The embarrassment of riches.
This year, the off-season has bought all kinds of stunning news in the land of baseball. The Mets are in the process of making “statements” once again and those statements take the form of the team closing the door on one era by saying goodbye to Mike Piazza and opening the door on another as they keep logging one successful pursuit after the next whether it be through trade (Carlos Delgado) or free agent signing (Billy Wagner).
I won’t belabor the subject as I know there are those out there whose eyes gloss over at the mere mention of baseball, inducing a catatonic state in some. As a Met fan though, I have to admit being treated to a sort of gleeful anticipation of the coming year with all the recent news.
I was listening to WFAN the other day and there were quite the few indignant Yankee fans calling in to express their displeasure and lack of regard for the Mets in general and their fans in particular. I can’t find it in me to cry crocodile tears for Yankee fans, being lorded over for that five year span after ’95 dispelled any sympathy I might have felt for Yankee fans as they’ve bemoaned the lack of a world championship since they faced my beloved Mets in 2000.
Yes, I admit it. I enjoyed watching them (Yankee fans) suffer through the heartbreak of losing to Arizona one year, Florida another and then suffering the mother of all collapses against Boston just a short year ago. There was the sadistic thrill which comes from watching any bully get their comeuppance and Yankee fans had decidedly taken on the role of bullies after the string of back to back championships they enjoyed.
So, for the first time in a long time a baseball season looms with both teams in New York on a level of parity and it looks like it will be an interesting season indeed. Nothing on paper in November and December can truly predict what will happen between the lines between March and October of the following year but things certainly look a lot more interesting than they did in years past.
Got me thinking about season plans again and the last time I did - my Mets wound up in the series in just a few short years.
Dec 4, 2005
Keys to the future.
Today, I found my keys.
It sounds like such an insignificant thing, I found my keys, a so what eliciting kind of moment. What makes it significant though, is the fact that I lost selfsame keys over a year ago. It may be hard to imagine something like that happening to someone but, in essence it sums up a lot about my life.
I find there is always an inordinate mental chatter, a buzz level of things passing in and around the periphery of my attention resulting in a level of confusion which while not enormous is something which needs to be worked around at times. I suffered some really severe head trauma back when I was in my late teens and until this moment I never thought of a connection between the two but, I imagine there could be one there. I’m one of those people that can be all set to go out somewhere and then find myself caught up in the maelstrom of trying to find misplaced keys.
And... it’s not funny.
No, it’s a big hassle and there’s this sense of desperation that sets in as I turn everything upside down in an attempt to find whatever it is that has been misplaced. This is an all together too regular occurence.
But, today was a victory of sorts - I found the keys that had been lost for over a year!
Hurray!
Over the last several weeks, as I have found myself caught up in the storm of what has been going on with the EYOC, at the same time I have been attempting to clear a lot fo the clutter from my own life. It’s not a small task. I don’t buy into the scorched Earth policy of throwing everything away - no, I have to sort through everything. Waste not, want not and all of that. Find a new home or a new use for something - or maybe just find a proper place to put something in.
It’s a very big job.
So, much of my time is spent in solitude digging through various piles and sorting, sorting, sorting away. Each day brings the discovery of another treasure or another piece of the past long since forgotten. Sometimes, I have wondered whether or not I am too obsessed with the past. In that list from the other day, the last thing was a question about regrets and I think of having far too many to keep track of. Funny thing is, as I get older the past although it grows in volume becomes less and less significant in importance - weird life physics at work once again.
Today, I found my keys.
It sounds like such an insignificant thing, I found my keys, a so what eliciting kind of moment. What makes it significant though, is the fact that I lost selfsame keys over a year ago. It may be hard to imagine something like that happening to someone but, in essence it sums up a lot about my life.
I find there is always an inordinate mental chatter, a buzz level of things passing in and around the periphery of my attention resulting in a level of confusion which while not enormous is something which needs to be worked around at times. I suffered some really severe head trauma back when I was in my late teens and until this moment I never thought of a connection between the two but, I imagine there could be one there. I’m one of those people that can be all set to go out somewhere and then find myself caught up in the maelstrom of trying to find misplaced keys.
And... it’s not funny.
No, it’s a big hassle and there’s this sense of desperation that sets in as I turn everything upside down in an attempt to find whatever it is that has been misplaced. This is an all together too regular occurence.
But, today was a victory of sorts - I found the keys that had been lost for over a year!
Hurray!
Over the last several weeks, as I have found myself caught up in the storm of what has been going on with the EYOC, at the same time I have been attempting to clear a lot fo the clutter from my own life. It’s not a small task. I don’t buy into the scorched Earth policy of throwing everything away - no, I have to sort through everything. Waste not, want not and all of that. Find a new home or a new use for something - or maybe just find a proper place to put something in.
It’s a very big job.
So, much of my time is spent in solitude digging through various piles and sorting, sorting, sorting away. Each day brings the discovery of another treasure or another piece of the past long since forgotten. Sometimes, I have wondered whether or not I am too obsessed with the past. In that list from the other day, the last thing was a question about regrets and I think of having far too many to keep track of. Funny thing is, as I get older the past although it grows in volume becomes less and less significant in importance - weird life physics at work once again.
Nov 29, 2005
I can’t resist.
Saw this somewhere and swiped it. Reminded me of that twelve days of Christmas thingy and even though I feel a little old for it you still have to be willing to have some fun.
10 firsts:
— first boyfriend/girlfriend: Heather - just remember a little red headed girl.
— first best friend: JP.
— first screen name: Motherbox.
— first kiss: (I'm thinking we’re talking romantic kiss here) - this is sad because I remember the girl clearly, remember the place vaguely but am not positive about her name - Carmen, I think.
— first piercings: Still trying to make up my mind about that one - whether to get pierced somewhere or not.
— first crush: Ooohhh, Elena Squeo.
— first music: I Want You Back - J5, Love of Money - O-Jays - first 45s I can remember owning.
— first car: ’68 Dodge Dart, cream colored, four door, handed down from my grandmother to my father to me.
— first stuffed animal: honestly can’t remember.
