think?
Oct 25, 2006
Is this guy selling TVs?!?
Of course not!
He’s one of the most important animated characters to ever come down the road but, I imagine if you’re under the age of say about 25 (maybe even slightly older) you won’t know who this guy is and why he’s important. If you’re in my age bracket, you can probably smile inwardly because you can remember a stretch of time when this guy was inescapable. In some ways, I might even consider him to be the grandfather of Shreck and a whole bunch of other animated characters we are all so familiar with in movies today.
Of course not!
He’s one of the most important animated characters to ever come down the road but, I imagine if you’re under the age of say about 25 (maybe even slightly older) you won’t know who this guy is and why he’s important. If you’re in my age bracket, you can probably smile inwardly because you can remember a stretch of time when this guy was inescapable. In some ways, I might even consider him to be the grandfather of Shreck and a whole bunch of other animated characters we are all so familiar with in movies today.
Oct 24, 2006
Oct 22, 2006
Rediscovering past greatness.
I managed to finally break down and get myself an iPod. The thing tipped the balance was a long continuing project I have been working on of taking all my cds around here and selectively loading favored songs into iTunes. The more I do the more I enjoy it. The other thing is I sure as hell seem to be a lot more productive when music is on in the background than the tv or radio. I got out of the habit of listening to music - not so much when I accidently happen upon it (at work or running errands) but, purposefully just having music on.
I like a lot of music though and there’s a lot of stuff I hadn’t listened to in quite sometime. As I load songs into the iTunes library, it’s akin to rediscovering a part of myself I had put away. Anyhow, this is a snippet of lyrics from something I was listening to this morning as I loaded a bunch of songs from a box set I have into a library. Bonus points if you can name where it’s from (without clicking through that is - but, you can to see if you were right):
Her man’s been gone
For nearly a year
He was due home yesterday
But he ain’t here
I managed to finally break down and get myself an iPod. The thing tipped the balance was a long continuing project I have been working on of taking all my cds around here and selectively loading favored songs into iTunes. The more I do the more I enjoy it. The other thing is I sure as hell seem to be a lot more productive when music is on in the background than the tv or radio. I got out of the habit of listening to music - not so much when I accidently happen upon it (at work or running errands) but, purposefully just having music on.
I like a lot of music though and there’s a lot of stuff I hadn’t listened to in quite sometime. As I load songs into the iTunes library, it’s akin to rediscovering a part of myself I had put away. Anyhow, this is a snippet of lyrics from something I was listening to this morning as I loaded a bunch of songs from a box set I have into a library. Bonus points if you can name where it’s from (without clicking through that is - but, you can to see if you were right):
For nearly a year
He was due home yesterday
But he ain’t here
Oct 19, 2006
Words that hang in the air.
I write quite a bit, some things for the blog, others not. I have quite the slew of unfinished thoughts floating around in my drafts queue. Passages written about something when it was the topic of the moment but seemingly far less important looking back. I have to force myself to get around to these unfinished thoughts one day.
Last night we had another gloriously warm day here. Strangely, today may be the first day this week I don’t find myself in Manhattan and the last few days have been the most I’ve been in the city in months.
After work the other night, a rainy night, I wandered around the city a bit before heading home. I took a bus up Church so I could obtain a replacement item for the one that succumbed to the mighty tires of Houston Street. Fortunately, the store I had to return to was still open after 6pm even though it looked like every other store on Canal Street had already closed for the night.
Canal Street is a bit of an oddity in the city in that it is so overwhelmingly crowded and busy throughout the day. It doesn’t even look like New York at times, taken on the character of what I imagine some other city in Asia or Africa to be like. Streets packed with people, lots of makeshift displays set up along the curb hawking all manner of wares, many small stores with employees standing hawkishly out in front insuring merchandise doesn’t walk off of its own accord. Tons of traffic moving either towards Brooklyn (the Manhattan Bridge) or New Jersey (the Holland Tunnel). The strip that is Broadway always so crowded too. There is a level of activity in and around Canal which is very unique to the street alone.
In the rain the other night Canal Street was quite different. The street itself almost devoid of traffic - rush hour having died away, stores closed, the rain meant had chased away the street vendors who had packed up for the day and the sidewalks were virtually empty. A sudden and abrupt change for the street, so very remarkable.
Well, I got my replacement and then decided how I would like to get take out from a favorite restaurant as a treat so, I made my way eastward through the windswept streets. I took a bunch of pictures, some of a notable alley (seen in a couple of films and videos), a couple over by the tombs (the jail that squats between the government buildings and Chinatown proper) and a few more in Chinatown itself.
The restaurant was empty when I got there - whether it was because of it being a Tuesday night or if I had in fact hit that window between seatings I am not sure. I got on the subway and rode up afterward for the other train ride and the drive, it was nice.
Yesterday, the aforementioned warm spell hit and after Japanese class I wound up taking a nice walk from the environs where the class is given (over by the UN) down to the West Village. Walking through the city is such a great way to spend time, I had forgotten how much I loved the idleness of the long walk. I love the city so much at times - maybe I should be more specific in saying I love Manhattan so much because Manhattan lends itself to walking around it in a way the other boroughs do not.
It’s not a slight against those other four siblings of NYC as much as an observation. I will fully acknowledge each of Manhattans’ immediate family have qualities to be lauded in their own right, qualities which Manhattan doesn’t possess.
Just something about the roll of the landscape still apparent even through all the building. The rise over on 2nd and 44th street, the slowly descending hill down to the entrance to the Midtown tunnel, the ridge that makes up Murray Hill and the flat expanse that runs from Murray Hills’ base down to 14th street. I love to look at buildings or blocks and remember times when they were a daily part of my experience or look upon some often passed edifice and think back to the bit of history surrounding it (something which many people passing by each day fail to grasp).
There’s just so much to see and all of it wonderful.
I write quite a bit, some things for the blog, others not. I have quite the slew of unfinished thoughts floating around in my drafts queue. Passages written about something when it was the topic of the moment but seemingly far less important looking back. I have to force myself to get around to these unfinished thoughts one day.
Last night we had another gloriously warm day here. Strangely, today may be the first day this week I don’t find myself in Manhattan and the last few days have been the most I’ve been in the city in months.
After work the other night, a rainy night, I wandered around the city a bit before heading home. I took a bus up Church so I could obtain a replacement item for the one that succumbed to the mighty tires of Houston Street. Fortunately, the store I had to return to was still open after 6pm even though it looked like every other store on Canal Street had already closed for the night.
Canal Street is a bit of an oddity in the city in that it is so overwhelmingly crowded and busy throughout the day. It doesn’t even look like New York at times, taken on the character of what I imagine some other city in Asia or Africa to be like. Streets packed with people, lots of makeshift displays set up along the curb hawking all manner of wares, many small stores with employees standing hawkishly out in front insuring merchandise doesn’t walk off of its own accord. Tons of traffic moving either towards Brooklyn (the Manhattan Bridge) or New Jersey (the Holland Tunnel). The strip that is Broadway always so crowded too. There is a level of activity in and around Canal which is very unique to the street alone.
In the rain the other night Canal Street was quite different. The street itself almost devoid of traffic - rush hour having died away, stores closed, the rain meant had chased away the street vendors who had packed up for the day and the sidewalks were virtually empty. A sudden and abrupt change for the street, so very remarkable.
Well, I got my replacement and then decided how I would like to get take out from a favorite restaurant as a treat so, I made my way eastward through the windswept streets. I took a bunch of pictures, some of a notable alley (seen in a couple of films and videos), a couple over by the tombs (the jail that squats between the government buildings and Chinatown proper) and a few more in Chinatown itself.
The restaurant was empty when I got there - whether it was because of it being a Tuesday night or if I had in fact hit that window between seatings I am not sure. I got on the subway and rode up afterward for the other train ride and the drive, it was nice.
Yesterday, the aforementioned warm spell hit and after Japanese class I wound up taking a nice walk from the environs where the class is given (over by the UN) down to the West Village. Walking through the city is such a great way to spend time, I had forgotten how much I loved the idleness of the long walk. I love the city so much at times - maybe I should be more specific in saying I love Manhattan so much because Manhattan lends itself to walking around it in a way the other boroughs do not.
It’s not a slight against those other four siblings of NYC as much as an observation. I will fully acknowledge each of Manhattans’ immediate family have qualities to be lauded in their own right, qualities which Manhattan doesn’t possess.
Just something about the roll of the landscape still apparent even through all the building. The rise over on 2nd and 44th street, the slowly descending hill down to the entrance to the Midtown tunnel, the ridge that makes up Murray Hill and the flat expanse that runs from Murray Hills’ base down to 14th street. I love to look at buildings or blocks and remember times when they were a daily part of my experience or look upon some often passed edifice and think back to the bit of history surrounding it (something which many people passing by each day fail to grasp).
There’s just so much to see and all of it wonderful.
Oct 17, 2006
Feet of clay.
Erik Larsen’s column One Fan’s Opinion this week is nothing short of incredible.
You know, throughout the column he says how wonderful John Byrne’s artwork is and how much he would like to see Byrne at the top of his game once again.
I find myself in the category of those people who have really loved Byrne’s work through the years.
Still, it’s hard to disconnect the guy from the persona he projects online. While I haven’t had any run-ins with the guy, I personally know two professionals (one who really loved Byrne’s work) who were put off after having a bit of an incident with him.
For me, there’s this guy who draws these wonderful pictures, who is worlds apart from this ranting, vindicative and ill-mannered man who shows no impulse control. It’s too bad really because the whole thrust of the column makes you think Byrne has a lot more people rooting for him to succeed in life, if only he wouldn’t make it so very difficult a thing to do.
Erik Larsen’s column One Fan’s Opinion this week is nothing short of incredible.
I didn’t go over. I didn’t introduce myself. And I’m a little sorry and a little not. In the end, I decided it would be better to think of him as that guy that wrote that humble letter in the X-Men all those years ago. I didn’t want to spoil it. I didn’t want to find out that he was any different than that. A friend came up to me and said that he just met Byrne and that he was a dick to him. I don’t know if John was a dick to him or not. He may have heard what he wanted to hear. I know plenty of people have come away from having had contact with me for a fraction of a minute and formed opinions based on a half dozen words spoken in between signatures that weren’t entirely flattering and I was willing to give John the benefit of the doubt.
You know, throughout the column he says how wonderful John Byrne’s artwork is and how much he would like to see Byrne at the top of his game once again.
I find myself in the category of those people who have really loved Byrne’s work through the years.
Still, it’s hard to disconnect the guy from the persona he projects online. While I haven’t had any run-ins with the guy, I personally know two professionals (one who really loved Byrne’s work) who were put off after having a bit of an incident with him.
For me, there’s this guy who draws these wonderful pictures, who is worlds apart from this ranting, vindicative and ill-mannered man who shows no impulse control. It’s too bad really because the whole thrust of the column makes you think Byrne has a lot more people rooting for him to succeed in life, if only he wouldn’t make it so very difficult a thing to do.
Oct 16, 2006
The long march.
October is here which means we’re winding down in terms of warm weather. Thus begins one of my least favorite parts of the year - the horrible period after the baseball season ends and the days get shorter and colder. Can’t say I ever had much use for the cold after the age of about fifteen (a little bit of a story in that) and it has only gotten something I’ve felt more acutely as I have aged.
Tonight, was an evening where the warm weather was trying desperately to maintain its grasp on us and I welcomed its tenacity.
As part of my celebration, I walked. Oh, how I walked. Today I worked and walked all of about four miles from below Wall Street up to Grand Central. If I am fortunate, I will not notice this when I try to get up tomorrow. I notice lately that while I don’t notice these things the day of, the day after is when I must pay freight.
I enjoyed my meandering stroll - quite a bit so whatever the price is it was more than worth it. I get the sense now I must force myself to do these things, take these long walks, if only to maintain the ability to walk like that. It was just over four miles. On the way I got to see how the city is changing.
I can’t walk in front of City Hall anymore - I can walk in the beautiful park but, I can’t walk in front of the building and look at the grandly ornate and majestic facade as I once was able to. We live in different times and there are all manner of security measures in place. Walking further up Broadway, I couldn’t help but take notice of all the cameras in and around Federal Plaza - the thick stanchions in place to prevent a truck from getting too close to the building and repeating Oklahoma City.
