The good news this week happened yesterday. Steve Phillips finally got his ass fired! Speaking as a Mets fan, YYYYYYYYYaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy! So much for blaming Bobby Valentine for the Mets woes.
The other day, after the doubleheader sweep, Sara was commenting on how Bobby Valentine would’ve gotten himself thrown out of the game to stir up the players. Art Howe doesn’t do stuff like that and maybe that’s why he’s not the guy to manage the Mets.
I’m actually liking the Mets a lot these days. That would seem funny to some people since they’re in last place but, I’m liking this team a lot more than the one that came out of spring training.
Spring training:
Mo Vaughn 1B
Roberto Alomar 2B
Rey Sanchez SS
Ty Wigginton 3B
Cliff Floyd LF
Roger Cedeno CF
Jeromy Burnitz RF
Mike Piazza C
now we have:
Jason Phillips 1b
Joe McEwing 2B
Jose Reyes SS
Ty Wiggington 3B
Cliff Floyd LF
Tyoshi Shinjo CF
Jeromy Burnitz RF
Vance Wilson C
Don’t get me wrong, I like Mike Piazza but I’ve thought Vance Wilson should’ve been catching for awhile now with Piazza moving to first base. Would it be so crazy to get the Mets to swap Alomar with the Giants for Alfonzo? Alomar as a free agent would enable the Giants to get out of Alfonzo’s contract and could probably be motivated to be responsible for some of Alfonzo’s salary (2 million per) plus, you could also maybe get back a low minor leaguer.
I still like the starting rotation. The only thing I would see the Mets doing (now that Astacio isn’t coming back) is making a big push for Andy Petite (another free agent in the off-season). I have this feeling the Yankees undervalue Petite and I wouldn’t be surprised for the Yankees to make a big push to grab Kevin Millwood who will also be a free agent this year (remember, you heard it here first). Mets starting rotation would be Glavine, Leiter, Petite, Trachsel and Seo. Middle relief is an issue but, it’s easier to get a middle reliever than a starter.
Also, Sanchez, Alomar and Vaughn will be gone (Leiter, Benitez are also free agents). Bench players would be Phillips, McEwing, Perez, Cedeno. That’s the start of a good scrappy team. Shea Stadium isn’t made for sluggers it’s made for guys who hit for average and pitchers that let ’em hit the ball (because the stadium isn’t a home run park).
Jun 13, 2003
I just woke up. Here it is quarter after 9 on a Friday night and I’m just waking up.
To a lot of people, this would be somewhat jarring but, for me it’s par for the course. I don’t ever really manage to keep what people would think of as regular hours. The last two day, I was working on getting the “small” book out (small as in 52 pages). After delivering the first pass, the holes (missing copy) got filled in and there were a couple of pe’s and a bunch of last minute aa’s before the thing circulated internally.
Each day (Wednesday and Thursday) was a flurry of emails. Then towards the end of the day (5 or 6) I’d usually have most of the changes that needed to be done and I’d wind up being up to 4 or 5 cycling through them. It always looks easy outwardly but, there’s no escaping putting in the time to get the job done right.
Working from home makes things infinitely easier to do stuff like this.
Each day though I wound up being up by 9 or 10 which meant for the last two days I’ve had about 8 hours total sleep coming into Friday afternoon. I had to do the airport run today and the drive back was this meandering adventure where I tried to do a bunch of things since I was up anyway. I stopped off at my favorite Ravioli factory in Queens, Durso’s. I didn’t know they had a website until I just looked, I think Durso himself waited on me this morning.
So, I stocked up on sauce (they have really, really good Bolognese sauce) and a bunch of other stuff. There’s some places up here but, I got into the habit of going to Durso’s and shopping there after Mets games and I haven’t been going down to Queens much lately so, it was quite the treat - really good Bruschetta too.
So, the ride back became a lesson on what roads in the area to avoid because of construction (for the record, 95 in the Bronx, downtown White Plains and 287/87 in Westchester) and took longer than I would have wanted. It was such a grey, closed in day - the latest in an abundance of such days it seems.
I got my comics Jones taken care off and went to get the mail. I was never able to get the laundry done because both laundromats were crowded (a consequence of the kind of day it was no doubt). By the time I got home, it was around 2. I hadn’t had any breakfast or lunch. By the time I wound up eating and everything it was already 4 and the post meal nap loomed ahead of me. I didn’t realize I was running on fumes until that moment and now it’s Friday night and I’m trying to get motivated to start the big boy which I have to have finished up sometime by the middle of next week.
To a lot of people, this would be somewhat jarring but, for me it’s par for the course. I don’t ever really manage to keep what people would think of as regular hours. The last two day, I was working on getting the “small” book out (small as in 52 pages). After delivering the first pass, the holes (missing copy) got filled in and there were a couple of pe’s and a bunch of last minute aa’s before the thing circulated internally.
Each day (Wednesday and Thursday) was a flurry of emails. Then towards the end of the day (5 or 6) I’d usually have most of the changes that needed to be done and I’d wind up being up to 4 or 5 cycling through them. It always looks easy outwardly but, there’s no escaping putting in the time to get the job done right.
Working from home makes things infinitely easier to do stuff like this.
Each day though I wound up being up by 9 or 10 which meant for the last two days I’ve had about 8 hours total sleep coming into Friday afternoon. I had to do the airport run today and the drive back was this meandering adventure where I tried to do a bunch of things since I was up anyway. I stopped off at my favorite Ravioli factory in Queens, Durso’s. I didn’t know they had a website until I just looked, I think Durso himself waited on me this morning.
