Self-loathing black man? South Carolina state senator Robert Ford, who is black, says that if Barack Obama won the presidential primary, “Every Democratic candidate running on that ticket would lose because he’s black and he’s at the top of the ticket — we’d lose the House, the Senate and the governors and everything.” Way to fight the power, Bobby.
Meanwhile, Obama issues his first apology of his campaign for the White House. He's also going to have to apologize to Oprah at some point. He promised her he's announce his campaign intentions on her show, and instead chose the Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois, the same place where Lincoln delivered a famous anti-slavery speech. My guess is that Oprah will forgive, but she'll expect a spot in his cabinet.
Stuart Smalley is running for the Senate.
Stephen Colbert is trying to correct the "well known liberal agenda" that exists in desserts, with his Americone Dream ice cream. My wife doesn't think she'd like the flavor, vanilla with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and caramel. I would love Ben & Jerry's to come out with a mint ice cream with coconut, chocolate and puffed rice.
Speaking of mint, the U.S. Mint will try one more time to get the public to accept a $1.00 coin. These new coins will be the same shape, color and metal content as the last failed version, but apparently the gov't is blaming Sacagawea's image for the failure, and instead they're trusting that presidential images on the coins will be better received. The first coins, available tomorrow, will feature George Washington on the head side. Brilliant. One of the most common complaints about the dollar coin is that it is too similar to a quarter, so the geniuses decided to stick Washington's face on it. That should do it. Every three months though, a new president will be honored (in the order they served) - a series that as of now will run into 2016. Can't wait for that Taft coin. Our leaders prove once again that they've got more dollars than sense.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Update: Billy Joel's New Single To Be Released Soon
Earlier this month I posted news that Billy Joel had recorded a new pop song for the first time in 13 years, and I also espoused my hateful (and, to date, unsubstantiated) theory as to why it's been so damn long. Today we learn that the new song, titled "All My Life," will first be heard on Feb 7th, exclusively and inexplicably on People.com, followed by its release for sale on iTunes on February 20th.
Billy Joel will sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday, kicking off a tour on which he'll perform the pop music he'd become "weary of," I guess until now?
Billy Joel will sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday, kicking off a tour on which he'll perform the pop music he'd become "weary of," I guess until now?
Friday, January 26, 2007
Why Yes, Perhaps the Pen IS Mighter Than The Sword, After All!
A 65-year-old Californian woman has saved the life of her husband, 70, by fighting off an attacking mountain lion with a small log and his pen.
Jim and Nell Hamm were walking in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park when the cougar wrestled Jim to the ground.
Nell started hitting the animal with the log but it kept hold of Jim's head. She then tried to stick the pen in its eye. The cougar eventually let go.
Hell Cat!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Greatest Inventions Of All Time
The four greatest inventions of all time are, in order:
1. Fire
2. Internet
3. Wheel
4. Sandwich
An excellent website all about sandwiches is The Sandwich Project. If you add it to your Google homepage, you'll get updated on the "Sandwich Of The Day"
Today's Sandwich Of The Day (sounds delicious!):
1. Fire
2. Internet
3. Wheel
4. Sandwich
An excellent website all about sandwiches is The Sandwich Project. If you add it to your Google homepage, you'll get updated on the "Sandwich Of The Day"
Today's Sandwich Of The Day (sounds delicious!):
The Notch
What’s in it? Garlic and herb cream cheese and slices of really rare roast beef, red onion and juicy, ripe tomatoes. Oh, and a liberal sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.
What should we know? This sandwich is sold at the Tailgate Picnic deli across the road from
Bread Type? Crusty rolls or baguette
Monday, January 22, 2007
The Gift That Says "I Hate You"
The Staples Easy Button, the gift that says "I Hate You."I should have posted this during the holiday season, but we were in Staples this weekend buying some cable and they had their "easy button" on sale.
I was trying to think why someone would buy it. Then I realized, it's a great gift to give someone you hate. You spend five bucks, give someone the "easy button," and you instantly tell them you despise them, without doing so overtly. You are telling them, "I know you have a stressful job that you hate, so the next time you are faced with a difficult stressful problem at work, just hit this button, which will say 'That was easy,' and instantly your problems will be exactly as stressful and unresolved as before, but now you will think of me and how much I hate you."
Perfect!
And you thought it was a useless product.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
A Little Something To Help You Sleep Easier...
Just in case the return of 24 didn't have your heart pounding in fear before you went to sleep Sunday and Monday nights, here's a real world news item that might do the trick. Here's the full article, but here are my favorite excerpts:
OK, if that doesn't want to make you want to run out and buy a hybrid or a thermal blanket for your hot water tank, I don't know what will...
Venezuela, Iran to finance opposition to U.S.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- fiery anti-American leaders whose moves to extend their influence have alarmed Washington -- said Saturday they would help finance investment projects in other countries seeking to thwart U.S. domination.
"Death to U.S. imperialism!" Chavez said.Iran and Venezuela are members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and Chavez said Saturday that they had agreed to back a further oil production cut in the cartel to stem a recent fall in crude prices.
"We know today there is too much crude in the market," Chavez said. "We have agreed to join our forces within OPEC ... to support a production cut and save the price of oil."
Chavez and Ahmadinejad have been increasingly united by their deep-seated antagonism toward the Bush administration. Chavez has become a leading defender of Iran's nuclear ambitions, accusing the Washington of using the issue as a pretext to attack Tehran.Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, has called Chavez "the champion of the struggle against imperialism."
U.S. officials have accused Chavez -- a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro -- of authoritarian tendencies, and National Intelligence Director John Negroponte said recently in an annual review of global threats that Venezuela's democracy was at risk.
The U.S. also believes Iran is seeking to use its nuclear program to develop an atomic bomb.
OK, if that doesn't want to make you want to run out and buy a hybrid or a thermal blanket for your hot water tank, I don't know what will...
Sunday, January 14, 2007
My Review: Rocky Balboa
Caution: Spoilers follow...
Rocky Balboa is not a great movie, or even a really good movie, but it is not a terrible movie, or even a really bad movie, so it is not hard to draw the parallels between the character Sylvester Stallone plays in the sixth installment of the Rocky franchise and Sylvester Stallone himself, a character who was successful in getting this movie made, sixteen years after the last one was released.
Rocky V was an awful, forgettable film. It tainted the legacy of the franchise, and as the years passed, helped turn Sylvester Stallone into somewhat of a joke. Not since 1997's Cop Land has Sly starred in a film of much consequence, and we all laughed whenever we heard rumblings that he wanted to revive Rocky, as he neared closer and closer to age 60.
Sylvester Stallone turned 60 in 2006, and indeed saw the release of Rocky Balboa in the same year. My friends and I made plans to see it, as an excuse to get together and laugh, the same way we laughed at Snakes On A Plane a few months earlier. Tentative plans to see it opening weekend were pushed back, and then firmer plans to see it last week fell apart too. But this Saturday we did make it to the theater. On the way, we talked about how we heard it had surprisingly been met with good reviews.
The dialogue in Rocky Balboa is a bit silly at times - you're never more than a few frames away from an inspirational if comically ineloquent speech by Rocky - and by the time the fight sequence finally came around, you almost didn't care anymore. Rocky doesn't win the fight, but he silenced the peanut gallery and put together a solid, inspiring effort for boxing fans. Rocky Balboa won't take home any Oscars, and may not be as inspirational as Stallone pictured, but the story of Sylvester Stallone defying those who poked fun, creating a solid, credible picture, may be inspiration enough.
Grade: B-
Rocky Balboa is not a great movie, or even a really good movie, but it is not a terrible movie, or even a really bad movie, so it is not hard to draw the parallels between the character Sylvester Stallone plays in the sixth installment of the Rocky franchise and Sylvester Stallone himself, a character who was successful in getting this movie made, sixteen years after the last one was released.
Rocky V was an awful, forgettable film. It tainted the legacy of the franchise, and as the years passed, helped turn Sylvester Stallone into somewhat of a joke. Not since 1997's Cop Land has Sly starred in a film of much consequence, and we all laughed whenever we heard rumblings that he wanted to revive Rocky, as he neared closer and closer to age 60.
Sylvester Stallone turned 60 in 2006, and indeed saw the release of Rocky Balboa in the same year. My friends and I made plans to see it, as an excuse to get together and laugh, the same way we laughed at Snakes On A Plane a few months earlier. Tentative plans to see it opening weekend were pushed back, and then firmer plans to see it last week fell apart too. But this Saturday we did make it to the theater. On the way, we talked about how we heard it had surprisingly been met with good reviews.
The dialogue in Rocky Balboa is a bit silly at times - you're never more than a few frames away from an inspirational if comically ineloquent speech by Rocky - and by the time the fight sequence finally came around, you almost didn't care anymore. Rocky doesn't win the fight, but he silenced the peanut gallery and put together a solid, inspiring effort for boxing fans. Rocky Balboa won't take home any Oscars, and may not be as inspirational as Stallone pictured, but the story of Sylvester Stallone defying those who poked fun, creating a solid, credible picture, may be inspiration enough.
Grade: B-
Friday, January 12, 2007
Sign That Wal-Mart Isn't Evil?
They May Go Solar!
It's not often you can write something nice about Wal-Mart, but when an opportunity comes along to give them credit, it's only fair to do so. According to an article in this week's issue of Business Week, the mega merchandiser is taking steps to "go solar," to install solar panels on the roofs of many of it's warehouse stores.
It doesn't take much of a cynic to suspect that Wal-Mart's efforts are purely a public relations move, but ulterior motivations or not, this would be a commendable thing to do, and a good example-setter for other corporations. With all the available space on roofs of buildings just going to waste, just imagine all the energy that could be produced if other companies followed suit. Great idea, Wal-Mart. Now all you need to do is follow through and maybe we won't hate you so much!
The retail behemoth last month put out a request for proposals to install solar panels at stores and distribution centers in five states, according to people who have seen the RFP. The project could take into account as many as 300 buildings and produce 150 megawatts of power, making the Wal-Mart (WMT ) installation the largest in the world, according to a solar industry executive who is one of the bidders.
...[Even] installing panels on just 40% of company buildings would... dwarf other corporate solar installation efforts, including the biggest in the U.S.: Google's (GOOG ) 1.6 megawatt project.
It doesn't take much of a cynic to suspect that Wal-Mart's efforts are purely a public relations move, but ulterior motivations or not, this would be a commendable thing to do, and a good example-setter for other corporations. With all the available space on roofs of buildings just going to waste, just imagine all the energy that could be produced if other companies followed suit. Great idea, Wal-Mart. Now all you need to do is follow through and maybe we won't hate you so much!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Meeting The 2007 Mets
I was in a great mood yesterday, because I scored tickets to Opening Day at Shea Stadium. I know in some corners of the world "opening day" refers to something related to shooting deer, but for me it only means one thing: The first day of baseball. The Mets kick off the 2007 Major League Baseball season with a Sunday night game on the road in St. Louis on April 1st (sadly, seeing the Cardinals raise their 2006 World Series Champions banner isn't a joke), and their home opener is Monday, April 9th, hosting the Phillies. I don't even remember the last time I didn't go to Opening Day at Shea.
