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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T11:50:00.000-05:00

Universal Studios Road Trip!

2011-10-11T18:23:00.000-04:00

And the Jurassic Park ride!!

Falling Skies

2011-08-19T13:43:00.000-04:00

So yet another Sci-Fi~ish show sucks me in. Although this one did due to Spielberg's attachment, and the fact that it's set in Mass.
Oh, and Acton, too! That's right, much of the episodes take place in Acton, where the survivors have holed up to wait out the alien invasion. The survivors are a mix of military-type people and civilians.

The scenario is that 6 months before, aliens land and attack the Earth. Survivors in the military, ie Army, Navy, etc. as well as reserves and National Guard band together to create a militia-type force. First Mass, 2nd Mass, etc. And each band has civilians with them.

The show's action focuses on Boston and the outlying suburbs, including the aforementioned Acton. Having went to high school in Acton I must say the TV Acton looks totally different. I don't remember hills in the background, for example.
Also, it appears that the aliens, in the initial assault, only killed the fat, old and ugly. Because what seems to be left over are the young and good looking. Oh, and very diverse with about every race and culture represented.

TV is TV. Oh, well. I wish there was more mayhem, violence, humans reverting to primal behavior, blah blah, but it's not bad. Not good enough to be "must-see" as I find us saving up 3 or 4 episodes on the DVR to watch, but better than most junk. And at least it's coming back, unlike "The Event", "Invasion", "Aliens in America", "Cavemen"......

And only a month to go before "Terra Nova".

Pan-Mass and Cancer

2011-08-10T10:06:00.000-04:00

My dad died of cancer in 1976. My mom succumbed to the disease in 2006, making me an orphan at the age of 44. My step-dad died of cancer in 2008.
My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and is currently cancer-free. My sister-in-law is also a cancer survivor.

That's why I support my sister in her ride for the cure, the Pan-Mass Challenge. Ride spans the state of Mass, from Sturbridge to the tip of the Cape, Provincetown.
The race was last weekend, and she completed it. But she is currently short on her donations, so she's still accepting them:

http://www.pmc.org/profile/KP0072

Any donation is welcomed. 100% of donations go to the cause.

Boom boom POW!

2011-08-08T19:29:00.000-04:00

Just some random pics:

Fireworks on the 4th as seen from our convertible

Little lizard hanging out at my outdoor terrarium

Rastaman Vibration

2011-07-30T23:33:00.000-04:00

Loved this album. And yes, I had the album.

Liner notes said "This album great for cleaning herb"

Mystic River

2011-07-24T20:08:00.002-04:00

Bought a paperback copy at the swap meet yesterday, finished the book today. Nice tale of the underside of Boston, the dark neighborhoods that swallow you up and no one escapes from.

Now I want to see the movie.

Thieves Make Off With Used Frying Oil - Boston News Story - WCVB Boston

2011-07-22T11:59:00.001-04:00

Thieves Make Off With Used Frying Oil - Boston News Story - WCVB Boston

Yeah, yeah, yeah...The Simpsons did it first:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lard_of_the_Dance

Books, books and more books

2011-07-14T10:10:00.001-04:00

So what should I get? Kindle, B&N Nook, Sony eReader....iPad?
When we sold the house I had to get rid of many books. Actually gave away 7 cartons to the local library. You see, books don't travel well, so I was only able to move a large container full of them.
But now the collection is inching its way back up. My "policy" of donating one book for every book I buy went away.
So now I have a bookcase in my office, one in the sitting room, two out on the porch. And a few boxes in the garage.

So maybe it's time for an eReader. My sis loves the one we bought her.

My dilemma is which one?
I can get the iPad and download the free Kindle app for it. My wife loves her iPad, it's small, and does so much more. But it's also $500+. And I can download the Kindle app for my MacBook.

As for the other 3, I order mostly from Amazon, so the Kindle looks like the best choice between the readers. But is the Nook better? What about battery life?

Anyone have any opinions? I'd love to hear what Nook users and Kindle users have to say

Wednesday

2011-06-29T00:14:00.000-04:00

Hey Belichick, what have you done for us lately?

2011-06-18T10:13:00.001-04:00

C'mon, it's been 7 years since a Super Bowl win! In that time the Sox have won 2 World Series, Celts the NBA ring, and the Bruins won the STANLEY CUP!!

So time to step up your game!

Titletown, we remain though. 4 champs in 7 years.

Anyhoo, here's the main reason that the Bruins won, and Canucks lost:

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/told+Canucks+post+season+thoughts/4967082/story.html

Anyone who's watched playoff hockey (still the best game around, bar none) knows that the refs pocket the whistle more than usual. That's just the way it is. So the Canucks can't claim they were blindsided and flummoxed about the supposed "rule changes" in the final. They just never hit back. No Bruin would ever let someone smack them 6 times in the face without retaliation, no matter what the retribution might be.
And that image is the perfect snapshot of the series, Marchand speed-bagging Sedin again and again while the latter just took it. The Bruins out-hit the Canucks, and Vancouver just took it.

