Guns don’t kill people, people kill people (yeah, really stupid ones, we used to call this thinning out the gene pool before everything became so PC). In a word: SURPRISE!

If you got an email from me in the last week titled, “where were you when the lights went out?” You should know I thought everyone’s story would make for an interesting read so, you participation is appreciated.

I saw three movies on DVD over the last few days.

They, this Wes Craven horror movie (don’t even bother).

Solaris, the George Clooney vehicle directed by Steven Soderbergh and produced by James Cameron. Which was just one of those movies that should have been better than it was.

and finally...

Shanghai Knights with Jackie Chan. I liked Shanghai Knights a lot. Despite the fact that the insipid Owen Wilson was in it.

I’m just not buying into the forced ignorant charm of Luke or Owen Wilson or Ashton Kutchner. I don’t like any of them and usually their an indicator that a movie should be avoided at all costs.

Jackie Chan on the other hand is spectacular. He’s a treasure not just in the way he choreographs his fight scenes but, also in his knowledge of cinema. Much of what he puts forth is in homage to what has come before.

You wouldn’t think Jackie Chan could manage to throw a tribute to Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly into his movies but, he does it gracefully and with ease. I could take issue with the soundtrack choices for this period comedy as well as the really bad dialogue (Owen Wilson) and forced plot contrivances (Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle and Charlie Chaplin all somehow manage to figure into this plot) which elicit groans. Jackie Chan is the really shining bright spot in the movie making it bearable to watch.

No more Arnold films in the interest of equal time.

The California gubernatorial recall election takes on ever more bizarre proportions.

Peter Frampton's upcoming album Now has an unplanned connection to Arnold Schwarzenegger (news) and the California governor's race. In the chorus of the song "I'm Back," he sings, "I'm back/Like Schwarzenegger in the Terminator."

Why is this man smiling?



Schwarzenegger, Lowe 2003?

Good government site on the changing structure of the electric industry.

In a word: WOW!

Roberta and I are going to see this movie next week.

Scientists and engineers with the National Research Council warned the White House and Congress about the vulnerability of the power grid as recently as November, saying nationwide weaknesses needed to be repaired — and fast.

You ask me, I’d be making this a big issue in the next presidential campaign.

In a way, it’s good when things like a blackout happen. I don’t want people to think I’m implying it’s good for people to get stuck in elevators or trains. We live our lives these days at such a fast pace. Also, there’s a lot we take for granted. A blackout happens and everything has to stop. I think we’d all be better served by slowing down a little bit.

At the very least if you can say one good thing that came out of September 11th was that people are a lot more patient and helpful to each other when a crisis occurs.

They Say It’s Your Birthday!

Happy birthday Roberta!

Now, as I’ve often stated, I’m a Republican and supposedly they’re for deregulation.

But...

They deregulated the airlines.

Flown lately?

They deregulated the phone company.

Phone service is confusing as ever and I haven’t seen my bill go down.

They deregulated the power companies.

Well, aside from what happened today, remember what happened in California last year and the problems they had here last summer.

I don’t know, I’m thinking regulation and monopolies may be a good thing in certain industries (electric, phone and transportation).

Well, everyone has a story when a blackout occurs. Check out the The Blackout History Project to see how people dealt with the ’65 and ’77 blackouts.

Or, maybe you want to be a part of history yourself, tell your own story of the 2003 blackout.



Maybe, you can’t quite understand what happened. Be an authority! Check out How Stuff Works.

Better still, PBS frontline has a show on the The Vulnerability of the Power Grid which talks about a cyber attack on our country’s power grid. Could it be “the worm?”

Where were you when the lights went out?


Man, I missed Judge Judy today! Really!

Today was one of those times I’m thankful I’ve been home the last few weeks. When the power went off, I thought we blew a fuse or maybe the Con-Ed trucks up the block had hit a cable. After calling Sara, I found out that, no, it was something bigger.

Sara’s odyssey began and she wound up getting home around 10 pm.

I just hung around making sure I had flashlights. Finding the transistor radio. It’s my third blackout.


In ’65 I remember I was watching Jerry Mahoney when the TV went gray and the lights went off.


In ’77 I was living in the Bronx and we were hanging out that evening as we watched the cascade effect as the streetlights went out, block after block.

Our lights came back at 7:15 pm. 3 hours only!

The power goes out around here every once in awhile (the last time was a rainy Sunday). It’s inconvenient but, you get used to stuff like that happening and just figure out ways to deal.

The last few times I’d been to CostCo I had eyed the gas generators they have thinking how nice it would be to have a backup source of energy - I’m big on stuff like that.

We’re also in this funny spot in the power grid anyway. We’re like the last house in the line, a lot of time our neighbors (and the neighborhood as a whole) just to our north will lose their power. We’ll be the last house in line getting electric.

Anyway, after the power came back I wound up driving down to the Bronx (and then Hartsdale) trying to track Sara down. Once you passed Pleasantville there wasn’t any power.