9 lasts:
— last cigarette: another one I would have to beg off on - it’s been a long time.
— last alchoholic beverage: some after dinner port on Thanksgiving before that it was awhile.
— last kiss: being Italian - it could be a family member sometime over the holidays. Romantic kiss - that’s another one I can’t specifically remember - less time than it’s been since the last cigarette but still too long nonetheless.
— last movie seen: SW Episode 3 on DVD at home - in a theater... History of Violence (so-so).
— last phone call: to my cuz
— last cd played: Tanye West - the new one.
— last bubble bath: another one I have to beg off on.
— last time you cried: recently, life has been stressful.
— last date: too long - over a year now at least.
8 have you evers:
— dated one of your best friends: no, I can’t say I have.
— skinny dipped: no, but I wouldn’t be against it.
— kissed somebody and regretted it: yeah.
— fallen in love: several times.
— lost someone you loved: oh, yes.
— been depressed: lost count of that number.
— woken up and not known where you were: this has happened on more than one occasion. Usually it’s been a momentary thing though.
7 places you've been to:
Rome
St. Martin
London
Montreal
Los Angeles
Tulsa
Key West
6 things you've done today:
Surfed.
Visited the old neighborhood.
Had lunch at Bellas.
Went to a couple of banks.
Filed some paperwork.
Fed the cat.
5 favorite things in NO order:
Beautiful nude women. (hey, I’m still a guy and I’m not dead yet!)
Comics.
Being around people I love.
Summertime.
Baseball.
4 people you can tell [almost] anything to:
Sarah (not the one people are thinking of)
Guy
Don
Kevin
3 wishes:
To have a house in southern Italy.
To finish all my projects.
To have a some kids.
2 things you want to do before you die:
Visit Japan (and learn Japanese in the process)
Publish.
1 thing you regret: There’s lots of things but, you can’t live in the past.
Saw this somewhere and swiped it. Reminded me of that twelve days of Christmas thingy and even though I feel a little old for it you still have to be willing to have some fun.
10 firsts:
— first boyfriend/girlfriend: Heather - just remember a little red headed girl.
— first best friend: JP.
— first screen name: Motherbox.
— first kiss: (I'm thinking we’re talking romantic kiss here) - this is sad because I remember the girl clearly, remember the place vaguely but am not positive about her name - Carmen, I think.
— first piercings: Still trying to make up my mind about that one - whether to get pierced somewhere or not.
— first crush: Ooohhh, Elena Squeo.
— first music: I Want You Back - J5, Love of Money - O-Jays - first 45s I can remember owning.
— first car: ’68 Dodge Dart, cream colored, four door, handed down from my grandmother to my father to me.
— first stuffed animal: honestly can’t remember.
9 lasts:
— last cigarette: another one I would have to beg off on - it’s been a long time.
— last alchoholic beverage: some after dinner port on Thanksgiving before that it was awhile.
— last kiss: being Italian - it could be a family member sometime over the holidays. Romantic kiss - that’s another one I can’t specifically remember - less time than it’s been since the last cigarette but still too long nonetheless.
— last movie seen: SW Episode 3 on DVD at home - in a theater... History of Violence (so-so).
— last phone call: to my cuz
— last cd played: Tanye West - the new one.
— last bubble bath: another one I have to beg off on.
— last time you cried: recently, life has been stressful.
— last date: too long - over a year now at least.
8 have you evers:
— dated one of your best friends: no, I can’t say I have.
— skinny dipped: no, but I wouldn’t be against it.
— kissed somebody and regretted it: yeah.
— fallen in love: several times.
— lost someone you loved: oh, yes.
— been depressed: lost count of that number.
— woken up and not known where you were: this has happened on more than one occasion. Usually it’s been a momentary thing though.
7 places you've been to:
Rome
St. Martin
London
Montreal
Los Angeles
Tulsa
Key West
6 things you've done today:
Surfed.
Visited the old neighborhood.
Had lunch at Bellas.
Went to a couple of banks.
Filed some paperwork.
Fed the cat.
5 favorite things in NO order:
Beautiful nude women. (hey, I’m still a guy and I’m not dead yet!)
Comics.
Being around people I love.
Summertime.
Baseball.
4 people you can tell [almost] anything to:
Sarah (not the one people are thinking of)
Guy
Don
Kevin
3 wishes:
To have a house in southern Italy.
To finish all my projects.
To have a some kids.
2 things you want to do before you die:
Visit Japan (and learn Japanese in the process)
Publish.
1 thing you regret: There’s lots of things but, you can’t live in the past.
Nov 28, 2005
My shameful secret.
Lesson 10: There's No Room for Drama on a Deadline
Team Kevin, or Nora more specifically, crashed and burned over the “missing” pattern piece. Nora spent an inordinate amount of time searching and fretting. Consequently, her team was handicapped because she was absent. In the time that was spent searching for the missing pattern, placing blame, and being hysterical, any number of solutions could have been achieved, including making a replacement pattern piece. Furthermore, construction of the design could have been simply fudged by working with what was on hand and using fabric to drape in the missing section. It was not essential that the pattern piece be found or that retribution be sought for a speculative thief. What was essential is that the design be finished in time for the runway judging.
Yes, I absolutely find myself absolutely enthralled by Project Runway! It’s embarrassing but, true!
Watching it, reminds me of the days when I was in art school - I don’t remember people being as cutthroat but, I do remember a bit of drama. Being an illustration major, I can’t say I spent much time at the midtown campus of my alma mater where the show is shot. The closest thing I got to the fashion department was taking a fashion illustration with a then unknown Steven Meisel who gave me an “A” of all things - but, I think there was something more to that “A” than drawing ability.
Still, the show is just fascinating and fun. They had some kind of marathon on this weekend and I’ll be darned if I didn’t have the thing on in the background for much of the day - oh, the shame!