My feelings exactly

2011-06-11T10:21:00.000-04:00

It's called BRUINS!

2011-06-09T17:35:00.000-04:00

Ok, so this was the joke of an ad campaign a few years ago, but now it's the Gospel!
This is the type of hockey to watch! I dare anyone to watch these playoff games and NOT become a fan!

Right now I think it's too late for the Canucks...they remind me of Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. Pounding Rocky for most of the fight, and then ROcky tags him. Tags him good..."He's cut! He's cut"! Remember that? The Big Russion gets cut, and Rocky realizes he can be beat..

Horton's Hit started it, and Game 3 is the Rocky moment. Luongo has been figured out and now just looks scared. The Canucks are a finesse team, can't take a punch and the Brooons are punching. Hard.

So I think it's going 6.

And is there anything better now?

In hockey, the last 2 minutes actually last 2 minutes. Unlike football where timeouts and out-of-bounds, not to mention replays can make the 2 minute warning become the half-hour warning. And basketball is worse. Two minutes to go, and you get timeout after timeout, fouls upon fouls, free throws and free throws. Endless.

Godzilla and Rodan vs Monster Zero

2011-06-03T19:14:00.001-04:00

What a classic.

To recap...a new planet gets discovered. It's called "Planet X". There's a monster on the planet that the inhabitants want destroyed. The inhabitants look like Japanese with funky shades.

They sign a peace accord with us (planet Earth) to "borrow" Godzilla and Rodan to destroy Monster X. Er, I mean Monster Zero.

I especially love Godzilla's victory dance. Again, a classic.
Trivia: Nick Adams plays the token US actor in this. 2 years after his Oscar nomination.

The Event

2011-05-29T12:16:00.002-04:00

Once again I got sucked into a show only to see it get cancelled after the first season.

First "Invasion", then "Cavemen" and "Aliens in America", and now "The Event".

Which was probably the worst of the for, but still...had to watch it to the end. And the end is now The End.
It's like buying a box of a new cereal. You paid 5 bucks for it, but hey, try it out, looks good. About halfway through you realize it's a mistake. Not awful but not great, either. Just bland. But you paid $5 for it so you might as well finish it to the end.
And that's "The Event". I don't even care how it should turn out.

Ahhhh....

2011-05-21T13:40:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow's the Rapture

2011-05-20T19:47:00.003-04:00

Or is it Armageddon...maybe it's Armature...

Oh, well...don't say goodnight!

Da draft

2011-04-30T10:02:00.000-04:00

Being a Patriots fan at draft time is like being Jewish at Christmas....you get to sit around and look at all the shiny cool stuff others are getting while you get 2nd rounders.

Course I don't know why I watch and follow. I don't really follow college football much any more, there might not be football this year, and Bill always chucks picks for "value" and more picks.

I did like the commish getting booed, though.

San Fran 2011

2011-04-29T15:02:00.000-04:00

Bad and ruin

2011-04-28T13:29:00.000-04:00

Mother don't you recognize your son,
Coming home,
Getting home, 'cause I failed you mother,
I'll be there in the mornin'
If you have me back
The rent up here is much too high
For a room without a tap
A room without a tap, hoo

I'll be early in the morning
And I'll find my way back home
Back home bad 'n' ruin
With my tail between my legs
Tail between my legs
And I'll be so tired
I'll be so tired, now listen

I'll be early tomorrow morning
And I'll fall down off my plane
Don't be embarrassed mother
By your ugly worn-out son, hmm
Your ugly worn-out son.

So just let me warn you
Mother, you won't recognize me now

Sprinkles Cupcakes

2011-04-10T20:53:00.000-04:00

When did cupcakes become trendy? They're just mini cakes, for crying sakes, and evoke memories of cheesy kids birthdays.

So the woman who claims to have invented this fad opened a shop in La Jolla. There was a line although not too long, maybe 15 minutes.

Cupcakes are pricey at $3.50 each, but pretty damn good. Rich, moist, muchos creamy frosting. But still expensive. $14 for 4.

Better yet is the cupcake place on Coronado. And a nicer drive.

Manny being Manny!

2011-04-08T16:59:00.000-04:00

Again! 555 home runs, 1831 RBI's, and it comes down to this: rather than enroll in a drug treatment and prevention program, he backs out and retired.

Retires. Would have possibly gone down as one of the best hitters ever, but flits his way to team after team at the end, and then bows out. Manny being Manny indeed.