I had already figured as long as you’re on a highway, a blackout doesn’t really affect driving (although it is an excuse for people to drive stupidly), there aren’t any traffic signals or stop signs. The trip down to the Bronx was uneventful (although there was a bit of traffic). It was truly wonderfully strange to be driving along in the post dusk with the shadows of buildings all around.

When I got down to Throgs Neck, lo and behold the lights were on there as well. Things seemed perfectly normal.

The cell had been out and then I got a call from my father letting me know Sara was in Hartsdale. So, I made a frantic trip up to Hartsdale making the trip through the inky darkness. We take the light for granted, we don’t realize how much we light up the night.

Hartsdale was pitch black and I spent a bunch of time walking around the train station with my flashlight (which was funny because whenever I would walk past people with the flashlight they thought it was a policeman coming because of the way I was holding it) looking for Sara. No luck, she was long gone.

Anyway, I started to drive back when she finally got in touch with me letting me know she was on her way back home (I could have saved myself a lot of trouble just by staying home). Interesting night to be out driving though. I’ll bet everyone will have a story. I’m just glad I wasn’t on the subway.

This show was on PBS tonight.

It was a rebroadcast of a Nova show entitled Why the Towers Fell.

It’s all about the WTC disaster and it has a lot of footage from it.

It’s almost two years since the event and while I was watching it all I could think about was how stupid it was for someone to do this. If they hadn’t had done it, I doubt we’d be in Afghanistan and Iraq today. How different things might be - I can’t even imagine.

Hey Kids! Don’t miss out! Now is the time to preorder your:
Elite Force Aviator:
George W. Bush - U.S. President and Naval Aviator -
12" Action Figure

Yes, it’s true. I’m not making this up. To commemorate our president’s landing on an aircraft carrier to announce the end of the war in Iraq this action figure is being released. Sure to be a collectors item!

Not to be outdone, the same company produces my very own action figure.



US PJ
#21164

Take that Junior!

Then again, there’s always the George W. Bush Talking Action Figure



That’s hard to beat!

There‘s a really good article up on SmartMoney.com on health care costs. It‘s worth reading, click on this link.

Yesterday, I was in the garage continuing my ongoing effort to bring order to the chaos.

Well, I looked down at the floor and I saw a spider. I usually would just step on something but, this guy was pretty big, I got my camera and took a bunch of pictures of the thing (which I’ll try and post later this week).

I hope it was a female, male spiders are usually smaller than the females and if it was the male I don’t want to be around when the wife shows up. I have to admit, it made me a little nervous afterword thinking about moving stuff around and having that thing crawl on me.

I had tried to kill the damn thing but, it was:

a) in a tough place to get at and

b) a pretty fast mover.

I tried to get it but, it just got away too fast. Anyway, it creeped me out a little and kept me out of the garage after that. I guess I’m just a wuss but, like I said I’ll post a picture of the thing and you decide.

I haven’t seen a bug that big in a long time, it looked like it would make an appetizer out of one of those waterbugs that look like roaches on steroids.

Ah, I remember now!

Over the weekend, I was putting the finishing touches on plans to attend Mark’s wedding. I know we’ve finally entered the internet age when people put all the wedding info up on a website. Mark did this and it’s a fun place to visit (which I did this weekend). I’d put up a link but, I think it’s really meant for friends and family although, the thing I liked best about it was the “questions we’re tired of answering page.”

Sometimes, I’ll write some stuff and keep it “in the can” so, there’s a bunch of new stuff. The absence of a new entry doesn’t mean there aren’t any, or that I’ve stopped writing. I’ve got another blog I’m trying to set up (still haven’t gotten it the way I want it) and I want to do a face lift here eventually.

Also, I write a lot of stuff on these boards (not blogs, boards) and when I’m not posting on the blog I’m usually writing something there. Lately, I’ve been rolling over when I want to write. What part of the day it would be the most productive. Almost every writer I’ve ever seen speak about the process, talks about locking yourself away and being disciplined about it.

I have a couple of stories I wanted to finish (among the other projects) but, until things solidify, I can’t see beginning (I started one and found myself going nowhere, just spinning my wheels more often than not).

But, I have been exercising the muscles which is a good way to get ready.

Today is the 13th.

So, of course it means it was in the stars. After the morning drive to the train station I committed myself to getting some of my sundry errands done. Put the laundry in, pick up and drop off the dry cleaning, back to the laundry to throw everything into the dryer, down to Tarrytown to pick up the mail (here’s where the day began to go awry).

When I came out I had a lot of trouble getting the car started.

Stopped to have breakfast and when I came out, the car just wouldn’t start. It’s hot out. I’m under the hood for about a half hour but, the car is just refusing to cooperate - it’s not going anywhere. So, here I am with a car full of dry cleaning, laundry supplies, laundry that doesn’t go in the dryer, mail, a good bundle. I call triple A and wait.

And wait...

...and wait.

