Holy Bloomers Batman!

Well, not quite. I heard this on the news today, just another illustration at the lengths men will go to look at women. Ladies it’s hard to explain and probably unfathomable but, just imagine the time and effort spent in doing this and it tells you something about how men are wired.

There has been a disturbing discovery on the Upper East Side. Police have found a camera hidden under a grate positioned to take indecent pictures of unsuspecting women.

It was around 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon when people on the street outside a church at 88th and Lexington, wondered if police had located a bomb.

Your politicians hard at work

We certainly know that the Yankees will. One of the main purposes of a new stadium from the Yankees' point of view is the addition of luxury suites—50 to 60—all of which, presumably, will be purchased by corporations, and— surprise!—the average fan is going to get stuck with significantly higher ticket costs. Proposals for the new stadium have indicated that the seating will be reduced from its current 57,000+ to between 47,000 and 50,000. Why fewer seats? Because the law of more demand for fewer seats dictates that the price of tickets will rise significantly.

Yeah, finding funding for schools, roads and mass transit is difficult but, we can always find the money to build new stadiums.

All protein shakes are not alike?

A story so bizarre, it’s laughable you’d think it wasn’t true but...

the Food and Drug Administration is about to implement new rules recommending that any man who has engaged in homosexual sex in the previous five years be barred from serving as an anonymous sperm donor.

insipid

adj 1: lacking taste or flavor or tang; "a bland diet"; "insipid hospital food"; "flavorless supermarket tomatoes"; "vapid beer"; "vapid tea" [syn: bland, flat, flavorless, flavourless, savorless, savourless, vapid] 2: lacking significance or impact; "an insipid novel" 3: lacking interest or significance; "an insipid personality"; "jejune novel" [syn: jejune] 4: not pleasing to the sense of taste [syn: tasteless]

The other day I was thinking how I could bet if I looked up the word insipid in the dictionary, I would almost be insured to find Paris Hilton’s picture there.

What is the fascination with this woman?

There is something of a vacant quality in her eyes making one get the sense she could be the poster child of the mentally challenged. I mean outside of being spawned by a well-to-do family what is her claim to fame? She is the embodiment of Beavis in the form of a skinny blonde girl. Is she anything more than this generation’s Princess Stephanie or Gloria Vanderbilt?

I sit at my computer and literally there is a cat at my shoulder. She jumps up onto my lap, when she becomes bored with that, she climbs up my arm to take residence on the back of the chair and then when her perch becomes too precarious, settles in with her front paws resting upon my left shoulder as her back legs are braced against the chairs’ back - I’d take a picture if I knew that I could do it somehow without disturbing her.

I will say it once again...

I f**king hate SUVs!

More about Brooklyn...

“transformation,” “unprecedented,” and “of watershed importance” was how Bloomberg and the council members described the plan, which calls for the creation of as many as 28 towers ranging from 20 to 40 stories along this long derelict section of the Brooklyn coast line.

Well, there goes the neighborhood. Between this, the lack of progress on the downtown development and the West Side stadium - Mikey B. is proving himself to be an even more imperious ruler than Rudy G - hard to believe.

And on the other side...

Last week, Eisenberg led a coalition of manufacturers who launched orange balloons on 400-foot lengths of fishing wire to illustrate just how tall the mayor’s proposed towers would be.

“We’re calling it the Brooklyn Gates, because it symbolizes our opposition to what they’re building on the waterfront, which is gated communities,” Eisenberg says.

“Four hundred feet—that’s taller than the Williamsburg bridge,” she adds. “Business like ours can’t survive with that kind of real estate pressure. Once the property values rise, we’ll have no choice but to sell out.”

It turns out the police also seem to think 400 feet is too high. Last week, they ordered the balloons lowered to 100 feet, claiming they were a flight hazard.

The problem with the boroughs...

“To be honest, it was my husband’s parents who snapped us out of it. When they found out we were looking in Brooklyn, they threw a fit: We spent a lifetime trying to get out of the boroughs and you want to take us back?!”

Trying to describe the feeling to someone who hasn’t experienced it is impossible but, the article referenced above sums it up. From this week’s New York magazine - Why I Hate Brooklyn.

Ouch, that‘s gotta hurt!

On the heels of attending a relative’s sweet sixteen party and observing the behavior of teenagers. The ratio of girls to boys was in the neighborhood of 7 or 8 to 1. The boys were all terribly self-conscious. The girls all dressed to the nines, dancing with abandon and having fun. The boys uncomfortably dressed, the few that managed to shuffle out to the dance floor did their impression of dancing with their hands in their pockets vaguely shuffling to the music. Some things never change, I imagine youth really is wasted on the young.

