Movie Mondays!


I loved Planet Terror. Why? Because it is so far over the top! It’s got a great cast, tons of blood and more clichés than you can throw a zombie at. Planet Terror doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it’s 95 minutes of mindless fun. It has the anti hero haunted by his past, the cynical girl he left behind and the small town succumbing to a frenzy it was thoroughly unprepared for. Some movies make you think and Planet Terror demands that you don’t, just watch it and enjoy! Look for a nod Kill Bill in the first reel.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

Now I’ve seen everything?

Just when I think I’ve seen everything, something pops up to prove me wrong. There was something on one of the news channels the other day about a new employee discount policy at Whole Foods. I did some searching and here is what the to do is about:

Weigh more. Pay more. That’s the message behind Whole Foods’ drive to cut its health care costs by offering fatter employee discounts to workers who are in tip-top shape.
The pricey grocery chain will give 30% discounts to those who don't smoke and have low blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index (BMI) rates, says CEO John Mackey.

Not being a yuppie or one of the beautiful and trendy, anything Whole Foods does has little affect on my world. Seriously, I could give a rat’s ass (besides I’ve heard one of the nicknames for the store is Whole Paycheck and that tells me everything I need to know). I don’t shop there and I have no intention of doing so in the future.

While I was hearing the story though, it made a bit of sense. Someone who has a low BMI is prone not to overdo it in the food department so if you give them a higher discount as compared to someone who wolfs down the calories, things somewhat balance out. Everyone winds up getting the same proportional savings.

But, what I found amazing was a spokesperson who was on to rally support against the policy by calling it discriminatory. You would think they make organizations like this up but... noooooo, they really don’t:

Founded in 1969, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to ending size discrimination in all of its forms. NAAFA's goal is to help build a society in which people of every size are accepted with dignity and equality in all aspects of life. NAAFA will pursue this goal through advocacy, public education, and support.

 Now, one of the blurbs on the site reads: Understand it. Support it. Accept it.

Here’s the thing – I understand if I sit around on my ass all day and don’t exercise I put on the weight. My mirror supports this belief everytime I look into it and see love handles. I accept it’s my responsibility to change things by making an effort.

IT’S TOTALLY IN MY HANDS TO SHOW THE DISCIPLINE AND PERSERVERANCE TO MAKE A CHANGE!

I know one fat bastard who thought he was hurling some lethal dart my way by calling me fat. Tell me something I don’t know, big f**king deal. At least I wasn’t at the gargantuan size this blimp of a specimen was at. The irony of it was the same clown dropped several thousand dollars shortly thereafter to go under the knife and get a rubber band on his gut.

I know people who are overweight, hell I’m overweight at the moment but I also know if I modify my diet, exercise and show some discipline that can easily change. It’s not an external force, it’s up to me.

Our society is a society of enablers – nothing is ever the individual’s fault. There must be some external factor, some other force that is responsible for why things are the way they are. It’s just the stupidest bullsh*t imaginable and this just strikes me of another instance of the enabling crapola that is so prevalent in this country today.

Movie Mondays!


Thinking man’s scifi. Primer is a perfect example of what makes a successful film: story. It’s not the kind of movie with big explosions or lots of action but the implications in the plot are terrifying. If you had a time machine and could only move one way in time (backwards) how could you resist the temptation to venture to the past to “get it right” — at what point would you stop? I was reminded somewhat of Memento by the way the movie is layered and how deeply the story is threaded together. It’s a movie that demands your full attention but it is well worth a watch and as mentioned elsewhere rewards viewers with repeated screenings because of the complexity of the story.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

With friends like these.

Harry Reid was in the spotlight recently for comments revealed in Game Change a book about the ’08 presidential campaign. Specifically, these comments, “He (Reid) was wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama — a ‘light-skinned’ African American with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”

Thing is, as bad as some people may react to Reid’s comments (and ironically enough Spike Lee devoted an entire film to the same topic – School Daze) the comment jumping out at me was this little jewel: “Clinton told the Democratic lawmaker that just a few years ago, Obama would have been serving the pair coffee.” Bill Clinton attempting to persuade Edward Kennedy to endorse Hillary.

Nobody seems at all upset the former president, revered by his supporters, thinks a Harvard graduate and constitutional law professor in Chicago (during Clinton’s years in office) would have been suited to being Clinton’s butler – serving them coffee?!!? Really Bill?

Why I like Flickr.

Simply because there are so many talented people I’ve been able to come in contact and make friends with. The image below is a mosaic of all the pictures I’ve favorited over the course of three plus years on Flickr and it makes for interesting viewing – click on the image and be sure to see it large.