Opening Day is a hard ticket to come by, and so for the last two seasons my friends and I have had to purchase a multiple-game package, just to ensure getting into the home opener. Yesterday I bought a seven-pack of games called the Opener Pack, a group of seven games pre-selected by the Mets, even though I in all likelihood won't be able to go to any of the other six games (living in Greensboro, and all).
But as soon as I got the confirmation from Mets.com, I put in my request to HR to take Monday, April 9th as a "Floating Holiday." Not a vacation day, and not a personal day. Opening Day is as big a holiday as it gets for me. And lucky for me Opening Day falls the Monday after Good Friday this year, so I'll be able to make it a four day trip up to New York to see the Mets play the Phillies in Shea Stadium's penultimate home opener.
By the way, penultimate is my word of the year for 2007.
For more on the Mets, please visit my other blog, Tales Of A Transplanted Mets Fan.
Opening Day is a hard ticket to come by, and so for the last two seasons my friends and I have had to purchase a multiple-game package, just to ensure getting into the home opener. Yesterday I bought a seven-pack of games called the Opener Pack, a group of seven games pre-selected by the Mets, even though I in all likelihood won't be able to go to any of the other six games (living in Greensboro, and all).
But as soon as I got the confirmation from Mets.com, I put in my request to HR to take Monday, April 9th as a "Floating Holiday." Not a vacation day, and not a personal day. Opening Day is as big a holiday as it gets for me. And lucky for me Opening Day falls the Monday after Good Friday this year, so I'll be able to make it a four day trip up to New York to see the Mets play the Phillies in Shea Stadium's penultimate home opener.
By the way, penultimate is my word of the year for 2007.
For more on the Mets, please visit my other blog, Tales Of A Transplanted Mets Fan.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Wanted: Ideas For Film Title
My buddy Ralphy is making a movie, and he's set up a blog to tell the story of his progress. Thus far the movie has no title, so he looking for suggestions. Help him out by posting a comment! Or, help him out even more by donating some funds! Oh, and tell him I should be in the movie, too!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Kottke: Distant Sequels
Jason Kottke posts a hilarious list of some upcoming and recently released sequels which are released a long time after the previous movie in the series, some real and some imagined. My favorite: Beverly Hills Cop IV. Axel does paperwork at his desk all day. Eddie Murphy does double duty by playing a elderly, sassy, obese black woman.
Men: Get Ready For A Coke Zero Blitz
Attention Men:Coca-Cola has decided to try and make Coke Zero the cola of choice for us, and they are going to spend big over the next twelve months in advertising to make it happen. Look for Coke Zero ads during shows we watch like 24 and NCAA basketball. They've convinced White Castle to dispense Coke Zero from their fountains, and they've changed the packaging to a male-friendly black with silver accents.
When Coke Zero launched, many people wondered what the difference between Coke Zero and Diet Coke was. What's the difference? The answer is that when Diet Coke was launched, it was flavored to be the diet version of "New Coke." Remember New Coke? Even though New Coke failed and was replaced by Coke Classic, they never changed the flavor of Diet Coke. But now, Coke Zero is the true diet version of Coca Cola Classic. The question for Coke is if they can make Coke Zero the diet soda for dudes. Diet Pepsi has been hitting us pretty hard with their NFL-themed ads. It's Cola Wars all over again.
V at The Movies
This weekend I took my little brother to the movies. I gave him two choices, two kids movies that started at about the same time at the theater: Charlotte's Web or Happy Feet. He didn't seem thrilled with either choice. He said his teacher read part of Charlotte's Web and he would wait for her to finish it next week, and he thought he already saw Happy Feet. I think he was thinking of March of The Penguins, but whatever. I didn't want to see either movie myself, but what options were there for an eight year old?
He wanted to see Eragon, but it wasn't playing until much later. So, we saw Night At The Museum. Turns out we had company, as it was the #1 movie for the weekend. I won't bother giving it a full review (Grade: B), because it was a kids movie, and it was OK as a kids movie but I wouldn't rush out to see it if you don't have a young kid in tow. Ben Stiller and Robin Williams were fine, and it was funny enough, so if you have to see a kids movie, it's not abad choice.
he best part of the experience was something seen in a the previews though. Apparently they are making a sequel to Bruce Almighty, this time with Steve Carell, who we all know is hilarious. It's called Evan Almighty. Morgan Freeman is back again as God, but this time Steve Carell suddenly realizes he is Noah, and needs to build an ark. It looks really funny, especially when he tries to convince his wife that building a giant boat is a good idea. I'm looking forward to it.
He wanted to see Eragon, but it wasn't playing until much later. So, we saw Night At The Museum. Turns out we had company, as it was the #1 movie for the weekend. I won't bother giving it a full review (Grade: B), because it was a kids movie, and it was OK as a kids movie but I wouldn't rush out to see it if you don't have a young kid in tow. Ben Stiller and Robin Williams were fine, and it was funny enough, so if you have to see a kids movie, it's not abad choice.
he best part of the experience was something seen in a the previews though. Apparently they are making a sequel to Bruce Almighty, this time with Steve Carell, who we all know is hilarious. It's called Evan Almighty. Morgan Freeman is back again as God, but this time Steve Carell suddenly realizes he is Noah, and needs to build an ark. It looks really funny, especially when he tries to convince his wife that building a giant boat is a good idea. I'm looking forward to it.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Got A Fat Dog?
Drug companies are running out of ideas to help us lose weight, but they've come up with a drug that could help your portly pooch.[The FDA] approved the first drug for obese canines on Friday. Called Slentrol, the Pfizer Inc. drug is aimed at helping fat Fidos shed extra pounds. The liquid drug appears to reduce the amount of fat a dog can absorb. It also seems to trigger a feeling of satiety or fullness
Or, you could take your dog for more walks.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
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Headline Of The Month
From Yahoo News, we read this headline:
Bush to name retired admiral as top spy
Isn't one of the requirements of being a spy having nobody know your true identity? Way to blow his cover, President Bush!
Bush to name retired admiral as top spy
Isn't one of the requirements of being a spy having nobody know your true identity? Way to blow his cover, President Bush!
SHOCKING News item of the day -
Billy Joel to release new song
My buddy Scott sent me this news item from the New York Post:
January 3, 2007 -- BILLY JOEL fans will be happy to know that on Dec. 29, the Piano Man recorded a new song, "All My Life," with legendary producer Phil Ramone at Legacy Studios here. Joel wrote it for his wife, Katie, for their second anniversary last October. "All My Life" is the first pop song Billy Joel has recorded since "River of Dreams" in 1993. In other Joel news, he will be performing the national anthem at the Super Bowl next month.
The reason I call this shocking, is that Scott and I JUST had a conversation last weekend about how I felt personally insulted as a fan that Billy Joel had not released any new original material since River Of Dreams. At the time, Joel said he was retiring from pop music to concentrate on classical music. However, in the past 13 years he's released just one classical album but gone on numerous tours performing the music he had supposedly retired from. He's also released two box sets, two live albums, and a couple greatest hits collections, all with the songs he'd retired from. No music has been released with lyrics by Billy Joel since River Of Dreams. I have suspected for a long time that there must be some reason for this that we don't know about. The real money in the music business comes from publishing deals, and I suspected that Billy Joel, who'd found himself in a couple really bad management contracts, had gotten himself into a deal where any new Billy Joel material (with lyrics) would earn someone money that he didn't want money going to. A wild theory? Perhaps. But the timing of this announcement is suspicious to me, coming right after the new year. Could the bad publishing deal I theorized about have run out at the end of 2006?
I grew up with Billy Joel's music. I remember listening to the Innocent Man album as a kid, riding in the back seat of my mom's old Chevy Nova on the way to my aunt's house. I'm thrilled to hear that he'll be releasing a new song, and I can't wait to hear what it sounds like. I respect his decision as an artist if he was just "Movin' Out" to another stage of his career, but it is tougher to take if it was all about money, instead of "All About Soul."
January 3, 2007 -- BILLY JOEL fans will be happy to know that on Dec. 29, the Piano Man recorded a new song, "All My Life," with legendary producer Phil Ramone at Legacy Studios here. Joel wrote it for his wife, Katie, for their second anniversary last October. "All My Life" is the first pop song Billy Joel has recorded since "River of Dreams" in 1993. In other Joel news, he will be performing the national anthem at the Super Bowl next month.
The reason I call this shocking, is that Scott and I JUST had a conversation last weekend about how I felt personally insulted as a fan that Billy Joel had not released any new original material since River Of Dreams. At the time, Joel said he was retiring from pop music to concentrate on classical music. However, in the past 13 years he's released just one classical album but gone on numerous tours performing the music he had supposedly retired from. He's also released two box sets, two live albums, and a couple greatest hits collections, all with the songs he'd retired from. No music has been released with lyrics by Billy Joel since River Of Dreams. I have suspected for a long time that there must be some reason for this that we don't know about. The real money in the music business comes from publishing deals, and I suspected that Billy Joel, who'd found himself in a couple really bad management contracts, had gotten himself into a deal where any new Billy Joel material (with lyrics) would earn someone money that he didn't want money going to. A wild theory? Perhaps. But the timing of this announcement is suspicious to me, coming right after the new year. Could the bad publishing deal I theorized about have run out at the end of 2006?
I grew up with Billy Joel's music. I remember listening to the Innocent Man album as a kid, riding in the back seat of my mom's old Chevy Nova on the way to my aunt's house. I'm thrilled to hear that he'll be releasing a new song, and I can't wait to hear what it sounds like. I respect his decision as an artist if he was just "Movin' Out" to another stage of his career, but it is tougher to take if it was all about money, instead of "All About Soul."
Music Find - Regina Spektor
I might be a little late to this party, but I heard this song on someone's myspace page, and thought the song was just terrific. Here's the video on YouTube for Regina Spektor's song, Fidelity:
Check out Regina's website where most of her music streams for free.
I mistakenly thought she must be related to music producer Phil Spector (Ronnie Spector's sister or daughter perhaps?), but it turns out she is a Russian-born songwriter "associated with the anti-folk scene centered on New York City's East Village," who spells her last name with a k.
After hearing her song "Fidelity" on myspace, I thought I had "discovered" someone. Then on my flight back from New York on jetblue Tuesday, I saw the song playing on XM Radio's channel 20, where XM's Top 20 songs play. I guess I discovered something already discovered by many others. It might be new to you, though, like it was for me?
I've never been a big fan of Tori Amos's, but I could see where someone might draw comparisons. Like Amos, Spektor is a pianist who seems to march to her own beat, with a musical range that really transcends any one genre. She's got a wonderful, soulful voice, and while it's difficult to foresee such an eclectic musician really achieve mainstream status, her songs have already been heard on some TV soundtracks. I could almost see her career mirroring Bjork's, another person who is hard to pigeonhole, but whose talent is so massive that she is impossible to ignore. Hopefully Spektor won't show up somewhere dressed like a swan though.
On a side note, Regina Spektor is separated from Tom Petty by just two degrees; his daughter Adria has directed many of Regina's music videos.