Lesson 10: There's No Room for Drama on a Deadline
Team Kevin, or Nora more specifically, crashed and burned over the “missing” pattern piece. Nora spent an inordinate amount of time searching and fretting. Consequently, her team was handicapped because she was absent. In the time that was spent searching for the missing pattern, placing blame, and being hysterical, any number of solutions could have been achieved, including making a replacement pattern piece. Furthermore, construction of the design could have been simply fudged by working with what was on hand and using fabric to drape in the missing section. It was not essential that the pattern piece be found or that retribution be sought for a speculative thief. What was essential is that the design be finished in time for the runway judging.
Yes, I absolutely find myself absolutely enthralled by Project Runway! It’s embarrassing but, true!
Watching it, reminds me of the days when I was in art school - I don’t remember people being as cutthroat but, I do remember a bit of drama. Being an illustration major, I can’t say I spent much time at the midtown campus of my alma mater where the show is shot. The closest thing I got to the fashion department was taking a fashion illustration with a then unknown Steven Meisel who gave me an “A” of all things - but, I think there was something more to that “A” than drawing ability.
Still, the show is just fascinating and fun. They had some kind of marathon on this weekend and I’ll be darned if I didn’t have the thing on in the background for much of the day - oh, the shame!
Divine hand.
So, the last week seems as if it was three weeks, just so much got crammed in to the days just prior to and around the holiday there was some kind of weird Hawkin’s time phenomena going on. Really, raking the yard (last Monday) feels like it was a month ago.
Sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning a tree fell on the side of the house. I don’t mean the tree fell on the house, just a tree that sits along one side of the house came down. Maybe I better qualify that, a portion of a tree came down. As long as it didn’t actually hit the house, there wouldn’t really be much of a problem but, the tree in question is one of several that sits right at the edge of the lot which just so happens to adjoin the neighbors’ driveway.
They have two cars which are usually parked right up alongside that tree too.
One of the cars is a brand new replacement for the Saburu which got totaled in an accident over the summer. Mysteriously, the car was absent most of the weekend. Needless to say, this caused a small amount of concern on my part - I like these neighbors, they are nice people and believe me having lived here for many years having nice neighbors can be something of a crapshoot so, I didn’t want anything to foul the nice détente we have going on.
The car was gone for a few days over the long holiday weekend, my hope was that my neighbors had taken a trip for the weekend as opposed to bringing the car to the body shop. I was hoping providence had made an appearance and any property of the neighbor’s had been spared from the falling foliage.
Tonight when I got home, I spied both cars in the driveway and thought before anything I ought to at least check and see if everything was alright. As fate would have it, the top of the tree fell missing everything (albeit narrowly) so, there wasn’t anything to worry about.
I try to be a good neighbor and part of that means not getting into others business so outside of the cursory hello and passing pleasantry there isn’t much interaction between me and the neighbors. Again, they’re nice people so why foul it - familiarity breeds contempt and all that.
They weren’t aware of the EYOC’s extended stay in the hospital so while I was over there and when they asked after him I had to update them on the situation. Like I said, they’re nice people and asked if I needed anything (which I politely begged off) but I appreciated the sentiment.
I got inside and set about getting settled in, not more than five minutes could have passed before I heard a knock at the door downstairs. There was one of the neighbor’s kids with a plate of Thanksgiving leftovers, I started to say no, but then though what a nice gesture and took the plate from the youngster.
It’s nice to have good neighbors.
So, the last week seems as if it was three weeks, just so much got crammed in to the days just prior to and around the holiday there was some kind of weird Hawkin’s time phenomena going on. Really, raking the yard (last Monday) feels like it was a month ago.
Sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning a tree fell on the side of the house. I don’t mean the tree fell on the house, just a tree that sits along one side of the house came down. Maybe I better qualify that, a portion of a tree came down. As long as it didn’t actually hit the house, there wouldn’t really be much of a problem but, the tree in question is one of several that sits right at the edge of the lot which just so happens to adjoin the neighbors’ driveway.
They have two cars which are usually parked right up alongside that tree too.
One of the cars is a brand new replacement for the Saburu which got totaled in an accident over the summer. Mysteriously, the car was absent most of the weekend. Needless to say, this caused a small amount of concern on my part - I like these neighbors, they are nice people and believe me having lived here for many years having nice neighbors can be something of a crapshoot so, I didn’t want anything to foul the nice détente we have going on.
The car was gone for a few days over the long holiday weekend, my hope was that my neighbors had taken a trip for the weekend as opposed to bringing the car to the body shop. I was hoping providence had made an appearance and any property of the neighbor’s had been spared from the falling foliage.
Tonight when I got home, I spied both cars in the driveway and thought before anything I ought to at least check and see if everything was alright. As fate would have it, the top of the tree fell missing everything (albeit narrowly) so, there wasn’t anything to worry about.
I try to be a good neighbor and part of that means not getting into others business so outside of the cursory hello and passing pleasantry there isn’t much interaction between me and the neighbors. Again, they’re nice people so why foul it - familiarity breeds contempt and all that.
They weren’t aware of the EYOC’s extended stay in the hospital so while I was over there and when they asked after him I had to update them on the situation. Like I said, they’re nice people and asked if I needed anything (which I politely begged off) but I appreciated the sentiment.
I got inside and set about getting settled in, not more than five minutes could have passed before I heard a knock at the door downstairs. There was one of the neighbor’s kids with a plate of Thanksgiving leftovers, I started to say no, but then though what a nice gesture and took the plate from the youngster.
It’s nice to have good neighbors.
Nov 22, 2005
Blow me.
There is this really interesting thing which happens each fall in the ’burbs; the leaves turn as the weather gets cold and suddenly the neighborhood is abuzz with the clarion call of the leaf blower.
This year, I’ve been a bit preoccupied with the EYOC drama still unfolding. In years past, I would have to listen to the sporadic nagging about the shape of the yard and the threats by the EYOC to do something about it - visions of elder cruelty immediately sprung to mind, or contrasting that, a clear picture of a prone, over exerted senior who had succumbed to coronary thrombosis.
Life has been a lot quieter lately so, I let the leaves just fall waiting for that moment when the trees around the house had shot their wad and stood bare skeletons in contrast to their summer glory.
We hadn’t quite reached that point yet and weekend before last I went out and did one side of the house and the front yard. This past Monday I spent pretty much the entire day doing the back yard and the other side as well as giving a second going over to the areas I had already addressed.