Could also be called more pictures of women, buildings and cats.

The light that shines the brightest burns twice as fast.

Monica Walsh Watson
1963-2009

Last February, I received an email from my friend Monica (as did many of her friends and business associates). In it, Monica described how she had been feeling ‘off’ for a few months.

Monica attributed her malaise to the horrid state of the economy, maybe it was due to getting older and consequently she soldiered through for a few months not thinking it serious but it was only when Monica went to her daughter’s school and the school nurse got a look at Monica, Monica realized it could be something more serious.

In short order Monica got tested and a tumor was discovered in her brain. Surgery was arranged to remove the tumor. It came out of nowhere but, Monica sent out an email the day before surgery letting the people in her sphere know about her situation. Monica didn’t want her staff to be deluged with questions regarding her condition.

You’d have to know Monica to understand how very matter-of-fact she was about the whole business (at least outwardly). She had a problem, would have surgery and that would be that. She would be back at work after a short convalescence and hardly break stride.

That’s Monica, it’s the kind of person she was.

There are very few people I have met over the course of my lifetime who have possessed such a zeal, such an incredible reservoir of energy as Monica – akin to a natural phenomenon – so dynamic, so powerful. Everyone who came into Monica’s orbit could not help but feel her influence, it was inescapable. Fast with a quip, smart but also sensitive, Monica was a red headed firecracker.

It was only natural Monica’s business put her in contact with many people (running an employment agency) because Monica was a people person. She made it seem easy and effortless but the truth was Monica was no slouch when it came to doing the hard work necessary to run a successful business.

While I don’t quite remember when I first met Monica (although I believe it was through my friend Mike), I do know I benefited greatly because Monica was a good and dear friend. She was someone all too ready to help people out and over the years I sent many people to Monica who were in dire need of assistance, without fail I saw time and time again my faith in Monica was justified.

Monica bought her fullest efforts to everything she did, there was no such thing as half-stepping where she was concerned. Whether it be as a a mother, a wife, a homemaker, a friend or a business owner, Monica was determined to give it her all and in many ways she set an example for the people around her.

Perhaps there is truth in the old saw about the light that burns the brightest also burns the fastest because I can attest to the fact Monica was a bright light in many people’s lives and the world will be a darker place without her.

She went for the surgery and things didn’t go as planned and over the next several months she fought tenaciously but, there are some battles we cannot win.

While I cannot profess to being the closest in a multitude of friends Monica, her husband Kevin and her family had, I did have the luxury of considering her a good friend. To that end I took the picture above one Saturday morning not too long ago when I was over Monica and Kevin’s house. She leaves behind two young daughters and her husband – a good, strong man Kevin, Monica’s rock throughout a very tough struggle.

I prayed for her while she was sick and I continue to pray for Kevin and the girls as the days pass because I can only imagine how much she will be missed. I know how much I will miss her and that is only a fraction of what they must be feeling. Even now, I find tears coming unbidden because I will very much miss my friend (I started this back in December and could only bring myself to finish it recently).

But again, there’s that thing about burning brightly and I have to say the world will be a little darker without Monica in it. She was a special lady.

Movie Mondays!


This is the original! The series springs from two of the most successful TV movies up to that time and is an inspiration for a generation of creators. Darrin McGavin carved a place out in the hearts of many scifi and horror fans with his performance as the cynical and jaded Carl Kolchak, a reporter who keeps being the only person in the room recognizing the monsters behind the stories he’s covering. While it might seem a little dated and sedate for today’s audiences, there is a certain nostalgic charm in watching this series. The biggest knock during it’s short lived run was how to stay fresh with a ’creature of the week’ format but, McGavin always managed to make each episode fun (and watchable). I also have to give a big tip of the hat to Simon Oakland, a long time TV veteran who plays Kolchak’s boss, Vincenzo. It wouldn’t have been the same series without him and he plays his part as a crusty, curmudgeonly editor to the hilt. The dynamic between the two male leads played a big part in the show’s success. I loved this show and was pleased to find it stands up well to the test of time; it’s still enormously entertaining. I would venture to say it could be good viewing for a family night (above say the age of seven or eight), just scary enough. Worth checking out without question!

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

Let’s start the New Year off right!

This is my anthem for this year – partially because I really like this song and also because I will achieve the half century mark later on in the year:

AND YOU CAN SING ALONG!

There were eighty-seven Advil in the bottle now there's thirty left
I ate forty-seven so what happened to the other ten?
Why do you suspiciously change the subject and break my concentration
As I dump the bottle out and I count the Advil up again?