Even though AAA indicated it would be an hour, we pass that milestone. My cell phone isn’t working because I hadn’t charged the battery and I get a chance to make two brief phonecalls to cancel the things I had planned for the day (city stuff). I’m wearing jeans and it’s real, real hot.

I had parked in a shady corner of the lot but, that still didn’t mean I avoided the usual curious passer by - “car stuck?”

No, I always sit in a parking lot on a swelteringly humid summer day with my hood up - it’s my idea of fun.

Finally I decide to find a pay phone and discover that most of the pay phones in the places I remember them being (Bella’s, the pizzeria, the laundromat) are now gone because everyone has cell phones. I figure on calling back AAA which told me if the tow hadn’t shown up by a certain time (a half hour earlier) to call them back. Of course the contact number I gave AAA isn’t working since I gave them my cell number and the phone isn’t charged so I can’t know if they’ve tried calling me back.

As I’m wandering about, looking for a phone, I see a flatbed from the tow company parked with the engine running across the street from where I am walking. Then I see a guy changing a tire on the van of the guy who runs the restaurant.

“Excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt you.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m stuck over in the lot are you the person I’m waiting on?”

“Yeah, just give me a minute.”

The guy is squatted, legs around the tire as he uses the scissor jack to get the van off the ground. He’s sweating generously due to both the exertion and the oppressive heat.

“No problem, I’ll be by the car.”

He finishes with the tire and shortly there’s a flatbed in the parking lot. I push the car back (it was sideways on a hill but, I could manage), the car rolls back, gets lined up with the truck and then he loads it onto the flatbed. I watch the whole process trying to gauge if he’s an amicable sort or not.

Thankfully his truck has AC. It’s like a reprieve! I ask if I could use his cell phone (to arrange to get picked up at the dealership with all the laundry stuff) and he’s not really cool with that. I ask if we could possibly make a stop on the way and that’s also vetoed.

We stop off at a roadside payphone. I throw quarters in but, my call won’t go through. As I’m standing there I feel a sharp pain in my arm. There’s a wasp (which looked like a bee at first), floating around the phone. Upon greater observation, there’s several wasps around the payphone and they’re crawling in and out of some kind of space on the top of the metal sheath which surrounds the phone. I realize I’ve gotten stung. I look dumbly at my arm registering just that fact as the sting starts to let me know it’s there. A fat man in a van parked at the lakes (where the payphone was), sees me standing there with a befuddled look on my face and states, “Hey, watch out, there’s a bunch of wasps over there.”

Really.

I use an 800 number and make one call and get back into the air-conditioned comfort of the flatbed. I ride up and have a conversation with the driver about the worst accidents he’s seen (saw someone’s head chopped off). Which cars he tows the most (Audi’s and Saabs). Which cars he’s towed the least (Toyota’s and Honda’). He talks about the fact that people in SUV’s don’t know what they’re doing and shouldn’t use their four wheel drive (can’t control their vehicle in a skid situation). He points out some aggressive driving by other drivers along the way. He’s been doing this for fifteen years and likes not being in an office. He points out how the industry isn’t regulated and how you can be charged anything for a tow (this is a AAA tow which means it’s different). He also tells me that when you’re on the highway the state strictly regulates what a tow company can charge but, if you’re off in the shoulder or in the grass (because of a skid or some other mishap), you’re not legally on the highway and you can be charged anything.

It’s around 1pm when we roll into the dealership. My odyssey started at 7:30 in the morning with the trip to the train station. All I can think about is the orphaned clothes sitting idly in the dryer at the laundromat. I go in and chat with the service desk people at the dealership briefly asking them where they want me to have the car put (the sarcastic answer of the river isn’t appreciated as the car has been to the dealership 3 times in the last two months and it ultimately came to this).

The tow driver lowers the car and I push the car into the spot with him behind the wheel. I throw him a couple of bucks (even though we couldn’t make a stop, and I couldn’t use his phone). I know my ride isn’t coming anytime soon and when I ask where he’s going, he asks me where I’m headed and decides it would be okay to drop me off on his way back.

We chat more on the ride. He wants to stop for a hot dog at the roadside stand not far from the house and I offer to buy. I walk back in the door around 2pm, the phone is ringing and it’s the dealership letting me know my ride is at the dealership and where am I?

Later I wind up borrowing the other car and going down to claim the abandoned clothes, folding them in the over hot laundromat, which is now packed with people. One woman has even discovered that the laundry cart makes the perfect playpen for her young child who she has given some liquid in a container which the bored tot has decided to paint the floor with. The child wails at that perfect ear-shattering note that only children can hit which is ear piercing and unsettling.

A short jaunt back to the house returning the clothes and some foodstuffs (and a DVD or two) and back on the road again in the un air-conditioned car to go get the weekly fix of comics. Walking back in at 5pm.

All in all, it was a pretty good day.

Yeah, it was sweaty, hot and I didn’t do what I had originally planned but, everything got taken care of and what are you going to do when you run up against one of these kind of days anyway? Like the branch, it’s bend or break baby. I’m trying my damnedest to learn how to bend as I get older.