Check out Regina's website where most of her music streams for free.
I mistakenly thought she must be related to music producer Phil Spector (Ronnie Spector's sister or daughter perhaps?), but it turns out she is a Russian-born songwriter "associated with the anti-folk scene centered on New York City's East Village," who spells her last name with a k.
After hearing her song "Fidelity" on myspace, I thought I had "discovered" someone. Then on my flight back from New York on jetblue Tuesday, I saw the song playing on XM Radio's channel 20, where XM's Top 20 songs play. I guess I discovered something already discovered by many others. It might be new to you, though, like it was for me?
I've never been a big fan of Tori Amos's, but I could see where someone might draw comparisons. Like Amos, Spektor is a pianist who seems to march to her own beat, with a musical range that really transcends any one genre. She's got a wonderful, soulful voice, and while it's difficult to foresee such an eclectic musician really achieve mainstream status, her songs have already been heard on some TV soundtracks. I could almost see her career mirroring Bjork's, another person who is hard to pigeonhole, but whose talent is so massive that she is impossible to ignore. Hopefully Spektor won't show up somewhere dressed like a swan though.
On a side note, Regina Spektor is separated from Tom Petty by just two degrees; his daughter Adria has directed many of Regina's music videos.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
A Story For Those Of Who'd Lost All Faith In Humanity
Just when we thought humanitarianism was a relic of the past, we read about a true hero, Wesley Autrey, a man who risked his life to save a teen who had fallen onto the New York City Subway tracks.
And you thought New Yorkers had no heart.
Hat tip to Dethroner for the link.
NEW YORK (AP) — Trying to rescue a teenager in a subway track as a train roared in, Wesley Autrey faced a harrowing choice: Try to pull the young man to the platform, or push him down and hope to find a safe harbor between the rails.
"I tried to pull him up, but I had to make a split decision whether or not to struggle and maybe end up getting us both killed," Autrey said later. "So I just chose to dive on top of him and pin him down."
Autrey's quick-thinking move worked. The train passed right over them, saving the 18-year-old who had fallen, police said.
The teenager had a medical problem around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday and tumbled onto the tracks at a station in northern Manhattan, police said. The tracks are a few feet below the platform.
Autrey, waiting for a train with his two young daughters, saw the teen fall. He jumped down to the tracks and rolled with the young man into the trough between the rails as a southbound No. 1 train came into the 137th Street/City College station.
And you thought New Yorkers had no heart.
Hat tip to Dethroner for the link.
Losing My Religion lyrics
Oh, Life is bigger. It's bigger than you, And you are not me.I grew up a Catholic boy on Long Island, NY. Achieving the first two sacraments, I was Baptized, and made first Communion. Another milestone was penance, the first time you confess your sins to a priest. I remember I took Catechism classes one afternoon a week after school during elementary school and junior high. I couldn't stand going. I don't remember a lot about the classes, but I'm pretty sure I was in one of these classes when we found out the space shuttle Challenger exploded.
Around age 14 or so, Catholics will participate in the sacrament of Confirmation. It was explained to me that this is when you publicly affirm yourself for God. I remember the Sister who taught the class saying something to the effect of, if someone held a gun to your head and asked you to revoke the name of Jesus, you would refuse to do so, that you would rather die than say you did not believe in God. I wasn't sure about that, but then I wasn't too sure about my Catholicism in general. I never felt comfortable in church. My grandmother worked for the St. Boniface Church in Elmont, and as a child I would accompany her when she would go to work. I would play in the pews, and I remember actively looking for the "magic," evidence that God was present there. I think my expectations were too high - during mass, when a bell would ring I thought it must be God letting us know our prayers were being heard. I was disappointed when I stumbled across the bells one day, and realized it was actually an altar boy who was ringing the bells at the proper times during mass. When I saw the Communion wafers come in the mail in a plastic bag it wrecked the aura for me for some reason.
However, the real turning point for me in my Catholic lessons was when the aforementioned Sister told me that pets don't go to heaven. Dogs don't have souls, she said, and Heaven is only for people. I didn't like that at all, and pretty much decided then that I wasn't interested in continuing with this church. There's an article in Newsday this week that explores what apparently is a great debate among religion experts, whether animals go to heaven.
Some excerpts:
"The Catholic Church does not teach that animals have souls," says the Rev. Richard McBrien, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. "However, if one broadens the definition of the soul to include some level of intelligence and the capacity to give affection and to bond with human beings, then to that extent that they do have souls."
"Aside from a few interesting exceptions, I don't think there is a view of an afterlife for animals in Jewish theology," says Eliezer Segal, a professor of religious studies at the University of Calgary in Canada. One of those exceptions would be the Hasidic tradition, which believes in reincarnation - hence its exacting laws of animal slaughter, to ensure that fellow souls are dispatched with care and precision. "You'd have to assume that any animal - even a gnat - that's around you could be an incarnation of someone."
Richard Foltz, an associate professor in the department of religion at Concordia University in Montreal... notes Islamic law forbids "all forms of animal cruelty" and mandates that thirsty animals be given water before humans. And certain Islamic traditions hold that the prophet Muhammad had a particular affinity for cats. But on the spiritual plane, the odds are again stacked against animals. "The classical Islamic intellectual tradition is that they do indeed possess souls, although there is disagreement on whether these souls are eternal or not," Foltz says. While the majority say animal souls will be "extinguished," a strong minority viewpoint, centered mainly in Baghdad from the sixth to the 10th centuries, "argued that animal souls are eternal, that animals can have eternal life and that 'good' animals can go to heaven."
Debra K. Farrington, author of "All God's Creatures: The Blessing of Animal Companions" (Paraclete Press, $14.95), says she believes that the issue remains open to debate. "I don't think God made a bunch of stuff and then decided he only loved us," she says. "I think after death, God continues to love all that God created. I have a hard time with the idea of God quitting." In the end, she concludes, "We just don't know." As for whether she will see her dog and eight cats in the hereafter, "I'm willing to give God the benefit of the doubt."
"Aside from a few interesting exceptions, I don't think there is a view of an afterlife for animals in Jewish theology," says Eliezer Segal, a professor of religious studies at the University of Calgary in Canada. One of those exceptions would be the Hasidic tradition, which believes in reincarnation - hence its exacting laws of animal slaughter, to ensure that fellow souls are dispatched with care and precision. "You'd have to assume that any animal - even a gnat - that's around you could be an incarnation of someone."
Richard Foltz, an associate professor in the department of religion at Concordia University in Montreal... notes Islamic law forbids "all forms of animal cruelty" and mandates that thirsty animals be given water before humans. And certain Islamic traditions hold that the prophet Muhammad had a particular affinity for cats. But on the spiritual plane, the odds are again stacked against animals. "The classical Islamic intellectual tradition is that they do indeed possess souls, although there is disagreement on whether these souls are eternal or not," Foltz says. While the majority say animal souls will be "extinguished," a strong minority viewpoint, centered mainly in Baghdad from the sixth to the 10th centuries, "argued that animal souls are eternal, that animals can have eternal life and that 'good' animals can go to heaven."
Debra K. Farrington, author of "All God's Creatures: The Blessing of Animal Companions" (Paraclete Press, $14.95), says she believes that the issue remains open to debate. "I don't think God made a bunch of stuff and then decided he only loved us," she says. "I think after death, God continues to love all that God created. I have a hard time with the idea of God quitting." In the end, she concludes, "We just don't know." As for whether she will see her dog and eight cats in the hereafter, "I'm willing to give God the benefit of the doubt."
As an adult now, I'm less concerned with whether animals will get to enjoy paradise in the
afterlife, and more concerned with whether organized religion in general works for me. At this point, I would say I'm an agnostic, in that I do believe in a higher power, but unsure whether any church that purports to show the true way to God actually is in touch with that entity. I tend to believe that the essence of God is too complex for our mortal minds to comprehend, much less to explain and preach about. Of course, God is personal to each and every one of us, and I wouldn't tell someone who devoutly believed in anything that they were wrong. However, it is comforting to me that the debate over whether dogs go to heaven continues, and that I was not alone in my refusal to give up on my dog's chances of getting to heaven. Rest In Peace, Scruffy!Link: The Rainbow Bridge
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Tomorrow is "Be Nice To Your Mail Deliverer Day"
If you forgot to tip your mail-person for the holidays, maybe you can hand them a case of Tylenol or an ice-pack tomorrow. There will be no mail delivery today because of the President Ford funeral. That means your mailman or woman will be delivering three days worth of mail tomorrow. I'm sure their backs will be hurting!
Happy New Year
Happy New Year everyone! It's one of my New Year's Resolutions to post to this blog more often. My goal is 365 posts for 2007. And this one doesn't count. So check back daily!
All The Best in 2007!
All The Best in 2007!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
My Review: The Good Shepherd
Robert DeNiro's Grand Comeback
For years I've lamented the decline of Bobby D - from great, as the counterpoint to Al Pacino as our era's greatest, to self-parodying mediocre. I remember Sleepers, Goodfellas, Heat and many many others, which stand in great contrast to films like Meet The Fockers and Analyze That.
The Good Shepherd, directed by DeNiro, proves he is not washed up. Although there are flaws in this movie - Matt Damon's character doesn't age over the 20+ year story arc, for example, this is a solid film with moving dialogue, beautiful cinematography, and a compelling story. If there is one feeling to take away, it's that our tendency to pick sides in the battle between Democrats and Republicans is probably a very naive decision, as the truth of our government's inner-workings is likely a much more complicated, and corrupt, orchestration than we can imagine. I've already posted my 5 favorite movies of 2006, so this movie, seen on December 24th, will have to get slotted as a 2007 film. It has a good shot.
Grade: B+
The Good Shepherd, directed by DeNiro, proves he is not washed up. Although there are flaws in this movie - Matt Damon's character doesn't age over the 20+ year story arc, for example, this is a solid film with moving dialogue, beautiful cinematography, and a compelling story. If there is one feeling to take away, it's that our tendency to pick sides in the battle between Democrats and Republicans is probably a very naive decision, as the truth of our government's inner-workings is likely a much more complicated, and corrupt, orchestration than we can imagine. I've already posted my 5 favorite movies of 2006, so this movie, seen on December 24th, will have to get slotted as a 2007 film. It has a good shot.
Grade: B+
Monday, December 25, 2006
Friday, December 22, 2006
V Worst Movie Of 2006
2006 was a pretty good year for me, in terms of movie watching. I intended on posting a 'Worst 5" list here, but I think I did a pretty good job of avoiding the truly horrible movies. Sure there were disappointments - Hollywoodland dragged on way too long; Superman Returns paled in comparison to Batman Begins - but I can really only think of one movie I saw this year that I'd classify as truly horrible. I'm sure Jackass 2, The Santa Clause 3, and Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector were far worse than my choice for worst film, but I didn't have the displeasure of seeing them so they don't count. Unlike, say, Roger Ebert, I don't have to see every atrocity pressed to celluloid.
So here it is, in my humble opinion, the worst movie of 2006:
A Prairie Home Companion.