Don't interrupt me as I struggle to complete this thought
Have some respect for someone more forgetful than yourself

And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off

Hitting every pocket on my shirt, pants and overcoat
And I'm hitting them again but I don't know where I put my notes
Clearing my throat, and gripping the lectern I smile and face my audience
Clearing his throat and smiling with his hands on the bathroom sink

And when I lean my head against the frosted shower stall
I see stuff through the glass that I don't recognize at all

And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off
Though it may not be a long way off

I'm not done talking yet
I'm not done talking yet

And when I lean my head against the frosted shower stall
I see a broken figure silhouetted on the wall

And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off
Though it may not be a long way off
I won't be done until my head falls off

The stupid will inherit the Earth.

I was watching a documentary a few days back titled, Protocols of Zion. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a really good film about anti-semitic propaganda and how baseless it is. During the course of the movie, one of the people who makes it into the film comes across with the jewel PEPSI is really an acronym for Pay Every Penny Save Israel.

The really scary thing is this guy truly believes this crap. If you have any doubt about whether or not the stupid will inherit the Earth, I give you this as evidence. Seems I’m not the only one who was astounded by this as I came across an article about the very same topic:

Of course, Pepsi is hardly alone. Coca-Cola or Coke, neither of which lend itself to a cool slogan as easily Pepsi (though I am fond of Carry Only Klingon Embryos to start another urban legend) has also been hit hard by Muslim fundamentalists.

Snopes has a good page on the whole thing too that’s worth checking out here.

Movie Mondays!


While I had a lukewarm reaction to the other parts of this trilogy, I found the final installment of the Resident Evil series just plain old matinee fun. A hybrid of the Romero Living Dead movies with elements of Mad Max thrown in for good measure, there’s enough here to warrant a watch. It’s not high-art and the story is stretched as thin as could be but, it reminds me very much of the kind of old-time, Saturday gore-fest I grew up watching. I found I liked the fact that certain scenes were played (shot and edited) almost exactly like the video game quite entertaining. The performances are good for this type of feature, mostly they’re two dimensional cutouts but, then again that’s the kind of movie this is. It won’t challenge you intellectually but, it will give you a bit of escapist fun.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

Before we got too far from it.

I wanted to share this drawing I received from my friend Gerry.

Gerry has been doing a lot of work in ballpoint and when we talk about it, I have to agree with him in there is something about working with a ballpoint pen. There is a quality of line and delicacy you simply can’t get with any other medium. Of course it helps in Gerry is extremely talented too! ;)

Anyway, I just thought it was nicely done and wanted to share.

Why I don’t miss comics:

Somewhere along the line, comics got to be something stupid. Maybe it wasn’t just comics but society as a whole changed and not in a good way. To me, I see it reflected in the stories people write for comics nowadays. Somehow creating a three dimensional character got confused with creating a incredibly flawed individual rather than a hero but, I’m going off the track...

I came across the image above via one of the blogs I read, Written World by Rangell. Ragnell used to be one of the players behind When Fangirls Attack and she took exception to the image and the fact it was popularized by Rich Johnston in his column over at Bleeding Cool. A flame war ensued and since I know (and respect) both parties, I chimed in albeit anonymously.

I think you’re all missing the point here. Aside from the fact that’s it’s just a set of t**s, save the outrage. What we really should be talking about is EQUAL TIME. In this sense what we should also have is a a pair of ring laden female hands concealing a male package. What’s good for the goose? I’d be less concerned about targeting a specific gender as much as what is sexualizing comics for no good reason. Of course, I stopped reading awhile ago now but last I remembered the GL books were still part of DC’s mainstream universe and geared towards all audiences. Nice to know the emphasis is on the trenchcoat crowd though.

My biggest problem is just that the image was bit tacky more than anything else. I have long since gotten past the point where I am shocked by a pair of boobs (or a boob using a picture of boobs). I readily acknowledge as a guy we have an unbelievable fascination with boobs, it may well be something hard wired into us (men).

Still, there was the tacky aspect along with the issue I consider Green Lantern more of a mainstream property. Mainstream in the sense you would be okay with an eight or nine year old reading it so the implicit sexuality of the image seemed inappropriate. If your goal as a publisher is to grow readership (yes, as I wrote that I realized the pun in there), you have to make allowances and tone down certain aspects to make your product family friendly.

I was glad to see however, someone picked up on one of my suggestions. Namely, flipping the image so to speak and reversing the gender roles. The column and images are actually pretty funny.

CAN YOU SURVIVE!?!?

The horror of the guest room?