My thought about that as I walked past was that those measures are great for the building but, what about the people across the street who are afforded no such protection.
I don’t know, these things make sense in one way but, in another they speak about giving up some things which are very good about us. Things which make us lesser as a people.
Tower Records is going out of business too. They had a big sign in front of the store advertising a big sale, all sales final and all that. On the heels of the closing of CBGB this past weekend, it probably says something about New York.
Along the way I did a quick bit of shopping along Canal Street, picking up something for someone from very far away. A bit of a surprise, which was placed in a flimsy bag which broke as I tried to beat the light at Houston Street. I watched as the speeding cars danced around it until it finally succumbed to some unknown driver’s tires.
Ouch.
So, I guess it makes the walk sound a bit sad but, it wasn’t. It was glorious and beautiful and wonderful and all those things a walk through the city should be.
How could that be?
Well, while things may be closing and I may have watched something get crunched but there’s nothing bad about change. It’s not my enemy. I welcome it, just like I welcome the promise of each new day. Tomorrow is full of promise and if a infrequent crunch finds its way into my life I’ll try not to let it bother me more than it should and certainly not so much that it will ruin my walk and the many more walks I want to take in each of those new tomorrows because change is all around us and there is plenty to see.
Just a thought.
October is here which means we’re winding down in terms of warm weather. Thus begins one of my least favorite parts of the year - the horrible period after the baseball season ends and the days get shorter and colder. Can’t say I ever had much use for the cold after the age of about fifteen (a little bit of a story in that) and it has only gotten something I’ve felt more acutely as I have aged.
Tonight, was an evening where the warm weather was trying desperately to maintain its grasp on us and I welcomed its tenacity.
As part of my celebration, I walked. Oh, how I walked. Today I worked and walked all of about four miles from below Wall Street up to Grand Central. If I am fortunate, I will not notice this when I try to get up tomorrow. I notice lately that while I don’t notice these things the day of, the day after is when I must pay freight.
I enjoyed my meandering stroll - quite a bit so whatever the price is it was more than worth it. I get the sense now I must force myself to do these things, take these long walks, if only to maintain the ability to walk like that. It was just over four miles. On the way I got to see how the city is changing.
I can’t walk in front of City Hall anymore - I can walk in the beautiful park but, I can’t walk in front of the building and look at the grandly ornate and majestic facade as I once was able to. We live in different times and there are all manner of security measures in place. Walking further up Broadway, I couldn’t help but take notice of all the cameras in and around Federal Plaza - the thick stanchions in place to prevent a truck from getting too close to the building and repeating Oklahoma City.
My thought about that as I walked past was that those measures are great for the building but, what about the people across the street who are afforded no such protection.
I don’t know, these things make sense in one way but, in another they speak about giving up some things which are very good about us. Things which make us lesser as a people.
Tower Records is going out of business too. They had a big sign in front of the store advertising a big sale, all sales final and all that. On the heels of the closing of CBGB this past weekend, it probably says something about New York.
Along the way I did a quick bit of shopping along Canal Street, picking up something for someone from very far away. A bit of a surprise, which was placed in a flimsy bag which broke as I tried to beat the light at Houston Street. I watched as the speeding cars danced around it until it finally succumbed to some unknown driver’s tires.
Ouch.
So, I guess it makes the walk sound a bit sad but, it wasn’t. It was glorious and beautiful and wonderful and all those things a walk through the city should be.
How could that be?
Well, while things may be closing and I may have watched something get crunched but there’s nothing bad about change. It’s not my enemy. I welcome it, just like I welcome the promise of each new day. Tomorrow is full of promise and if a infrequent crunch finds its way into my life I’ll try not to let it bother me more than it should and certainly not so much that it will ruin my walk and the many more walks I want to take in each of those new tomorrows because change is all around us and there is plenty to see.
Just a thought.
Oct 14, 2006
Oct 11, 2006
Oct 8, 2006
The event in Asia that affected American policy in the Middle East.
The news just hit the wire a short time ago about the successful nuclear test by North Korea:
This is not a small event and the ramifications across the world will be significant. The best hope under the circumstances is that China would force a regime change in the North but at the moment that looks unlikely. Thing is, without strong action on the part of the Chinese now, it could make life more dangerous in the long run.
Thing is there’s a lot going on in that part of the world currently:
and...
meanwhile, things on the peninsula haven’t been quiet lately...
What the consequences of this test will be, only the future can tell but there are several nations who could find themselves quickly members of the nuclear club as a result - Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. Also what implications this will have on the situation regarding Iran and the enrichment of Uranium after the failed six party talks
This is going to be a big deal in the coming weeks. Hold your breath.
The news just hit the wire a short time ago about the successful nuclear test by North Korea:
“The nuclear test was conducted by 100 percent of our wisdom and technology,” the agency said.
“Our science and research centre safely and successfully conducted an underground nuclear test on October 9, 2006.”
This is not a small event and the ramifications across the world will be significant. The best hope under the circumstances is that China would force a regime change in the North but at the moment that looks unlikely. Thing is, without strong action on the part of the Chinese now, it could make life more dangerous in the long run.
Chinese foreign ministry officials and the government’s North Korea watchers have discussed policy options in the wake of North Korea’s televised vow to conduct a nuclear test. The Chinese ambassador to the United Nations issued a pointed appeal for Pyongyang to desist.
“No one is going to protect” North Korea if it goes ahead with “bad behavior,” Wang Guangya said amid the heated diplomacy this past week over a statement criticizing Pyongyang. “I think if North Koreans do have the nuclear test, I think that they have to realize that they will face serious consequences.”
Thing is there’s a lot going on in that part of the world currently:
President Hu Jintao will be watched closely by China’s political elite for signs that he plans to further consolidate his power at an annual policy-making meeting following the ouster of a prominent Communist Party leader for corruption, analysts said.
Although the party has said its four-day Central Committee meeting starting Sunday will officially focus on helping the poor, it is often a time for high-level personnel changes.
and...
“That China and Japan came to an agreement at a summit never to accept a North Korean nuclear test is in itself a strong message to North Korea,” Abe told reporters.
“I think North Korea is closely watching this summit. It was meaningful that we were able to send the message that we won’t accept a nuclear test.”
The North Korean issue has cast a shadow over Abe’s visit to China, his first foreign trip since becoming prime minister two weeks ago. He is due to travel to Seoul on Monday for talks with South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun.
meanwhile, things on the peninsula haven’t been quiet lately...
South Korean troops have fired warning shots at soldiers from the North amid rising tension over North Korean plans to test a nuclear weapon. Early reports suggest that about 40 shots were fired when soldiers crossed into the demilitarized zone.
What the consequences of this test will be, only the future can tell but there are several nations who could find themselves quickly members of the nuclear club as a result - Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. Also what implications this will have on the situation regarding Iran and the enrichment of Uranium after the failed six party talks
.Any test would cause extreme concern in the region and might in due course propel both South Korea and Japan to go down the nuclear weapons route themselves.
This is going to be a big deal in the coming weeks. Hold your breath.
North Korea’s announcement that it has tested a nuclear bomb is set to push Japan to expand its own military and stir debate on what was once the ultimate taboo of developing atomic weapons itself.
The test comes as Japan gradually expands its defense posture, 60 years after it was defeated in World War II and forced by the United States to renounce the right to a military.
Way, way ahead of their time.
I came across this after a brief search. You know something.... I love this!
First off, I think it gives anything out there now a go for it’s money musically and imagery wise it holds up and is way entertaining. Amazing given the fact it’s 20 years old! Bonus points if you can name the film this was featured in:
I came across this after a brief search. You know something.... I love this!
First off, I think it gives anything out there now a go for it’s money musically and imagery wise it holds up and is way entertaining. Amazing given the fact it’s 20 years old! Bonus points if you can name the film this was featured in:
What does it say?
Yesterday, there were three games on - St Louis vs San Diego, Yankees vs Detroit and then the Mets vs LA. All the games were exciting and truth be told I love having a ballgame on in the background - nothing beats a nice day and a game on to listen to. Three games in a row - it’s like heaven! Not only that - even though I hate the FOX broadcast (crappy booth) whenever I hear ESPN’s opening theme for baseball I just get that warm glow and ESPN was the one to lead off the day.
Big gaff moment of the day - the announcers on FOX having to apologize to a man they made fun of during the Mets Thursday broadcast. Yes, the director managed to scope in on a particular fan during the game who was wearing what looked like the equivalent of those night vision googles the troops wear during nighttime exercises. What followed was a bunch of jokes at the guys expense by the broadcasters on FOX. Turns out the guy has season tickets, is a longtime Mets fan and has only about 15% of his vision which is why he was wearing the gear so he could enjoy the game!
Yesterday, there were three games on - St Louis vs San Diego, Yankees vs Detroit and then the Mets vs LA. All the games were exciting and truth be told I love having a ballgame on in the background - nothing beats a nice day and a game on to listen to. Three games in a row - it’s like heaven! Not only that - even though I hate the FOX broadcast (crappy booth) whenever I hear ESPN’s opening theme for baseball I just get that warm glow and ESPN was the one to lead off the day.
Big gaff moment of the day - the announcers on FOX having to apologize to a man they made fun of during the Mets Thursday broadcast. Yes, the director managed to scope in on a particular fan during the game who was wearing what looked like the equivalent of those night vision googles the troops wear during nighttime exercises. What followed was a bunch of jokes at the guys expense by the broadcasters on FOX. Turns out the guy has season tickets, is a longtime Mets fan and has only about 15% of his vision which is why he was wearing the gear so he could enjoy the game!
Oct 7, 2006
Say it isn’t so, Joe!
Any Mets fan will tell you not to count the hated Yankees out even when their backs are against the wall - particularly when that’s the case. However, the Mets nation stands back and watches Kenny Rogers pitch the game he pitched last night and there is an amount of guilty pleasure derived from witnessing the mighty Yankees being humbled.
The Yankees are a great team, there’s just no mistaking it and every baseball fan has to give them their due and acknowledge the wealth of future hall of famers on the team. As a Mets fan, I respect the Yankees.
Hell, I was a Yankee fan for a long time and there are still a couple of guys on that team from those days (a tip of the hat to Bernie who followed Roberto - don’t call me Bobby - Kelly). Mariano came up when I was still a Yankee fan and Jeter did too that last year. There’s also no question for me that New Yorkers are privileged in watching Jeter play - he really is one of the greats.
But... and this is a big one.
The Yankees lost their compass at some point. See what separated those teams of the late 90’s from today’s group is that the team was greater than the sum of it’s parts. Yeah, they had some great players but, it was the way the players performed as a team that made all the difference in the world. Since the Yankees faced the Mets in 2000, it has seemed as if the team’s direction has been more about going out and getting the biggest free agent on the market during each off season rather than building a team.
Let’s throw some names out and see if Yankee fans aren’t nodding in agreement: Chad Curtis, Scott Brosius, Tino Martinez, Ramiro Medoza, Paul O’Neill, Joe Girardi, Luis Sojo, Jim Leyritz, Tim Raines, Chili Davis, Mike Stanton - all players who were part of those Yankee teams of the late 90’s that was so successful.
Since 2001 the Yankees have signed the following players as free agents: Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, Steve Karsay, Chris Hammond, Felix Heredia, Gary Sheffield, Carl Pavano, Tony Womack, Jared Wright, Kyle Farnsworth and if you talk about the trades like the ones they made for Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez and others sending away El Duque, Alfonso Soriano just to name a few should make any Yankee fan sick.
Today the entire Yankee season rest on the arm of Jared Wright and if I was a Yankee fan I would be worried. To add to the irony of the game, the pitcher the Yankees will be facing plays for Detroit because of the Yankees! Check this out:
Yes, today‘s starting pitcher Jeremy Bonderman was part of the trade the Yankees made to get Jeff Weaver a guy they just had to have! Jeff Weaver turned into Kevin Brown - whereupon Weaver went on to win 27 games over the next two seasons for the Dodgers. Brown, well I think Yankee fans remember Brown more for his back than for his pitching.
Let’s just say this though - if the Yankees lose today it should be one of the most interesting off-seasons for the Yankees in a long time. Hopefully, they’ll stop going out and buying the biggest ticket free-agent and go back to building a team like they did before.