Auckland, NZ

2011-03-19T11:55:00.008-04:00

Happy St Patty's Day!

2011-03-17T11:56:00.000-04:00

The Outback

2011-02-23T16:24:00.000-05:00

Crossing some streams in the outback. Trying to get to the mines. 104 degrees out here. "The Western desert lives and breathes in a steaming 45 degrees.."

Today

2011-02-23T16:18:00.001-05:00

Watching "Family Guy" in Australia...cool because they don't have to sub-title it

Problem?

2011-02-17T05:51:00.000-05:00

So it seems all hotels now have those "theft-proof" hangers. You know, the ones that the body of the hanger can come off but not the actual holder....has this been a problem? Have people been actually stealing the metal hangers at an alarming clip recently?

Is this what causes the high rates?

Day 3 of sports radio blackout

2011-01-19T19:08:00.000-05:00

I'm forced to listen to NPR. At last I'll know they'll not speak of that barbaric sport. Only 2 or 3 weeks to go. Maybe. Good thing about not being in the NE area is it's easier to hide from it all.

Although a few articles make it better:

Bob Ryan puts everything into perspective, as he usually does. And Borges be's Borges, and he's right. At season start the team did seem young and inexperienced. Not much you can do about that. Before the game that was the number one fear, playing with players without playoff experience.

Besides, it is nice to be in this position, bummed about not getting the 4th trophy. Just wish it hadn't been against a friggin' NY (ne NJ) team.

And spring training is only a month or so away.

Today is the day

2011-01-16T11:25:00.000-05:00

And now is the time:

Shaughnessy

And Borges

Let's face it. The Pats have everything to lose. 9 point faves, plus the beat-down last month. I'm hoping Brady's taking a knee by the third quarter. Maybe some "Meadowlark Lemon shit" wit' da ball in front of the Jets and fat boys faces.

Goodbye, Christmas

2010-12-31T10:46:00.001-05:00

Hello New Year!
ok, so in this past year...the Sox laid an egg, but at the year end they redeemed themselves by picking up Carl Crawford, and trading for the real gem, Adrian Gonzo! Of course now Sox fans can no longer bitch about the Yanks "buying" a championship. We have become what we once hated and despised.

The Pats laid a huge egg on the last game of the 2009 season, at home no less, but seem to be on the road to redemption. Again. Heading towards 14-2, hitting the stride at the right time, and yet people still bitch. For those of us who remember 46-10, Scott Secules, Victor Kiam, "roughing" the passer, etc. etc., 4 SB trips, 3 champs in 10 years is still pretty sweet. Competing most every year, always in the hunt....I'm sure just about every other city would switch places. My opinion? They're winning number 4 this season, mark my words.

So a year of lives lost, new additions, and various trips. 600 miles in one day, a couple of coast-to-coast trips, hot weather, too cold weather, old connections renewed, new ones made.

And special thanks to the prez's stimulus monies...yes, the communities and cities starting new water projects keeps me working yet another year.

Lazy rainy days of Christmas

2010-12-19T11:16:00.000-05:00

Thighgate or Tripgate?

2010-12-15T18:04:00.000-05:00

This thing has legs:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Sal-Alosi-s-devious-act-was-not-a-coincidence?urn=nfl-296526

Ryan had to know about this. And now they're letting the strength coach twist in the wind, and take the fall. Of course not without playing the rat game a bit first. New Yorkers, I thought you'se were supposed to take the la costra nostra way out?

Of course if this were the Pats....well, ESPN would be running it 24/7, Peter King would be demanding, DEMANDING an investigation!

I couldn't be happier that it's the Jets. Crash and burn, baby, crash and burn.

Just in time for Christmas

2010-12-13T12:12:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Richard Roeper...

5 reasons why George Bailey isn't such a wonderful guy in "It's a Wonderful Life":

1. When George Bailey realizes Uncle Billy lost the $8,000, he grabs him, assaults him, and sends the "silly old fool" down the river. Nice guy!

2. After the money is lost, he goes home and terrorizes his family. Great. The first sign of distress, and he takes it out on his family.

3. He goes to a bar, gets hammered, then drives drunk.

4. Driving drunk he crashes his car, and stumbles away, leaving the scene of an accident.

5. And of course, tries to commit suicide, potentially leaving his wife to raise the 4 kids alone as a widow.

Honestly, what with the music, saloons, nightlife, the town looked better off had he never been born!

Gonzalez and Sox a ‘dream’ tandem

2010-12-06T13:53:00.000-05:00

Gonzalez and Sox a ‘dream’ tandem

Giving thanks

2010-11-26T10:34:00.000-05:00

This year I give thanks for technology..specifically the rewind feature on digital TV. Because of this I now have total control over the viewing, and never ever miss a thing. I, not the networks, can control instant replay.