So, I stocked up on sauce (they have really, really good Bolognese sauce) and a bunch of other stuff. There’s some places up here but, I got into the habit of going to Durso’s and shopping there after Mets games and I haven’t been going down to Queens much lately so, it was quite the treat - really good Bruschetta too.
So, the ride back became a lesson on what roads in the area to avoid because of construction (for the record, 95 in the Bronx, downtown White Plains and 287/87 in Westchester) and took longer than I would have wanted. It was such a grey, closed in day - the latest in an abundance of such days it seems.
I got my comics Jones taken care off and went to get the mail. I was never able to get the laundry done because both laundromats were crowded (a consequence of the kind of day it was no doubt). By the time I got home, it was around 2. I hadn’t had any breakfast or lunch. By the time I wound up eating and everything it was already 4 and the post meal nap loomed ahead of me. I didn’t realize I was running on fumes until that moment and now it’s Friday night and I’m trying to get motivated to start the big boy which I have to have finished up sometime by the middle of next week.
Jun 11, 2003
Will it stop raining now... please?!
Why do I get the sense we’ll have a really hot, sweltering July and August?
I find myself in the midst of project land, that surreal place where I have my blinders on as I work to get a project out the door. I’m always worried about meeting deadlines and doing a good job. I managed to get one of the projects set up and since Tuesday it has repaginated three times! I’m glad I set it up the right way or I’d be pulling my hair out about now. Once I get the setup part done, I’m usually pretty pleased with myself - if I didn’t have the other catalog backed up against this one, I would be a lot more relaxed now.
Instead, I find myself trying to clear the decks and steeling myself for the 64 pager I should have in my hands in the next day or two.
I was thinking about how much work has changed through the years. 7 or 8 years back, if somebody had come to me with something this size to turn around in a less than a week, I’d really be freaking out. Now, although it’s stressful, it’s doable, just a question of setting things up the right way.
Yesterday, I delivered a first draft to the client and followed up, putting some face time in at their office later in the day. I’ve been so busy, I realized on the drive there I hadn’t been out of the house really since Friday! Boy though, yesterday was a beauty!
I drove into the city, I had the windows rolled down and I didn’t turn on the radio (as I would normally do) just enjoying the drive and the weather. Really nice day out.
I’ve got to say though, I also realized it must have been about a month since I’ve been in the city as well. I don’t miss it. Back in my twenties, I lived in the city for a couple of years. One summer I took a trip with a then girlfriend up to the country and was amazed how relaxed I felt when I got back from it. I noticed the difference just walking around to go to dinner the evening we got back. The funny thing was before we left, I hadn’t realized how tense I was and how wound up I had gotten from the daily assault of city life on my senses. Yesterday was like that too. When I got back into the city, I was much more relaxed. I didn’t have that crazy “rush” feel that most people in the city wind up succumbing to. I like feeling relaxed that way.
Why do I get the sense we’ll have a really hot, sweltering July and August?
I find myself in the midst of project land, that surreal place where I have my blinders on as I work to get a project out the door. I’m always worried about meeting deadlines and doing a good job. I managed to get one of the projects set up and since Tuesday it has repaginated three times! I’m glad I set it up the right way or I’d be pulling my hair out about now. Once I get the setup part done, I’m usually pretty pleased with myself - if I didn’t have the other catalog backed up against this one, I would be a lot more relaxed now.
Instead, I find myself trying to clear the decks and steeling myself for the 64 pager I should have in my hands in the next day or two.
I was thinking about how much work has changed through the years. 7 or 8 years back, if somebody had come to me with something this size to turn around in a less than a week, I’d really be freaking out. Now, although it’s stressful, it’s doable, just a question of setting things up the right way.
Yesterday, I delivered a first draft to the client and followed up, putting some face time in at their office later in the day. I’ve been so busy, I realized on the drive there I hadn’t been out of the house really since Friday! Boy though, yesterday was a beauty!
I drove into the city, I had the windows rolled down and I didn’t turn on the radio (as I would normally do) just enjoying the drive and the weather. Really nice day out.
I’ve got to say though, I also realized it must have been about a month since I’ve been in the city as well. I don’t miss it. Back in my twenties, I lived in the city for a couple of years. One summer I took a trip with a then girlfriend up to the country and was amazed how relaxed I felt when I got back from it. I noticed the difference just walking around to go to dinner the evening we got back. The funny thing was before we left, I hadn’t realized how tense I was and how wound up I had gotten from the daily assault of city life on my senses. Yesterday was like that too. When I got back into the city, I was much more relaxed. I didn’t have that crazy “rush” feel that most people in the city wind up succumbing to. I like feeling relaxed that way.
Jun 9, 2003
Also this weekend, I saw Die Another Day the last installment of the Bond series. It had a really promising beginning but left me a bit lukewarm at the end - I think it was the first Bond movie I’d ever seen which used “bullet time” the stop and go visual effect made popular by the Matrix - while it’s an interesting visual style, I don’t know if it’s something which should be used in a Bond film.
None of those old Connery films had anything like it and they’re still the standard by which I judge Bond films.
The villains were okay, the locales were good too but, maybe Bond has seen it’s day. The world’s a much smaller place nowadays and these movies somehow don’t have the exotic feel of those aforementioned Connery films.
Halle Berry was talked up a lot when the movie came out. She’s very easy on the eyes but, I don’t know if her character would “have legs” and be able to support her own series. Michael Madsen is a good addition to the supporting cast and John Cleese fits right in (and actually knows just how to play it in these films).
Madonna was in the film too - looking very long in the tooth. I was never a big Madonna fan - watching her on screen is a reminder of how badly she acts (or doesn’t depending on how you want to look at it).
I found the plot a little too predictable though, they telegraphed things early in the second reel and it was pretty much downhill from there. Too many blue screen shots as well - maybe that plays big with the Gen Z’ers out there.