The ongoing project of cleaning, organizing and renovating never really seems to end. Certainly though I have been making great headway and I have to confess to finding myself increasingly happy about the situation, the more progress I make.

While I can’t say it’s really done (because eventually I intend to gut it – redo the wiring, put up new sheetrock and flooring), my guest room is pretty much ready for use. I’ve got a few people who’ll be visiting over the coming year and I couldn’t be happier than to have a nice space for them and to play the host.

Dealing with stupid people. (COMC)


Sometimes I get tweaked. I get tweaked by people who speak out of their ass. People who talk about something, say they want the world to change, but only IF EVERYONE ELSE CHANGES!

It’s like NIMBY - Not In My BackYard. Things are perfect, it’s easy to take up a cause until you yourself are required to sacrifice or follow some rules. Case in point, a friend on Flickr posted a photo of an empty lot in Williamsburg where a garage is being built. Parking garages are just ugly. Ewwwwww... parking garage! Ewwww...

On a level, I can understand. People may not find parking garages the most attractive structures but, they have a function. Given the choice between a parking garage and a neighborhood where traffic is always congested, there’s a ton of double parking and people are driving round and round looking for a place to park? Well, I’ll take the parking garage.

Then, in the comments under the photo,develops this discussion about how EVIL the autmobile is. It’s just evil. Evil! EVIL!

So, here is the comment stream for the aforementioned pic:

Just what the neighborhood needed

(picture)

A parking garage! (I am being sarcastic.)

world of pj says: Actually, given how crowded the neighborhood has become - it probably does need it.

animalvegetable says: I don't think any dense neighborhood needs a parking lot. I think we need more bicycle parking, more ferries to manhattan, a pedestrian bridge to manhattan, more buses and streetcars. we don't need more cars on the streets. parking lots were gotten rid of in soho and in astor place to great success. this parking lot will probably meet that eventual end. the century of the car is over.

dirtycrumbs says: lol!

Well said av!

:-)

So gross... and a disgrace considering Williamsburg has the highest % of bike commuters in Brooklyn.

Ugh. This pisses me off.

I actually think the cure-all for gentrification is car-free zoning. No yuppies will ever corrupt a neighborhood if they can't bring their cars. And it's win-win b/c housing would be more affordable (less space you have spend accommodating 2000 pound steel boxes...) and alternative transportation options would be more appealing - so poor people won't get priced out...

Williamsburg would be a lot better off if it took that turn a few years back. Inviting all the cars in will only hasten its demise and speed up its inevitable SoHo-ification.

Javier Hernandez-Miyares says: since my jeep was stolen in 1995, i have lived happiest in nyc without a motorcar. if u won't use public transportation, then please move to mississippi. we won't miss you.

world of pj says: Okay, in order... a parking lot brings people into the neighborhood. It keeps on street parking cleared up, although you personally may not like it, the merchants in your neighborhood are more than happy to have more people streaming into your ’hood to pay for the rather high square footage costs of commercial space.

Also, having a safe place to park your vehicle? Kinda avoids stuff like this happening - since my jeep was stolen in 1995.

Gentrification?

Ha!

I get the sense you are gentrification buddy! Because long before you showed up on the scene there was a whole community of people living in that neighborhood and the rather huge influx of folks like you managed to do one thing... displace the original residents and make it impossible for them to remain in a neighborhood where they have roots and memories.

It cracks me up to ride the “L” train, see all those freshly scrubbed faces and remember what it was like to ride the same line 25 years ago.

You want to advocate something besides a parking lot? How about construction of true low-income housing? And I’m not talking about the kind of thing some midwestern import can share with four friends either.

As far as moving to Mississippi? Sunday I walked eight miles through the city, maybe nine. I enjoy walking through the city and I enjoy it a lot more than riding the subway or the bus at times. However, there are also parts of the city that are underserved by public transportation. Cars are a reality, get used to them - maybe you’re the one who should move to a place where they don’t have them?

world of pj says: Oh, and while I’m at it... as far as you bicycle clowns go.

First thing the city should do is license anyone who owns a bicycle the way motor vehicle operators are licensed and force you all to carry insurance.

Second you should be subject to all the same laws and rules of the road I’ve seen bicycle riders in this town flaunt on a daily basis. You know those rules, ones like driving with the flow of traffic, staying in the bicycle line, obeying traffic signals.

After being hit by one of you idiots, who just happened to be riding the wrong way on a street and having to force the guy to hang around for the police (which was funny just watching him try to lie by giving false information and getting caught in the lie), I have little sympathy for any of you at all.

To quote an observation from Red Forman: Dumbass!