I know it's pretty mean to bash the final film from one of America's great directors just a few weeks after his passing, but I have to be honest and say that I did not enjoy this movie whatsoever. It seems unthinkable that Robert Altman could have made a bad movie starring Merryl Streep and Kevin Kline, but unless perhaps you are a fan of old-timey variety show radio programs, I thought this movie was just one failed joke after another. We barely got through it. The premise is that a relic of times-gone past, a weekly variety show broadcast on the radio, seems to have finally met it's demise, decades after similar shows were long canceled. The cast of the show, during it's final performance, range from sadness to denial, and we as the audience are left to hope taht someone will save the day. Instead, I was only wondering why we should care. Maybe I'm just too young, but I wanted to bring the curtain down myself.
I give this movie an F, but I promise to rent M*A*S*H as my penance.
Other DVDs I rented in 2006 that I thought stunk:
Click (2005)
Orgazmo (1997)
Junebug (2005)
So here it is, in my humble opinion, the worst movie of 2006:
A Prairie Home Companion.
I know it's pretty mean to bash the final film from one of America's great directors just a few weeks after his passing, but I have to be honest and say that I did not enjoy this movie whatsoever. It seems unthinkable that Robert Altman could have made a bad movie starring Merryl Streep and Kevin Kline, but unless perhaps you are a fan of old-timey variety show radio programs, I thought this movie was just one failed joke after another. We barely got through it. The premise is that a relic of times-gone past, a weekly variety show broadcast on the radio, seems to have finally met it's demise, decades after similar shows were long canceled. The cast of the show, during it's final performance, range from sadness to denial, and we as the audience are left to hope taht someone will save the day. Instead, I was only wondering why we should care. Maybe I'm just too young, but I wanted to bring the curtain down myself.
I give this movie an F, but I promise to rent M*A*S*H as my penance.
Other DVDs I rented in 2006 that I thought stunk:
Click (2005)
Orgazmo (1997)
Junebug (2005)
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Gift Cards And Toy Boats
Happy Wednesday!
The Good: Rumors of gift-card theft are greatly exaggerated.
The Bad: Millions of gift-card dollars are wasted each year when they go unredeemed. Best Buy alone reported a $43 million gain in 2006 from cards that hadn't been used in two or more years.
The Mookie:
The Good: Rumors of gift-card theft are greatly exaggerated.
The Bad: Millions of gift-card dollars are wasted each year when they go unredeemed. Best Buy alone reported a $43 million gain in 2006 from cards that hadn't been used in two or more years.
The Mookie:
Monday, December 18, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Running For President Is All About The Benjamins
Rudy Giuliani is hosting a fundraiser in New York this week to raise money for a "possible" run for President. Attendees to the event at Manhattan's Marriot Marquis will pay $2,100 per person and Rudy G will likely be able to raise between one and two million dollars in one night. That money is only enough "to cover the expenses involved in helping Rudy decide whether he is going to take the next step," according to his spokesperson.
It costs a million dollars to make a decision?
This is a part of the political process I just don't get. This is par for the course. Half the reason Giuliani's doing this fundraiser is just to try and catch up with probable Republican opponents John McCain and Mitt Romney.
I guess collecting $2,100 from individuals is good practice for collecting money from groups he'd be indebted to once in office.
But, Giuliani and his fellow GOP'ers will get no heat for these fundraisers, even while the dollar amounts skyrocket over the next 20 months. Hillary Clinton can raise all she wants too, as can possible Democratic challenger Barack Obama. Though, Obama's fundraising may come under more scrutiny, as he's spoken publicly about taking the high road and not accepting gifts like rides on private jets from corporations. He's already gotten a little heat from something as minor as buying some land from a neighbor! But he will have to raise money if he runs for President. He'll need to raise the $50 million to $60 million somehow... Maybe Oprah can chip in?
Here's some interesting information about running for President and the fundraising rules related to actually being an official candidate or just "testing the waters."
It costs a million dollars to make a decision?
This is a part of the political process I just don't get. This is par for the course. Half the reason Giuliani's doing this fundraiser is just to try and catch up with probable Republican opponents John McCain and Mitt Romney.
I guess collecting $2,100 from individuals is good practice for collecting money from groups he'd be indebted to once in office.
But, Giuliani and his fellow GOP'ers will get no heat for these fundraisers, even while the dollar amounts skyrocket over the next 20 months. Hillary Clinton can raise all she wants too, as can possible Democratic challenger Barack Obama. Though, Obama's fundraising may come under more scrutiny, as he's spoken publicly about taking the high road and not accepting gifts like rides on private jets from corporations. He's already gotten a little heat from something as minor as buying some land from a neighbor! But he will have to raise money if he runs for President. He'll need to raise the $50 million to $60 million somehow... Maybe Oprah can chip in?
Here's some interesting information about running for President and the fundraising rules related to actually being an official candidate or just "testing the waters."
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Sad Day
Sadly, Peter Boyle has passed away. He was my favorite part of Everybody Loves Raymond.
In honor of his passing, I declare today "Holy Crap Thursday."
Pass it along.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Top V Movies of 2006
These are the 5 best movies I saw this year:
The Departed
Little Miss Sunshine
Stranger Than Fiction
Borat
An Inconvenient Truth
Honorable Mentions: Inside Man, Talladega Nights
5 other movies I meant to see but didn't, and now plan to see on DVD:
V is for Vendetta
Click
The Pink Panther
Glory Road
Lucky Number Slevin
The Departed
Little Miss Sunshine
Stranger Than Fiction
Borat
An Inconvenient Truth
Honorable Mentions: Inside Man, Talladega Nights
5 other movies I meant to see but didn't, and now plan to see on DVD:
V is for Vendetta
Click
The Pink Panther
Glory Road
Lucky Number Slevin
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Gift Card Scam - Buyer Beware
More and more, you'll find gift cards for one store sold at another - the local supermarkets here have whole racks full of gift cards for stores like Home Depot and Barnes & Noble. This is very convenient, but be very careful about buying them. Make sure that the card you select has a strip covering a PIN# that needs to be revealed before the card can be used, and then also keep an eye out during the transaction to make sure the card you buy is the card activated and given back to you by the cashier. When I was alerted to this scam I was skeptical, but it does seem to be a real scam!
From snopes:
Ways in Which Thieves are Utilizing Gift Cards:
* Swindlers make note of the numbers displayed on cards being offered for sale, then periodically check to see if these numbers have gone live; that is, that the cards bearing them have been purchased and loaded with monetary values. When they find ones that have, they use them to make online ("card not present" aka "CNP") purchases and so drain them of their cash value before their rightful owners attempt to use them.
* Employees at stores where gift cards are being vended steal them off the rack, activate them with the stores' scanners, then go on their own shopping sprees, sometimes using plastic stolen in this fashion to purchase other cards, thereby laundering their ill-gotten goods.
* Thieves pretending to be customers engage in a bit of sleight of hand by swapping blanks (stolen on previous trips) for cards activated by clerks during the sale, then regretfully change their minds and cancel their purchases. Those manning the cash registers are none the wiser because it looks like they got back the same cards, but the fully charged cards ride out of the stores in the thieves' pockets. In December 2002, two Tennessee men pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges after they were caught running this scam in an operation that stretched across six states and cost Wal-Mart more than $35,000.
* Cards filched directly from store racks find their way to online auction sites, where the unsuspecting will bid on them, thinking they're getting a deal. The National Retail Federation advises consumers to purchase gift cards online only through reputable retailers and never through online auction sites, which may be dealing in stolen or counterfeit cards.
* Crooks will unobtrusively slit open bar code-bearing gift card packaging to remove new unsold cards and replace them with old used-up ones. When these nil-value cards are sold, the activation of the packaging's bar codes loads the real cards (which are in the thieves' possession) with the values they've been bought for. The hapless purchasers, the ones who forked over money for the cards, leave in possession of worthless bits of plastic.
How to Avoid Gift Card Scams:
* Purchase gift cards only from reputable sources, preferably directly from the store.
* Don't solely rely on a clerk's selecting cards for you from publicly-inaccessible stock as your one and only protection against being defrauded. Also examine both sides of cards yourself, keeping an eye out for signs of tampering and/or the exposure of the cards' PINs. Refuse to purchase cards where either is evident.
* If acquiring cards on the Internet, buy them from the online versions of the stores they are to be used in. Never buy them from auction sites, even if it looks like you could score a real bargain by doing so. Remind yourself that cards sold through auction sites have often turned out to be stolen or counterfeit.
* Keep your receipt as proof of purchase for as long as you have value stored on the card. Should you ever lose that gift card, use that receipt to ask the retailer to issue you a replacement. (Not all retailers will do this. But at least some do, so ask.)
* Immediately after buying a gift card in a store, ask the cashier to scan the card itself to ensure the plastic you bought is valid and bears the proper value. (This will protect you against the card's having been swapped out of its packaging for a zero-balance one.)
* Bear in mind that reputable companies will not ask gift card buyers to provide their Social Security numbers, bank account information, or dates of birth. If when trying to purchase such cards you're asked for this, walk away from the deal.
* If the card's issuer offers this option, register your gift card at that store's web site. Doing so gives you the ability to periodically check your card's balance online and so catch on to any misuse of the card far earlier than you otherwise would.
Happy Holidays!
From snopes:
Ways in Which Thieves are Utilizing Gift Cards:
* Swindlers make note of the numbers displayed on cards being offered for sale, then periodically check to see if these numbers have gone live; that is, that the cards bearing them have been purchased and loaded with monetary values. When they find ones that have, they use them to make online ("card not present" aka "CNP") purchases and so drain them of their cash value before their rightful owners attempt to use them.
* Employees at stores where gift cards are being vended steal them off the rack, activate them with the stores' scanners, then go on their own shopping sprees, sometimes using plastic stolen in this fashion to purchase other cards, thereby laundering their ill-gotten goods.
* Thieves pretending to be customers engage in a bit of sleight of hand by swapping blanks (stolen on previous trips) for cards activated by clerks during the sale, then regretfully change their minds and cancel their purchases. Those manning the cash registers are none the wiser because it looks like they got back the same cards, but the fully charged cards ride out of the stores in the thieves' pockets. In December 2002, two Tennessee men pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges after they were caught running this scam in an operation that stretched across six states and cost Wal-Mart more than $35,000.
* Cards filched directly from store racks find their way to online auction sites, where the unsuspecting will bid on them, thinking they're getting a deal. The National Retail Federation advises consumers to purchase gift cards online only through reputable retailers and never through online auction sites, which may be dealing in stolen or counterfeit cards.
* Crooks will unobtrusively slit open bar code-bearing gift card packaging to remove new unsold cards and replace them with old used-up ones. When these nil-value cards are sold, the activation of the packaging's bar codes loads the real cards (which are in the thieves' possession) with the values they've been bought for. The hapless purchasers, the ones who forked over money for the cards, leave in possession of worthless bits of plastic.
How to Avoid Gift Card Scams:
* Purchase gift cards only from reputable sources, preferably directly from the store.