I wish I knew when I was 15 that I was a lesbian. I had a lot of sloppy guy kisses/fucks before I realized there was a reason I never enjoyed them. My suggestion to Girls Also Longing is to not rule out the possibility that she may one day turn out gay like I did. Besides, most 15-year-old boys don't know what a clit is anyway.

This week’s Savage Love column.

A political metamorphosis...

How a popular politician is repostioning herself:

She has backed every defense appropriation bill, including the latest $81 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan. The committee, Sheinkopf adds, “raises her national profile in a way that is out of sync with how her enemies would present her. It’s important for her career.”

First, it was those wacky Iraqis. Now, it‘s those zany Iranies!

“Iranians in general have big noses and that's one of the reasons why this surgery is so popular,” says Ali Bahrami in Farsi.

“Plastic surgery is better appearance for people, and I think God like this.”

An actual story which ran on CBS news, just incredible.

Read into this what you will...



A vanishing sight in Manhattan is the painted sign on the side of a building. They’re interesting if only as an example of design and typography of a certain period in New York’s history. 14to42.net is a site devoted to the study of such signs in that part of Manhattan.

In a pickle?

“When you said about the one problem that you had...what does it consist of?”

“Marijuana.”

“Oh. OK. So nothing major?”

“Yeah he said he would take me down to get that stuff. I mean I have no idea what it is so you would have to show me. Is that a problem?”

“No, not at all.”

So, with a war going on, just how many young people are lining up to join the Armed Forces? If the line is growing progressively shorter, just how far will recruiters bend the rules to get more warm bodies? Saw this early this morning on the news - in the words of Ricky Ricardo, “...you got some ’splaining to do!”

More talk about food and buildings...

Just another thing I cam across in my aimless ramblings but, certainly a lot of fun to spend some time nosing around:

Eve with a moldy lid...

Put a hat on it...

Fly cake or Roach cake...

Bucket of cold mud...

Houseboat or Dagwood Special...

Dusty Miller...

Fish eyes or Cat's eyes...

The Graphing Calculator...

...and its long strange trip to the Apple menu. I came across this rather interesting tale dug long hours cresting the tsunamis of the internet. Mac users will recall the “Graphing Calculator,” that rather odd, small freebie that shipped with the older OS. I never had much use for it, other than playing with it and seeing the strange shapes it could create. The story of how it made its way to the Apple menu though is a commentary on the dysfuntional way corporations work.

It reminded me of a co-worker from my years at Grey who when fired, simply wouldn’t leave (more on that another time).

I used to be a contractor for Apple, working on a secret project. Unfortunately, the computer we were building never saw the light of day. The project was so plagued by politics and ego that when the engineers requested technical oversight, our manager hired a psychologist instead. In August 1993, the project was canceled. A year of my work evaporated, my contract ended, and I was unemployed.

I was frustrated by all the wasted effort, so I decided to uncancel my small part of the project. I had been paid to do a job, and I wanted to finish it. My electronic badge still opened Apple's doors, so I just kept showing up.

You can also listen to the story (Real Player required) as was featured in an episode of This American Life.

NO SOUP FOR YOU!

The brusque New York chef who was lampooned on “Seinfeld” as the “Soup Nazi” plans to open a chain of takeout soup stands across North America. But don’t expect the authentically rude New York treatment.

Signs will be posted in each of “The Original Soup Man” franchises bearing chef Al Yeganeh’s strict rules for ordering, such as “Have your money ready!” and “Move to the extreme left after ordering!” But a company spokesman said workers will be prohibited from shouting, “No soup for you!” at customers who disobey.

I guess it’s the really intense eyes, the dark brows and the withering glare...



I am admittedly a fan of the Soup Man. A few years back when I was working over on 8th Avenue I decided to do some exploring, remembered hearing about his storefront and decided to check it out for myself. I was immediately taken with the delicious flavors of the man’s soup. Yeah, it was a little pricey but, the small touches with complimentary pieces of fruit, bread and a small chocolate which offset any hesitation I might have had especially, when compared with the alternatives (close to the same amount spent on lunch but on a much less savory meal).

When I spread the news among my co-workers, one person wanted to make the trip just out of the desire to see if a rise could be gotten out of the man. Another time I went with a friend who found herself somewhat slighted by the man’s brusque manner. Overall though, I never had a problem. Through the years, I found Al to be nothing if business like and courteous (surprising to some no doubt). Of course, I could see the sense in trying to keep a line moving when your business is operating out of a storefront, your customers standing on line in all sorts of weather and knowing any delay could wind up costing you business.