Wait, what am I saying?!?! Let ’em keep doing what they’re doing, why spoil the fun.
Any Mets fan will tell you not to count the hated Yankees out even when their backs are against the wall - particularly when that’s the case. However, the Mets nation stands back and watches Kenny Rogers pitch the game he pitched last night and there is an amount of guilty pleasure derived from witnessing the mighty Yankees being humbled.
The Yankees are a great team, there’s just no mistaking it and every baseball fan has to give them their due and acknowledge the wealth of future hall of famers on the team. As a Mets fan, I respect the Yankees.
Hell, I was a Yankee fan for a long time and there are still a couple of guys on that team from those days (a tip of the hat to Bernie who followed Roberto - don’t call me Bobby - Kelly). Mariano came up when I was still a Yankee fan and Jeter did too that last year. There’s also no question for me that New Yorkers are privileged in watching Jeter play - he really is one of the greats.
But... and this is a big one.
The Yankees lost their compass at some point. See what separated those teams of the late 90’s from today’s group is that the team was greater than the sum of it’s parts. Yeah, they had some great players but, it was the way the players performed as a team that made all the difference in the world. Since the Yankees faced the Mets in 2000, it has seemed as if the team’s direction has been more about going out and getting the biggest free agent on the market during each off season rather than building a team.
Let’s throw some names out and see if Yankee fans aren’t nodding in agreement: Chad Curtis, Scott Brosius, Tino Martinez, Ramiro Medoza, Paul O’Neill, Joe Girardi, Luis Sojo, Jim Leyritz, Tim Raines, Chili Davis, Mike Stanton - all players who were part of those Yankee teams of the late 90’s that was so successful.
Since 2001 the Yankees have signed the following players as free agents: Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, Steve Karsay, Chris Hammond, Felix Heredia, Gary Sheffield, Carl Pavano, Tony Womack, Jared Wright, Kyle Farnsworth and if you talk about the trades like the ones they made for Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez and others sending away El Duque, Alfonso Soriano just to name a few should make any Yankee fan sick.
Today the entire Yankee season rest on the arm of Jared Wright and if I was a Yankee fan I would be worried. To add to the irony of the game, the pitcher the Yankees will be facing plays for Detroit because of the Yankees! Check this out:
July 5, 2002
As part of a 3-team trade, traded Ted Lilly, John-Ford Griffin, and Jason Arnold (minors) to the Oakland Athletics. Received Jeff Weaver from the Detroit Tigers. In addition, the Oakland Athletics sent a player to be named later, Carlos Pena, and Franklyn German to the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Tigers sent cash to the Oakland Athletics. The Oakland Athletics sent Jeremy Bonderman (August 22, 2002) to the Detroit Tigers to complete the trade.
Yes, today‘s starting pitcher Jeremy Bonderman was part of the trade the Yankees made to get Jeff Weaver a guy they just had to have! Jeff Weaver turned into Kevin Brown - whereupon Weaver went on to win 27 games over the next two seasons for the Dodgers. Brown, well I think Yankee fans remember Brown more for his back than for his pitching.
Let’s just say this though - if the Yankees lose today it should be one of the most interesting off-seasons for the Yankees in a long time. Hopefully, they’ll stop going out and buying the biggest ticket free-agent and go back to building a team like they did before.
Wait, what am I saying?!?! Let ’em keep doing what they’re doing, why spoil the fun.
Oct 5, 2006
Cat facts.
Some things I’ve noticed in regard to the cat...
Some things I’ve noticed in regard to the cat...
- My cat is so comfortable with me, I can hold her head while sticking my finger into the corner of her eye to get at the crusted up sleep schmutz that accumulates there. Not only does she let me do this (which sounds somewhat disgusting) but, she will purr through the whole process acknowledging I am doing something for her own good!
- If I could take the cat to work with me, I would. Not only that, I would most likely enjoy my days a lot more and wouldn’t mind being at work those long hours because I had her company.
- While she seems incredible smart, she can still seem incredibly stupid at times or maybe it’s just plain willfulness! (Kitty missed the litter box!?!?)
- Crazy time (cat owners recognize this as those moments when the cat suddenly starts darting around the house for no explainable reason) seems to coincide with the advent of a good dump. Perhaps meaning it is kitty’s way of celebrating her regularity or just feeling a bit of energy because she is lighter.
- Cats will do just about anything for a small dollop of whip cream.
- Once they get used to the infrequent dollop of whip cream they will always greet your arrival at the refrigerator door with an expectant look if they are in the general vicinity.
- As the weather gets colder, laps become more and more attractive to cats.
- Kitty knows when it is bedtime and will announce the fact by coming over and letting you know - waiting for you to get up and go down to bed whereupon she will be sure to join you in a warm communal nap.
Sep 25, 2006
Sep 24, 2006
Color me totally unconcerned.
This little news item caught my eye:
Hey, f*ckhead, LISTEN UP!
If guys are dying and suffering from being suicide bombers there’s an easy way to correct it. STOP BLOWING YOURSELVES THE F*CK UP!
Disrespectful Asma?
Well, considering I see and endless stream of images of my nation’s flag being burned and trounced on, I see effigies of my faith’s temporal leader being burned, I witness my faith’s houses of worship being torched and destroyed throughout the Islamic world and a litany of other instances of insensitivity and disregard for the beliefs and tenets I and others adhere to... well, you’ll just have to pardon me if I don’t share your dismay.
Yes, it’s righteous indignation by the very same people who burned down embassies over a bunch of cartoons.
This little news item caught my eye:
Ohio car dealership blasted for jihad ad, Sun Sep 24, 5:51 AM ET
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A car dealership’s planned radio advertisement that declared “a jihad on the automotive market” has drawn sharp criticism for its content but will not be changed, the business said Saturday.
Several stations rejected the Dennis Mitsubishi spot, which says sales representatives wearing “burqas” — head-to-toe traditional dress for Islamic women — will sell vehicles that can “comfortably seat 12 jihadists in the back.”
“Our prices are lower than the evildoers’ every day. Just ask the pope!” the ad says. “Friday is fatwa Friday, with free rubber swords for the kiddies.” A fatwa is a religious edict...
...The Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations decried the ad as disrespectful.
“Using that as a promotional pitch when so many are dying from the criminal activity of suicide bombers, that’s not funny,” chapter president Asma Mobin-Uddin said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate when it causes real pain. It exploits or promotes misunderstanding in terms already misunderstood or misused.”
Hey, f*ckhead, LISTEN UP!
If guys are dying and suffering from being suicide bombers there’s an easy way to correct it. STOP BLOWING YOURSELVES THE F*CK UP!
Disrespectful Asma?
Well, considering I see and endless stream of images of my nation’s flag being burned and trounced on, I see effigies of my faith’s temporal leader being burned, I witness my faith’s houses of worship being torched and destroyed throughout the Islamic world and a litany of other instances of insensitivity and disregard for the beliefs and tenets I and others adhere to... well, you’ll just have to pardon me if I don’t share your dismay.
Yes, it’s righteous indignation by the very same people who burned down embassies over a bunch of cartoons.
Sep 20, 2006
Before we blame our own government.
There has a lot of Sturm und Drang over our foreign policy of the last several years. The ‘War on Terrorism’ (which should be referred to as WOT?) has us in both Afghanistan and Iraq. There was a lot of opposition to us entering Iraq (not so much as I remember with Afghanistan). Lately, we’ve been hearing drumbeats about Iran - the country the would be the meat in our veritable sh*t sandwich.
I’m of two minds on this.
First off, I recognize that there is a flourishing young population of Iranians who are not entirely connected to their governments’ policies. These are people I wish we could find a way to reach out to, sincerely because I do not bear them malice and I don’t feel in any way that these are people who would be our enemies.
Second, I cannot deny the regime which runs the nation of Iran is not necessarily a stabilizing force in the Southwestern Asia and ultimately we are going to have to deal with the issue of this conservative government whether we like to or not.
In the last several weeks, I was surprised when the topic of Iran came up during the course of casual conversation, the people I was discussing the topic with were convinced the current administration would take some form of overt action to resolve the current issue of nuclear technology and possible weapons development in the Iranian nation. The most common view espoused was the administration would at some point deal with the issue by bombing or taking some other covert action to destroy those facilities within Iran necessary for the nation to realize its goals.
To say there are many our own country who would find this solution totally unacceptable is an understatement. We as a nation are not built for the long haul. We have the attention and commitment of fruit flies at times and the media f our land is proof in this in the way news shows are packaged to bring forth the crisis du-jour in order to generate excitement and ratings. I really wish it were different but, it’s what our nation has become.
We are media babies, weaned on reality tv, daytime fare like Jerry Springer, Oprah or the People’s Court. Sucked into things more for the spectacle than anything else. Our political races have become the modern day equivalent of beauty contests as witnessed by the telegenic factor of our candidates (I really couldn’t imagine a Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon or Dwight D Eisenhower being elected today as they were all so unflatteringly unpleasing in visage).
So, before our backs get up over what we may do, I bring to your attention this latest column by Nat Hentoff. Hentoff could hardly be called a fan of the administration but, take the time out to read about the people which our leaders would have us stand in opposition to and ask yourself if by continuing to turn a blind eye we are not enabling such transgressions?
There has a lot of Sturm und Drang over our foreign policy of the last several years. The ‘War on Terrorism’ (which should be referred to as WOT?) has us in both Afghanistan and Iraq. There was a lot of opposition to us entering Iraq (not so much as I remember with Afghanistan). Lately, we’ve been hearing drumbeats about Iran - the country the would be the meat in our veritable sh*t sandwich.
I’m of two minds on this.
First off, I recognize that there is a flourishing young population of Iranians who are not entirely connected to their governments’ policies. These are people I wish we could find a way to reach out to, sincerely because I do not bear them malice and I don’t feel in any way that these are people who would be our enemies.
Second, I cannot deny the regime which runs the nation of Iran is not necessarily a stabilizing force in the Southwestern Asia and ultimately we are going to have to deal with the issue of this conservative government whether we like to or not.
In the last several weeks, I was surprised when the topic of Iran came up during the course of casual conversation, the people I was discussing the topic with were convinced the current administration would take some form of overt action to resolve the current issue of nuclear technology and possible weapons development in the Iranian nation. The most common view espoused was the administration would at some point deal with the issue by bombing or taking some other covert action to destroy those facilities within Iran necessary for the nation to realize its goals.
To say there are many our own country who would find this solution totally unacceptable is an understatement. We as a nation are not built for the long haul. We have the attention and commitment of fruit flies at times and the media f our land is proof in this in the way news shows are packaged to bring forth the crisis du-jour in order to generate excitement and ratings. I really wish it were different but, it’s what our nation has become.
We are media babies, weaned on reality tv, daytime fare like Jerry Springer, Oprah or the People’s Court. Sucked into things more for the spectacle than anything else. Our political races have become the modern day equivalent of beauty contests as witnessed by the telegenic factor of our candidates (I really couldn’t imagine a Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon or Dwight D Eisenhower being elected today as they were all so unflatteringly unpleasing in visage).
So, before our backs get up over what we may do, I bring to your attention this latest column by Nat Hentoff. Hentoff could hardly be called a fan of the administration but, take the time out to read about the people which our leaders would have us stand in opposition to and ask yourself if by continuing to turn a blind eye we are not enabling such transgressions?
June 29, 2006, a court in the Islamic Republic of Iran sentenced Malak Ghorbany, a 34-year-old mother of two, to a brutal death by stoning after finding her guilty of adultery… Two men who were found guilty of murder in the same court were only given jail sentences of six years… The size of the stones used during the execution are required to be…. not so large that they would kill a woman too quickly, nor so small that they would fail to cause serious injury or pain .
Sep 19, 2006
The Way Forward that’s a tremendous step back.
There was an interesting article in yesterday’s NY Post.
It’s interesting in as much as the Post would easily be considered the most conservative of New York’s newspapers in its editorial outlook. Staunchly conservative, pro-Republican, pro-business - just another part of Rupert Murdock’s enormous media empire that includes other conservative media outlets like Fox.
So then, what are we to make of the following article about changes going on at the nation’s second largest automaker?