* Don't solely rely on a clerk's selecting cards for you from publicly-inaccessible stock as your one and only protection against being defrauded. Also examine both sides of cards yourself, keeping an eye out for signs of tampering and/or the exposure of the cards' PINs. Refuse to purchase cards where either is evident.
* If acquiring cards on the Internet, buy them from the online versions of the stores they are to be used in. Never buy them from auction sites, even if it looks like you could score a real bargain by doing so. Remind yourself that cards sold through auction sites have often turned out to be stolen or counterfeit.
* Keep your receipt as proof of purchase for as long as you have value stored on the card. Should you ever lose that gift card, use that receipt to ask the retailer to issue you a replacement. (Not all retailers will do this. But at least some do, so ask.)
* Immediately after buying a gift card in a store, ask the cashier to scan the card itself to ensure the plastic you bought is valid and bears the proper value. (This will protect you against the card's having been swapped out of its packaging for a zero-balance one.)
* Bear in mind that reputable companies will not ask gift card buyers to provide their Social Security numbers, bank account information, or dates of birth. If when trying to purchase such cards you're asked for this, walk away from the deal.
* If the card's issuer offers this option, register your gift card at that store's web site. Doing so gives you the ability to periodically check your card's balance online and so catch on to any misuse of the card far earlier than you otherwise would.
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Sign Of The Apocalypse - Dog Mates With Cat; Cat Gives Birth To Puppies!
Oh, those crazy Brazilians! You may have heard how liberal their attitudes towards sex are. Well, it seems the domestic pets are just as liberal. A family in Brazil says their cat mated with a neighbor's dog, and produced offspring - three kittens and three puppies. Many are skeptical, but blood tests are being performed. Meanwhile, check out this slideshow:http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/sc/111606catbirthdogs
Friday, November 17, 2006
How To Pimp Out Your Dog
Do your dog's chew toys and clothing lack a little, um... gangsta street cred? Well, Snoop Dogg of all people is launching a line of pet products on Amazon.com such plush headphones, Boom Boxes and Dobermans that play sound clips of Snoop Dogg. There will also be dog clothing such as Basketball Jerseys and Hoodie Sweatshirts. Mookie can hardly wait.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Happy Day Happy Day
The Mets 2007 schedule has been released! Ha ha!!
Pitchers and catchers report in 92 days!
http://blogs.nydailynews.com/mets/archives/officialschedule.jpg
For more Mets content visit www.transplantedmetsfan.com
Pitchers and catchers report in 92 days!
http://blogs.nydailynews.com/mets/archives/officialschedule.jpg
For more Mets content visit www.transplantedmetsfan.com
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Some links
Just going through my recent surfing history, here are some links I found interesting:
According to an article on Wikipedia, in terms of American's Self-Described Religious Identification, as of 2001: we are 80% Christian (Catholic 26%, Baptist 17%, Methodist 7%, nondenominational 7%, Lutheran 5%, Presbyterian 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Episcopalian 2%, Latter Day Saints 1.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses .8%), 15% No Religion/Athiest/Agnostic, 1.4% Jewish, 0.6% Muslim, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.4% Hindu, 0.3% Unitarian, but as a whole, only about 21% of Americans actually go to church one or more times a week.
So, if you take all the Christians, subtract the Jehovah's Witnesses, and assume that the majority of agnostics celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday, roughly 95% of Americans celebrate Christmas. Santa Claus beats Jesus in a landslide.
/ / / / /
U.S. Airways is trying to buy Delta for $8 billion. To me, all airlines stink. Delta's always late and US Airways will lose your bags. I don't even want to think about what the super-airline would be like.
/ / / / /
It's not enough that he got away with murder; O.J. has to taunt us about it. How do his kids even look at him?
/ / / /
The Black Eyed Peas are off my list.
According to an article on Wikipedia, in terms of American's Self-Described Religious Identification, as of 2001: we are 80% Christian (Catholic 26%, Baptist 17%, Methodist 7%, nondenominational 7%, Lutheran 5%, Presbyterian 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Episcopalian 2%, Latter Day Saints 1.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses .8%), 15% No Religion/Athiest/Agnostic, 1.4% Jewish, 0.6% Muslim, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.4% Hindu, 0.3% Unitarian, but as a whole, only about 21% of Americans actually go to church one or more times a week.
So, if you take all the Christians, subtract the Jehovah's Witnesses, and assume that the majority of agnostics celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday, roughly 95% of Americans celebrate Christmas. Santa Claus beats Jesus in a landslide.
/ / / / /
U.S. Airways is trying to buy Delta for $8 billion. To me, all airlines stink. Delta's always late and US Airways will lose your bags. I don't even want to think about what the super-airline would be like.
/ / / / /
It's not enough that he got away with murder; O.J. has to taunt us about it. How do his kids even look at him?
/ / / /
The Black Eyed Peas are off my list.
/ / / /
Here's something to laugh at:
Vote For The New Seven Wonders Of The World
Everyone's heard of the "Seven Wonders Of The World," but few people can name them.
The seven ancient wonders of the world are: The Egyptian pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Pharos lighthouse off Alexandria.
Except for the pyramids, and maybe the Zeus statue, I honestly don't even know what the other five are or what their significance is.
So to get folks excited about the world again, I suppose, there is a "global competition" to update the list. You can go online, and register, and vote for the seven new wonders. Of the 21 nominees, here were my votes:
The Acropolis, Chichen Itza, The Roman Colosseum, The Easter Island Statues, The Great Wall of China, The Pyramids of Giza, and Stonehenge.
To me, a "wonder" is something you look at and can't imagine how it was constructed, and has some mystery surrounding it. Other nominations, such as the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower, are awe-inspiring, but there isn't a great deal of mystery or "wonder" about them But you can vote for yourself.
Go to http://www.new7wonders.com and vote. The winners will be announced in July.
The seven ancient wonders of the world are: The Egyptian pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Pharos lighthouse off Alexandria.
Except for the pyramids, and maybe the Zeus statue, I honestly don't even know what the other five are or what their significance is.
So to get folks excited about the world again, I suppose, there is a "global competition" to update the list. You can go online, and register, and vote for the seven new wonders. Of the 21 nominees, here were my votes:
The Acropolis, Chichen Itza, The Roman Colosseum, The Easter Island Statues, The Great Wall of China, The Pyramids of Giza, and Stonehenge.
To me, a "wonder" is something you look at and can't imagine how it was constructed, and has some mystery surrounding it. Other nominations, such as the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower, are awe-inspiring, but there isn't a great deal of mystery or "wonder" about them But you can vote for yourself.
Go to http://www.new7wonders.com and vote. The winners will be announced in July.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Gas Prices Jump
For some reason the gas prices jumped up by 10 cents overnight, at least here in Greensboro. I should have filled up yesterday, when I saw regular unleaded for $2.03 a gallon. Instead I filled up this morning for $2.13. Gee, I wonder what caused the price increase? Could it be that the election has passed? Hmmmm...
Still glad I bought the Civic Hybrid. I drove 425 miles on this tank, getting over 41 mpg.
Still glad I bought the Civic Hybrid. I drove 425 miles on this tank, getting over 41 mpg.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Some Recent Motion Picture Viewings
We've seen a bunch of movies lately, so I thought I'd write my thoughts and ratings. The commonality between them all is: confusing!
The Departed
This is one of the best movies I've seen in a while. It has it all. Great actors (Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin, Matt Damon, Leo DiCaprio), great acting, a great script, great direction (Scorcese), and a hell of a story. What more could you want? A great soundtrack? Yeah, it's got that too. It's a long movie, but even for a guy with a short attention span, it gripped me throughout. This movie will keep you on your toes, with a lot of twists and turns and you'll have to keep reminding yourself who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. But as Nicholson's character says, "when you're looking down the barrel of a gun, what's the difference?" Don't be too hard on yourself if the ending leaves you scratching your head - it's a complex movie, and one that you'll want to watch again.
Grade: A
Donnie Darko
I rented this last night at the recommendation of my buddy Tubby, who said it was one of his favorite movies of all time. I gotta say, I was confused as all hell. Just from reading the plot synopsis on the back, "Donnie Darko is a disturbed adolescent from a semi-functional upper-middle-class family. After nearly escaping from death because he hears the voice of a 6-foot-tall bunny, Donnie is led by the bunny to create havoc that is both destructive and creative," I said to Tubby "WTF?" He said don't worry, it all gets explained at the end. Well, he was half right. It was all explained at the end when I went online to see if some other people could explain it to me. This Jake Glyllenhall guy makes some interesting choices for his acting career, man. Besides sharing screen time with a guy in a bunny suit and making out with a cowboy, he's also been Bubble Boy. I can't hate on this Donnie Darko flick too much just because I didn't understand most of it, but if you're a fan of 80's music you might enjoy seeing your favorite old songs set to film. Just don't ask me to explain it, OK?
Grade: B
WordPlay (on DVD)
This is a documentary about people who are obsessed with crossword puzzles. It features Will Shortz, who is the New York Times crossword editor, Merl Reagle, who is a crossword creator, a bunch of people competing for the annual crossword championship, and a few celebrities who love crosswords, like Jon Stewart, Mike Mussina, The Indigo Girls, and Bill Clinton. This is a pretty good movie. I'd recommend it, even if you've never done one, or get confused and frustrated and angry while doing them. Watching it got my wife inspired to take them up, so how much more of an endorsement do you want?
Grade: B+
Stranger Than Fiction
The plotline and premise of this film sound confusing, but it's not hard to follow at all. Basically, and I'm only giving away what's given away in the trailer, Will Ferrell is just living his life, when he starts hearing voices in his head. He realizes that it's a narrator and he is the main character. This is frustrating enough, when he realizes that his death is imminent. Will Ferrel and Dustin Hoffman are excellent, as is the love interest in the film, let's see what's her name? Maggie Gyllenhaal. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say she's related to the actor mentioned above, without even looking it up. She seemed really familiar to me while watching the movie, though I couldn't remember what I'd seen her in. Was it the resemblence to her (brother)? Was it just her amazing acting ability that made me feel like I knew her? Or had I actually seen her in a previous performance? Let's see... hmm... I did see Mona Lisa Smile but don't remember her character, or much of that movie... I also saw Adaptation which was a great flick but I don't think that was it... holy moly! Donnie Darko! Yeah, she played Donne's sister. That's funny. I wonder how many siblings have played siblings in movies?
Okay, back to Stranger Than Fiction. This movie is really funny but not as ridiculous as you would expect a Will Ferrell film with as crazy a premise as this to be. It's actually rather inspiring. Go check it out before the people you work with who've seen it give the whole thing away.
Grade: B+
Two B's, a B+ and an A. Hey, I've seen some good movies lately! Either that, or I've forgotten some clunkers. I'll rack my brain tonight and see if there aren't any movies I've seen lately that warrant F's.
The Departed
This is one of the best movies I've seen in a while. It has it all. Great actors (Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin, Matt Damon, Leo DiCaprio), great acting, a great script, great direction (Scorcese), and a hell of a story. What more could you want? A great soundtrack? Yeah, it's got that too. It's a long movie, but even for a guy with a short attention span, it gripped me throughout. This movie will keep you on your toes, with a lot of twists and turns and you'll have to keep reminding yourself who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. But as Nicholson's character says, "when you're looking down the barrel of a gun, what's the difference?" Don't be too hard on yourself if the ending leaves you scratching your head - it's a complex movie, and one that you'll want to watch again.