And I give thanks for caller ID. No more blind calls, or call screening. No phantom calls. If the Natives had it lo these 400+ years ago, they would have seen what was coming.

This Is Spinal Tap - Cucumber Scene

2010-11-22T11:50:00.000-05:00

Prostate cancer

2010-11-17T17:43:00.002-05:00

Let's hope the NFL takes note on this.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabe-canales/prostate-cancer_b_780714.html

A good ol' fashioned whoopin'

2010-11-15T13:24:00.000-05:00

Another game in Pitt, another win. For a team that boasts as much as they do, the Pats sure seem to have their number. At least this time Pitt didn't whine after the loss.

On Brady's spike: http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/rap_sheet/?p=9962&srvc=home&position=recent

And a positive article from anti-Pats scribe Borges: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/view/20101115tom_brady_real_man_of_steel_brings_curtain_down_again/srvc=home&position=also

On to the Colts. Pats looking good, young team and all, and if they keep their heads about them, you never know. Who else is there? The Jets, is what I'm thinking. The Monday night game (12/6) looks HUGE!
And it looks like a great Thanksgiving with the Pats and the Lions.

Ugly

2010-11-08T12:47:00.000-05:00

That's the only way to sum it up.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nfl/columns/story?columnist=reiss_mike&id=5778661

Bad, really bad miscues, sloppy special teams, poor decisions. Let's hope this is the game that knocks all that out of their system.

Another trip

2010-11-06T10:39:00.000-04:00

So once again I get back East to the cold, rainy weather.

The second day there was frost on the windshield, which meant the old routine: start car, blast heat, wipe windshield. Rental agency didn't give me a scraper, and I didn't have any cassettes. So I squirted and went on my way.

Last day was a downpour. Cold, wind-swept rain. Got home to warm and 80's.
One thing I do miss is the Newbury Comics. Used CD's, DVD's, Blu-Ray, other memorabilia. Some good shit. I could get lost in there for hours. Bought Gilligan's Island 2nd season, and King of the Hill 2nd season, both used, both 14.99. Oh, and only 6.5% sales tax. Quit yer bitchin', MA, until it gets past 8%.

Nice catching up with old friends, too.

Pumpkins!

2010-10-30T11:00:00.000-04:00

Sweet Schadenfreude

2010-10-23T11:20:00.000-04:00

When your payroll is $200+ mil for the season, you have to win the World Series. Anything less is a failure. Ergo, the Yankees are failures. Jeter's contract expires this year, Pettit's contract expires, and the manager may be gone. Yes, I'm very happy about this.

Pats/Chargers

2010-10-22T14:14:00.000-04:00

Even though the rivalry isn't what it used to be ( http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/football/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1290637 ), it's nice to see that Patriot fan transplants have kept the game on TV!

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view/20101022patriots_sell_chargers_tickets_with_social_media_blitz/srvc=home&position=5

SyFy

2010-10-22T00:49:00.000-04:00

So I just watched "Ogre" again, this time all the way through.
Got to hand it to SyFy. They make some cool little horror flicks. Good, cheesy effects, ham fisted story lines, bloody CGI. Me like.

Revenge game?

2010-10-17T10:51:00.001-04:00

Not that I think it's a revenge game, but it's a game the Pats not only have to win, but really have to smack them back. 3-1. A win keeps them up with the Jets, a loss keeps them at the mediocre level in the conference.

Shaughnessy seems to think it's a revenge game. Well, maybe not revenge as he describes the angst of a season-ending loss. And of course Borges' article spotlights the visiting team. Of course.

I continue to amaze at the B grade and below movies SyFy offers up, especially at this time of year. Last night it was "The Final", a typical put-upon students exacting brutal revenge on their tormenters. Had a little bit of "Saw" in it, what with the voice distorter, the "cut-someone-else-to-save-yourself" thing, etc. And since they bleeped out the bad words, I know it wasn't made for TV.

Over?

2010-01-11T20:22:00.002-05:00

No one says it's over until we say it's over! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Ah, never mind.
So the Pats got a prison pounding..so they haven't won the big one since 2004...they're not done and done. Everyone thought the Steelers were done 2 years ago, and last year they won it all.

Everyone thought Manning was done last year..so no over talk crap.
For long time Pats fans, this past decade has been amazing. 4 SB's, 3 victories....made the playoffs in all but 2 years. Think it's bad now? Remember Rod Rust, Victor Kiam, Tommy Hodsen, Zeke Mowatt, 1-15, 2-14...etc.

Tom King gives some hope, and Steve Solloway slaps some sense into the naysayers.

Maybe New Englanders just like misery. It could be way worse. You could be a fan in Cleveland, or Jacksonville, or Kansas City. Your team sucks, and when the season is over, you're still suck in that shit-hole city.