Also rented the Pianist but haven’t gotten around to watching it yet.
None of those old Connery films had anything like it and they’re still the standard by which I judge Bond films.
The villains were okay, the locales were good too but, maybe Bond has seen it’s day. The world’s a much smaller place nowadays and these movies somehow don’t have the exotic feel of those aforementioned Connery films.
Halle Berry was talked up a lot when the movie came out. She’s very easy on the eyes but, I don’t know if her character would “have legs” and be able to support her own series. Michael Madsen is a good addition to the supporting cast and John Cleese fits right in (and actually knows just how to play it in these films).
Madonna was in the film too - looking very long in the tooth. I was never a big Madonna fan - watching her on screen is a reminder of how badly she acts (or doesn’t depending on how you want to look at it).
I found the plot a little too predictable though, they telegraphed things early in the second reel and it was pretty much downhill from there. Too many blue screen shots as well - maybe that plays big with the Gen Z’ers out there.
Also rented the Pianist but haven’t gotten around to watching it yet.
What a busy weekend! Whew!
Friday was just non-stop and the rest of the weekend was devoted to making the catalog an easy thing to deal with. As of late this evening I’m starting to feel better about catalog one (which should be tight and right by the middle of the week). It’ll be just in time for catalog two and the headlong rush to releasing both of them in two weeks!
I wanted to do the weekly comic book roundup, it was something I was meaning to do when I can remember to do it.
This week’s buys: Vertigo Pop! Bangkok (really, really hard to get into), The Authority (volume 2 is noticeably lacking something that was present in volume 1 - not the exciting, trend setter it was by any means), Batman, Detective Comics (good story, even for the non comics fan), Arkham Asylum (proving to be an interesting read - a keeper), Hawkman (the stories plod along but, the art really carries the book and is beautiful to look at), 100 Bullets (I’m still not quite up to speed on the backstory - and it hurts the book), Doom Patrol (soon to be canceled but, going out with a bang), Wildcats (one of the best books out there each month - I think it’s the great book no one knows about), Black Panther (just gets better and better with each issue), Superman, Action Comics (terrific storyline going on - waiting for each new issue), I also have a bunch of books I’m finding it really hard to go through, that’s usually an indication there not for me. In that pile I find: Wolverine Netsuke, Soldier X, Vertigo Pop! London, and Dial H for Hero. There’s a bunch of book sitting upstairs too, more on them another time.
Friday was just non-stop and the rest of the weekend was devoted to making the catalog an easy thing to deal with. As of late this evening I’m starting to feel better about catalog one (which should be tight and right by the middle of the week). It’ll be just in time for catalog two and the headlong rush to releasing both of them in two weeks!
I wanted to do the weekly comic book roundup, it was something I was meaning to do when I can remember to do it.
This week’s buys: Vertigo Pop! Bangkok (really, really hard to get into), The Authority (volume 2 is noticeably lacking something that was present in volume 1 - not the exciting, trend setter it was by any means), Batman, Detective Comics (good story, even for the non comics fan), Arkham Asylum (proving to be an interesting read - a keeper), Hawkman (the stories plod along but, the art really carries the book and is beautiful to look at), 100 Bullets (I’m still not quite up to speed on the backstory - and it hurts the book), Doom Patrol (soon to be canceled but, going out with a bang), Wildcats (one of the best books out there each month - I think it’s the great book no one knows about), Black Panther (just gets better and better with each issue), Superman, Action Comics (terrific storyline going on - waiting for each new issue), I also have a bunch of books I’m finding it really hard to go through, that’s usually an indication there not for me. In that pile I find: Wolverine Netsuke, Soldier X, Vertigo Pop! London, and Dial H for Hero. There’s a bunch of book sitting upstairs too, more on them another time.
Jun 7, 2003
The lawn has been mowed. I repeat, the lawn has been mowed. Much to the satisfaction of everyone in the house and in our neighborhood. An hour or two with the weed whacker took care of the deed (although it is akin to getting your haircut one hair at a time in terms of tedium). It’s done though and that’s the main thing.
I managed to almost make it through my list today. I’ve got a busy couple of days ahead as I labor through the first pass of catalog number one only to switch off immediately to catalog number two. The next two weeks are going to be hellish but, worth the pain.
I managed to almost make it through my list today. I’ve got a busy couple of days ahead as I labor through the first pass of catalog number one only to switch off immediately to catalog number two. The next two weeks are going to be hellish but, worth the pain.
Jun 5, 2003
I had written this long thing and then accidently punched my browser to a page I wanted to link to losing everything I had written... arrrrrgggggggghhhhhh! Third time trying to write about the same topic, this happens some time - it’s fated.
So in lieu of that:
Women in The News
Hey, everyone! Be sure to catch my new show from the Bedford Women’s Correctional Facility. Martha Stewart Living in Prison.
My husband cheated on me and all I got was this lousy Senate seat!
(By the way, what’s up with the sweater wrapped around your shoulders while you’re wearing a suit? What is that supposed to be, like a cape?)
Living History? Isn’t that what you call the stain on Monica’s dress?
Meanwhile, back in Jolly Ole England, the Queen asks, “Who farted?”
So in lieu of that:
Hey, everyone! Be sure to catch my new show from the Bedford Women’s Correctional Facility. Martha Stewart Living in Prison.
My husband cheated on me and all I got was this lousy Senate seat!
(By the way, what’s up with the sweater wrapped around your shoulders while you’re wearing a suit? What is that supposed to be, like a cape?)
Living History? Isn’t that what you call the stain on Monica’s dress?
Meanwhile, back in Jolly Ole England, the Queen asks, “Who farted?”