Grade: A
Donnie Darko
I rented this last night at the recommendation of my buddy Tubby, who said it was one of his favorite movies of all time. I gotta say, I was confused as all hell. Just from reading the plot synopsis on the back, "Donnie Darko is a disturbed adolescent from a semi-functional upper-middle-class family. After nearly escaping from death because he hears the voice of a 6-foot-tall bunny, Donnie is led by the bunny to create havoc that is both destructive and creative," I said to Tubby "WTF?" He said don't worry, it all gets explained at the end. Well, he was half right. It was all explained at the end when I went online to see if some other people could explain it to me. This Jake Glyllenhall guy makes some interesting choices for his acting career, man. Besides sharing screen time with a guy in a bunny suit and making out with a cowboy, he's also been Bubble Boy. I can't hate on this Donnie Darko flick too much just because I didn't understand most of it, but if you're a fan of 80's music you might enjoy seeing your favorite old songs set to film. Just don't ask me to explain it, OK?
Grade: B
WordPlay (on DVD)
This is a documentary about people who are obsessed with crossword puzzles. It features Will Shortz, who is the New York Times crossword editor, Merl Reagle, who is a crossword creator, a bunch of people competing for the annual crossword championship, and a few celebrities who love crosswords, like Jon Stewart, Mike Mussina, The Indigo Girls, and Bill Clinton. This is a pretty good movie. I'd recommend it, even if you've never done one, or get confused and frustrated and angry while doing them. Watching it got my wife inspired to take them up, so how much more of an endorsement do you want?
Grade: B+
Stranger Than Fiction
The plotline and premise of this film sound confusing, but it's not hard to follow at all. Basically, and I'm only giving away what's given away in the trailer, Will Ferrell is just living his life, when he starts hearing voices in his head. He realizes that it's a narrator and he is the main character. This is frustrating enough, when he realizes that his death is imminent. Will Ferrel and Dustin Hoffman are excellent, as is the love interest in the film, let's see what's her name? Maggie Gyllenhaal. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say she's related to the actor mentioned above, without even looking it up. She seemed really familiar to me while watching the movie, though I couldn't remember what I'd seen her in. Was it the resemblence to her (brother)? Was it just her amazing acting ability that made me feel like I knew her? Or had I actually seen her in a previous performance? Let's see... hmm... I did see Mona Lisa Smile but don't remember her character, or much of that movie... I also saw Adaptation which was a great flick but I don't think that was it... holy moly! Donnie Darko! Yeah, she played Donne's sister. That's funny. I wonder how many siblings have played siblings in movies?
Okay, back to Stranger Than Fiction. This movie is really funny but not as ridiculous as you would expect a Will Ferrell film with as crazy a premise as this to be. It's actually rather inspiring. Go check it out before the people you work with who've seen it give the whole thing away.
Grade: B+
Two B's, a B+ and an A. Hey, I've seen some good movies lately! Either that, or I've forgotten some clunkers. I'll rack my brain tonight and see if there aren't any movies I've seen lately that warrant F's.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
2006 Pumpkin Creations
Happy Halloween!
These were my entries into the pumpkin contest this year at work.
These were my entries into the pumpkin contest this year at work.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Photos: Blowing Rock and Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina
Last weekend we took a trip out to the western part of the state, and checked out the scenery during "peak" leaf season.
View from Blue Ridge Parkway
Blowing Rock
Tree on Grandfather Mountain
View from Grandfather Mountain
Under the swinging bridge
View from Blue Ridge Parkway
Blowing Rock
Tree on Grandfather Mountain
View from Grandfather Mountain
Under the swinging bridge
Monday, October 23, 2006
My Dunkin' Donuts Depravity Days My Be Numbered
Ever since moving to the South, I have missed the availability of Dunkin' Donuts. Their donuts are far superior to Krispy Kreme, the donut shop mainstay of The South, and I'll take a Dunkin' Donuts coffee (affectionately known to me as The Sweet Nectar Of The Gods) over a Starbucks any day of the week. Whenever I travel to the Northeast, I make sure a trip (or five) to Dunkin' Donuts is on the itinerary.
Finally, however, I read today that Dunkin' Donuts is attempting to expand into the South. I can't wait!
I certainly believe there is a market for Dunkin' down here. A poll on MSNBC on consumers preference between Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts split the vote essentially right down the middle, with Dunkin' Donuts having a slight edge when I checked the vote.
Time To Make The Donuts...
Finally, however, I read today that Dunkin' Donuts is attempting to expand into the South. I can't wait!
I certainly believe there is a market for Dunkin' down here. A poll on MSNBC on consumers preference between Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts split the vote essentially right down the middle, with Dunkin' Donuts having a slight edge when I checked the vote.
Time To Make The Donuts...
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Barack Obama considering a run for the Presidency
Illinois Senator Obama said today that he is considering a run for President in 2008. I have a few thoughts on this, some ridiculous, some less so:
*Could the Democrats really nominate someone whose name sounds like "Iraq Osama"?
*Oprah Winfrey is a huge fan of this guy. Apparently he is pretty inspiring. This makes me think there's no way the Dems will let him get nominated. Parties are afraid to have an inspiring politician run for office. They'd much prefer a guy like John Kerry.
*Obama has a new book out. Hey announcing you might run for President is a pretty good way to promote your book, no? Who wouldn't be more interested in a book that is by a guy who might be the next President? At least more than a book by some guy you never heard of but who's name sounds like Iraq Osama.
*It's awfully hard for a Senator to win the Presidency. Unlike governors, senators have a voting record that is easy to hold against them. There hasn't been a Senator elected to the Presidency (without being a V.P. first) since John F. Kennedy.
http://obama.senate.gov/img/superman.jpg
*Could the Democrats really nominate someone whose name sounds like "Iraq Osama"?
*Oprah Winfrey is a huge fan of this guy. Apparently he is pretty inspiring. This makes me think there's no way the Dems will let him get nominated. Parties are afraid to have an inspiring politician run for office. They'd much prefer a guy like John Kerry.
*Obama has a new book out. Hey announcing you might run for President is a pretty good way to promote your book, no? Who wouldn't be more interested in a book that is by a guy who might be the next President? At least more than a book by some guy you never heard of but who's name sounds like Iraq Osama.
*It's awfully hard for a Senator to win the Presidency. Unlike governors, senators have a voting record that is easy to hold against them. There hasn't been a Senator elected to the Presidency (without being a V.P. first) since John F. Kennedy.
http://obama.senate.gov/img/superman.jpg
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Why is quiche called quiche?
No straight man would ever walk into a public restaurant and order quiche without expecting snickers from any other guys within earshot. Why? Because quiche is the lamest name ever given to a food. It's dainty and it's weird. Even if it were spelled the way it's pronounced "Keesh," it would be acceptable, but no way am I ordering a food that starts with Qu and doesn't end with esadilla.
The shame of it is that quiche is actually the manliest food you could ever eat - if it were called what it really is. Ham, Egg, and Cheese Pie. PIE! Breakfast Pie! Who doesn't love pie? Who doesn't love a nice omelet? An omelet pie! What a great invention! I want to get me some ham egg and cheese pie right now!
But quiche? What do you take me for, some kind of wuss?
The shame of it is that quiche is actually the manliest food you could ever eat - if it were called what it really is. Ham, Egg, and Cheese Pie. PIE! Breakfast Pie! Who doesn't love pie? Who doesn't love a nice omelet? An omelet pie! What a great invention! I want to get me some ham egg and cheese pie right now!
But quiche? What do you take me for, some kind of wuss?
Friday, October 13, 2006
Hiding In The Weed
From Yahoo! News and Reuters, an excerpt...
Canadian troops fighting Taliban militants in Afghanistan have stumbled across an unexpected and potent enemy -- almost impenetrable forests of 10-feet-high marijuana plants. General Rick Hillier, chief of the Canadian defense staff, said on Thursday that Taliban fighters were using the forests as cover...
"It's very difficult to penetrate with thermal devices ... and as a result you really have to be careful that the Taliban don't dodge in and out of those marijuana forests," he said...
...Incineration had its drawbacks."A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those (forests) did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action," Hillier said dryly.
One soldier told him later: "Sir, three years ago before I joined the army, I never thought I'd say 'That damn marijuana'."
Thursday, October 12, 2006
One Last Post About Cory Lidle That's Not Really About Cory Lidle
I really annoyed at least one person with my last post. Someone posted an anonymous comment, accusing me of accusing Cory Lidle, the ballplayer who died in a plane crash yesterday of being a terrorist. That couldn't be further from the truth. Obviously the outpouring of sadness from the many people in baseball who worked with Cory Lidle attests to the fact that Lidle was a real decent guy, and it is very apparent that this was a tragic accident.
My posting yesterday, which I stand by and which I may have less than eloquently stated, was that it is interesting how hearing that the pilot was Cory Lidle was a relief to us, as though we found out it was our next-door neighbor who we'd been to barbecues with in past summers. For many people, the pilot of the plane went from being "possibly some psychopath," to "that nice guy who pitches for the Yankees," even though they had never had any interaction with him other than seeing him pitch on TV or maybe hearing him get interviewed on the radio.
That's all I'm saying.
Whenever someone commits a crime, you'll invariably read a quote in the news from a neighbor, co-worker, or even family member expressing shock that this person they "knew" could have done such a thing. It's natural that we never like to think that a person we know and like could have a dark side. And we seem to have the same feeling about ballplayers we see on TV, even though we know them less than we do our co-workers.
Rest In Peace, Cory Lidle. My heart goes out to your family members.
My posting yesterday, which I stand by and which I may have less than eloquently stated, was that it is interesting how hearing that the pilot was Cory Lidle was a relief to us, as though we found out it was our next-door neighbor who we'd been to barbecues with in past summers. For many people, the pilot of the plane went from being "possibly some psychopath," to "that nice guy who pitches for the Yankees," even though they had never had any interaction with him other than seeing him pitch on TV or maybe hearing him get interviewed on the radio.
That's all I'm saying.
Whenever someone commits a crime, you'll invariably read a quote in the news from a neighbor, co-worker, or even family member expressing shock that this person they "knew" could have done such a thing. It's natural that we never like to think that a person we know and like could have a dark side. And we seem to have the same feeling about ballplayers we see on TV, even though we know them less than we do our co-workers.
Rest In Peace, Cory Lidle. My heart goes out to your family members.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
And Suddenly, Hearing The Name "Cory Lidle" Eases Our Fears
This afternoon, after hearing news that a plane crashed into a New York City high-rise building, I was glued to the news. I listened to the story with great attention as it developed. From the moment the story broke, fears of the incident being an act of terrorism rarely subsided. Why did the FAA say it was a plane, while eyewitnesses said they saw a helicopter? We all, including Chuck Scarborough all felt doubt that this was not intentional. That is, until we learned that Cory Lidle was the pilot of the plane. Then, we all relaxed, felt sad for Lidle, who was obviously a new pilot who had lost control of his new powerful plane and accidentally and tragically crashed his plane.