This year though, I opted for “old school” leaf removal.
I just got out the big fan rake and slowly set about making the yard a kinder, gentler place. Saturday before last the temperature was practically balmy and when I was up really early I couldn’t bring myself to ruin the nice touch the day had by getting out the shoulder strapped machine and cutting the beautiful calm with the high pitched, incessant whine of the blower.
Thing is, it took just about the same time it would’ve taken with the blower. It was a bit of exercise (something I could sorely do with) but, there was something quite nice about it (using the rake). Monday, even though the skies were overcast for the most part, the weather was temperate and the rather large pile of leaves which resulted from my efforts took on a different and more satisfying feel for having used the rake.
Both days I was out there though, at some point while raking, I heard the drone start up and cringed.
I thought about all those times I had used the blower myself and how I would be forced to just crank up the thing again and again to try and move some small, troublesome leaf which was lodged in its place - so much waste for such little reward.
Thinking back, I can remember a time when you’d just rake all the leaves into a pile and set them to a smoldering blaze - there was something so very charming about that smell, the burning leaves. It was a fall smell, a smell you’d only whiff during one particular moment during the course of the year, something which let you know where you were in the calendar, it was nice and warm and always it contrasted with the light bite of cold in the air as winter got closer...
They’ve stopped people from burning leaves these days because of pollution. It seems all those burning leaves were just horrible for the air quality and they just mucked up the atmosphere something fierce so, that wonderful smell is a rarity now. Funny thing is though, everyone has one of those damn leaf blowers and most of them run on gas and spit out the most horrendous fumes - nice mixture of gas and oil which runs the things will do that - put out malodorous fumes that is. So, instead of the smell of burning leaves, we’ve got leaf blowers and lots of smelly gas/oil fumes when fall rolls around.
Yep, got to love progress sometimes - two steps forward, one step back.
There is this really interesting thing which happens each fall in the ’burbs; the leaves turn as the weather gets cold and suddenly the neighborhood is abuzz with the clarion call of the leaf blower.
This year, I’ve been a bit preoccupied with the EYOC drama still unfolding. In years past, I would have to listen to the sporadic nagging about the shape of the yard and the threats by the EYOC to do something about it - visions of elder cruelty immediately sprung to mind, or contrasting that, a clear picture of a prone, over exerted senior who had succumbed to coronary thrombosis.
Life has been a lot quieter lately so, I let the leaves just fall waiting for that moment when the trees around the house had shot their wad and stood bare skeletons in contrast to their summer glory.
We hadn’t quite reached that point yet and weekend before last I went out and did one side of the house and the front yard. This past Monday I spent pretty much the entire day doing the back yard and the other side as well as giving a second going over to the areas I had already addressed.
This year though, I opted for “old school” leaf removal.
I just got out the big fan rake and slowly set about making the yard a kinder, gentler place. Saturday before last the temperature was practically balmy and when I was up really early I couldn’t bring myself to ruin the nice touch the day had by getting out the shoulder strapped machine and cutting the beautiful calm with the high pitched, incessant whine of the blower.
Thing is, it took just about the same time it would’ve taken with the blower. It was a bit of exercise (something I could sorely do with) but, there was something quite nice about it (using the rake). Monday, even though the skies were overcast for the most part, the weather was temperate and the rather large pile of leaves which resulted from my efforts took on a different and more satisfying feel for having used the rake.
Both days I was out there though, at some point while raking, I heard the drone start up and cringed.
I thought about all those times I had used the blower myself and how I would be forced to just crank up the thing again and again to try and move some small, troublesome leaf which was lodged in its place - so much waste for such little reward.
Thinking back, I can remember a time when you’d just rake all the leaves into a pile and set them to a smoldering blaze - there was something so very charming about that smell, the burning leaves. It was a fall smell, a smell you’d only whiff during one particular moment during the course of the year, something which let you know where you were in the calendar, it was nice and warm and always it contrasted with the light bite of cold in the air as winter got closer...
They’ve stopped people from burning leaves these days because of pollution. It seems all those burning leaves were just horrible for the air quality and they just mucked up the atmosphere something fierce so, that wonderful smell is a rarity now. Funny thing is though, everyone has one of those damn leaf blowers and most of them run on gas and spit out the most horrendous fumes - nice mixture of gas and oil which runs the things will do that - put out malodorous fumes that is. So, instead of the smell of burning leaves, we’ve got leaf blowers and lots of smelly gas/oil fumes when fall rolls around.
Yep, got to love progress sometimes - two steps forward, one step back.
Nov 19, 2005
Superman trailer.
Brian emailed me the link to the Quicktime Superman trailer for the forthcoming Singer film. Looks pretty good, although my first thought is that it’s another retelling - updated no doubt. Thing is they couldn’t improve on the score or Brando’s take on Kal El. See for yourself, click here.
Brian emailed me the link to the Quicktime Superman trailer for the forthcoming Singer film. Looks pretty good, although my first thought is that it’s another retelling - updated no doubt. Thing is they couldn’t improve on the score or Brando’s take on Kal El. See for yourself, click here.
Nov 18, 2005
Nov 17, 2005
I didn’t know it was today...
• Tired of huddling outside, smoking in the cold?
• Tired of burning away money on cigarettes?
If you’re a smoker it’s never too late to make the decision to quit today.
The Great American Smokeout.
• Tired of huddling outside, smoking in the cold?
• Tired of burning away money on cigarettes?
If you’re a smoker it’s never too late to make the decision to quit today.
The Great American Smokeout.
Nov 16, 2005
Nov 15, 2005
A question:
So, you have a person, someone who intends to blow themselves up. A person who is willing to take their own life at the expense of others. The purpose being to extract the highest possible cost they can, meaning to inflict as much pain and suffering on the largest number of people they can. Deliberately putting pieces of metal into an explosive device so there is the additional result of non lethal shrapnel injuring those not already injured by the blast. Planning on staggering the timing of multiple explosions so as to not only injure innocents but, also the people who dedicate their lives to aiding others.