I always have adhered to the premise our nation’s political climate is akin to a pendulum swinging between the two poles of the liberal and conservative agenda. When the it appears our nation is moving inexorably towards one extreme, the gravity that is the will of the people exerts itself to pull it back towards its opposite. I think our history bears this theory out as well. Witnessing the last decade and a half as the forces of globalization and a pro management environment I have waited patiently for the people of our nation to sit up and take notice.
The old saw is, “Everybody complains about the weather but, nobody does anything about it.” Everybody complains about their jobs these days, about work and the demands on people’s lives but, nothing in our society is changing. If anything a lot of folks would say it has changed, just for the worse.
My parents and grandparents were of a generation where people looked for a good job and expected to stay in one place for their career or a good portion thereof. Medical benefits were part of the package and the cost of those benefits was shouldered by the employer. Hell, people even had these radical things called pensions! Something that would supplement their income during their ultimate retirement. These days, it’s questionable if there will even be a Social Security system by the time I get to retirement age and even if it is there, it is increasingly doubtful it will be enough to survive on.
So again, what are we to make of it when the city’s most conservative paper runs the following article? Is it the beginning of the pendulum swinging back the other way?
This is an abridged version of the article, if you want to read it in its entirety, click on it but if you find your having problems just look at the comments for this entry.
There was an interesting article in yesterday’s NY Post.
It’s interesting in as much as the Post would easily be considered the most conservative of New York’s newspapers in its editorial outlook. Staunchly conservative, pro-Republican, pro-business - just another part of Rupert Murdock’s enormous media empire that includes other conservative media outlets like Fox.
So then, what are we to make of the following article about changes going on at the nation’s second largest automaker?
I always have adhered to the premise our nation’s political climate is akin to a pendulum swinging between the two poles of the liberal and conservative agenda. When the it appears our nation is moving inexorably towards one extreme, the gravity that is the will of the people exerts itself to pull it back towards its opposite. I think our history bears this theory out as well. Witnessing the last decade and a half as the forces of globalization and a pro management environment I have waited patiently for the people of our nation to sit up and take notice.
The old saw is, “Everybody complains about the weather but, nobody does anything about it.” Everybody complains about their jobs these days, about work and the demands on people’s lives but, nothing in our society is changing. If anything a lot of folks would say it has changed, just for the worse.
My parents and grandparents were of a generation where people looked for a good job and expected to stay in one place for their career or a good portion thereof. Medical benefits were part of the package and the cost of those benefits was shouldered by the employer. Hell, people even had these radical things called pensions! Something that would supplement their income during their ultimate retirement. These days, it’s questionable if there will even be a Social Security system by the time I get to retirement age and even if it is there, it is increasingly doubtful it will be enough to survive on.
So again, what are we to make of it when the city’s most conservative paper runs the following article? Is it the beginning of the pendulum swinging back the other way?
FORD TO WORKER: JOB NONE
-Christopher Byron
...That is the context in which last week’s announcement from Ford should be seen. Ford is in trouble for the same reason General Motors is: Neither company has been able to design and build cars that consumers actually want to buy...
...Yet instead of addressing that core problem, the top managements of both companies have spent years and even decades blaming anyone but themselves - the environmentalists, the Japanese, the Europeans and most of all the unions - for failures that are ultimately management’s alone...
...In January, the company unfurled its so-called “Way Forward” program. Its goal: to trim 30,000 blue-collar workers from Ford’s North American payroll by 2012 through a combination of attrition, firings and a kind of tin parachute buyout program...
...Last week Mulally gave his hearty endorsement to a plan, said to be in the works for months at the company, to outdo even GM and pull forward the cost-cutting goals from 2012 to 2008 instead...
...The tactic to achieve this? A veiled threat from the company to fire every blue-collar worker in the U.S. who didn’t quit first...
...The company said last week that it now plans to cut $5 billion in operating costs from its consolidated worldwide income statement over the next two years by offering go-away buyouts of up to $140,000 per person to all 75,000 unionized workers in the U.S. who are willing to quit the company and leave behind their retiree health plans on their way out the door...
...But they’re missing the big picture, for this is the 21st century, not the 20th, and though Ford’s corporate charter may remain in Delaware, and its headquarters in Dearborn, the heart and soul of this company has now joined those of other companies like it, destined to wander the earth forever, in search of any place to call home where the most workers can be hired for the least.
This is an abridged version of the article, if you want to read it in its entirety, click on it but if you find your having problems just look at the comments for this entry.
Sep 17, 2006
Sep 16, 2006
Get your representative to sign.
If you can.
There is a campaign by the people of the Sunlight Network, in essence it’s an attempt to make the people we elect to represent us in Washington accountable to us the very same way we all are accountable in our daily jobs. This is definitely a good thing, we as citizens need to know the kind of job our elected officials are doing. The taxpayers of our nation, the voters are the ones who have put these people in place to represent their best interest. It’s important for us to be able to keep tabs on a legislators’ movements and meetings if we can properly assess their job performace. It’s exactly what the Punch Clock Agreement was meant to do and it’s exactly why you should download a copy and send it via registered mail to the office of your electde officials to make sure they get, sign it and do it!
If you can.
There is a campaign by the people of the Sunlight Network, in essence it’s an attempt to make the people we elect to represent us in Washington accountable to us the very same way we all are accountable in our daily jobs. This is definitely a good thing, we as citizens need to know the kind of job our elected officials are doing. The taxpayers of our nation, the voters are the ones who have put these people in place to represent their best interest. It’s important for us to be able to keep tabs on a legislators’ movements and meetings if we can properly assess their job performace. It’s exactly what the Punch Clock Agreement was meant to do and it’s exactly why you should download a copy and send it via registered mail to the office of your electde officials to make sure they get, sign it and do it!
Starting with the next Congress, I promise to publish my daily official work schedule on the Internet, within 24 hours of the end of every work day. I will include all matters relating to my role as a Member of Congress. I will include all meetings with constituents, other Members, and lobbyists, listed by name. (In rare cases I will withhold the names of constituents whose privacy must be protected.) I will also include all fundraising events. Events will be listed whether Congress is in session or not, and whether I am in Washington, traveling, or in my district.
Sep 15, 2006
Who knew Pittsburgh was so important.
The last several years Pirates fans have suffered, oh how they have suffered. Even though they got a new stadium and hosted and All-Star game, they suffered now through many, many seasons of lackluster performance by their hometown heroes.
This year is different though - not so much because the Pirates are a great team - today their record is 61 wins and 86 losses and they are way, way back in their division. Still even with that record the Pirates have a lot to say about what happens at the end of the season this year. Not so much for their own fate but, for the fate of others.
Between now and the end of the season, a mere two weeks away, many of the teams who aspire to get to the post season will have the Pirates as an obstacle to get there. Should be a piece of cake, no? Well, at this point in September the Pirates have a record of 8 wins and 6 losses for the month. The Mets, Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Astros and Cincinnati all play the Pirates between now and the end of the season. While it’s a foregone conclusion for the Mets at this point, San Diego and the Dodgers are in a dog fight for the Western Division lead. Both teams have a fallback in the wildcard but, the Pirates playing tough could alter that in a big way. Cincinnati is a long shot in the wild card as well but, if either the Dodgers or the Padres go on a prolong losing streak (or Cincinnati gets hot) they have as much chance over the next two weeks as these other teams do.
So, let‘s hear it for the Pirates - doormat of the central they may have been for the last few years but, this year they can play the role of spoiler quite well!
The last several years Pirates fans have suffered, oh how they have suffered. Even though they got a new stadium and hosted and All-Star game, they suffered now through many, many seasons of lackluster performance by their hometown heroes.
This year is different though - not so much because the Pirates are a great team - today their record is 61 wins and 86 losses and they are way, way back in their division. Still even with that record the Pirates have a lot to say about what happens at the end of the season this year. Not so much for their own fate but, for the fate of others.
Between now and the end of the season, a mere two weeks away, many of the teams who aspire to get to the post season will have the Pirates as an obstacle to get there. Should be a piece of cake, no? Well, at this point in September the Pirates have a record of 8 wins and 6 losses for the month. The Mets, Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Astros and Cincinnati all play the Pirates between now and the end of the season. While it’s a foregone conclusion for the Mets at this point, San Diego and the Dodgers are in a dog fight for the Western Division lead. Both teams have a fallback in the wildcard but, the Pirates playing tough could alter that in a big way. Cincinnati is a long shot in the wild card as well but, if either the Dodgers or the Padres go on a prolong losing streak (or Cincinnati gets hot) they have as much chance over the next two weeks as these other teams do.
So, let‘s hear it for the Pirates - doormat of the central they may have been for the last few years but, this year they can play the role of spoiler quite well!
Sep 12, 2006
I’m leaving on a jet plane.
Or how the flying ban after September 11th turned out as a way to fight the flu.
Seems like researchers have found a new weapon to control the spread of disease but, can you imagine the outcry if they actually attempted to use it?
Or how the flying ban after September 11th turned out as a way to fight the flu.
During the first five flu seasons, flu deaths peaked on or around February 17. But in 2002 the peak was delayed by two weeks, until March 2. In the years that followed, the peak moved back to February, they wrote in the online journal Public Library of Science-Medicine.
And during the 2001-2002 flu season, it took 53 days for flu to spread across the United States, 60 percent longer than the average time of 33 days.
Seems like researchers have found a new weapon to control the spread of disease but, can you imagine the outcry if they actually attempted to use it?
Sep 11, 2006
Sep 10, 2006
Unity Walk - sounds like a nice way to commemorate the anniversary.
Can’t say if there’s an agenda one way or the other but, I thought I would pass this along for those who were interested:
Somehow, I think an event based on the premise of greater understanding and acceptance of each other’s faith, on the anniversary of something rooted in intolerance, is the proper way and intelligent way to combat those forces and insure another a similar tragedy won’t take place.
Can’t say if there’s an agenda one way or the other but, I thought I would pass this along for those who were interested:
Religions for Peace-USA has agreed to join partners in Washington, DC for a Unity Walk to honor the significance of this day in American history. Save the evening of Monday September 11th. The New York Unity Walk begins at 5:00 PM at the Gandhi Memorial in Union Square Park.
RFP-USA will be working with New York City partner agencies to sponsor the walk from Union Square’s Gandhi memorial to the World Trade Center Site to Pier 40 for a Floating Lantern Ceremony. The effort is to promote interfaith appreciation and understanding. Please contact Katherine Clark, office: 212-338-9140
Somehow, I think an event based on the premise of greater understanding and acceptance of each other’s faith, on the anniversary of something rooted in intolerance, is the proper way and intelligent way to combat those forces and insure another a similar tragedy won’t take place.
Sep 9, 2006
...and sometimes live just goes along swimmingly.
I haven’t been writing or taking pictures lately. It’s a mix of the good and the bad. Good because I have just found myself far too busy over the last few weeks. Plenty of writing going on, just not necessarily up on the blog. There also have been a few times when I have labored away at very long winded posts only to have the application lock up because I’ve got ten windows and over 100 tabs open in Safari. As much as OSX vaunted stability is a major selling point of the operating system, you still are exposed to application lockups and failures.
Life has been settling into a bit of a routine and a nice one at that. The mysterious ‘STUFF’ is getting done and that’s a good thing indeed!
I haven’t been writing or taking pictures lately. It’s a mix of the good and the bad. Good because I have just found myself far too busy over the last few weeks. Plenty of writing going on, just not necessarily up on the blog. There also have been a few times when I have labored away at very long winded posts only to have the application lock up because I’ve got ten windows and over 100 tabs open in Safari. As much as OSX vaunted stability is a major selling point of the operating system, you still are exposed to application lockups and failures.
Life has been settling into a bit of a routine and a nice one at that. The mysterious ‘STUFF’ is getting done and that’s a good thing indeed!
Sep 6, 2006
The fastest road to 1000.
I have posted oh so many photos on Flickr over the last few months. Some I am very proud of, some not so much but, they are all my children so I love them equally. However, I can see what people look at and what they don’t. Female photographers get more traffic than male photographers, particularly if they use themselves as a model, even more so if they flash skin. There is an army of men out there (and I unfortunately am among them), wandering the electronic byways. All of them looking for pretty things to look at. So, it comes as now surprise to me, I have set a new record for myself, quickest views to 1000. Just posted last week, another one of the NetMichelle series has taken off as people are compelled to look even when what they are looking at is the merest of flashes of skin.