Now, I am not saying Cory Lidle, the man who pitched for both and the Yankees, was a terrorist. But I think it is a very interesting statement about our "relationship" with professional athletes. We really believe we know these guys. But what do we really know about Cory Lidle, just because he was a pitcher for the Yankees? How do we know he wasn't an Al Qaeda sympathizer, or just a maniac? Just because we saw him pitch on TV?
The more we learn about the story, the more it does in fact seem like it was an inexperienced pilot who lost control of his too-powerful plane. We read tragic quotes from him, from just a month ago, where he talks about how safe flying is, and how safety features are in place, and that even if an engine died a pilot could still land safely. But I just wanted to take this moment to think about our emotional connection to the players we watch on TV. We like to think we know these guys, based on interviews and media accounts, and just watching them perform. But, when you think about it, it's kind of silly.
Now, I am not saying Cory Lidle, the man who pitched for both and the Yankees, was a terrorist. But I think it is a very interesting statement about our "relationship" with professional athletes. We really believe we know these guys. But what do we really know about Cory Lidle, just because he was a pitcher for the Yankees? How do we know he wasn't an Al Qaeda sympathizer, or just a maniac? Just because we saw him pitch on TV?
The more we learn about the story, the more it does in fact seem like it was an inexperienced pilot who lost control of his too-powerful plane. We read tragic quotes from him, from just a month ago, where he talks about how safe flying is, and how safety features are in place, and that even if an engine died a pilot could still land safely. But I just wanted to take this moment to think about our emotional connection to the players we watch on TV. We like to think we know these guys, based on interviews and media accounts, and just watching them perform. But, when you think about it, it's kind of silly.
Aircraft Strikes New York City Skyscraper
When checking my e-mail, I saw a headline saying an aircraft had hit an NYC building. Thanks to the Internet, I'm able to watch live NBC New York news, with Chuck Scarborough anchoring. There is a ton of confusion, with the FAA saying it was a plane, and eyewitnesses saying it was a helicopter. The building is up on the Upper East Side, and it seems pretty unclear at this point whether it was an intentional hit on the building, or an accident.
Two bodies have been found on the ground.
Besides the obvious, this feels like 9/11 to me with all the conflicting reports and uncertainty. I imagine this is an extremely scary time for Manhattan residents.
Links:
NBC Story: http://www.wnbc.com/news/10053779/detail.html
CNN Story: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/11/plane.crash/index.html
Live NBC video : http://www.wnbc.com/index.html#
UPDATE: 3:47 PM - The FDNY is saying the aircraft did not significantly penetrate the building, despite the frightening-looking video, and most of the aircraft fell onto the street. The fire was put out very quickly. The incident happened at about 2:50 PM, and it appears at this point the only casualties may have been to the passengers or pilots of the aircraft.
UPDATE: 3:56 - One report says that the aircraft made a sharp right turn right before the impact, leading to speculation that it was an intentional act. Scarborough wonders out loud if it was a 9/11 copycat. Another eyewitness says she saw the impact and it looked like a helicopter trying to avoid the building, having mechanical trouble. By the way, I am writing these updates not because I think my blog is a news source for anyone, but rather just to document it for reference later. My immediate thought was of course of family I have up in New York. My sister- and brother-in law live on the Upper WEST Side, and I can't think of anyone I know who live up near this building (524 East 72nd Street) right now.
UPDATE: 4:02 - I haven't heard anyone else say this, but I just realized today is October 11th - not quite an Anniversary of 9/11/01, but enough to make a person wonder. All official agencies are calling it a "fixed-wing" aircraft (i.e. airplane), contrary to eyewitnesses reports of a helicopter. Plenty of fodder for the conspiracy theorists out there, but the developing story is that it was indeed a plane due for White Plains airport - a story that seems to have been corroborated by ID on the luggage found on the ground.
UPDATE: 4:11 PM - Thinking about the odd date, I thought about Flight 587 that crashed in Queens in the months after 9/11. That crash actually happened on November 12, 2001. At the time, many people felt it was too coincidental for it to have been a mechanical failure. I'm hearing that today's incident involved a craft Cirrus, single engine 4 passenger plane, that has a parachute system in place, in case of mechanical failure. Scarborough says that the Cirrus plane could resemble a helicopter if the wings had somehow fallen off.
UPDATE 4:16 PM I just now heard that 4 people are dead from the crash - two of them inside the building.
UPDATE: 4:38 PM WNBC just had someone on who says the owner of the plane may have been Cory Lidle, a pitcher for the Yankees. They found a purchase agreement for the plane with Cory Lidle's name on it, and WNBC's news anchor Len Berman says he found a separate news report where Cory Lidle was a new pilot who had purchased a plane with the same description. In the just-finished ALDS, Cory Lidle allowed 3 runs on 4 hits in 1.3 innings.
UPDATE: 4:49 PM - The AP says that a law enforcement official confirmed that a member of the New York Yankees was aboard the aircraft. This is pretty shocking. Lidle could hardly be called a "goat" in the ALDS, though he did pitch pretty badly. Is it crazy to wonder if Lidle was so distraught to have crashed himself into a building? Lidle's passport was found on the street below the wreckage. The latest report says 9 people have been admitted to a local hospital with injuries from the crash.
UPDATE: 5:05 PM - It has pretty much been confirmed that Cory Lidle was the owner and pilot of the plane that crashed. Lidle was 34 years old. In 1979, Yankees catcher Thurmon Munson was killed at age 32 while trying to fly an airplane in Canton, Ohio. This is just bizarre and tragic. Lidle was also a former Mets pitcher.
Two bodies have been found on the ground.
Besides the obvious, this feels like 9/11 to me with all the conflicting reports and uncertainty. I imagine this is an extremely scary time for Manhattan residents.
Links:
NBC Story: http://www.wnbc.com/news/10053779/detail.html
CNN Story: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/11/plane.crash/index.html
Live NBC video : http://www.wnbc.com/index.html#
UPDATE: 3:47 PM - The FDNY is saying the aircraft did not significantly penetrate the building, despite the frightening-looking video, and most of the aircraft fell onto the street. The fire was put out very quickly. The incident happened at about 2:50 PM, and it appears at this point the only casualties may have been to the passengers or pilots of the aircraft.
UPDATE: 3:56 - One report says that the aircraft made a sharp right turn right before the impact, leading to speculation that it was an intentional act. Scarborough wonders out loud if it was a 9/11 copycat. Another eyewitness says she saw the impact and it looked like a helicopter trying to avoid the building, having mechanical trouble. By the way, I am writing these updates not because I think my blog is a news source for anyone, but rather just to document it for reference later. My immediate thought was of course of family I have up in New York. My sister- and brother-in law live on the Upper WEST Side, and I can't think of anyone I know who live up near this building (524 East 72nd Street) right now.
UPDATE: 4:02 - I haven't heard anyone else say this, but I just realized today is October 11th - not quite an Anniversary of 9/11/01, but enough to make a person wonder. All official agencies are calling it a "fixed-wing" aircraft (i.e. airplane), contrary to eyewitnesses reports of a helicopter. Plenty of fodder for the conspiracy theorists out there, but the developing story is that it was indeed a plane due for White Plains airport - a story that seems to have been corroborated by ID on the luggage found on the ground.
UPDATE: 4:11 PM - Thinking about the odd date, I thought about Flight 587 that crashed in Queens in the months after 9/11. That crash actually happened on November 12, 2001. At the time, many people felt it was too coincidental for it to have been a mechanical failure. I'm hearing that today's incident involved a craft Cirrus, single engine 4 passenger plane, that has a parachute system in place, in case of mechanical failure. Scarborough says that the Cirrus plane could resemble a helicopter if the wings had somehow fallen off.
UPDATE 4:16 PM I just now heard that 4 people are dead from the crash - two of them inside the building.
UPDATE: 4:38 PM WNBC just had someone on who says the owner of the plane may have been Cory Lidle, a pitcher for the Yankees. They found a purchase agreement for the plane with Cory Lidle's name on it, and WNBC's news anchor Len Berman says he found a separate news report where Cory Lidle was a new pilot who had purchased a plane with the same description. In the just-finished ALDS, Cory Lidle allowed 3 runs on 4 hits in 1.3 innings.
UPDATE: 4:49 PM - The AP says that a law enforcement official confirmed that a member of the New York Yankees was aboard the aircraft. This is pretty shocking. Lidle could hardly be called a "goat" in the ALDS, though he did pitch pretty badly. Is it crazy to wonder if Lidle was so distraught to have crashed himself into a building? Lidle's passport was found on the street below the wreckage. The latest report says 9 people have been admitted to a local hospital with injuries from the crash.
UPDATE: 5:05 PM - It has pretty much been confirmed that Cory Lidle was the owner and pilot of the plane that crashed. Lidle was 34 years old. In 1979, Yankees catcher Thurmon Munson was killed at age 32 while trying to fly an airplane in Canton, Ohio. This is just bizarre and tragic. Lidle was also a former Mets pitcher.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Cool Invention For Unclogging Drains: Zip-It!
We have had a clog in one of our bathroom sinks for the past few weeks. I guess you could call it a "slow drain," where the basin fills up fast and takes a long time to drain out. My wife checked the trap, which was clear, and we'd tried all the traditional chemicals, to no avail. This weekend I found a better answer to our drain troubles, and it doesn't have any chemicals to dump into the water supply.The product is called a Zip-It, by Cobra, (it costs $3 at Lowes!) and it's basically a 16" plastic strip with a bunch of teeth on it. You stick the Zip It down the drain, and slowly pull it back up. I pulled up enough hair and other gunk to make me think I had lost a hamster down there at some point. I used the Zip It to clean out all the drains in the house, and then tossed it. It's disposable! Consider this product Mike V approved!
I am not the most handy person around, as my wife can attest. My greatest accomplishment as a homeowner was installing some dimmer switches without burning the house down. Of course my lowest point was falling through ceiling, from the attic. So any easy household tool that can make me a hero is a very valuable find, indeed.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Hybrid Update
I filled up my Civic Hybrid's tank for the second time this morning. Since my last fill-up I went 397 miles on 8.8 gallons of gas. That's over 45 miles per gallon, and with barely any highway miles! I'll finally get to see what it does on the highway this weekend.
Of course the ultimate in fuel efficiency would be a Plug-in hybrids (you can't really buy 'em right now, you pretty much have to make 'em yourself or have someone retrofit a Prius or something for you). The gas engine doesn't kick in until after you've gone 40 miles or more, when the battery runs out. Since my last fill-up, I averaged just 28 miles a day. If I had a plug-in hybrid, I might not have used any gas at all these past two weeks!
http://www.hybridcars.com/plugin-hybrids.html
Don't forget, folks, as we rejoice at "cheap" $2.11 a gallon gasoline. Hybrids are much more than about saving $ on gas. It's about reducing emmissions, and eliminating our dependence on foreign oil. Buy a hybrid today!