Jun 4, 2003
Today I finished up a poster I was working on for the last few weeks. I got a chance to take the photo for it and did the layout. It came out okay - does anyone walk away from anything feeling 100% about it?
The good thing is I finally got my laptop station setup the way I wanted to. This is big news in my world. It means I have at least a partial setup to work in. The main station I’ve used is a clone with a G3 upgrade card in it. I just got in the habit of using it, it’s the station I use to surf with and is the station with the dialup on it. I’ve used the laptop more and more though and having things setup for it the way I wanted will go a long way to finishing projects that have fallen to the back burner.
When things were busy during the first part of the year, I had gone out and gotten an Electron Blue monitor for the laptop setup. It sat unused for the last two months or so. I also had my two external firewire drives, the scanner and the bookendz dock (so I wouldn’t have to keep plugging and unplugging things), all geared towards backing everything up, sorting though all the mishmash of files, getting things moving forward. Finally having a place to work will make things much, much easier.
The good thing is I finally got my laptop station setup the way I wanted to. This is big news in my world. It means I have at least a partial setup to work in. The main station I’ve used is a clone with a G3 upgrade card in it. I just got in the habit of using it, it’s the station I use to surf with and is the station with the dialup on it. I’ve used the laptop more and more though and having things setup for it the way I wanted will go a long way to finishing projects that have fallen to the back burner.
When things were busy during the first part of the year, I had gone out and gotten an Electron Blue monitor for the laptop setup. It sat unused for the last two months or so. I also had my two external firewire drives, the scanner and the bookendz dock (so I wouldn’t have to keep plugging and unplugging things), all geared towards backing everything up, sorting though all the mishmash of files, getting things moving forward. Finally having a place to work will make things much, much easier.
Jun 2, 2003
What a weekend, if it rains anymore I’m going to build a big boat and start and looking for pairs of animals. It’s hard to believe a year ago they were making all this noise about droughts around here, how quickly things change.
Margaret posted the link to the DEP website on her blog last year and I used to go to it on a fairly regular basis and watch the numbers change (morbid fascination). I don’t buy in to the whole panic thing and weather does usually go in cycles (rainy seasons and dry seasons). The question is with these things, how can the reservoirs be over 100%? Once they are at 100% isn’t everything else just runoff?
The room formerly known as our garage is returning to a semblance of its originally intended usage. I played hermit for most of the weekend and spent much time moving boxes and sheetrock. It’s amazing how much stuff you can cram into a space if you have shelves.
Also got out on Sunday with Irene (Hi Irene!) in an attempt to go see the Matrix. Anyone who thinks the economy is doing poorly, should have seen the Palisades Mall this past Sunday! I’ve never been there when it was as crowded as it was. There was no parking at all - a feat I didn’t think was possible. I couldn’t explain why the place was so crowded. I didn’t know if people were just tired of being cooped up in the house with their kids (due to another rainy weekend), or the fact that Jersey (there seemed to be a lot of Jerseyites there) malls close on Sunday due to the blue laws or the thought in most peoples minds that the sales tax was going up and mistakenly thinking they could make buys under the wire (it went into effect on a Sunday - June 1st).
They just raised the property taxes here and now they’re raising the sales tax too! I think the one on clothing purchases under $100 is the one that hurts working families the most and is really quite stupid. If they’re going to do this with the sales tax they should just repeal the state income tax and raise the sales tax a few more points to compensate. The only thing it’s really going to do is drive people to surrounding states where the sales tax is lower - it seems so stupid.
Anyway, we both made our way over there, having no idea the place would be the mob scene it was. It was very discouraging. It took me 45 minutes just to park - if I wasn’t meeting Irene, I would have given up after 10. I’m never that desperate to spend money that I can justify driving around 45 minutes to find parking at a mall.
We wound up leaving the mall and driving over to Nyack to have a cup of coffee. The Starbucks virus has even penetrated the ’burbs! Nyack is really beautiful though, it just makes me think about how this whole area is being overbuilt and how the congestion is ruining the character of a lot of the smaller villages in and around the area. There was this comic, Judge Dredd (yes the same one they made the movie from with Stallone in it) which took place in the future. They envisioned MegaCity 1 an urban sprawl which ran down most of the east coast of North America and in from the coastline a hundred miles or so. When I say urban sprawl, I mean unbroken concrete! Maybe not in a hundred years but then again, if you think what this area was like a hundred years ago it might not seem so far-fetched.
Margaret posted the link to the DEP website on her blog last year and I used to go to it on a fairly regular basis and watch the numbers change (morbid fascination). I don’t buy in to the whole panic thing and weather does usually go in cycles (rainy seasons and dry seasons). The question is with these things, how can the reservoirs be over 100%? Once they are at 100% isn’t everything else just runoff?
The room formerly known as our garage is returning to a semblance of its originally intended usage. I played hermit for most of the weekend and spent much time moving boxes and sheetrock. It’s amazing how much stuff you can cram into a space if you have shelves.
Also got out on Sunday with Irene (Hi Irene!) in an attempt to go see the Matrix. Anyone who thinks the economy is doing poorly, should have seen the Palisades Mall this past Sunday! I’ve never been there when it was as crowded as it was. There was no parking at all - a feat I didn’t think was possible. I couldn’t explain why the place was so crowded. I didn’t know if people were just tired of being cooped up in the house with their kids (due to another rainy weekend), or the fact that Jersey (there seemed to be a lot of Jerseyites there) malls close on Sunday due to the blue laws or the thought in most peoples minds that the sales tax was going up and mistakenly thinking they could make buys under the wire (it went into effect on a Sunday - June 1st).