How do you punish someone like this?
When we discover a bomb before it goes off, we take it out somewhere where it will do little damage and we detonate it so it will not do any harm. It will never get a chance to hurt someone again. We don’t take the bomb and keep it somewhere, leaving it armed and dangerous because it would be foolish and we know one day it might in fact detonate hurting innocent people.
So, when someone decides to give themselves over to becoming a human bomb, a bomb directed by the intelligence and malice a person has to offer should we do any different? I keep seeing these instances of suicide bombers (or homicide bomber depending on your spin delivery source) and I can’t help but think when they capture one of these idiots before they have a chance to do what they are intending to do, well they should take them out somewhere and blow them up.
Better still, film that... and broadcast it.
You’re probably thinking about how harsh that is right about now, aren’t you?
But, think about it this way, if you show the world what a violent, painful and abrupt act it is to blow oneself up - if you make sure people can see what a horrible way to die it is - maybe the next time some group of terrorists, some ideologs try to recruit some idiot to do this, it will be all the more difficult for them to manage it. The instinct of self-preservation will set in, the fear of pain we all have will prevent someone from being so easily convinced they are doing something noble to further their cause.
No, they are doing something which is a violent, senseless act and even if they are not successful in their endeavor, they will suffer the ignominy of dying in a horrible painful fashion nonetheless.
Just something to think about regarding this person:
“We went into the hotel. He [my husband] took a corner and I took another. There was a wedding in the hotel. There were women and children. My husband executed the attack.”
“I tried to detonate and it failed. People fled running and I left running with them.”
...Mr Muasher said the bomb strapped to the man was packed with the powerful explosive RDX and ball bearings, and was designed to kill as many people as possible. “It is clear from the way she was dressed and the explosive belts with ball bearings that they wanted to target innocent civilians, and also wanted to inflict the biggest number of casualties and victims.”
There’s been a further news story, attempting to reason out the behavior by pointing out that the women had three brothers and a brother-in-law killed in the fighting in Iraq. Of course the blame being laid at the hands of US forces but, the rub of all this is there wasn’t much in the way of Americans as casualties as a result of this act - no, they just managed to kill mainly Jordanian and Palestinians. Got to appreciate the logic in that (not).
So, you have a person, someone who intends to blow themselves up. A person who is willing to take their own life at the expense of others. The purpose being to extract the highest possible cost they can, meaning to inflict as much pain and suffering on the largest number of people they can. Deliberately putting pieces of metal into an explosive device so there is the additional result of non lethal shrapnel injuring those not already injured by the blast. Planning on staggering the timing of multiple explosions so as to not only injure innocents but, also the people who dedicate their lives to aiding others.
How do you punish someone like this?
When we discover a bomb before it goes off, we take it out somewhere where it will do little damage and we detonate it so it will not do any harm. It will never get a chance to hurt someone again. We don’t take the bomb and keep it somewhere, leaving it armed and dangerous because it would be foolish and we know one day it might in fact detonate hurting innocent people.
So, when someone decides to give themselves over to becoming a human bomb, a bomb directed by the intelligence and malice a person has to offer should we do any different? I keep seeing these instances of suicide bombers (or homicide bomber depending on your spin delivery source) and I can’t help but think when they capture one of these idiots before they have a chance to do what they are intending to do, well they should take them out somewhere and blow them up.
Better still, film that... and broadcast it.
You’re probably thinking about how harsh that is right about now, aren’t you?
But, think about it this way, if you show the world what a violent, painful and abrupt act it is to blow oneself up - if you make sure people can see what a horrible way to die it is - maybe the next time some group of terrorists, some ideologs try to recruit some idiot to do this, it will be all the more difficult for them to manage it. The instinct of self-preservation will set in, the fear of pain we all have will prevent someone from being so easily convinced they are doing something noble to further their cause.
No, they are doing something which is a violent, senseless act and even if they are not successful in their endeavor, they will suffer the ignominy of dying in a horrible painful fashion nonetheless.
Just something to think about regarding this person:
“We went into the hotel. He [my husband] took a corner and I took another. There was a wedding in the hotel. There were women and children. My husband executed the attack.”
“I tried to detonate and it failed. People fled running and I left running with them.”
...Mr Muasher said the bomb strapped to the man was packed with the powerful explosive RDX and ball bearings, and was designed to kill as many people as possible. “It is clear from the way she was dressed and the explosive belts with ball bearings that they wanted to target innocent civilians, and also wanted to inflict the biggest number of casualties and victims.”
There’s been a further news story, attempting to reason out the behavior by pointing out that the women had three brothers and a brother-in-law killed in the fighting in Iraq. Of course the blame being laid at the hands of US forces but, the rub of all this is there wasn’t much in the way of Americans as casualties as a result of this act - no, they just managed to kill mainly Jordanian and Palestinians. Got to appreciate the logic in that (not).
Nov 12, 2005
Where the day takes you...
Down to Chinatown for some nice Dim Sum with Brian (author of Cat Story) and Ed.
On the way back to the car, looking down at the Brooklyn Bridge, South Street Seaport and Wall Street on the day they’re moving the Fulton FIsh Market.
Brian and Ed pose for a quick picture.
The sun hits the buildings over in Brooklyn Heights.
Ed makes a point.
Unh-oh! Looks like the FDR is sagging from to much use!
There’s always traffic in New York!
Down to Chinatown for some nice Dim Sum with Brian (author of Cat Story) and Ed.
On the way back to the car, looking down at the Brooklyn Bridge, South Street Seaport and Wall Street on the day they’re moving the Fulton FIsh Market.
Brian and Ed pose for a quick picture.
The sun hits the buildings over in Brooklyn Heights.
Ed makes a point.
Unh-oh! Looks like the FDR is sagging from to much use!
There’s always traffic in New York!
Nov 11, 2005
Zip!
And just like that another week goes by. Every week I wonder what I'll get accomplished and then I look up and I’m cruising into Saturday. Today was running errands and getting some paperwork in order - you’d be surprised how much time needs to be spent in the whole paper tornado.