Of course the ultimate in fuel efficiency would be a Plug-in hybrids (you can't really buy 'em right now, you pretty much have to make 'em yourself or have someone retrofit a Prius or something for you). The gas engine doesn't kick in until after you've gone 40 miles or more, when the battery runs out. Since my last fill-up, I averaged just 28 miles a day. If I had a plug-in hybrid, I might not have used any gas at all these past two weeks!
Don't forget, folks, as we rejoice at "cheap" $2.11 a gallon gasoline. Hybrids are much more than about saving $ on gas. It's about reducing emmissions, and eliminating our dependence on foreign oil. Buy a hybrid today!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Pirate Day Walks The Plank For Me
Ahoy!Today was Talk Like A Pirate Day, a "holiday" I've been promoting for the past three years. Avast, me hearties, this will be the last day I participate in the event. The inventors of Talk Like A Pirate Day were on television last night, and I just can't support their endeavors anymore.
The show was WifeSwap, an inane program where the producers find two wacked out families and make them switch moms for a week. Last night an anal-retentive perfectionist family with a daughter who's three years away from a crystal meth habit switched moms with a band of poseur pirates.
You see, the Baurs don't just talk like pirates for one day out of the year as a goof. No, they actually live and dress like pirates every day, all year long. They express their "pirattitude" as a lifestyle choice. And to them, piratitude means living in squalor, not paying the bills, not taking care of the flea infestation in their house, shunning deodorant, and running around with plastic swords. Complete losers.
Aye, Talk Like A Pirate Day is officially off me calendar! Aaargh!
Monday, September 18, 2006
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Hydrogen Car Update
We just got back from seeing Who Killed The Electric Car. It's an excellent film, and I highly recommend it. Yesterday, I posted that BMW had "raised the green ante" with its new hydrogen fuel-cell zero emission vehicle. Hydrogen fuel cell cars were discussed in Who Killed and issues were raised about them. Along with my own "where do you buy hydrogen?" question, we also learned that hydrogen is produced using non-renewable energy sources, have a limited range, and uh, oh, yeah, they cost about a million dollars. The truth is that these cars are just not practical yet. It seems like they are being pushed right now because they are "cars of the future" that distract us from the more practical cars available right now, like hybrids, and more efficient cars, namely electric, that were never given a fair shot.
The ultimate would be a plug in electric car that you charged in from your house which was powered by solar panels. No foreign oil & no emissions. Check these out!
The ultimate would be a plug in electric car that you charged in from your house which was powered by solar panels. No foreign oil & no emissions. Check these out!
Friday, September 15, 2006
Hybrid Update
I just filled up my new Hybrid Civic for the first time today. I went 400 miles (249,600 to go!) 0n 9.4 gallons, getting 42.6 mpg. And that is almost completely without highway miles! On my last post on the subject, I talked about some of the flaws with the whole hybrid vs. gas argument. Some recent articles have tried to compare conventional cars to hybrids on a cost basis. I said they missed the point. If you buy a hybrid, it's about more than just the price of gas. It's about reducing emmissions and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
The other way Edmunds and others missed the mark when they compared cars was how they drew up the comparison. They compared the hybrid models to their conventional sisters (eg. Hybrid Accords vs. standard Accords) and tried to figure out if the higher sticker price would be made up for in fuel savings. What they failed to consider however, is that most people shop for cars by price, not by model. When I was carshopping, I had a certain price range, and the base model Civic with it's $15,010 SRP simply wasn't on my radar. The Civic Hybrid has a SRP of $22,150, and it caught my eye when I saw it in the same price class of these other new cars I shopped:
Pontiac Solstice ($21,995) mpg 21/29
Mazda RX8 ($26,995) mpg 18/24
Acura RSX Type-S ($23,845) - mpg 23/31
Pontiac G6 Coupe ($22,615) - mpg 20/28
Obviously the Solstice and RX8 would have been more fun to drive, and the RSX might have had a bit more appeal in terms of status, but I chose my car based on my conscience and yes, my wallet. Consider the fuel economy of the civic hybrid (49/51) against these other gas guzzlers and it's really no contest.
By the way, the green ante was raised this week when BMW announced that they will start rolling out zero-emmission hydrogen cars next year. The car's only emmission will be water vapor. Pretty cool. But where the hell do you buy hydrogen?
The other way Edmunds and others missed the mark when they compared cars was how they drew up the comparison. They compared the hybrid models to their conventional sisters (eg. Hybrid Accords vs. standard Accords) and tried to figure out if the higher sticker price would be made up for in fuel savings. What they failed to consider however, is that most people shop for cars by price, not by model. When I was carshopping, I had a certain price range, and the base model Civic with it's $15,010 SRP simply wasn't on my radar. The Civic Hybrid has a SRP of $22,150, and it caught my eye when I saw it in the same price class of these other new cars I shopped:
Pontiac Solstice ($21,995) mpg 21/29
Mazda RX8 ($26,995) mpg 18/24
Acura RSX Type-S ($23,845) - mpg 23/31
Pontiac G6 Coupe ($22,615) - mpg 20/28
Obviously the Solstice and RX8 would have been more fun to drive, and the RSX might have had a bit more appeal in terms of status, but I chose my car based on my conscience and yes, my wallet. Consider the fuel economy of the civic hybrid (49/51) against these other gas guzzlers and it's really no contest.
By the way, the green ante was raised this week when BMW announced that they will start rolling out zero-emmission hydrogen cars next year. The car's only emmission will be water vapor. Pretty cool. But where the hell do you buy hydrogen?
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
New Aqua Teen Hunger Force Episodes!
The new season of Aqua Teen Hunger Force will air on Comedy Central's Adult Swim on October 22nd! Word on the scene is that this season includes 10 new episodes. If you haven't been indoctrinated into the world of Master Shake and Meatwad, be sure to set your TiVo to record the show the next time it's on, or you can now download the fifteen minute episodes for $1.99 each on iTunes and watch them on your computer or iPod.
Now is the time to get on board with this hilarious show. The movie, which will be an action-oriented origin epic, comes out in February!
Go here to read the lyrics of the Theme Song.
Now is the time to get on board with this hilarious show. The movie, which will be an action-oriented origin epic, comes out in February!
Go here to read the lyrics of the Theme Song.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
9/11: 5 year and 1 Day Later
I was very fortunate on 9/11 that I didn't have any loved ones die that day. Of course it is impossible to have lived in the area at the time without knowing someone who lost someone. I had a co-worker lose his mom, and another friend whose dad was there but got out. It was so crazy that day. A good friend had to walk across the 59th street bridge to get home from work. My wife and I could still see the smoke plume at 7 o'clock that night when we drove to our friend's house. All the major highways were closed so rescue vehicles could get back and forth. We heard sirens all day. And for weeks and weeks afterwards there were so many funerals. It was such a scary day. It angers me so much how much it's been politicized by both parties at this point. Bush can't answer a question about Iraq without mentioning 9/11, and both parties want us to believe it was the other side's president's fault. If we really want to honor the victims of 9/11, we should start acting like America again.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Food Find: Pretzel Crisps!
There few things in life better than a well made pretzel. As I think about the foods I have a passion for, the word "pretzel" comes back again and again.
My favorite ballpark fare? The hot, soft pretzel. Even though I am constantly disappointed by cold, slimy, and tiny soft pretzels, or the mediocrity of the mass-produced, not-so-super "Superpretzel," when a soft pretzel is made right, nothing beats it. The best ones are barbecued over charcoal briquets, and for some reason the entreprenuers found in stadium parking lots roasting pretzels out of a shopping cart that has been converted into a mobile grill beats anything found within the stadium at thrice the price.
My favorite casual dining entree? Bennigan's Turkey O' Toole. This is a hot turkey sandwich served on a pretzel roll. Yummmmm.... There are no Bennigan's where I live, and I believe the chain's restaurant total may be dwindling nationwide, but it would be a sad day if the Turkey O'Toole met its demise. Live on, Bennigan's! Slainte!
And of course, I love a good, old-fashioned hard pretzel. Purists will tell you a pretzel must be twisted to be a true pretzel, but I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the pretzel nugget. The best ones are made by UTZ. Utz is a brand out of Pennsylvania, and if your local supermarket doesn't carry Utz pretzels you should do yourself a favor and order some online! Trust me, there is a difference.
The pretzels don't need to be twisted theory is taken to the extreme by USAirways though. On filghts they give out these tiny bags of snacks that stretch the definition of pretzel to the extreme with an abomination they call Pretzel Minis or something like that. These are basically pretzel crumbs, and are not unlike the shards of pretzel you usually would find at the bottom of a bag of pretzels.
Enough about air fare though. The purpose of this posting is to tell you about a new food find that we discovered at Harris Teeter supermarket yesterday. They are a new development in pretzel technology! They are called Pretzel Crisps, and basically the best way to describe them is to picture your basic bite sized pretzel, remove the white middle, leaving only the tasty brown exterior. Then flatten the pretzel, so it's like a pretzel shaped cracker! The company boasts these treats as the world's first spreadable pretzel, easily accomodating your favorite cheese for example, but these little gems are delicious all on their own. Check them out!!!
My favorite ballpark fare? The hot, soft pretzel. Even though I am constantly disappointed by cold, slimy, and tiny soft pretzels, or the mediocrity of the mass-produced, not-so-super "Superpretzel," when a soft pretzel is made right, nothing beats it. The best ones are barbecued over charcoal briquets, and for some reason the entreprenuers found in stadium parking lots roasting pretzels out of a shopping cart that has been converted into a mobile grill beats anything found within the stadium at thrice the price.
My favorite casual dining entree? Bennigan's Turkey O' Toole. This is a hot turkey sandwich served on a pretzel roll. Yummmmm.... There are no Bennigan's where I live, and I believe the chain's restaurant total may be dwindling nationwide, but it would be a sad day if the Turkey O'Toole met its demise. Live on, Bennigan's! Slainte!
And of course, I love a good, old-fashioned hard pretzel. Purists will tell you a pretzel must be twisted to be a true pretzel, but I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the pretzel nugget. The best ones are made by UTZ. Utz is a brand out of Pennsylvania, and if your local supermarket doesn't carry Utz pretzels you should do yourself a favor and order some online! Trust me, there is a difference.
The pretzels don't need to be twisted theory is taken to the extreme by USAirways though. On filghts they give out these tiny bags of snacks that stretch the definition of pretzel to the extreme with an abomination they call Pretzel Minis or something like that. These are basically pretzel crumbs, and are not unlike the shards of pretzel you usually would find at the bottom of a bag of pretzels.
Enough about air fare though. The purpose of this posting is to tell you about a new food find that we discovered at Harris Teeter supermarket yesterday. They are a new development in pretzel technology! They are called Pretzel Crisps, and basically the best way to describe them is to picture your basic bite sized pretzel, remove the white middle, leaving only the tasty brown exterior. Then flatten the pretzel, so it's like a pretzel shaped cracker! The company boasts these treats as the world's first spreadable pretzel, easily accomodating your favorite cheese for example, but these little gems are delicious all on their own. Check them out!!!
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