They just raised the property taxes here and now they’re raising the sales tax too! I think the one on clothing purchases under $100 is the one that hurts working families the most and is really quite stupid. If they’re going to do this with the sales tax they should just repeal the state income tax and raise the sales tax a few more points to compensate. The only thing it’s really going to do is drive people to surrounding states where the sales tax is lower - it seems so stupid.
Anyway, we both made our way over there, having no idea the place would be the mob scene it was. It was very discouraging. It took me 45 minutes just to park - if I wasn’t meeting Irene, I would have given up after 10. I’m never that desperate to spend money that I can justify driving around 45 minutes to find parking at a mall.
We wound up leaving the mall and driving over to Nyack to have a cup of coffee. The Starbucks virus has even penetrated the ’burbs! Nyack is really beautiful though, it just makes me think about how this whole area is being overbuilt and how the congestion is ruining the character of a lot of the smaller villages in and around the area. There was this comic, Judge Dredd (yes the same one they made the movie from with Stallone in it) which took place in the future. They envisioned MegaCity 1 an urban sprawl which ran down most of the east coast of North America and in from the coastline a hundred miles or so. When I say urban sprawl, I mean unbroken concrete! Maybe not in a hundred years but then again, if you think what this area was like a hundred years ago it might not seem so far-fetched.
May 30, 2003
Lastly (for today) two short items:
WOMAN HIT BY FALLING HS STOOL
The headline to this story made me laugh, “Chicken Little, it’s raining turds!” Actually, a bizarre story involving a pregnant woman and some stupid behavior.
Also, in the news locally (New York) this week, a Bronx woman died of a heart attack while trying to break up a school yard fight between her daughter and another girl. It’s a sad story to be sure but what makes it strange is that this 57 year old woman was mother of 18 children! Think about that for a second,18!
They could have a baseball game at the family reunion and have two complete teams with just her kids! Everyone has a hobby, I guess we know what her husband’s was. After 18 kids though, this lady should have made it to 150!
The headline to this story made me laugh, “Chicken Little, it’s raining turds!” Actually, a bizarre story involving a pregnant woman and some stupid behavior.
Also, in the news locally (New York) this week, a Bronx woman died of a heart attack while trying to break up a school yard fight between her daughter and another girl. It’s a sad story to be sure but what makes it strange is that this 57 year old woman was mother of 18 children! Think about that for a second,
They could have a baseball game at the family reunion and have two complete teams with just her kids! Everyone has a hobby, I guess we know what her husband’s was. After 18 kids though, this lady should have made it to 150!
I rented a few DVDs this week, one was Love Liza with Philip Seymour Hoffman which I took a chance on since I had watched PT Anderson’s great Magnolia again the other day. I was thinking how Magnolia would make a good double feature with American Beauty - if they still had double features. Movies come and go so fast now, it amazes me. The other flick was Adaptation, the film with Nicolas Cage and Meryll Streep which was done by Spike Jonez and Charles Kaufman (who had done Being John Malkovich together).
Adaptation was pretty bad - more artifice than art. The story is all over the place. I guess he (Kaufman) was trying to show the “writer’s process” but wound up being more self-indulgent than anything else. Nicolas Cage is well on his way to baldness - think his uncle Francis Ford Coppola. Meryl Streep is always a pleasure and still very watchable - she’s someone who brings a lot to the table in every gig she takes. Overall, she couldn’t carry the piece alone with the script structured the way it was. Brian Cox (the first Hannibal Lechter) was also in it - he’s always fun to watch (X2, Rushmore and the original Red Dragon).
A night later I was flipping and saw Jackass on MTV. I hadn’t realized Spike Jonez was part of that crew. I am ashamed to admit it but, I love watching Jackass mainly because it can elicit some true belly laughs (and considering my ever-expanding girth those are some big laughs indeed!).
Love Liza had Kathy Bates in it (as well as the aforementioned PSH). Kathy Bates is another actress who’s quite talented. It had a good cast but again the story just didn’t hold up. Don’t believe the blurbs! Movie just plodded along at a snail’s pace with scenes connected by long montages of landscapes as perceived by PSH character who has a unique way of altering his perceptions (on the heels of his wife’s suicide). I’m not ruining anything for you if you decide to see it. I thought the cinematography wasn’t that good. It was evidenced it the opening sequence of the film and didn’t get any better.
I was doing the CostCo thing again last week when I came upon Miller’s Crossing on dvd which is a favorite of mine. Infinitely better than either of the other films and if you haven’t seen it worth checking out.
Adaptation was pretty bad - more artifice than art. The story is all over the place. I guess he (Kaufman) was trying to show the “writer’s process” but wound up being more self-indulgent than anything else. Nicolas Cage is well on his way to baldness - think his uncle Francis Ford Coppola. Meryl Streep is always a pleasure and still very watchable - she’s someone who brings a lot to the table in every gig she takes. Overall, she couldn’t carry the piece alone with the script structured the way it was. Brian Cox (the first Hannibal Lechter) was also in it - he’s always fun to watch (X2, Rushmore and the original Red Dragon).
A night later I was flipping and saw Jackass on MTV. I hadn’t realized Spike Jonez was part of that crew. I am ashamed to admit it but, I love watching Jackass mainly because it can elicit some true belly laughs (and considering my ever-expanding girth those are some big laughs indeed!).
Love Liza had Kathy Bates in it (as well as the aforementioned PSH). Kathy Bates is another actress who’s quite talented. It had a good cast but again the story just didn’t hold up. Don’t believe the blurbs! Movie just plodded along at a snail’s pace with scenes connected by long montages of landscapes as perceived by PSH character who has a unique way of altering his perceptions (on the heels of his wife’s suicide). I’m not ruining anything for you if you decide to see it. I thought the cinematography wasn’t that good. It was evidenced it the opening sequence of the film and didn’t get any better.