10 reasons why "The White Shadow" is the best show of the '70's

2009-06-10T19:18:00.003-04:00

1. It ran only 3 seasons, which means it had a beginning, middle and end. They didn't follow the players to college, or have any one-off reunion specials.

2. Great lineage. Kevin Hooks, who played Morris Thorpe, went on to direct movies and TV, including the series "Prison Break". And the actor who played 'Salami", Tim Van Patten went on to direct many of "The Sopranos" episodes. He even co-wrote the fan-fave "Pine Barrens".

3. No hugs or happy endings. Even though they tackled some serious subjects like murder, drugs, S.T.D.'s, teacher-student affairs, the end of the episode didn't sink into dripping sentimentality. They just ended.

4. The characters in the show actually grew up and didn't spend 8 years in high school.

5. They had the "Harlem Globetrotters" on an episode. The real Globetrotters featuring Curley Neal, Marques Haynes, and Geese. And they played!

6. Basketball. The show was about a basketball team, and they actually showed them playing. Pick and rolls, lay-ups, ally-oops, they showed it all. The writers did their homework on this.

7. The show took place in 79-81, and they dressed as such. None of the cheesy mid-70's fashions like flares, disco suits et al, but actual clothes from that period. Jeans, flannel shirts, tee shirts. So cool, it made a comeback in the early 90's.

8. They sang their own songs. At the end of season one, some of the team, having sung in the shower, decided to form a singing group. And no lip syncing.

9. Real dialog. Not every line had to be a sarcastic comic or put-down, like nowadays. Not everyone was a comedian, they had real conversations. And stayed away from stereotypical 70's jargon. So the show never really "dated".

10. The theme song, one of the best in the business. And now my ring tone.

Ernie Roberts

2009-02-13T13:59:00.004-05:00

I remember reading the sports pages of the daily newspaper as early as 7 years old. Back then, it was the only way to find out what happened the night before with the local sports teams. Plus, when living on the West coast it was the only way to keep up with out-of-town teams.

Lucky for me my first sports page experiences were the Boston Globe, and the LA Times.

Late in the 70's, every Saturday morning was a column from one of my favorite writers, Ernie Roberts. He had a column "Thoughts while shaving" which became the standard for all of the "bits and pieces" columns that many, if not all sportswriters have been piecing together since.

Except that Roberts columns weren't just leftover scraps tossed together or phoned in. They were researched, thoughtful, pertinent, valid, but most of all, they started off with a "Good Morning", and more importantly, a breakfast choice relevant to the first bit.
(Note: I was misinformed on his whereabouts. I apologize).

Here's some samples of his infamous breakfast choices:

Good morning! Colleague Joe Concannon, just back from a New Zealand vacation, recommends this Auckland breakfast special: cheese omelet with a small lamb chop and pot of tea.
Good morning! Join our post-holiday austerity program with breakfast right out of the Scarsdale Diet: half a grapefruit, one slice of unbuttered protein toast and coffee straight . . .
Good morning! Diet breakfast again? I've decided never on Saturday. Drop an egg on that corned-beef hash, surround it with wheat muffins and, yes, bring on that second cup of coffee..
Good morning! Here's a challenge to Saturday breakfast appetites from Pittsburgh third baseman Bill Madlock: "I love a plateful of pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon, all splashed with Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup.". .
Good morning! Boston College hockey captain Steve Barger has a Beanpot Tourney breakfast favorite: a pint of orange juice, English muffins, ham-and- cheese omelet and, of course, a side order of beans.
Good morning! Signor Rip Valenti, whose 79th birthday came on Valentine's Day, will gird for his Marvin Hagler-Loucif Hamani fight promotion today (Ch. 7, 4:55 p.m.) in Portland with this favorite breakfast: orange juice, two dropped eggs on toast and coffee . . .
Good morning! Stoking up midway through the ECAC hockey championships at the Garden, Dartmouth goaltender Bob Gaudet will breakfast today on blueberry pancakes, link sausage and two large glasses of orange juice.
Good morning! Meadowlark (his real name, honestly) Lemon doesn't eat like a bird. "For breakfast on the West Coast I have a big fruit salad, couple of hard boiled eggs and juice. Here in Boston I like corned beef hash with a poached egg and tea with, naturally, lemon," says Lark, whose new basketball team, the Bucketeers, appears at the Garden tomorrow afternoon . . .
Good morning! Ever try sliced banana and Cheerios fried in butter for breakfast? Nothing better, swears Clayton (Lone Ranger) Moore. "Even got my horse, Silva, nibbling on that instead of sugar," said Moore, who was here for the Foxboro harness opener last night . . .
Good morning! Fresh strawberries over cornflakes this merry day and a large slice of Irish bread to herald the departure for Dublin of Belmont author George and Betty Sullivan on their 25th wedding anniversary trip . . .
Good morning! Pretty Pat Bradley plays golf on a skimpy breakfast of juice, one egg on toast and Sanka. Yet the Westford star, who previewed next month's Boston Five Classic site at Ferncroft CC this week, says it still cost her $35,000 for expenses on the LPGA Tour last year
Good morning! To stoke up for his fishing trip to Red Sand Lake, Canada, today, Celtic draftee Kevin McHale will make himself a Hibbing (Minn.) breakfast of a quart of orange juice and a four-egg, ham and cheese omelet . . .