I have posted oh so many photos on Flickr over the last few months. Some I am very proud of, some not so much but, they are all my children so I love them equally. However, I can see what people look at and what they don’t. Female photographers get more traffic than male photographers, particularly if they use themselves as a model, even more so if they flash skin. There is an army of men out there (and I unfortunately am among them), wandering the electronic byways. All of them looking for pretty things to look at. So, it comes as now surprise to me, I have set a new record for myself, quickest views to 1000. Just posted last week, another one of the NetMichelle series has taken off as people are compelled to look even when what they are looking at is the merest of flashes of skin.
Sep 4, 2006
I had to pass this along.
I was looking for a movie quote for something I was writing and I was checking out Kevin Smith’s movies because I’m pretty sure the quote in question comes from one of his flicks. I ran across this little jewel which had me laugh hysterically:
I was looking for a movie quote for something I was writing and I was checking out Kevin Smith’s movies because I’m pretty sure the quote in question comes from one of his flicks. I ran across this little jewel which had me laugh hysterically:
One time my cousin Walter got this cat stuck in his ass. True story. He bought it at the local mall, so the whole fiasco wound up on the news. It was embarrassing for my relatives and all. But the next week, he did it again. Different cat, same results, complete with a trip to the emergency room. Then, last week, I saw him in the pet store. He was buying another cat. I said, “Walt, what the hell are you doing, you know you’re just gonna get this cat stuck up your ass too, why don't you knock it off?” And he says to me, “Brodie, how the hell else am I supposed to get the gerbil out?” My cousin was a weird guy.
Sep 1, 2006
More proof you’re getting screwed.
No, it’s not your imagination. Contrary to whatever crap you’ve been fed, wages are not keeping up with inflation.
No, it’s not your imagination. Contrary to whatever crap you’ve been fed, wages are not keeping up with inflation.
After factoring for inflation, Americans’ median hourly wages have declined 2 percent since 2003, while productivity, the amount an average worker produces in an hour, continues to rise.
Workers’ pay now makes up the lowest share of GDP since the government began recording the data in 1947. In the meantime, corporate profits are at their highest share since the ’60s.
Wild card predicitions.
I’ve refrained from commenting on baseball, choosing instead to just bask in the glory that is this year’s Mets season. The national league though is interesting if only in that there are quite a few teams jockeying for a wild-card berth as the season winds down in the next five weeks.
This is the breakdown of the standings as they are today for the NL wildcard:
Last month, Florida ran off a streak where they went 9 wins and 1 loss against some decent teams. They just dropped two in St. Louis but are going into Milwaukee for a weekend series. If they manage to sweep or take two of three from the Brewers, watch out. Philadelphia, the team in front of them plays them 9 TIMES between now and the end of the season. They also play Cincinnati 3 more times and the Mets 7 more times. Out of 29 remaining games, they will be playing those teams ahead of them 19 times. Florida manages to run off another 9 and 1 streak between now and the end of the year, they will be the surprise wild card winner.
I’ve refrained from commenting on baseball, choosing instead to just bask in the glory that is this year’s Mets season. The national league though is interesting if only in that there are quite a few teams jockeying for a wild-card berth as the season winds down in the next five weeks.
This is the breakdown of the standings as they are today for the NL wildcard:
| Team | Wins | Losses | Games behind | Games remaining | San Diego | 68 | 65 | — | 29 | Philadelphia | 67 | 66 | 1.0 | 29 | Cincinnati | 67 | 67 | 1.5 | 28 | San Francisco | 66 | 68 | 2.5 | 28 | Houston | 66 | 68 | 2.5 | 28 | Florida | 65 | 68 | 3.0 | 29 | Arizona | 64 | 69 | 4.0 | 29 | Atlanta | 63 | 69 | 4.5 | 30 |
Last month, Florida ran off a streak where they went 9 wins and 1 loss against some decent teams. They just dropped two in St. Louis but are going into Milwaukee for a weekend series. If they manage to sweep or take two of three from the Brewers, watch out. Philadelphia, the team in front of them plays them 9 TIMES between now and the end of the season. They also play Cincinnati 3 more times and the Mets 7 more times. Out of 29 remaining games, they will be playing those teams ahead of them 19 times. Florida manages to run off another 9 and 1 streak between now and the end of the year, they will be the surprise wild card winner.
Make your vote count!
Interesting tidbit via the MonsterBlog where they are having a contest allowing people to vote on the worst summer job from among five candidates. Worth the time to take a look and vote, as exhibited by part of the story below:
Interesting tidbit via the MonsterBlog where they are having a contest allowing people to vote on the worst summer job from among five candidates. Worth the time to take a look and vote, as exhibited by part of the story below:
About halfway through the summer, I got promoted to work the end gate at the Safari. My responsibilities were laid out by my manager. He dropped me off at the end gate of the Safari and asked Jose to show me the ropes — or the bat, that is.
You see, the end gate was a passage to the real world for the monkeys and baboons. The inner fence was controlled electronically as cars drove up to it to exit the final portion of the safari. About 30 yards after that gate was my new post. The gate remained open until the safari closed. Here, Jose showed me how the baboons and monkeys would try to make a break for it by riding atop a car, under a truck or just plain rush my gate. I was trained on how to use the Baboon Beater — a three-foot-long, six-inch-round bat — to dissuade our fuzzy friends from exiting.
As if there weren’t better things to get incensed over...
Whatever floats your boat. If you find yourself up in arm over the recent decision there are only 8 planets in the solar system then, this is for you:
Whatever floats your boat. If you find yourself up in arm over the recent decision there are only 8 planets in the solar system then, this is for you:
“We as planetary scientists and astronomers do not agree with the IAU’s definition of a planet, nor will we use it. A better definition is needed,” says the protest, placed on the Web at (http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/planetprotest).
The petition organiser, Mark Sykes, who is director of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, said the IAU definition of a planet “does not meet fundamental scientific standards and should be set aside.”
Aug 31, 2006
A word to the wise.
I always thought about the problems inherent in selling an old cell phone, this article just proves my concerns were well-founded:
I always thought about the problems inherent in selling an old cell phone, this article just proves my concerns were well-founded:
“People are just not aware how much they’re exposing themselves,” Schmidt said. “This is more than something you pick up and talk on. This is your identity. There are people really looking to exploit this.”
Executives at Trust Digital agreed to review with AP the information extracted from the used phones on the condition AP would not identify the sellers or their employers. They also showed AP receipts from the Internet auctions in which they bought the 10 phones over the summer for prices between $192 and $400 each.
Aug 30, 2006
The new Bush initiative:
At last we finally get a sense of the direction the president wants to take the country in!
At last we finally get a sense of the direction the president wants to take the country in!
“Make no mistake: It will take patience and sacrifice,” Bush said. “But such drastic measures could lead to a better tomorrow for all of us, especially for your commander in chief.”
Bush then closed his speech by exhaling sharply, tightly closing his eyes, and massaging his temples. “I just—Christ, I just need a goddamn minute, you know?” he said.
Another reason not to be crazy about big SUVs:
Is the stupid behavior of the people who drive them.
Is the stupid behavior of the people who drive them.
“I heard his tires,” he said. “Then I heard a couple of thuds. I looked out and saw a couple of people lying in the middle of the street. They were just pedestrians walking.”
As bystanders began gathering around the victims, the SUV came back around, swerving and knocking over newspaper boxes on the sidewalk, Fulford said.
“Everybody started freaking out, getting out of the street,” he said. “That car was like a weapon. He could have come right at us.”
Makes you just shake your head.
Your kid commits suicide.
The kid has been the target of bullies to the point where you are in the process of transferring him to another school and before that happens he takes his own life. To add insult to injury, you are prosecuted (and convicted) because as a single mom raising two kids you don’t keep a clean house. Sounds like a story you’d have to make up, unfortunately no:
Your kid commits suicide.
The kid has been the target of bullies to the point where you are in the process of transferring him to another school and before that happens he takes his own life. To add insult to injury, you are prosecuted (and convicted) because as a single mom raising two kids you don’t keep a clean house. Sounds like a story you’d have to make up, unfortunately no:
Scruggs said she was shocked when authorities charged her. She said her apartment was cluttered, but not filthy.
“I miss him every day,” Scruggs said. “The pain is always there.”
Prosecutors said the boy was miserable because his schoolmates ridiculed his body odor and bad breath, caused by Scruggs’ filthy home and her lack of attention to the boy’s hygiene. His mother said that the bullying drove her son to take his life.
Legal experts said it was thought to be the first time a parent had been convicted over a child’s suicide.
Aug 29, 2006
Aug 28, 2006
Aug 26, 2006
A most wonderful day.
Unplanned to say the least but, a wonderful treat nonetheless. Today as I was flipping channels I came upon this unbidden, something which I had caught snippets of before but which I still find gripping and watchable.
Since the weather for the last few and next few days is overcast and miserable, I wound up leaving the television on and what a treat:
Then, one of my all time favorites:
Followed by something I can easily identify with:
Finally, if you find yourself up later this evening - these two are some of the most watchable films ever made:
...and for the night owl:
Two things occur to me today:
First, Cary Grant was a singular movie presence the likes of which we will never see again. The nearest actor today who could even come close to being in Grant’s league would have to be Sean Connery.
Second, I have to admit to thinking of Madame X and Betty, neither of whom wouldn’t have been happier than to make a day of something like this and throw in a little baking (cookies?) as well.
Unplanned to say the least but, a wonderful treat nonetheless. Today as I was flipping channels I came upon this unbidden, something which I had caught snippets of before but which I still find gripping and watchable.
Since the weather for the last few and next few days is overcast and miserable, I wound up leaving the television on and what a treat:
Grant plays Admiral Matt Sherman, Commander of the submarine U.S.S. Seat Tiger, which is stationed in the Philippines at the beginning of World War II. Joining him is Nick Holden (Tony Curtis), as his conniving junior officer. The story is narrated by Grant, reading selected logs to us from the U.S.S. Sea Tiger captain's journal, a gimmick that was later used in the TV series, Star Trek.
Then, one of my all time favorites:
A surprise Academy Award® winner for Best Original Screenplay copped by Sidney Sheldon (yes, that Sidney Sheldon, the future best selling author at the beginning of his 50 year plus career), The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) delighted audiences who lined up to see it again and again during its enormously successful post Oscar® re-issue.
Followed by something I can easily identify with:
The trials and tribulations of home ownership portrayed in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House resonated with a public living in the post-war housing boom. The premise was reworked later for a radio series in 1949, starring Grant and his future wife Betsy Drake, who also wrote some of the scripts. And over the years, the plot has been reincarnated countless times, most notable in 1986’s Money Pit, starring Tom Hanks.
Finally, if you find yourself up later this evening - these two are some of the most watchable films ever made:
North by Northwest came into existence when Hitchcock and writer Ernest Lehman hit a brick wall while working on the nautical thriller, The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). They messed around for a few weeks while telling the studio the project was going great until one day Lehman thought of creating a pure Hitchcock film.
...and for the night owl:
The film’s ending differs from the ending of the Frances Iles (a pseudonym for author James Hilton) novel on which it was based. In the novel, the character of “Johnnie” kills his wife “Lina” by poisoning her with a glass of milk. In a 1941 New York Herald Tribune interview, director Alfred Hitchcock stated that this ending was unacceptable because the studio feared that an unhappy ending would result in commercial failure and because the Production Code Administration mandated that all screen murderers must be punished.
Two things occur to me today:
First, Cary Grant was a singular movie presence the likes of which we will never see again. The nearest actor today who could even come close to being in Grant’s league would have to be Sean Connery.
Second, I have to admit to thinking of Madame X and Betty, neither of whom wouldn’t have been happier than to make a day of something like this and throw in a little baking (cookies?) as well.
Aug 23, 2006
Create a cover blurb contest!
Okay the cover below was posted on Steve Gerber’s blog and I have to give him kudos and link love for it.
Now I am betting the person who passed it along to him did some nifty Photoshop work and blacked out a caption that was on the cover to the left of Superman (the viewer’s left). Also, I am fairly positive the blurb in question was such that it downplayed whatever inference readers could draw from looking at the cover alone. Still since it was blacked out, let’s have a little fun. Post your suggestions for a cover blurb for this cover in the comments section. Without it, well they say a picture is worth a thousand words. All I know is the thing had me laughing hysterically!