This is like genius Bloomberg’s idea for congestion pricing. It’s such a great idea, why? Because it gives New Yorkers the chance to have othere people pay their freight.

New York does have a marvelous transit system and I take advantage of it but, let’s get one thing straight! Funding for that marvelous transit system, it’s done on the backs of drivers.

All the city-centric who think it’s a great idea for the rest of the world to pay to make your life some idyllic perfect paradise, here are some real suggestions for you:

First, charge a bus and subway fare that costs what it actually takes to run all those trains and buses without subsidies. In other words, without federal funding (from the highway transportation fund), without the money that is diverted from the maintenance and upkeep of roads. This includes quite a bit of money that is directed at public transportation from tolls on bridges and tunnels. Facilities that had the tolls instituted originally to pay for their construction and upkeep and that have provided a steady revenue stream for public transportation for decades. Oh, and while we’re at it - let’s get rid of the tax on gasoline that every driver pays at the pump, or rather let‘s take the money from gasoline taxes and put it only towards roads.

Second, hey I agree - the city has great public transportation!

So if you live in the five boroughs, you don’t need a car! CERTAINLY IF YOU LIVE IN THE FIVE BOROUGHS YOU DON’T NEED AN SUV! So, why not tax those city residents or charge NYC residents a premium for owning a car? Let’s go one step further, let’s base the tax around gross vehicle weight! So, you live in Williamsburg or Manhattan and feel the need to drive something that gets 15 miles to the gallon, you should pay for the privelege. Certainly, you aren’t going off-roading so what’s the point in owning such a large vehicle?

While we’re at it. Let‘s talk about the whole congestion pricing plan.

I’ve lived in and around New York for a long time and I can tell you that the part of Manhattan below 96th street down to the Battery is not the only part of NYC to be subject to congestion. Somehow, the dim bulb who is the mayor believes it is. My question though is this: if you live in the congestion zone (that very expensive, desirable part of the city), why do you own a car!?!? With the many bus and subway lines there is absolutely no need for it! So rather than charging people outside the congestion zone, why aren’t they charging the people who live in the congestion zone $500 a year for owning a car?

See, that way if they instituted the congestion zone pricing, it would be fair to everyone. If you tried to dodge the fee for owning a car by registering it out of state, outside of the city (both of which are way illegal) you would have to pay the congestion charge like everybody else.

The silence from the mayor’s office on this was deafening.

Third, I’m serious about licensing bicyclists! They should have done that a long time ago! I can’t begin to tell you the many stories I’ve heard of people getting hit or nearly hit by bicyclists on city streets. I drive a scooter as well as a car.

Any motorcycle or scooter is two wheeled and still has to follow traffic laws.

Why?

cause there is a danger of an accident, bicyclists in the city are no different. They should be licensed, registered and required to carry insurance. They should also get ticketed the for breaking traffic laws. This means all those guys who can’t be bothered to stop because of a light or who ride the wrong way up the street or on the wrong side of the street should be hit with the kind of tickets motorists are! Let ’em get a nice $110 or $160 ticket and see how quickly the city gets enough revenue to run the transit system.

Fourth, get rid of cabs. Cabs are not public transportation! Any idiot who actually talks about outlawing cars but then parks his or her ass in the back of a cab to ride out to the airport or back home to the boroughs after a night out partying with friends just is full of sh*t! Plain and simple, a cab is a convenience, riding in a cab means that you are opting for convenience over the public transportation system.

Let’s face facts here, the other thing people in the five boroughs don’t seem to recognize is how much their convenience is built on the backs of the internal combustion engine. City dwellers want to pretend it’s the passenger car that’s the problem and turn a blind eye to trucks when practically everything, EVERYTHING in New York City is transported by truck.

It’s the very thing that cuts the legs out of the argument of these flower power morons. They enjoy the convenience of everything being a few blocks from where they live because IT’S TRUCKED THERE! Of course, when you talk to these idiots they just skip over that fact.

(cleaning out my closet from 10/08)

The older I get...

...the more complicated women become:

The Unicorn and the G spot?

Are they both mythical creatures?

Well, apparently the brits seem to think so as evidenced by this study:

The King’s College London team believe the G-spot may be a figment of women’s imagination, encouraged by magazines and sex therapists.

Then again, my bretheren would seem to disagree (offering up hope):

The latest research, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, was carried out the Dr Emmanuele Jannini at the University of L'Aquila... Dr Jannini said: “For the first time, it is possible to determine by a simple, rapid and inexpensive method if a woman has got a G spot or not.”

Or is it simply a matter or genes, or who a woman allows into her jeans?