Ahh, breakfast. My favorite meal of the day.

Fish tank

2009-01-30T19:46:00.007-05:00

So we got a fish tank, one of the Biorb types, 8 gallons. Set it up, conditioned the water and put 3 Zebra something's in there. All swimming around, having fun.

Then the other day, there's only 2. Looked everywhere, but no sign of the third. Don't they float when dead? It's not like there's a hell of a lot of places to hide...

Hmmmmm.......

Christmas is over

2009-01-07T17:07:00.003-05:00

Just some random holiday thoughts....

- The season now starts in October, and continues through December, lingering into January. Of course the Russian Orthodox celebrate Christmas on Jan 6 (Epiphany) but the other 99% dont's.
So with the all-seasonal music stations, music in the stores and malls, specials, etc., the so-called "War on Christmas" is over. Done.

- It's time the networks put the tired "specials" to rest. Rudolph was dumb and clunky when I first saw it as a kid, and it just gets worse every year. Really bad animation, too. A Gumby for Christmas. And the storyline is just an ad campaign. What I miss are the Norelco commercials from the '60's, which had the elves sledding down the hills on a razor. Frosty needs to go, too. An even dumber storyline...a snowman that comes to life? Kinda spooky, if you ask me. And the scene where the little girl is with Frosty in the greenhouse is the worst. He melts slowly in front of her...I can imagine the last few minutes of his life as he literally melts in front of her eyes. I wonder if he screams for help, or mercy while she watches.

- No more new Holiday albums. It's the last gasp for most bands, but a prolific one, as the public eats it up. Country stars love this crap.

- I miss when "It's a wonderful life" was in the public domain, back in the 80's. It would be on all month, on every channel. Some good prints, some crappy, even a colorized version. You could literally tune in on Christmas Eve, switch channels, and see the movie's different parts. At 7, you could watch the ending...switch to PBS at 9, and see the beginning...on Fox at 10, see the end in color. Now it's on a couple times.

- But I can't get enough of "A Christmas Story". I love the 24 hours of it on the Eve.

- "Scrooged" is the best version of "A Christmas Carol" out there. Up-to-date, although it does reek of the 80's, and really stays close to the original story. The (Marley) Ghost preaches of mercy, charity and mankind...Frank Cross snubs those who want and need at the beginning, his past shows where he lost the way, and his redemption shows him preaching charity. Kinda falls apart at the end, though, when Bill Murray's "Frank Cross" experiences his change, and becomes, well, Bill Murray.

And that's all...only 300 days to go before the "war" begins again.

Harry Turtledove

2008-11-26T15:04:00.005-05:00

So about a year ago I was in a bookstore, searching for a quick read for a flight. I saw on the end cap a paperback with Robert E. Lee holding an AK-47 on the cover.

Being a student of history, I picked it up.
Turtledove is the master of the "alternative history" genre, as I found out. The plot of this book was that during the Civil War, some men appear, and approach Lee. They have a new weapon, the AK-47 (called "repeaters" in the book), and they offer them to the Confederates. They also train them how to use them.

The result, of course, is a Confederate victory, but with a price, for the men are actually South African Afrikaners from the 20th century who traveled through a time portal, wishing to alter history and ensure a South victory. Why? Because in the 20th century, they are in desperate need of an ally to save apartheid.
Lee gets elected President of the South, and decides to free the slaves, pissing off the Afrikaners.

An interesting concept, and story, enough to keep my attention.

So I go back to the bookstore sometime later, and find another book by Turtledove, with yet another interesting cover.

I read the back cover for my usual brief synopsis (I also, sometimes, read the ending of a book while in the middle. Never know when you're gonna die, and I'd hate to not know the end). Looked pretty interesting.
Turtledove creates an alternative timeline. In this one, George McClellan never receives General Lee's invasion plans, and is defeated by the Army of Northern Virginia. The Civil War drags on, until France and England recognize the Confederacy as a sovereign nation, and successfully negotiate a peace.

After the war, the South beats the US again in another war.

The North, still smarting from the two defeats, aligns with the German Empire in the early 1900's, and thus takes Germany's side in the Great War when the Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated. The new Alternative Axis defeats England, France and The C.S.A.
After the war, the South dips into a depression.