Okay the cover below was posted on Steve Gerber’s blog and I have to give him kudos and link love for it.
Now I am betting the person who passed it along to him did some nifty Photoshop work and blacked out a caption that was on the cover to the left of Superman (the viewer’s left). Also, I am fairly positive the blurb in question was such that it downplayed whatever inference readers could draw from looking at the cover alone. Still since it was blacked out, let’s have a little fun. Post your suggestions for a cover blurb for this cover in the comments section. Without it, well they say a picture is worth a thousand words. All I know is the thing had me laughing hysterically!
Aug 21, 2006
Shhhh... be wery quiet, I’m hunting wabbits!
I love doing the Flickr thing. In large part because it manages to allow me to make connections with people all over the world. It is a bit more successful in that than the blog has been unfortunately. Then again, I haven’t really managed to put together the right package to promote the blog either so, there’s a whole ‘tree falls in the forest’ aspect to the thing.
Nonetheless, the Flickr stream manages to generate tons of hits. The shots I took more by accident of the Law and Order CI shoot bought out the legions of women in love with Vincent D’Onofrio. Little did I know Vinny boy was the hearthrob of so many women. Once again, the rules of attraction escape me.
So, Vinny boy bought all those female viewers to the stream but of course, naked (or nearly naked) women is what bought a helluva lot more male eyes to the stream. Guys just never tire I guess of looking at the ladies, especially if they’re done up like this:
I love doing the Flickr thing. In large part because it manages to allow me to make connections with people all over the world. It is a bit more successful in that than the blog has been unfortunately. Then again, I haven’t really managed to put together the right package to promote the blog either so, there’s a whole ‘tree falls in the forest’ aspect to the thing.
Nonetheless, the Flickr stream manages to generate tons of hits. The shots I took more by accident of the Law and Order CI shoot bought out the legions of women in love with Vincent D’Onofrio. Little did I know Vinny boy was the hearthrob of so many women. Once again, the rules of attraction escape me.
So, Vinny boy bought all those female viewers to the stream but of course, naked (or nearly naked) women is what bought a helluva lot more male eyes to the stream. Guys just never tire I guess of looking at the ladies, especially if they’re done up like this:
Aug 20, 2006
Advanced cheating man search.
One of the thing that raises my hackles often is the way men are portrayed. I should qualify that perhaps, it’s not the way men are portrayed all the time but, the way they are portrayed by angry women. I often read stories about what equates to as very impolite and rude behavior being attributed to a person’s gender. The behavior in question directed at women and then used by women as an example of how all members of my gender embrace said behavior.
I really hate that.
Anyway, I was reading this RKB’s blog and she had written a column about this website which I thought to pass along.
I am sure a website like this will find a large audience - goodness knows they are probably the same people who are compelled to watch the Jerry Springer show day in and day out.
Look for yourself, Don’t date him girl dotcom. The site comes complete with a podcast (which I cannot bring myself to listen to) and even a useful tool in the form of the Advanced cheating men search.
One of the thing that raises my hackles often is the way men are portrayed. I should qualify that perhaps, it’s not the way men are portrayed all the time but, the way they are portrayed by angry women. I often read stories about what equates to as very impolite and rude behavior being attributed to a person’s gender. The behavior in question directed at women and then used by women as an example of how all members of my gender embrace said behavior.
I really hate that.
Anyway, I was reading this RKB’s blog and she had written a column about this website which I thought to pass along.
The entire tone of the site assumes some sort of moral superiority on the part of women, one that seems to play into the idea of women as watchdogs and men as horndogs, and it's these sorts of assumptions (that all men are likely to cheat) that further the age-old “battle of the sexes” mentality. Because while their blog claims to be “revolutionizing the way women date,” all it’s really doing is providing an outlet for scorned, angry women. I’m not going to go so far as to suggest one can spot a cheater a mile away (I certainly know better), but if the first thing you do after you return from your date is scour their database, you’re in trouble.
I am sure a website like this will find a large audience - goodness knows they are probably the same people who are compelled to watch the Jerry Springer show day in and day out.
Look for yourself, Don’t date him girl dotcom. The site comes complete with a podcast (which I cannot bring myself to listen to) and even a useful tool in the form of the Advanced cheating men search.
It’s never been a question of remembering...
...more a question of trying to forget.
Last week, The History Channel was given over to programming focusing on the events in and around September 11th, 2001. It’s was their 9/11 week as they billed it and each night’s primetime schedule was led with shows bearing titles such as Countdown to Ground Zero - The Miracle of Stairway B - The Man Who Predicted 9/11 - The World Trade Center: Rise and Fall - Grounded on 9/11.
Also this week, New York Magazine’s cover contained the blurb:
What If 9/11 Never Happened?
In the issue a series of articles speculated on how life would be if the events New Yorkers experienced on that tragic day hadn’t taken place.
There is a very good article by John Homans titled The Long Funeral which opens with the lines: “Anyone who lived or worked in downtown Manhattan on 9/11 has no need to see the new Oliver Stone movie, powerful as it’s said to be. An anniversary isn’t necessary to remember that day. It comes back easily, in infinite detail. We remember, moment by moment, where we were, where our friends were, what we saw and heard and said as we came to awareness about what was happening...
It‘s worth reading and I suggest you check it out.
The thing I agreed with wholeheartedly is, yes, I do not need to see the Oliver Stone movie. I do not need to see the TV shows on the History Channel. I do not have to read or watch anything else about that day. I remember it very clearly and very vividly. I don’t think I will ever be able to forget it. I won’t validate the point by sharing my own experiences of that day or the weeks afterward. If anything, it would just be counter purposes to what I am trying to say here.
Each year now, coming up on five years, we have stopped and focused on what happened that day. I am all for being respectful of the memory of what happened and the loss of life that occurred but, when do we pass respectful reflection and move into the area of self indulgent scab picking? If a wound is to heal doesn't going back and picking at the scab prevent the wound from ever fully healing.
Unlike a lot of people, I avoided that part of town for a long time after what happened. I did it on purpose. I always want to remember what the area was like before that fateful day and I am looking forward to a day in the future when something new will be there and those few blocks become a part of the city once more.
When I look at the skyline now, it seems empty. I never knew how much I could miss those buildings until they were gone and every time I look at the city from a distance and see the strange skyline which I still cannot get used to I cannot help but remember that day.
I can’t wait for them to finish building a new tower, a new memorial and just finish building that whole complex back up so it can become a part of the city again. When that day comes it will put us a long way along the road to moving forward. People point to September 11th as the day the war on terror began but, really when you think about it the day the war on terror began was back in 1983 when Marines were attacked in Lebanon or even before that when the embassy was taken over in Tehran.
It was just in those cases, it seemed so very far away.
If we were going to measure it by an attack on American soil, then it still wouldn’t have been September 11th. Instead it would be the first World Trade Center attack when Ramzi Yousef and others blew up a truck bomb in the basement of the complex back in 1993.
Five years have passed and while I mean no disrespect to those who lost family and loved ones, I think it is time for us to move on. While we will never forget can we stop trying so hard to remember?
...more a question of trying to forget.
Last week, The History Channel was given over to programming focusing on the events in and around September 11th, 2001. It’s was their 9/11 week as they billed it and each night’s primetime schedule was led with shows bearing titles such as Countdown to Ground Zero - The Miracle of Stairway B - The Man Who Predicted 9/11 - The World Trade Center: Rise and Fall - Grounded on 9/11.
Also this week, New York Magazine’s cover contained the blurb:
What If 9/11 Never Happened?
In the issue a series of articles speculated on how life would be if the events New Yorkers experienced on that tragic day hadn’t taken place.
There is a very good article by John Homans titled The Long Funeral which opens with the lines: “Anyone who lived or worked in downtown Manhattan on 9/11 has no need to see the new Oliver Stone movie, powerful as it’s said to be. An anniversary isn’t necessary to remember that day. It comes back easily, in infinite detail. We remember, moment by moment, where we were, where our friends were, what we saw and heard and said as we came to awareness about what was happening...
It‘s worth reading and I suggest you check it out.
The thing I agreed with wholeheartedly is, yes, I do not need to see the Oliver Stone movie. I do not need to see the TV shows on the History Channel. I do not have to read or watch anything else about that day. I remember it very clearly and very vividly. I don’t think I will ever be able to forget it. I won’t validate the point by sharing my own experiences of that day or the weeks afterward. If anything, it would just be counter purposes to what I am trying to say here.
Each year now, coming up on five years, we have stopped and focused on what happened that day. I am all for being respectful of the memory of what happened and the loss of life that occurred but, when do we pass respectful reflection and move into the area of self indulgent scab picking? If a wound is to heal doesn't going back and picking at the scab prevent the wound from ever fully healing.
Unlike a lot of people, I avoided that part of town for a long time after what happened. I did it on purpose. I always want to remember what the area was like before that fateful day and I am looking forward to a day in the future when something new will be there and those few blocks become a part of the city once more.
When I look at the skyline now, it seems empty. I never knew how much I could miss those buildings until they were gone and every time I look at the city from a distance and see the strange skyline which I still cannot get used to I cannot help but remember that day.
I can’t wait for them to finish building a new tower, a new memorial and just finish building that whole complex back up so it can become a part of the city again. When that day comes it will put us a long way along the road to moving forward. People point to September 11th as the day the war on terror began but, really when you think about it the day the war on terror began was back in 1983 when Marines were attacked in Lebanon or even before that when the embassy was taken over in Tehran.
It was just in those cases, it seemed so very far away.
If we were going to measure it by an attack on American soil, then it still wouldn’t have been September 11th. Instead it would be the first World Trade Center attack when Ramzi Yousef and others blew up a truck bomb in the basement of the complex back in 1993.
Five years have passed and while I mean no disrespect to those who lost family and loved ones, I think it is time for us to move on. While we will never forget can we stop trying so hard to remember?
Another reason to make sure you don’t piss off the kitty!
A pair of cats really have owned an apartment, in New York City, in the 21st century. “It presented an odd set of circumstances,” remembers Brian Tormey of TitleVest, the title-insurance agency that handled the transaction, with a laugh. He’s willing to tell the story, though out of respect for his client’s privacy, he won’t name names.
Aug 19, 2006
I always enjoyed watching him.
You may remember him from the following movies...
Donnie Brasco (1997) Nicky / City Slickers (1991) Ed Furillo / The Freshman (1990) Victor Ray, Carmine's Nephew / When Harry Met Sally... (1989) Jess / Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) 2nd Lt. Steven Hauk / Tin Men (1987) Mouse / Birdy (1984) Renaldi / The Godfather: Part II (1974) Young Clemenza (Peter)
I think you may have even wound up confusing him with Peter Arquette because of a similarity in style and demeanor. Somehow though 57 seems way to young.
You may remember him from the following movies...
Donnie Brasco (1997) Nicky / City Slickers (1991) Ed Furillo / The Freshman (1990) Victor Ray, Carmine's Nephew / When Harry Met Sally... (1989) Jess / Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) 2nd Lt. Steven Hauk / Tin Men (1987) Mouse / Birdy (1984) Renaldi / The Godfather: Part II (1974) Young Clemenza (Peter)
I think you may have even wound up confusing him with Peter Arquette because of a similarity in style and demeanor. Somehow though 57 seems way to young.
Adventures in Dickdom.
So, I got this email today and it is a sparkling example of how we get f*cked in this country on a regular basis:
Summarized, the government has stopped charging a tax but, Verizon feels rather than lowering your bill (even if it’s a little bit) you won’t miss the money anyway since you’ve been paying it and they’ll just tack a surcharge onto your bill to improve their bottom line. Does it mean they’ll invest in the infrastructure? Probably not but, again it’s not like you haven’t been paying it up until now so why not just let them stick their hand in your pocket and take the money for themselves. What a**holes!