I was going to start taking pictures around here - at least I’d have some proof of just how bad the mess is and something to compare to when everything gets done. Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away!?! How did that happen? Somehow I have the feeling I’ll look up and it’ll be January before I know it.
Tonight I did the big cook off thing. Every once in awhile, I try to keep the expenses down by making a slew of food and then freezing things to come back to later in the week. Two things result from this. First, I usually eat a lot better than I normally do. Second, I wind up saving a lot of money because I’m not existing on take out.
So, tonight’s cook off menu was Chicken Sorrentino and a big pot of soup.
The Chicken Sorrentino is a bit of a chore but, I’ve found a couple of ways to keep the mess down. These involve ziploc bags which I find one of the greatest and most convenient things to use in the kitchen, saves me a lot of dish washing after the fact. I went online and searched far and wide for a recipe which I found some time back. Surprisingly, enough it’s not a hard recipe, there’s just a lot of prep. I was procrastinating about it all week but, I got some important things out of the way today and thought it would be a nice way to top the day off (the cooking).
The soup is an experiment. I made a big batch a few weeks ago and I’m still trying to fine tune the recipe there. Ever since the Soup Nazi closed up shop and started franchising (I hear he’s got a place down on forty deuce), I’ve been jonesing for some good soup when the weather begins to turn.
I took the recipe off the Goya 16 bean soup pack and made some modifications to it. The last batch came out good but, since I was experimenting, I didn’t have the foresight to write down the recipe amounts. Tonight after soaking the beans for the last two days (the last batch were a little tough), it was time to make the soup. I wound up with about 10 small chinese soup containers full of the stuff! Most of it goes into the freezer but, I did promise Ed some. It has a bit of a bite to it (underlying spiciness) and I’ll probably pull back a little on one of the ingredients in the next batch but I guarantee it’s something that would hit the spot on a chilly day!
And just like that another week goes by. Every week I wonder what I'll get accomplished and then I look up and I’m cruising into Saturday. Today was running errands and getting some paperwork in order - you’d be surprised how much time needs to be spent in the whole paper tornado.
I was going to start taking pictures around here - at least I’d have some proof of just how bad the mess is and something to compare to when everything gets done. Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away!?! How did that happen? Somehow I have the feeling I’ll look up and it’ll be January before I know it.
Tonight I did the big cook off thing. Every once in awhile, I try to keep the expenses down by making a slew of food and then freezing things to come back to later in the week. Two things result from this. First, I usually eat a lot better than I normally do. Second, I wind up saving a lot of money because I’m not existing on take out.
So, tonight’s cook off menu was Chicken Sorrentino and a big pot of soup.
The Chicken Sorrentino is a bit of a chore but, I’ve found a couple of ways to keep the mess down. These involve ziploc bags which I find one of the greatest and most convenient things to use in the kitchen, saves me a lot of dish washing after the fact. I went online and searched far and wide for a recipe which I found some time back. Surprisingly, enough it’s not a hard recipe, there’s just a lot of prep. I was procrastinating about it all week but, I got some important things out of the way today and thought it would be a nice way to top the day off (the cooking).
The soup is an experiment. I made a big batch a few weeks ago and I’m still trying to fine tune the recipe there. Ever since the Soup Nazi closed up shop and started franchising (I hear he’s got a place down on forty deuce), I’ve been jonesing for some good soup when the weather begins to turn.
I took the recipe off the Goya 16 bean soup pack and made some modifications to it. The last batch came out good but, since I was experimenting, I didn’t have the foresight to write down the recipe amounts. Tonight after soaking the beans for the last two days (the last batch were a little tough), it was time to make the soup. I wound up with about 10 small chinese soup containers full of the stuff! Most of it goes into the freezer but, I did promise Ed some. It has a bit of a bite to it (underlying spiciness) and I’ll probably pull back a little on one of the ingredients in the next batch but I guarantee it’s something that would hit the spot on a chilly day!
You can’t be serious?
From the Monster Blog.
Ever get the feeling your commute is sucking the life out of you? According to the US Census Bureau, Americans spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year — 20 hours more than most workers take for vacation. My commute is only 25 minutes, which isn’t too bad, but sometimes I wish I could just be beamed to work.
As I get older I find the whole commuting thing to be very draining. Often, the commute can be somewhere between three and four hours total. It wouldn’t be so bad if there it were simple but, it’s a three legged monster usually (drive, commuter train, subway) any segment of which can throw the whole experience out of kilter.
On the flip side, I only know of one person who actually lived in the building where he worked (and that was Brian). I wouldn’t do it. There has to be a separation between work and home. Sure, four hours roundtrip is way too much but, being in the building leads to a whole breaking down of boundaries that can’t be good in the long run. I think you need time away from the job. As a matter of fact, I think there is a dangerous trend in the country today to confuse work with life, the two are and should be two very separate entities.
One of the things I’ll be looking to change is the whole commute dynamic in the coming months. When I’ve worked third shift, the commute home has been a very palatable 35 to 40 minutes but that’s been around 3 in the morning when no one is on the road and I can drive to and from work. If I’m working the 9 to 5 thing, that (driving - no train) just doesn’t work.
From the Monster Blog.
Ever get the feeling your commute is sucking the life out of you? According to the US Census Bureau, Americans spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year — 20 hours more than most workers take for vacation. My commute is only 25 minutes, which isn’t too bad, but sometimes I wish I could just be beamed to work.
As I get older I find the whole commuting thing to be very draining. Often, the commute can be somewhere between three and four hours total. It wouldn’t be so bad if there it were simple but, it’s a three legged monster usually (drive, commuter train, subway) any segment of which can throw the whole experience out of kilter.
On the flip side, I only know of one person who actually lived in the building where he worked (and that was Brian). I wouldn’t do it. There has to be a separation between work and home. Sure, four hours roundtrip is way too much but, being in the building leads to a whole breaking down of boundaries that can’t be good in the long run. I think you need time away from the job. As a matter of fact, I think there is a dangerous trend in the country today to confuse work with life, the two are and should be two very separate entities.