The reason why some women have problems reaching orgasm might be down to their genes, say UK scientists.

Either way, there is no denying you ladies are a complicated lot. :)

Movie Mondays!



While Will Smith gives a fine turn in the lead, many viewers may find themselves to be disappointed by the pacing of this film that at times can seem a bit plodding - I was reminded of the Tom Hanks vehicle Castaway. Smith is the lone survivor of a self induced plague that has swept the globe. Good work is done with presenting New York City as an abandoned ghost town but, the film for all its show lacks something. This is the third adaptation of the story and viewers may be better served seeking out The Omega Man which is a classic.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

The New Year Diet.

You know how everyone always talks about overindulging during the holidays?

There always seems to be this focus on the amount of gluttony people can exhibit during the holiday season, so much so it is usually the fodder of nightly newscasts throughout November and December. Lots of hints on how to keep from packing on excess poundage and tips on the things that are more fattening for you, foods you should stay away from and the like.

Shortly after Christmas, newscasts shift their focus to dieting techniques because one of the more frequent resolutions people make is to lose weight in the early part of the New Year. Although I wonder if there ever has been a study about whether or not more people lose weight during January and February than any of the other months throughout the year.

Well, fortunately another holiday season is just about departed. Hooray! Or is it better put - Bah! Humbug!

As I had written a few weeks ago, I look forward to the warmer weather in any event... but I digress.

I managed not to put any poundage on during the holidays, as a matter of fact I believe I actually lost weight and it was an accidental if welcome side effect.

See, a few days before Christmas itself I awoke in the middle of the night with the most terrific pain along the left side of my face below the cheekbone. And when I use the adjective terrific, it’s not in the sense of wonderful but rather overwhelming. If you can imagine, I woke literally sometime around 3am and it hurt like all hell. At first I had thought maybe I had taken over to grinding my teeth during sleep (something that happens to a lot of people although I can’t say I ever have been known to do it).

Over the next few days, it just got worse and worse and worse and worse.

My pain tolerance level is pretty high as these things go. It’s not that I don’t feel pain, I’m just not too much of a baby about these things (as evidenced earlier this year when I picked myself up after the scooter accident and with broken leg, broken rib and serious gashes drove the scooter home and then drove myself to the hospital).

Christmas day, it was pretty bad.

Now this Christmas as these things go was a good one. I got a great gift the day before the holiday in that my car got through inspection and on the day itself my cousin got me one of the best gifts I’ve received in recent memory but I also got the worst gift in this really bad tooth thing.

Really bad in that I had an infection and I it was inordinately painful.

I haven’t had a normal dentist in a few years now and part of the problem was trying to find a new dentist that I could feel comfortable going to. The last go round I had at the dentist was horrible, I had been going to the NYU Dental School for treatment and I had gotten stuck with a stinker of a student. She was just a twit for lack of a better word and she did a really bad job that wound up causing me to lose part of a tooth.

So, I’m gun shy.

And I put this thing off because finding someone to treat you during the holiday season usually is difficult at best because everyone is on vacation and if you don’t want to incur the expense of emergency care your options are limited.

Well, rather than drone on, the upshot is I’m finally going to someone tomorrow (and starting off my New Year with a nice Root Canal... YUM!) but, on the good side if you ever want to keep the weight off or stop yourself from overindulging during the holidays? All you need is a nice abscessed tooth to keep you from eating, it works wonders.

Take my word for it.

Does anyone else...

See the irony of this situation?


Iran's police chief threatened Wednesday to show "no mercy" in crushing any new opposition protests and said more than 500 demonstrators have been arrested in the wake of this week's deadly clashes. At least eight people were killed in street violence Sunday, the country's worst unrest since the aftermath of the disputed presidential election on June 12.

I keep flashing back to the Iranian revolution against the Shaw for some reason. Funny to see how the same people who overthrew the Shaw because of his oppressive regime feel perfectly justified in practicing the same methods on their opponents.

GOING COMMANDO!

In case you’re traveling sometime in the near future, remember after Richard Reid (the failed shoe bomber) made his botched attempt to bring a plane down, air travelers were forced to take their shoes off before boarding any plane.

Well, it stands to reason after the Christmas Day attempt to blow up a Delta flight prior to landing in Michigan with an underwear bomb (as it is being referred to in the media), you’ll now have to strip off your skivvies before you take that vacation this year.

Being a member of airport security just got to be a little more interesting. Either that or this Nigerian fellow was working for Fruit of the Loom or Victoria’s Secret.

Movie Mondays!