So, I got this email today and it is a sparkling example of how we get f*cked in this country on a regular basis:
Effective August 14, 2006, Verizon Online will stop charging the FUSF (Federal Universal Service Fund) recovery fee. We will stop being assessed the fee by our DSL network suppliers. Therefore, we will no longer be recovering this fee from our customers. The impact of the FUSF fee is as follows: for customers of Verizon Online with service up to 768Kbps, the fee eliminated is $1.25 a month; for customers of Verizon Online with service up to 1.5 Mbps or 3Mbps, the fee eliminated is $2.83 a month (based on current FUSF surcharge amounts). On your bill that includes charges for August 14, 2006 you will see either a partial FUSF Recovery Fee or no FUSF line item at all, depending on your bill cycle.
Starting August 26, 2006, Verizon Online will begin charging a Supplier Surcharge for all new DSL customers, existing customers with a DSL monthly or bundle package, and existing DSL annual plan customers at the time their current annual plan expires. This surcharge is not a government imposed fee or a tax; however, it is intended to help offset costs we incur from our network supplier in providing Verizon Online DSL service. The Supplier Surcharge will initially be set at $1.20 a month for Verizon Online DSL customers with service up to 768Kbps and $2.70 per month for customers with DSL service at higher speeds.
Summarized, the government has stopped charging a tax but, Verizon feels rather than lowering your bill (even if it’s a little bit) you won’t miss the money anyway since you’ve been paying it and they’ll just tack a surcharge onto your bill to improve their bottom line. Does it mean they’ll invest in the infrastructure? Probably not but, again it’s not like you haven’t been paying it up until now so why not just let them stick their hand in your pocket and take the money for themselves. What a**holes!
Aug 18, 2006
IT IS DONE!
...and now there is a much skinnier kitty, drunkenly careening about the bathroom where she is ensconced to avoid injuring herself. While she wasn’t doped up dramatically this time, she still seems to have suffered enough of the effects of sedation to go bottom over top should she negotiate a jump. While funny to witness, I certainly don’t want her to injure herself as she is very much my precious little treasure.
Pictures to come.
...and now there is a much skinnier kitty, drunkenly careening about the bathroom where she is ensconced to avoid injuring herself. While she wasn’t doped up dramatically this time, she still seems to have suffered enough of the effects of sedation to go bottom over top should she negotiate a jump. While funny to witness, I certainly don’t want her to injure herself as she is very much my precious little treasure.
Pictures to come.
Aug 17, 2006
Teaser for tomorrow’s Friday Cat Blogging.
Although she doesn’t know it yet, tomorrow will be that most dreaded of days in a cat’s life, for tomorrow it will be time for:
As much as I love the furry beast, her hair takes on a life of its own and we are at the point where it is about to take us both over so, it’s time for the dreaded trip! I’m thinking of before and after photos but she looks so pitifully skinny after the fact and I feel so bad for her although within a few days she seems very happy and is running around the house with abandon.
Although she doesn’t know it yet, tomorrow will be that most dreaded of days in a cat’s life, for tomorrow it will be time for:
As much as I love the furry beast, her hair takes on a life of its own and we are at the point where it is about to take us both over so, it’s time for the dreaded trip! I’m thinking of before and after photos but she looks so pitifully skinny after the fact and I feel so bad for her although within a few days she seems very happy and is running around the house with abandon.
Aug 15, 2006
From the archives.
I started going through the drafts of entries I have (which is alarmingly long) and determined I wanted to at least clean out some of the unfinished snippets. I’ve found myself burning out on the internet in recent months. Specifically the whole i-porn thing has just reached the point where it seems pointless. A lot of guys I know look at i-porn, they talk about it with other guys but not their spouses or girlfriends. Men really never grow tired of looking and while I haven’t tired of looking at women I certainly have tired of doing it online.
Anyway, the guys I’m talking about are peers. These are people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Thing is there is a whole generation out there of people who are growing up with this. I read this article back in 2003 and was going to post a link to it. It’s still an interesting read and I don’t think it’s lost its relevance:
Every once in awhile, there‘s a reminder to me of how dramatically different it is to grow up today...
I started going through the drafts of entries I have (which is alarmingly long) and determined I wanted to at least clean out some of the unfinished snippets. I’ve found myself burning out on the internet in recent months. Specifically the whole i-porn thing has just reached the point where it seems pointless. A lot of guys I know look at i-porn, they talk about it with other guys but not their spouses or girlfriends. Men really never grow tired of looking and while I haven’t tired of looking at women I certainly have tired of doing it online.
Anyway, the guys I’m talking about are peers. These are people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Thing is there is a whole generation out there of people who are growing up with this. I read this article back in 2003 and was going to post a link to it. It’s still an interesting read and I don’t think it’s lost its relevance:
Every once in awhile, there‘s a reminder to me of how dramatically different it is to grow up today...
Like many other guys his age, Rick, who has never rented an X-rated video and considers strip clubs “a little gross,” discovered Internet porn in high school, and he’ll tell you about it with all the whimsy of a high-school football star waxing nostalgic about his early years on the JV squad. “I remember it clear as day. It just dawned on me: I can type in Pamela Anderson, and naked pictures of her will come up from Playboy!”
Remembering how good certain music is.
I’ve been really enjoying the discovery of iTunes these days, slowly loading only my favorites from the myriad cds I have into my library. I was listening to one ELO song which I know is phrasing from a Beatles song. The ELO song is called “Mister Kingdom” and I’m pretty sure it was the phrase it was paying homage to was “Across the Universe.” Anyway, I went looking for lyrics to satisfy my curiosity (like I shouldn’t be doing better things with my time) and as I was looking through the lyrics of different Beatles songs I came upon an old favorite of mine. Favorite just because I always thought the lyrics were so wonderful and reading them reminded me of someone from awhile back...
What can I say, I’m a big mush.
I’ve been really enjoying the discovery of iTunes these days, slowly loading only my favorites from the myriad cds I have into my library. I was listening to one ELO song which I know is phrasing from a Beatles song. The ELO song is called “Mister Kingdom” and I’m pretty sure it was the phrase it was paying homage to was “Across the Universe.” Anyway, I went looking for lyrics to satisfy my curiosity (like I shouldn’t be doing better things with my time) and as I was looking through the lyrics of different Beatles songs I came upon an old favorite of mine. Favorite just because I always thought the lyrics were so wonderful and reading them reminded me of someone from awhile back...
I Will (Lennon/McCartney)
Who knows how long I’ve loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime
If you want me to—I will.
For if I ever saw you
I didn’t catch your name
But it never really mattered
I will always feel the same.
Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we’re together
Love you when we’re apart.
And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
For the things you do endear you to me
You know I will
I will.
What can I say, I’m a big mush.
Aug 14, 2006
Aug 13, 2006
Futility and you.
I have been blogging now for close to three and a half years.
It’s almost the same amount of time a person spends in high school, imagine that! So, over three and a half years there have been a lot of changes in life. Blogging is good if only because I find as I get older, time speeds up and I have increasing difficulty in placing when things happened in life in the greater context of the scheme of things.
One thing I notice though is there are a lot of us writing these days.
This is a good thing.
I had recently read or seen something somewhere about community and the formation of communities. It was interesting in they talked about how the definition of community was changing and this was largely due to the internet. You might not know your neighbors, the people on your block, the people on your floor but, you would at the same time have made friends with people in other parts of the world who you wouldn’t have connected with but who share your interests.
What made me think about this, was reading a post up on the New York Hack blog. It wasn’t anything surprising, it’s just about people behaving badly, rudely and truthfully it’s nothing new. People might like to believe it is but, it isn’t.
It has so far generated 200 plus comments and what is interesting is the way the conversation has developed through those comments. Some of the things that have been touched upon are violence towards women by men, attitudes towards police, life in big cities just to name a few. People bring all kinds of different perspectives to the discussion. Each person has their own unique take on the events detailed in the post.
Life is like that in you can superimpose whatever framework you want over events. If you look through the posts, you can see places where people took it upon themselves to get all involved. The shame is the same people who exert so much effort in this fashion would be better served just taking all that energy and focusing on the things around them in the real world - myself included.
I have been blogging now for close to three and a half years.
It’s almost the same amount of time a person spends in high school, imagine that! So, over three and a half years there have been a lot of changes in life. Blogging is good if only because I find as I get older, time speeds up and I have increasing difficulty in placing when things happened in life in the greater context of the scheme of things.
One thing I notice though is there are a lot of us writing these days.
This is a good thing.
I had recently read or seen something somewhere about community and the formation of communities. It was interesting in they talked about how the definition of community was changing and this was largely due to the internet. You might not know your neighbors, the people on your block, the people on your floor but, you would at the same time have made friends with people in other parts of the world who you wouldn’t have connected with but who share your interests.
What made me think about this, was reading a post up on the New York Hack blog. It wasn’t anything surprising, it’s just about people behaving badly, rudely and truthfully it’s nothing new. People might like to believe it is but, it isn’t.
It has so far generated 200 plus comments and what is interesting is the way the conversation has developed through those comments. Some of the things that have been touched upon are violence towards women by men, attitudes towards police, life in big cities just to name a few. People bring all kinds of different perspectives to the discussion. Each person has their own unique take on the events detailed in the post.
Life is like that in you can superimpose whatever framework you want over events. If you look through the posts, you can see places where people took it upon themselves to get all involved. The shame is the same people who exert so much effort in this fashion would be better served just taking all that energy and focusing on the things around them in the real world - myself included.
Aug 11, 2006
What do the following people all have in common?
Well, if you were a kid like me growing up during the 60’s and the 70’s, chances are you got a chance to see them on The Mike Douglas Show. The Mike Douglas show was on in the afternoon at a time when there wasn’t really a lot to watch on TV. If it was a crappy day out and there weren’t any good cartoons on, chances are more than likely you’d stop and watch a bit of the show. At the time, the ancient days bc (before cable) there were only 7 channels here in New York (2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13) not a lot for a kid to choose from. No VCR and DVDs either, no video games, computer or internet. Looking back, it’s amazing we all survived those misbegotten archaic times but, somehow we managed.
Mike Douglas was a big part of that era.
I remember the sets vaguely resembled The Dating Game sets, they were distinctly of the era. It was hokey, it was trite and it was very much a part of its time. I know I enjoyed watching the show from time to time although it seems like so very long ago. Still, I couldn’t help but remember the show today when I heard of Mike Douglas’ passing. The name means nothing to anyone under the age of 40 but, to if you’re over 40 I’m sure you remember the name well.
Joy Adamson • Edie Adams • Anna Maria Alberghetti • Alan Alda • Marty Allen • Peter Allen • Steve Allen • Muhammad Ali • America • Morey Amsterdam • Willie Aames • Loni Anderson • Paul Anka • Dana Andrews • The Animals • Louis Armstrong • Lucie Arnaz • Eddy Arnold • Arthur Ashe • Fred Astaire • Chet Atkins • Richard Attenborough • Frankie Avalon • The Babys • Jim Backus • Jim Bacon • Pearl Bailey • F. Lee Bailey • Lucille Ball • Kaye Ballard • Shirley Bassey • Meredith Baxter • The Bay City Rollers • The Beach Boys • The Bee Gees • Harry Belafonte • Joan Bennett • Tony Bennett • George Benson • Robby Benson • Brook Benton • Candice Bergen • Edgar Bergen • Milton Berle • Shelley Berman • Chuck Berry • Joey Bishop • Richard Blackwell • Eubie Blake...