Great book, but the ending was open-ended. For good reason, as I check online, and the book is the beginning of a trilogy, which is a middle trilogy of 3 trilogy's. Well, 2 trill's and a 4 book series.
Anyway, 10 books in all.

So now I'm nearing the last, last book. It's the second great war, the South is reeling...They dropped an atomic bomb on Philly (no great loss in any timeline) and the North has wiped out Charleston and Newport News...

Questions for the 2008 election

2008-11-02T01:24:00.002-04:00

I'm tired, as I am during every election year, of all the commercials.

Ask yourself this....

Where is Osama bin Laden?

When will the war in Iraq end? And what is defined as 'victory'?

How come the gas prices came down by a buck right before the elections (duh), and why are we ecstatic about it, even though they're still much higher than last year at this time?

How did McCain become the Republican darling? And how did Obama become darling, period?

Why do we think that either one knows what it means to pay for and pump gas, to shop for groceries, to pay a mortgage?

Yikes. Four more years, indeed.

Coma

2008-08-02T11:36:00.007-04:00

TV and the movies really have it wrong when they represent someone in a coma.
See, in the movies, or on a TV show, when someone is in a coma, they're always dreaming. Sometimes the dream takes them to faraway places, or sometimes the dream is like a near-death, where they meet those in the afterlife.
Or, their dream takes place in the room where they're in this coma. They flit around the room, listening to everyone in the room as they attempt to "communicate" with them.
And the coma-patients are always, always looking good. Like a deep sleep, resting with their eyes closed, breathing normally, their skin fresh.

In real life, it's not like that at all. For one, the eyes are open. It's very disturbing, because when you look into the eyes, you're not sure they're looking back at you, or if they are seeing anything at all. The eyes are open, yes, but they are empty.
And the body is not at rest. The mind may be in the coma, but the body isn't. The arms are contorted, twisting, grasping involuntarily, with nothing to guide or command them. Or control them. Each breath can be a struggle as the body gasps and expands, desperately pulling in oxygen. It's frightening to watch, because you don't know if the breath will be the last.

The mouth remains open, too. This is the creepiest, because it's as if they're trying to speak, but only a guttural sound comes out. And because of the dry air, the lips are chapped.

You see, the body is but a shell, albeit a shell that's alive, but a shell nonetheless. Without the life and soul, the body doesn't know how to react. So like a plant, it shifts and moves, perhaps looking for the sun, or just maybe some comfort.

And at the end, when it's over, when the person dies, you can see the life leave the body. Literally. You watch as the life and soul just exit, and the body truly becomes the shell. It stops moving. The limbs fold down. The mouth just sort of collapses. The body sags, and just folds into a limp. But the eyes stay open, until someone gently pushes their fingers ovevr them, closing them for the last time.

So much different than the movies.

Another classic clip from the '70s

2008-06-26T17:28:00.002-04:00

I'vev had this freakin' tune in my head for 30 years...the commercial would come on after "Jabberwacky", and before "Leave it to Beaver" reruns.
It amazes me that they actually sold Levi's after this commercial.

Although, I must admit that this kid looks something like me at that time....

Is Rachael Ray a terrorist?

2008-05-29T14:45:00.005-04:00

Is she? Apparently, some folks think so.

But is this the face of a terrorist?:

Or is this?:

Yeah, I didn't think so. But some right-wing fanatics think so. So much that they forced Dunkin' D's to pull her ad.
Of course, these are the same guys who mislead the American public into supporting a war, one that is still going on 5 years later.

"Spygate"

2008-05-08T19:10:00.002-04:00

I knew it was a bunch of crap. Hell, most Pats fans knew it, too. But the tapes have finally been released, and as expected, they reveal nothing more, nothing extra, nada.

Here's the original article. Written by Tomase, who's really a glorified fan.

Here's what Mike Reiss has to say.

Changing a pickguard for a Strat

2008-05-05T19:15:00.010-04:00

I wanted to change the look, to customize my Strat, so I found a torise-shell pick guard on eBay for about $10. I checked out some instructions online, and decided it would be easy enough to do myself.

The MIM Strat, before:

First, I had to remove the strings, and then unscrew the 11 small screws holding the pick guard to the body.

Using a small ratchet, I removed the nuts from the tone and volume potentiometers:

Lift the pick guard, and slide a piece of paper underneath to capture any springs or screws that may drop.

I had to unscrew the screws that hold the pickups in place, and remove the pickups. This is the tricky part, because the pickups, potentiometers, toggle switch are all connected via wires and a small drop of solder. So I didn't want to pull anything loose, anything that could affect the sound of the guitar.
I relaced the parts into the new pick guard, and replaced the pick guard back on the Strat.