CUSTOMER

FOR THE MOST EFFICIENT AND FASTEST SERVICE THE LINE MUST BE KEPT MOVING.

Pick the Soup You Want!

Have Your Money Ready!

Move to the Extreme Left After Ordering!

The International Soup Kitchen as Al’s business is called, literally is nothing more than a storefront with a counter on the street and you stand in line waiting to place your order. Since there are only a few choices, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would have a problem ordering since before you even get to the counter you’ve probably been standing in line long enough to make up your mind.

Well, over the months, I got used to Al’s soup and was disappointed when I arrived one day in April to find it closed! As it turned out, Al closed every year from around April through November (the warmer months) figuring soup not to be in as much of a demand when the weather is nice and toasty.

You see, I found that when there wasn’t a line. Al would be quite nice and gracious is you were at all polite and civil with him. Saddled with both the boon and bane of the infamous Seinfeld episode had bought him a somewhat perverse notoriety which he wasn’t altogether comfortable with (I don’t imagine anyone would want to be called a Nazi - for any reason).

Over time, he’s proven to be quite nice. At one point, late one March I asked quietly how many more weeks he would be open before his annual holiday and he looked at me somewhat conspiratorially and put his finger to his lips. Off to the side he told me he’d be open only for another week or so but he didn’t like the news to get out for fear of it hurting business.

Since we’re in April now, the Soup Kitchen is closed for the summer but, I’ll let you in on a little secret. All of Al’s soups are also sold frozen and it winds up being a much better deal as you get considerably more soup for around the same price. I can’t wait until he gets back and opens again as I have sorely missed his Mulligatawny, Chili and Bisques.

All in all I wish him the best of luck with his plans.


We offer everyday:.....................................Hot Soups

· One seafood (Lobster, Crab, Shrimp, Seafood Combination, ...) bisque.

· One vegetarian (Black Bean, Lentil, Yankee Bean, Lima Bean, Black Eye Pea, ...)

· One spicy Mexican chili (Turkey, Beef, Chicken, Sausage, Mushroom, Beans, Vegetarian ...)

· One Clear Broth (Chicken Vegetable, Chicken Broccoli, .......)

And a few other soups such as:

· Barley (Mushroom, Chicken, Beef, Vegetable, Turkey, ...)

· Gumbo (Beef, Chicken, Shrimp, Seafood, Turkey)

· Goulash (Beef, Veal, ...)

· Cream less Vegetables (Asparagus, Mushroom, Potatoes & Corn, ...)


In seasons:................................................Chilled Soups

· Gazpacho, Cucumber, Vichyssoise, Fruit, Borscht, ...

· And many more exotic, authentic and inventive soups.

Just remember...



...and I have to say I have never once in all my treks to his establishment heard him utter those words, “No soup for you!”

More from the world of computers or GO FISH!

For students duped by a bogus e-mail claiming to be from the IU server, two students at the School of Informatics have a message: You’ve been spoofed by fictitious identity hackers.

The hackers, graduate students Tom Jagatic and Nate Johnson, conducted an e-mail experiment last week that has outraged some students and raised important questions about privacy and the public sphere.

and...

Phishing Attacks Using Social Networks
Human Subject Study #05-9893, #05-9892
Research Study Blog

Phishing is the fraudulent acquisition, through deception, of sensitive personal information such as passwords, by masquerading as someone trustworthy.

Data gathered from the Internet was analyzed and used to create a contextual type of attack using deception. An email was spoofed by us, misrepresenting a communication between two friends, Alice and Bob. It is presumed an email from a friend would typically hold more credibility than from some unknown person/entity. The emails which were spoofed were not actually sent from the subject’s personal email accounts.

How many of these emails wind up in my Spam box everyday - you’d be surprised.

A little tidbit for thought going out to all you Windows users...

In a move that could rankle privacy advocates, Microsoft said Monday that it is adding the PC equivalent of a flight data recorder to the next version of Windows, in an effort to better understand and prevent computer crashes...

...With businesses, however, IT managers typically set the policy. If they wanted total information, they could configure systems so that they’d know not only that a user was running Internet Explorer, for example, but also that he or she was watching a video from ESPN.com. Or, they might find out not only that a worker was running Instant Messenger but also that he or she was talking to a co-worker about getting a new job.

Yes, they take things away like a thief in the night an always under the guise of making your life easier.

The profane...

Christopher Priest’s (Jim Owsley in another life, a friend’s old boss) incomplete list of people who should go to hell.

You’ll find no argument from me, although I’ll probably wind up on it for linking directly to the list.

Hell, check out DigitalPriest.com while you’re at it.

Congratulations!



To Amy and Paul on their new son!