It’s not overwhelming but Cloverfield is entertaining. A giant monster attacks New York City and four people set out on an odyssey that takes them through the destruction. The camera work is shot to simulate a handheld video recorder, it’s a technique that works for this movie but some may find it tiresome. Also, if you are at all uncomfortable about the events of 9/11, I would suggest avoiding the movie becaude it strikes a little to close a chord to that days’ events. Overall, I found it entertaining if a bit unsettling. The effect are great, the acting works (it’s believable) and although the story is not wrapped up in a neat little package, in this case it makes absolute sense. Cloverfield is not your standard horror flick but it is worth a watch.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

This is very relevant.

Over the last few years, I know of three people who have been stricken with brain cancer two of whom who have died. I resisted getting a cell phone and even though I acknowledge how useful the things are I still have a great deal of apprehension in regard to using the thing excessively.

While there's been no long-term studies on cell phones and cancer, some scientists suggest erring on the side of caution.

Last year, Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, sent a memo to about 3,000 faculty and staff members warning of risks based on early, unpublished data. He said that children should use the phones only for emergencies because their brains were still developing and that adults should keep the phone away from the head and use a speakerphone or a wireless headset.

Herberman, who says scientific conclusions often take too long, is one of numerous doctors and researchers who have endorsed an August report by retired electronics engineer L. Lloyd Morgan. The report highlights a study that found significantly increased risk of brain tumors from 10 or more years of cell phone or cordless phone use.

More wonderful FACEBOOK stories.

I’m anti FACEBOOK as previously expressed. Never been much of a joiner and having been online since the very early days of the web, I’m more than slightly wary of what I put out there. Here’s a little jewel I came across yesterday, speaks to both the desperation of guys to get laid and the basic stupidity of my gender:

Police identified 31 victims, each of whom exchanged nude photographs or videos with someone they thought was a female. More than half said the person with whom they communicated threatened to release the images unless they agreed to let the person’s male friend perform sex acts on them.

What I fucking hate.

I realize I usually refrain from using profanity in my writing. I do this mainly because there is such a prevalence of it in my normal speech and I often find myself ashamed of it (the frequent use of profanity). I’ve gotten better through the years about not using it as much, if I had had children no doubt I would’ve taken some other track as I notice most of my friends with children use fuck substitutes so they don’t expose their children to the word. It still comes across as the same thing to adults but it doesn’t hold the fascination the true ‘F’ word does in terms of the shock value it gets when uttered from the mouth of someone under the age of 10.

Anyhow... what I really despise is the end of daylight savings time.

So much so, I am actually moved to using profanity in my writing. I really hate this part of the year that much.

There is something inherently wrong with the sun going down before 5pm (today’s sunset was 4:48pm)...

I started this entry back on November 2nd and here we are just past the Winter Solstice and to tell you the truth I am very happy now. I’m happy because the days will slowly start getting longer again. I’m happy because New Year’s is almost past. I’m happy because in about six weeks or so pitchers and catchers will report.

Yeah, we still have to get through January and February but at least we’re well on the way to spring. Check out the link above (on Winter Solstice) to see how cultures around the world treat the day.

Movie Mondays!



Watchable but, barely. The odd thing is, I really wanted to like Torchwood! I was looking forward to it greatly but, what a disappointment! I’ve started off with disc two and so far, it’s just a mess. Torchwood lacks the charm of the reimaged Doctor Who. The performances are way over the top, the cinematography is abysmal and the writing (at least of the episodes I’ve seen) is nowhere near the standards I had hoped for. Torchwood tries very, very hard to be edgier and darker than Who (obvious comparisons being made since Torchwood is a spin off of DW) but, it winds up lacking all the charm of its parent. The dynamic between the ensemble cast is still very much in flux, I can’t say for sure if the actors fall into more natural roles as the series progresses but, if the episodes I have seen so far are any indication, the performances are forcibly contrived. John Barrowman, who works well as a supporting actor, falls horribly short as a lead (I particularly liked one instance where he looked directly into the camera during a scene, instead of at the actor he whose head he had a gun pressed against). Torchwood makes the mistake of some scifi series in that it is heavy on the spectacle and gadgetry as opposed to the underlying emotional thrust of the story. The weak underpinnings show through making Torchwood passable entertainment at best.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

PAY ATTENTION!

Cell phones are ubiquetious these days and I resisted getting a cell phone as long as I could because I found myself so often annoyed while commuting by those incessant riders who would loudly proclaim, “I’M ON THE TRAIN...”

Still, finally having given in I must admit to finding the cell phone a handy tool to have and I wouldn’t want to relinquish the device.