Blondie • Blood, Sweat & Tears • Ann Blyth • The Boomtown Rats • Danny Bonaduce • Sonny Bono • Victor Borge • Ernest Borgnine • The Box Tops • Boyce and Hart • Terry Bradshaw • The Brady Bunch Kids • David Brenner • Jimmy Breslin • Beau Bridges • James Brolin • Mel Brooks • Joyce Brothers • James Brown • Dave Brubeck • Anita Bryant • Rose Bucher, wife of USS Pueblo captain Lloyd Bucher • Victor Buono • Buffalo Bob Smith • Carol Burnett • George Burns • Ellen Burstyn • Ruth Buzzi • John Byner • Charlie Byrd • Sebastian Cabot • Sid Caesar • Sammy Cahn • Dyan Cannon • Frank Capra • Captain & Tennille • George Carlin • Eric Carmen • Art Carney • Vikki Carr • Diahann Carroll • Lynda Carter • Rubin Carter • Johnny Cash • June Carter Cash • Shaun Cassidy • Oleg Cassini • Dick Cavett • Wilt Chamberlain • Harry Chapin • Ray Charles • Charo • Cher • CHIC • Petula Clark • Roy Clark • James Coburn • Joe Cocker • James Coco • Natalie Cole • Gary Coleman • The Commodores • Sean Connery • Mike Connors • Robert Conrad • Peter Cook • Sam Cooke • Jackie Cooper • Pat Cooper • David Copperfield • Chick Corea • Bill Cosby • Howard Cosell • The Cowsills • Bob Crane • Christina Crawford • Joan Crawford • Bing Crosby • Norm Crosby • Scatman Crothers • Billy Crystal • Robert Culp • Tony Curtis • Dagmar • Arlene Dahl • Bill Daily • Rodney Dangerfield • James Darren • Bobby Darin • John Davidson • Bette Davis • Sammy Davis Jr. • Richard Deacon • Jimmy Dean • Yvonne De Carlo • The DeFranco Family • Gloria DeHaven • The Delfonics • Dom DeLuise • Jackie DeShannon • Susan Dey • Neil Diamond • Angie Dickinson • Phyllis Diller • Tamara Dobson • Micky Dolenz • Fats Domino • Troy Donahue • Michael Douglas • Hugh Downs • Patrick Duffy • Patty Duke • Electric Light Orchestra • Duke Ellington • Cass Elliot • Dale Evans • Chad Everett • Bob Eubanks • Nanette Fabray • Lola Falana • Jamie Farr • Farrah Fawcett • Barbara Feldon • José Feliciano • Lou Ferrigno • Sally Field • Totie Fields • The Fifth Dimension • Carrie Fisher • Roberta Flack • Fannie Flagg • Peggy Fleming • Henry Fonda • Jane Fonda • Peter Fonda • Harrison Ford • Gerald Ford • Tennessee Ernie Ford • Glenn Ford • The Four Tops • Redd Foxx • Peter Frampton • Sergio Franchi • Connie Francis...
Aretha Franklin • Joe Frazier • Robert Frost • Annette Funicello • Eva Gabor • Zsa Zsa Gabor • Judy Garland • Teri Garr • Leif Garrett • Steve Garvey • Marvin Gaye • Gloria Gaynor • Will Geer • Genesis • Stan Getz • Andy Gibb • Henry Gibson • Astrud Gilberto • Nick Gilder • Frank Gifford • Arthur Godfrey • Ruth Gordon • Lesley Gore • Frank Gorshin • Elliot Gould • Robert Goulet • Kathryn Grant • Moby Grape • Teresa Graves • Rocky Graziano • Jose Greco • Lorne Greene • Shecky Greene • Bud Greenspan • Joel Grey • Merv Griffin • Andy Griffith • Tammy Grimes • Gucci • Buddy Hackett • Gene Hackman • Jack Haley • Monty Hall • Mark Hamill • Marvin Hamlisch • Lionel Hampton • Herbie Hancock • Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes • Valerie Harper • Richard Harris • Edith Head • Margaux Hemingway • Florence Henderson • Marilu Henner • Jim Henson • Hildegarde • Harriet Hilliard • Gregory Hines • Alfred Hitchcock • Don Ho • Dustin Hoffman • Anthony Hopkins • Sterling Holloway • Celeste Holm • Larry Holmes • Bob Hope • Dennis Hopper • Edward Everett Horton • Moe Howard • Ron Howard • Hubert H. Humphrey • John Huston • Tab Hunter • Lauren Hutton • Janis Ian • Marty Ingels • The Ink Spots • Glenda Jackson • Kate Jackson • Reggie Jackson • The Jackson 5 • Sonny James • George Jessel • Billy Joel • Elton John • Arte Johnson • Van Johnson • Allan Jones • Anissa Jones • Davy Jones • Jack Jones • James Earl Jones • Shirley Jones • KC & the Sunshine Band • Pauline Kael • Garson Kanin • Gabe Kaplan • Donna Karan...
Andy Kaufman • Howard Keel • Gene Kelly • Grace Kelly • Rose Kennedy • Tom Kennedy • Chaka Khan • Alan King • Billie Jean King • The Kinks • Durward Kirby • KISS • Eartha Kitt • Calvin Klein • Robert Klein • Jack Klugman • Gladys Knight • Ted Knight • Kool & the Gang • Bernie Kopell • Cheryl Ladd • Frankie Laine • Dorothy Lamour • Fernando Lamas • Michael Landon • Jessica Lange • Abbe Lane • Louise Lasser • Lassie • Carol Lawrence • Peter Lawford • Janet Leigh • Jack Lemmon • John Lennon • The Lennon Sisters • Jack E. Leonard • Sheldon Leonard...
David Letterman • The Lettermen • Sam Levenson • Jerry Lewis • Shari Lewis • Liberace • Hal Linden • Art Linkletter • Rich Little • June Lockhart • Anita Loos • Jack Lord • Susan Lucci • Allen Ludden • Lorna Luft • Paul Lynde • Loretta Lynn • Cheryl Lynn • Ali MacGraw • Gavin MacLeod • Gisele MacKenzie • Fred MacMurray • Meredith MacRae • Miriam Makeba • Barbara Mandrell • Barry Manilow • Mickey Mantle • Marcel Marceau • Penny Marshall • Martha Reeves & the Vandellas • Dick Martin • Steve Martin • Lee Marvin • Johnny Mathis • Walter Matthau • James Mason • Peter Max • Curtis Mayfield • Willie Mays • Andrea McArdle • David McCallum • Doug McClure • Van McCoy • Spanky McFarland • Darren McGavin • Phyllis McGuire • Don McLean • Kristy McNichol • Margaret Mead • Jayne Meadows • Anne Meara • Melanie • Sergio Mendes • Burgess Meredith • Don Meredith • Dina Merrill • Robert Merrill • James Michener • Bette Midler • Ann Miller • Mitch Miller • Hayley Mills • Stephanie Mills • Yvette Mimieux • Liza Minnelli • Ricardo Montalban • Dudley Moore • Mary Tyler Moore • Garry Moore • Roger Moore • Agnes Moorehead • Erin Moran • Jaye P. Morgan • Robert Morse • Mother Teresa • Bess Myerson • Ralph Nader • Joe Namath • Clarence Nash • Ozzie Nelson • Ricky Nelson • The New Seekers • Wayne Newton • Olivia Newton-John • Jack Nicholson • Maxine Nightingale • Leonard Nimoy • Agnes Nixon...
Richard Nixon • Chuck Norris • The Oak Ridge Boys • Carroll O'Connor • Hugh O'Brian • The O'Jays • Yoko Ono • Jerry Orbach • Tony Orlando • Donny Osmond • Marie Osmond • Buck Owens • Janis Paige • Jim Palmer • Hermes Pan • Barbara Parkins • Dolly Parton • Billy Paul • Jane Pauley • Minnie Pearl • Teddy Pendergrass • Penn & Teller • Bernadette Peters • Michelle Phillips • Wilson Pickett • Sidney Poitier • Jane Powell • Otto Preminger • Charley Pride • Louis Prima • Freddie Prinze • Prince Albert of Monaco • Prince Rainier III • Princess Caroline of Monaco • Juliet Prowse • Richard Pryor • Gary Puckett & The Union Gap • John Raitt • Tony Randall • Boots Randolph • The Raspberries • Lou Rawls • Lynn Redgrave • Jerry Reed • Rex Reed • Robert Reed • Della Reese • Rob Reiner • Burt Reynolds • Debbie Reynolds • Buddy Rich • Little Richard • Ian Richardson • Don Rickles • Bobby Riggs • Chita Rivera • Joan Rivers • Oral Roberts • Dale Robertson • Cliff Robertson • Smokey Robinson & the Miracles • Jimmie Rodgers • Ginger Rogers • Kenny Rogers • Roy Rogers • Wayne Rogers • The Rolling Stones • Cesar Romero • Linda Ronstadt • Mickey Rooney • Rose Marie • Pete Rose • Dan Rowan • Rose Royce • Rufus • Bobby Rydell • Eva Marie Saint • Buffy Sainte-Marie • Soupy Sales • Telly Savalas • Gale Sayers • Tobias Schneebaum • Charles Schulz • Arnold Schwarzenegger • Rick Schroeder • Martin Scorsese • George C. Scott • Lizabeth Scott • Neil Sedaka • George Segal • Doc Severinsen...
William Shatner • Artie Shaw • Sidney Sheldon • Brooke Shields • Talia Shire • Beverly Sills • Silver Convention • Paul Simon • Red Skelton • Patti Smith • Jaclyn Smith • Liz Smith • The Smothers Brothers • Elke Sommer • Stephen Sondheim • Sonny & Cher • The Spinners • Mark Spitz • Benjamin Spock • Robert Stack • Sylvester Stallone • The Staples Singers • Jean Stapleton • Ringo Starr • Rod Steiger • David Steinberg • Connie Stevens • Ray Stevens • Jerry Stiller • Ben Stiller • Amy Stiller • Sly & the Family Stone • Barbra Streisand • Sally Struthers • Jule Styne • Donna Summer • The Supremes • Jacqueline Susann • David Susskind • Gloria Swanson • Tavares • James Taylor • Rip Taylor • The Temptations • B.J. Thomas • Danny Thomas • Marlo Thomas • Shirley Temple • Cheryl Tiegs • Mel Tillis • Lily Tomlin • John Travolta • Lee Trevino • Tina Turner • The Turtles • Twiggy • Cicely Tyson • Leslie Uggams • Liv Ullman • Peter Ustinov • Jerry Vale • Valentino • Rudy Vallee • Frankie Valli • Vivian Vance • Gloria Vanderbilt • Vanilla Fudge • Sarah Vaughan • Gwen Verdon • Ben Vereen • Bobby Vinton • Diana Vreeland • Jon Voight • Lindsay Wagner • Robert Wagner • Tom Waits • Jimmie Walker • George C. Wallace • Eli Wallach • Grover Washington, Jr. • John Wayne • Carl Weathers • Lawrence Welk • Dottie West • Betty White • Margaret Whiting • Gene Wilder • Andy Williams • Anson Williams • Cindy Williams • Esther Williams • Roger Williams • Flip Wilson • Nancy Wilson • Paul Winchell • Henry Winkler • Edgar Winter • Jonathan Winters • Shelley Winters • Stevie Wonder...
Tiger Woods • James Woods • Tammy Wynette • Michael York • Gig Young • Henny Youngman • Frank Zappa • Prince (artist)
Well, if you were a kid like me growing up during the 60’s and the 70’s, chances are you got a chance to see them on The Mike Douglas Show. The Mike Douglas show was on in the afternoon at a time when there wasn’t really a lot to watch on TV. If it was a crappy day out and there weren’t any good cartoons on, chances are more than likely you’d stop and watch a bit of the show. At the time, the ancient days bc (before cable) there were only 7 channels here in New York (2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13) not a lot for a kid to choose from. No VCR and DVDs either, no video games, computer or internet. Looking back, it’s amazing we all survived those misbegotten archaic times but, somehow we managed.
Mike Douglas was a big part of that era.
“It was really a music show, with a whole lot of talk and laughter in between numbers.”
Douglas did about 6,000 shows, most 90 minutes long, and estimated that at its peak the syndicated show was seen in about 230 cities.
“Even when America was getting kind of angry in the 1960s and 1970s, his show was sort of an oasis of politeness,” Brooks said. “It got you away from some of the turmoil in life.”
I remember the sets vaguely resembled The Dating Game sets, they were distinctly of the era. It was hokey, it was trite and it was very much a part of its time. I know I enjoyed watching the show from time to time although it seems like so very long ago. Still, I couldn’t help but remember the show today when I heard of Mike Douglas’ passing. The name means nothing to anyone under the age of 40 but, to if you’re over 40 I’m sure you remember the name well.
The return of Friday Cat Blogging.
So, this is position two. Ballet has all these different numbered positions and kitty does a bit of a dance during each day. Like the feline version of Star Trek her job is to seek out and explore strange new places to nap. I was thinking of doing a series of photos just showing how many places in the house she has claimed as her own.
So, this is position two. Ballet has all these different numbered positions and kitty does a bit of a dance during each day. Like the feline version of Star Trek her job is to seek out and explore strange new places to nap. I was thinking of doing a series of photos just showing how many places in the house she has claimed as her own.
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