One of the things I’ll be looking to change is the whole commute dynamic in the coming months. When I’ve worked third shift, the commute home has been a very palatable 35 to 40 minutes but that’s been around 3 in the morning when no one is on the road and I can drive to and from work. If I’m working the 9 to 5 thing, that (driving - no train) just doesn’t work.
Nov 10, 2005
Don Rumsfeld also known as Fonzie!
Aaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Or maybe we should call him Rummy?
From Nat Hentoff’s column:
“I entered interview rooms to find a detainee chained hand and foot in a fetal position on the floor with no chair, food, or water. Most times they had urinated or defecated on themselves, and had been left there for 18 to 24 hours or more.” This, of course, was on Donald Rumsfeld's watch.
The American Civil Liberties Union has released copies of e-mails to FBI director Robert Mueller from appalled FBI agents protesting the unlawful, inhumane interrogations they had witnessed. Director Mueller himself has never joined their protests nor acknowledged any acts of torture at Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo, or any of our other “detention” facilities.
Aaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Or maybe we should call him Rummy?
From Nat Hentoff’s column:
“I entered interview rooms to find a detainee chained hand and foot in a fetal position on the floor with no chair, food, or water. Most times they had urinated or defecated on themselves, and had been left there for 18 to 24 hours or more.” This, of course, was on Donald Rumsfeld's watch.
The American Civil Liberties Union has released copies of e-mails to FBI director Robert Mueller from appalled FBI agents protesting the unlawful, inhumane interrogations they had witnessed. Director Mueller himself has never joined their protests nor acknowledged any acts of torture at Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo, or any of our other “detention” facilities.
The truth about cat people and dog people.
There are cat people and then there are dog people, we are all of us aware of this. So, today when I was doing another one of those aimless internet drives - it was emphasized yet again the differences between the two.
I am, unapologetically, a cat person. Always have been for as long as I can remember.
Even as I write this now, my furry little friend has found her way ontp my stomach in an attempt to get between me and the keyboard so some much needed attention can be lavished on her yet again. She’s warm, she’s purring and she looks up at me with a gaze that says, “You really want to scratch my neck and back now, don’t you?”
Today I was wandering around the electronic corridors of the internet, I came across an address book entry of one of the exes friends and lo and behold I just pasted it into a search and though I would see what appeared.
Now, the person in question is a real spark plug. plainly put this is a person who would be be pictured under the definition of human dynamo. Lots of energy, lots of people constantly around her, many social functions, lots of exercise, it‘s always just go, go, go.
Clearly, dog person.
Now, yesterday an old friend came to town. He hunts, fishes, golfs, very gregarious, outgoing, travels quite a bit for his job, truly a good guy.
Another dog person.
Then there‘s this other friend of mine, a former co-worker. He’s a busy guy as well, there always seems to be a slew of people up at his house, he’s loud, somewhat intimidating (not to me but, I have known a few others whose nerves he got on).
Yep. Dog person too - and with a dog the size of a small pony to boot.
Are we seeing a trend here?
This afternoon, after doing the days errands for the morning, I found myself at one point quite tired. I sat down in my TV chair (without the garish seat cushion, please) and shortly found myself awake a few hours later with my little furry pal nestled atop my chest like a living hot water bottle. She was quite happy, and I was quite comfortable.
I am sooooo, a cat person.
So, indulge me if you will - use the comments section. Cat or Dog. Why?
There are cat people and then there are dog people, we are all of us aware of this. So, today when I was doing another one of those aimless internet drives - it was emphasized yet again the differences between the two.
I am, unapologetically, a cat person. Always have been for as long as I can remember.
Even as I write this now, my furry little friend has found her way ontp my stomach in an attempt to get between me and the keyboard so some much needed attention can be lavished on her yet again. She’s warm, she’s purring and she looks up at me with a gaze that says, “You really want to scratch my neck and back now, don’t you?”
Today I was wandering around the electronic corridors of the internet, I came across an address book entry of one of the exes friends and lo and behold I just pasted it into a search and though I would see what appeared.
Now, the person in question is a real spark plug. plainly put this is a person who would be be pictured under the definition of human dynamo. Lots of energy, lots of people constantly around her, many social functions, lots of exercise, it‘s always just go, go, go.
Clearly, dog person.
Now, yesterday an old friend came to town. He hunts, fishes, golfs, very gregarious, outgoing, travels quite a bit for his job, truly a good guy.
Another dog person.
Then there‘s this other friend of mine, a former co-worker. He’s a busy guy as well, there always seems to be a slew of people up at his house, he’s loud, somewhat intimidating (not to me but, I have known a few others whose nerves he got on).
Yep. Dog person too - and with a dog the size of a small pony to boot.
Are we seeing a trend here?
This afternoon, after doing the days errands for the morning, I found myself at one point quite tired. I sat down in my TV chair (without the garish seat cushion, please) and shortly found myself awake a few hours later with my little furry pal nestled atop my chest like a living hot water bottle. She was quite happy, and I was quite comfortable.
I am sooooo, a cat person.
So, indulge me if you will - use the comments section. Cat or Dog. Why?
Nov 9, 2005
Just finished reading this:
Suburban Seattle, the mid-1970s. We learn from the out-set that a strange plague has descended upon the area’s teenagers, transmitted by sexual contact. The disease is manifested in any number of ways - from the hideously grotesque to the subtle (and concealable) - but once you've got it, that's it. There's not turning back.
It took Charles Burns 10 years to finish this book - each year there would be an issue that would come out and although I would pick them up, the lag between issues would make it hard to remember where you were in the story. Plus I think I missed one years’ issue so, it was even difficult to figure what I had missed. It’s great to be able to sit down and read the whole tale though and worth it for both comics and non comics fans alike.
A prolific and highly-sought magazine illustrator, Burns has done covers for such magazines as Time and The New Yorker, and is the regular cover artist for The Believer. He’s designed the sets for a New York production of The Nutcracker called The Hard Nut and produced album covers, including the spectacular fold-out that graced Iggy Pop’s “Brick by Brick.” His advertising gigs include the ill-fated O.K. Cola brand (alongside fellow Fantagraphics cartoonist Daniel Clowes) and a huge campaign for Altoids in 2003 which included several comics pages.