Moderation is the key in all things though and cell phones illustrate the hazards of over indulging like no other aspect of modern life. The compulsion to be constantly connected means a person’s focus is too readily diverted from the task at hand much to everyone’s peril as this article so aptly demonstrates:

At Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan, Marc Felberbaum, an emergency room doctor, said he had been seeing more of this over the past year. He recalled in particular one patient who had tripped on a curb while texting, not only breaking his wrist but losing grasp of his cellphone, whereupon it was crushed by an oncoming car. (And yes, it was with some satisfaction that the doctor recounted the last part of this cautionary tale.)

Movie Mondays!


Death Proof harkens back to the days when you could go to a drive-in and see a triple feature. It’s not high art and if that’s what you’re looking for, look elsewhere. Death Proof is more about B-movie goodness. If you love films and have an appreciation for schlock, you’ll enjoy this flick. Tarantino throws in lots of little kudos to movies of that era - I particularly liked one sequence he pulled from an early Steven Spielberg flick-Duel (you’ll know it when you see it, shot out the rear window with a car bearing down on the viewer). Lots of T and A, lots meandering dialogue and the kind of finish that comes straight from the 70s. Everything down to the intentional bad quality (streaks) on the print are done with loving care. I can hardly wait for MACHETE!

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

This really appeals to me.

I’ve been a bit amused by the Facebook phenomenon mainly I believe FaceBook is another faddish frenzy that will wane with time, just like MySpace before it and Twitter ultimately. Aside from time being far too precious, the thing I am ceaselessly astounded by is how readily people will give up personal information that will leave an indelible virtual footprint. So when I ran across this article today it gave me a good chuckle: 

“Rather than fall into the hands of their enemies, ancient Japanese samurai preferred to die with honour, voluntarily plunging a sword into the abdomen and moving it left to right in a slicing motion,” the site notes.
This form of ritual suicide was known as “seppuku.”
“As the seppuku restores the samurai’s honour as a warrior, seppukoo.com deals with the liberation of the digital body,” the site says.
Today the enemy is not other bands of noble warriors but corporate media who use viral marketing to make huge profits by connecting people across the globe.

Movie Mondays!


A decidedly different kind of movie from Ridley Scott, Matchstick Men pairs Sam Rockwell (who was fresh off Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) with Nicholas Cage and both actors are at the top of their game. Cage’s character, who plays the senior of two grifters (the Matchstick Men of the film’s title), is stricken with OCD. Cage covers ground already staked by Tony Shaloub in TV’s Monk but, I can’t say I mind. Rockwell’s manic energy works as the perfect counter balance for Cage’s craziness and together they make for a very watchable pair. Of course, Rockwell has already worked along these lines in David Mamet’s Heist but here, he has a leading role. The movie also has the feel of another favorite, The Grifters, mainly because of the subject matter. There are enough twists and turns to keep you entertained throughout and a nice surprise at the end. Everything is shot lovingly with the kind of sensibilities you’d come to expect from a Ridley Scott film. In essence, the cinematography is wonderful. The movie is tight with strong performances all around. I went in without expectations and came away pleasantly surprised. An enjoyable movie indeed!

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

Hard to resist.


Yesterday I found myself in an animal shelter – I wasn’t dropping anyone off nor was I there to pick anyone up but, I have to say it was hard to resist.

While I was there there was a point where they had four cats out on a countertop and the cats were being transferred from a carrier to cages. The cats were scared and two of them were crying, it just broke my heart. I went over and started to stroke one through the cage to try and get it to calm down. Three beautiful Egyptian Blues and a striped grey Tabby. All of them adults but really beautiful cats nonetheless.

I could easily see how there are people in this world who have tons of cats, especially when the shelter while doing an admirable job is a kill shelter meaning if an animal isn’t adopted it’s put down.

I’ve been catless for a year and half now and I miss having a little friend around that purrs and nuzzles up against you when the cold weather sets in.

In the meantime I saw this on tv today and I couldn’t resist because it’s just so damn cute:

Movie Mondays!

Pure popcorn, a bit formulaic and trite at times but fun and something that can be watched with the kiddies too.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

Speaking of lasting.

I was doing some quick looking around and came across a site dedicated to those old phones. Interesting stuff and as they put it on the splash page:

Western Electric telephones made prior to the breakup of the Bell System (January 1, 1984) were designed and built to last for decades. If a Western Electric phone ever quit working your local Bell Operating company would send out the “telephone man” to your house and fix it for free. Those days of quality built telephones and free visits to your home by a telephone repair person are gone - replaced by cheap throw-away phones from Taiwan and China.