I was doing the CostCo thing again last week when I came upon Miller’s Crossing on dvd which is a favorite of mine. Infinitely better than either of the other films and if you haven’t seen it worth checking out.
Today was a good day/bad day.
I’ve been mainly staying around the house not having the car, I’m starting to see floor and can walk in the garage (although not completely yet). Today I had a few errands to run so, I wound up going out - and there’s the good move/bad move.
Kitty had to go for her haircut. It’s sad she was around the bed waiting for me to get up so she could have her morning treat of a fresh can of wet food - it’s part of kitty’s daily ritual to make a nuisance of herself prior to getting fed (just in case you didn’t know she was waiting for her food). She jumped up on the bed and was in the process of giving me the “kitty massage” when I got up and bundled her in my arms. I made my way over to her carrier and when she heard the unmistakable noise of the door to the carrier being open she made the most sorrowful meow she could muster - please don’t put me in there!
So we took the short trip to the vet and left her in their care. Having shaved her many times they are used to her not being a happy camper when she’s being shaved.
I returned home and went about collecting myself and trying to figure out what I would be able to get done today. I was cleaned up and contemplating the day when the phone rang and it was the vet letting me know kitty was ready. Since it was nice out, I was thinking about taking the trip down for Dim Sum and I thought about Harry since I hadn’t spoken with him in awhile. As fate would have it, Harry called leaving a message and we made plans to meet for lunch.
So, Harry calling and making plans to be out was the good news - being home during the day and being out in the burbs means there aren’t many people to see during the day as most everyone is at work. I stopped off to pick up a few items at the local supermarket, got back in the car and was behind two other vehicles (a car and an SUV) waiting to pull out of the parking lot.
There was about three or four feet of space between me and the SUV when all of a sudden the reverse lights came on and the driver floored it plowing into the front of the car - scared the living shit out of me, No explanation for it, no nothing - by the time I was able to hit the horn it was already too late. Of course, the SUV had a tow hood on it which acted like a battering ram. I got out of the car shocked, I couldn’t believe what had happened (remember, I haven’t had the car for almost a week now and I only got it back the day on Tuesday).
This young woman gets out of her SUV (trying to shush the two kids in the back), saying “Oh, I didn’t see you.” (No shit Sherlock) I was apoplectic - I was shaking from it, it was really caught me off guard (the impact that is), nevermind the fact that a pedestrian had walked across between the cars a few minutes before while I was waiting for her to pull out - I called the police and filed an accident report.
The cop was an ass (too much to be bothered by?) and I was belligerent towards the woman at first when she started by blowing the whole thing off (she was very non plussed by it). It turns out she had forgotten something and one of the kids was looking like he’d be late to school, she just threw the truck in reverse and decided to back up into the parking lot - for all I know she was probably on her cell phone too which made an appearance shortly after we were wrangling through things.
My next car, I’m getting a lazy boy to sit in while I drive, have a wide screen tv with a phone and a microwave this way I can just put my entire fucking living room on wheels - it’ll be bigger than a hummer and if anyone gets in my way I’ll just roll over them (maybe get tires on the thing like they have on the things on the Extreme Vehicles shows on the Discovery Channel). What ever happened to getting in your car and driving?
Anyway, kitty looks like a cross between a poodle (with her hair uncut around the bottoms of her legs and around the face) and a little lioness. She got the treat of her wet food the moment she set foot back in the house and I wound up having a really nice lunch with Harry so, SUV wielding soccer moms notwithstanding it was still a pretty good day.
I’ve been mainly staying around the house not having the car, I’m starting to see floor and can walk in the garage (although not completely yet). Today I had a few errands to run so, I wound up going out - and there’s the good move/bad move.
Kitty had to go for her haircut. It’s sad she was around the bed waiting for me to get up so she could have her morning treat of a fresh can of wet food - it’s part of kitty’s daily ritual to make a nuisance of herself prior to getting fed (just in case you didn’t know she was waiting for her food). She jumped up on the bed and was in the process of giving me the “kitty massage” when I got up and bundled her in my arms. I made my way over to her carrier and when she heard the unmistakable noise of the door to the carrier being open she made the most sorrowful meow she could muster - please don’t put me in there!
So we took the short trip to the vet and left her in their care. Having shaved her many times they are used to her not being a happy camper when she’s being shaved.
I returned home and went about collecting myself and trying to figure out what I would be able to get done today. I was cleaned up and contemplating the day when the phone rang and it was the vet letting me know kitty was ready. Since it was nice out, I was thinking about taking the trip down for Dim Sum and I thought about Harry since I hadn’t spoken with him in awhile. As fate would have it, Harry called leaving a message and we made plans to meet for lunch.
So, Harry calling and making plans to be out was the good news - being home during the day and being out in the burbs means there aren’t many people to see during the day as most everyone is at work. I stopped off to pick up a few items at the local supermarket, got back in the car and was behind two other vehicles (a car and an SUV) waiting to pull out of the parking lot.
There was about three or four feet of space between me and the SUV when all of a sudden the reverse lights came on and the driver floored it plowing into the front of the car - scared the living shit out of me, No explanation for it, no nothing - by the time I was able to hit the horn it was already too late. Of course, the SUV had a tow hood on it which acted like a battering ram. I got out of the car shocked, I couldn’t believe what had happened (remember, I haven’t had the car for almost a week now and I only got it back the day on Tuesday).
This young woman gets out of her SUV (trying to shush the two kids in the back), saying “Oh, I didn’t see you.” (No shit Sherlock) I was apoplectic - I was shaking from it, it was really caught me off guard (the impact that is), nevermind the fact that a pedestrian had walked across between the cars a few minutes before while I was waiting for her to pull out - I called the police and filed an accident report.