Suburban Seattle, the mid-1970s. We learn from the out-set that a strange plague has descended upon the area’s teenagers, transmitted by sexual contact. The disease is manifested in any number of ways - from the hideously grotesque to the subtle (and concealable) - but once you've got it, that's it. There's not turning back.
It took Charles Burns 10 years to finish this book - each year there would be an issue that would come out and although I would pick them up, the lag between issues would make it hard to remember where you were in the story. Plus I think I missed one years’ issue so, it was even difficult to figure what I had missed. It’s great to be able to sit down and read the whole tale though and worth it for both comics and non comics fans alike.
A prolific and highly-sought magazine illustrator, Burns has done covers for such magazines as Time and The New Yorker, and is the regular cover artist for The Believer. He’s designed the sets for a New York production of The Nutcracker called The Hard Nut and produced album covers, including the spectacular fold-out that graced Iggy Pop’s “Brick by Brick.” His advertising gigs include the ill-fated O.K. Cola brand (alongside fellow Fantagraphics cartoonist Daniel Clowes) and a huge campaign for Altoids in 2003 which included several comics pages.
Nov 8, 2005
Every once in awhile...
I read a story like this and it gives me hope for our species.
The parents of a Palestinian boy killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank have donated his organs for use in Israel, in the hope of promoting peace. Twelve-year-old Ahmed Ismail Khatib was shot in the town of Jenin by troops who mistook his toy gun for a real one. His organs were transplanted into five Israeli children and a woman aged 58.
The sad thing is that a story like this one doesn’t get the kind of coverage all the really horrid stories do.
I read a story like this and it gives me hope for our species.
The parents of a Palestinian boy killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank have donated his organs for use in Israel, in the hope of promoting peace. Twelve-year-old Ahmed Ismail Khatib was shot in the town of Jenin by troops who mistook his toy gun for a real one. His organs were transplanted into five Israeli children and a woman aged 58.
The sad thing is that a story like this one doesn’t get the kind of coverage all the really horrid stories do.
Bad actor?
This morning, flipping channels I passed something that caught my attention. There was Steve Phillips with a big Yankee backdrop, holding a press conference.
Over on ESPN, fans who watched “SportsCenter” Sunday and Monday may have done a double-take: There was Phillips, a former New York Mets general manager, sitting behind a bank of microphones and before a background with the Red Sox insignia, answering questions from ESPN reporters.
Was he the replacement for Theo Epstein, who quit last week?
No, Phillips was just playing one on television.
As much contempt as I may have for the Yankees (and it’s not so much directed at the team or players, as much as it is Steinbrenner and a select group of the more obnoxious and rabid Yankee fans), even I wouldn’t wish such a thing on them - Phillips becoming Yankee GM that is.
After watching Phillips as Mets GM for several years, I can honestly say he is no better as a pretend GM on these SportsCenter segments than he was when he was a real GM. Yes, Steve blamed Bobby Valentine for the shortcomings of the Mets but since then, Bobby has gone on to win the Japanese World Series, only the second time a foreign manager has done so in that country. In the meantime with all the GM openings since his firing, nobody seems to be altogether anxious to give Stevie P another shot at GM.
Pretend or not, Steve Phillips can’t cut it is a GM and as a TV announcer he’s not a star either.
This morning, flipping channels I passed something that caught my attention. There was Steve Phillips with a big Yankee backdrop, holding a press conference.
Over on ESPN, fans who watched “SportsCenter” Sunday and Monday may have done a double-take: There was Phillips, a former New York Mets general manager, sitting behind a bank of microphones and before a background with the Red Sox insignia, answering questions from ESPN reporters.
Was he the replacement for Theo Epstein, who quit last week?
No, Phillips was just playing one on television.
As much contempt as I may have for the Yankees (and it’s not so much directed at the team or players, as much as it is Steinbrenner and a select group of the more obnoxious and rabid Yankee fans), even I wouldn’t wish such a thing on them - Phillips becoming Yankee GM that is.
After watching Phillips as Mets GM for several years, I can honestly say he is no better as a pretend GM on these SportsCenter segments than he was when he was a real GM. Yes, Steve blamed Bobby Valentine for the shortcomings of the Mets but since then, Bobby has gone on to win the Japanese World Series, only the second time a foreign manager has done so in that country. In the meantime with all the GM openings since his firing, nobody seems to be altogether anxious to give Stevie P another shot at GM.
Pretend or not, Steve Phillips can’t cut it is a GM and as a TV announcer he’s not a star either.
Nov 7, 2005
That’s where the trouble began...
There are about two or three comic books I remember vividly from the recesses of my childhood. This is one:
I remember the two or three individual issues vividly, because those are the issues where I first became aware of comics.
I know I remember the day I got this comic, we were out visiting a distant relative in Hastings. Some cousin or other I don’t think I’ve seen since. I had to be around 7 at the time and I also remember it was a sunny, pleasant day when I also had my very first chocolate egg cream. I can recall being very apprehensive when my father suggested to me I have one (eggs! in a drink! ewwwwwwww!).
The day was a real two-fer, I still like egg creams and still have a fondness for comics.
While we’re talking about these things, check out the Spiderfan site which is where the cover image resides - lots of cool Spider Man stuff. Oh, and that happens to be a great cover too!
There are about two or three comic books I remember vividly from the recesses of my childhood. This is one:
I remember the two or three individual issues vividly, because those are the issues where I first became aware of comics.
I know I remember the day I got this comic, we were out visiting a distant relative in Hastings. Some cousin or other I don’t think I’ve seen since. I had to be around 7 at the time and I also remember it was a sunny, pleasant day when I also had my very first chocolate egg cream. I can recall being very apprehensive when my father suggested to me I have one (eggs! in a drink! ewwwwwwww!).
The day was a real two-fer, I still like egg creams and still have a fondness for comics.
While we’re talking about these things, check out the Spiderfan site which is where the cover image resides - lots of cool Spider Man stuff. Oh, and that happens to be a great cover too!
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