The cop was an ass (too much to be bothered by?) and I was belligerent towards the woman at first when she started by blowing the whole thing off (she was very non plussed by it). It turns out she had forgotten something and one of the kids was looking like he’d be late to school, she just threw the truck in reverse and decided to back up into the parking lot - for all I know she was probably on her cell phone too which made an appearance shortly after we were wrangling through things.
My next car, I’m getting a lazy boy to sit in while I drive, have a wide screen tv with a phone and a microwave this way I can just put my entire fucking living room on wheels - it’ll be bigger than a hummer and if anyone gets in my way I’ll just roll over them (maybe get tires on the thing like they have on the things on the Extreme Vehicles shows on the Discovery Channel). What ever happened to getting in your car and driving?
Anyway, kitty looks like a cross between a poodle (with her hair uncut around the bottoms of her legs and around the face) and a little lioness. She got the treat of her wet food the moment she set foot back in the house and I wound up having a really nice lunch with Harry so, SUV wielding soccer moms notwithstanding it was still a pretty good day.
May 29, 2003
Today is finally nice out! Now I can finish the yard work I keep putting off. I hit some of the yard with the wheed whacker (intentional misspelling there) before the cord on the thing ran out leaving me with a lawn that has receiving a partial haircut.
I had to go into the backyard and was really bummed looking at how it had fallen into disrepair - so much to do so little time.
I had to go into the backyard and was really bummed looking at how it had fallen into disrepair - so much to do so little time.
The big news last week was two I landed two big projects. I always worry about work - although I enjoy not working those nasty bills just keep appearing in my mailbox. Work also seems to be an excuse I often use to escape from doing other things in life which will help me get ahead or significantly change my life.
Still, somehow I managed to get work. I don’t have to put in face time at an office or suck up to anyone so, the jobs rank as pretty good by my standards. Knowing me I’ll be up late a bunch of nights (3 or 4 in the morning) with the TV on as I mow my way through them (two catalogs). There’s a little design work involved as well which is an added plus and it’ll get me through the summer for the most part.
That doesn’t mean I’m still not looking. Like my friend once said to me, “You should always be looking.” A statement which I’ve taken to heart over the years.
Still, somehow I managed to get work. I don’t have to put in face time at an office or suck up to anyone so, the jobs rank as pretty good by my standards. Knowing me I’ll be up late a bunch of nights (3 or 4 in the morning) with the TV on as I mow my way through them (two catalogs). There’s a little design work involved as well which is an added plus and it’ll get me through the summer for the most part.
That doesn’t mean I’m still not looking. Like my friend once said to me, “You should always be looking.” A statement which I’ve taken to heart over the years.
Today I got the car back. After three weeks of intermittent failures and getting mysteriously stuck several times - I never realized how much I missed my car until it wasn’t working.
It went into the dealership on Friday and finally came back today. First waiting for the part then. waiting for the mechanic who decided to take a long weekend but, at least it’s done.
It went into the dealership on Friday and finally came back today. First waiting for the part then. waiting for the mechanic who decided to take a long weekend but, at least it’s done.
Some people get up in the morning to take care of business, other people get up just to be in the way
Places like that can be interesting if only for the mix of people they bring together (which is an understatement to say the least). There were a few alchies (I may have botched the spelling there), a couple of petty crooks and some hard working if poor people (of which I was one).
I made friends with a few of the guys there, mainly the ones who seemed normal, sane and had a good relationship with the people who ran the Y (usually by working for the facility, which I did as well).
There was Norman (Solomon) an overweight and loud man, Norman was known for his knowledge on almost everything under the sun and would offer his opinion on it to you whether you wanted him to or not. Norman, who was rumored to have recorded an album in the mid 70's (Side A - Norman Talkin’... Side B - More Norman Talkin’ with the bonus cut, Norman and Carlton talkin’ about women). Warm days Norman could be found on the front steps of the building, clad in an obscenely tight bicyclists garb of spandex pants and a equally tight checkered spandex shirt which emphasized his girth.
Norman would usually be in the company of Carlton who always wore a jeans jacket, jeans and a baseball cap and was Norman’s opposite being short and slight of build. They would spend the afternoon shooting the breeze and chatting with whomever made their way into the building.
There was Artie, tall, rangy and good-natured - with his loud infectious laugh, known both for having one of the nicest rooms in the facility and his ability to sneak ladies in for overnight visits into the otherwise male only dorm.
Brad was boisterous and friendly. He ran the front desk (as well as living in the facility) and was really good working with the kids during the day camp the Y sponsored during the summer months. Brad seemed straight as an arrow but it belied the skeleton he carried around in his closet. Notwithstanding, he was always a good guy to me.
Lastly, there was Kevin. a line worker at the local auto plant. Short, but solidly built (from his years working the arresting gear on an aircraft carrier), Kevin knew just about everyone in town by name. The smile he walked around with was permanently affixed to his face. He set goals for himself and set about achieving those goals: he wrote, tried to mount production of a play locally, ran religiously and was always trying new, different things (whether it be conditioning the callus of his knuckles by repeatedly pounding them into buckets of various grades of buckshot or trying all kinds of Chinese medicinal herbs just to name a few).
Kevin and I were about the same age and wound up becoming friends, hanging out and having breakfast every once in a while or catching a movie. Kevin was a good entry into town life since he seemed to know everyone and they most of the towns people found him quite charming. The Y being situated next to a volunteer firehouse, I wondered why Kevin who seemed to know everyone at the firehouse never joined the brigade. It seemed like something he would do.
Also, I would tell Kevin he should think about running for some kind of village office but at every juncture Kevin would downplay the idea and there was a very simple reason why he did. It was the same reason that although he was subject to annual layoffs from the GM factory he never considered taking a job somewhere else.
It was as simple as his color.
As gregarious a person as he was, Kevin didn’t feel there would be a place for him among the all-white boys club of the firehouse - even though he knew everyone there and was on a first name basis with them. The same thing went for running for village office (although he was good friends with the village’s current mayor). It was the same thing with the job, GM even with the frequent layoffs at least had a benefits package that offered a certain amount of security and Kevin wasn’t sure with a high school education he would be able to find the same kind of opportunity outside of GM - especially being black.
As Kevin described it he had a goal (which he did in fact achieve) which was to make it to the age of 35 without winding up dead or in jail. When I think about it now it makes me really, really sad. Not that Kevin made his goal for which I am infinitely happy but, that our society is such, it made it really clear to him there was only so much he could expect.
All the guys I mentioned above were adult black men. Two out of the five of them are dead.
The two who’re dead died at young ages (somewhere between 45 and 55). It just came to mind because I was reading this story. I don’t profess to be an enlightened soul or above the pettiness which can embrace all of us to our detriment but, when I read stuff like this I realize most people out there (myself included) have no idea of what it is like to be black in America and to have to deal with this crap on a daily basis.
A few years back, I grew my hair long and it seemed in retrospect I was pulled over more, ticketed more and had more run ins with the police than I had ever had before in my life or since. It made me mad but, I could always cut my hair. Even though, I would normally be a “law and order” guy and give the benefit of a doubt to the cop, there’s just no way you can read or hear of something like this and not think it’s wrong. Especially coming on the heels of police lobbing flash/bang grenades into people’s houses. It just makes me think about how much in this country has to change.
May 27, 2003
I hate f**kin Roger Clemens.
When I was a Yankee fan, he pitched for the Red Sox so, you could not like him even though you respected him...
...through the years he’s become more of a punk.
When he hit Mike Piazza a few years back, it was obvious he had been head hunting. Piazza had managed to crush the ball the few times he faced Roger and well, let’s face it Roger didn’t appreciate getting bitch slapped like that by Piazza. Consequently, Roger figured bustin’ Piazza upside the helmet (and cracking it in the process) would make the catcher think twice before digging in when facing the Rocket. It was ironic listening to the Yankee apologists justifying Clemens poor sportsmanship on the heels of cries of outrage after Clemens had hit their own fair haired lad (Jeter) while Clemens was pitching for the Blue Jays.
Today was a lot of fun, from the opening of the game when the Red Sox protested making Roger remove his "300 win" emblem glove, to the Red Sox hitters working the count (and Clemens) getting hit after hit with a two strike count. Instead of looking like the invincible Rocket, he looked like a 40 year old brat. It was a performance reminiscent of Clemens playoff appearance against the A’s while he was with the Red Sox in which he got tossed for arguing calls with the home plate umpire.
Seeing Jeter look blankly out of the Yankee dugout as the mighty Bronx Bombers went down to their fifth straight loss was almost as delectable.
Part of being a Met fan the last few years has meant suffering the crowing and insults of Yankee fans. Nevermind I didn’t like a bunch of the teams moves, nevermind I saw some of my favorite players shown the door, I’d be stuck having to defend my team just because some Yankee fan needed an excuse to feel good about themselves that day.
Well guys, you got Weaver, and you got Wells, and you got Mussina, and you got Clemens, and you got Giambi, and you got Matsui, and you got Contreras, and you got Karsay, and you got Mondesi, and you got White, and you got just about every player money could buy outspending every other team in baseball...
...and now you got swept by Texas at home this season (a first) and you got swept in a four game series with Toronto (a first) and you got about 12 losses out of the last 13 home games, and since you beat the Mets in 2000 in the World Series you know what else you got...
...nothin!
You lost to Arizona, last year Anaheim beat you and if the season finished today you wouldn’t even win the wild card. So, maybe I can finally get through a baseball season watching my team play, enjoying it and not having to listen to your (Yankee fans) crap! Me and the fans of all those other teams who’re sick of listening to Yankee fans are enjoying every minute of this.
This certainly feels like one of those Al Goldstein moments.
May 26, 2003
So, I woke up this morning feeling pretty good having spent much of Sunday making a dent in él gigantico mess. I made a big dent in the foyer, cleaned up a lot of the basement and moved stuff around in the garage. It reminded me of helping Roberta move into her new place which was much smaller than her old place. You really had to look carefully to figure out how to make everything fit. Cleaning up around here is very similar in that you clear an area, and then move more stuff into the area to sort and put away (I’m embarassed it’s that messy). Interspersed in all of this are projects I have to finish. There are always a lot of odds and ends to do around here, wiring, plumbing, painting - it never stops just when I finish fixing one thing three other things break.
May 24, 2003
I rented this dvd a few weeks ago, it was an anime movie called Spirited Away. I picked it up because there was nothing else I really wanted to see and I thought it looked interesting.
Well, turned out it was great! Story about a little girl and her family in the middle of a move to a new home and the strange adventure she gets sidetracked into. I highly recommend it for people with kids (10 and under) but, I have to admit as an adult I enjoyed it a great deal. The drawing was great and the characters were really unique. Just a wonderful, well thought out film and good entertainment.
Well, turned out it was great! Story about a little girl and her family in the middle of a move to a new home and the strange adventure she gets sidetracked into. I highly recommend it for people with kids (10 and under) but, I have to admit as an adult I enjoyed it a great deal. The drawing was great and the characters were really unique. Just a wonderful, well thought out film and good entertainment.
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