However, th new pick guard didn't line up perfectly. So I had to drill out about 6 more holes in the body to secure the guard.

The result is a Tex-Mex like-look:

Tommy Lasorda?

2008-03-26T15:07:00.003-04:00

I hate Tommy Lasorda!

Wow, it's the new year

2008-01-25T19:03:00.000-05:00

And I just noticed it's been 6 months since the last post.

So I hear someone mention an old cartoon commercial, a PSA type, and decided to search it on youtube..so here it is:
Remember, it's Time for Timer!!

Simpsonized

2007-08-14T11:36:00.000-04:00

Me....

and me "Simpsonized"!!

So 20 years ago I was living in an apartment, watching the Tracy Ullman show with friends, especially the 3 minute animated shorts. When we heard that they were going to expand these shorts into a half-hour show starting in 1989, I commented that I didn't think they could sustain the comedy for a half-hour.
And here it is, 20 years, 18 seasons, and one movie later. I think they sustained.

If you love or like the Simpsons, you'll love the movie. Otherwise, you might not get it. Despite the PG-13 rating, they didn't go over the top with the jokes and innuendo. Oh, they did get away with stuff they can't on T.V.: Homer flipping the double-bird to the town, Marge using a G-D it, and Otto tokin' on a bong (U.S. Bong, if I saw correctly).
Basically, it is what it is: a 30 minute episode stretched out to an hour and a half. And that's good enough for me.

Hail to the Garbage Man

2007-05-18T17:44:00.000-04:00

Once a week, every week, he deftly arranges the buckets, grabs the correct one, lifts and empties. And never, ever scratches my Pathfinder.

Scientology on the BBC

2007-05-15T12:10:00.000-04:00

The BBC did a documentary on this cult; check it out on youtube:

Part 1

And part 2:

Kurt Vonnegut and David Halberstam

2007-05-10T12:04:00.000-04:00

When I was in the 8th grade, we had to choose a book and write a book report on it. I looked in my dad's bookcase, and chose "Breakfast of Champions", simply because of the cover. The book follows the travels of Kilgore Trout, which some say is Vonnegut's alter-ego. A bit of science-fiction, and really deadpan humor made this one of my favorites, and I wrote the report on it. And then found more of Vonnegut's work.

Kurt Vonnegut and David Halberstam both died recently. Two of my favorite writers, with two completely different styles of writing.

Vonnegut writes mostly semi-fiction (he sort of mirrors his life, and attitudes in his story lines and characters). His most famous being Slaughterhouse-Five, deals with the events at Dresden towards the end of World War Two. Vonnegut was taken prisoner in that city, and the Allies decided to bomb the hell out of the city to bring the war to an end. They covered the city in bombs and fire, taking many, many civilian casualties, including many Allied POW's. Vonnegut somehow survived, and wrote this "fictional" account, fictional because it involves time travel, some sci-fi, and, of course, Kilgore Trout.

Halberstam writes non-fiction, mostly on sports, and history. The first book of his that I read was "Summer of '49", about the American League pennant race, particularly the rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees. The Sox held a 12 game lead into August only to blow it, losing the pennant on the final game of the season. The last book of his I read was "Bill Belichick: The Education of a Coach", about the best coach in the game today.
In between there's his historical books, including "The best and the brightest" about the men who helped the nation sink deeper into Vietnam...and "War in a time of Peace", about Bush, Clinton, and the military.
He not only knew how to write, but he knew how to speak, how to convey his thoughts, how to explain and inform without reporting to cliches, and without putting the reader to sleep.

Coincidentally, last month I picked up what turned out to be Vonnegut's last book, "A man without a country". Short, sharp, simple, it's a book of his musings and ramblings. In one chapter, in a paragraph, he writes about Dresden, telling how, while sitting in the celler, being bombed from above, a fellow prisoner says that he felt like a duchess in a mansion on a cold and rainy night, "I wonder what the poor poeple are doing tonight". He writes that no one laughed, but the absurdity of it made them feel glad to be alive.

And it almost reads like an epitaph.

Pet food, and the Planet of the Apes

2007-04-06T19:15:00.000-04:00

So recently, there's been a rash of poisoned pet food, mainly dog and cat food, resulting in deaths across the country. The scary part of it is that the movie series "Planet of the Apes" predicted this years ago.

Remember how the apes took control of the Earth...there was a virus, a disease that spread across the planet that affected all dogs and cats. The people wound up burning the corpses of the animals, for fear of the disease spreading to humans. Having no pets, the people turned to apes and monkeys for companionship (for reasons I'll never understand. Having a monkey or chimp as a pet would be like having kid lite).
Over time, they teach the apes tasks such as house keeping, waiters and waitresses, janitorial duties. Basically the jobs that most people don't want to do. (I'm assuming they've run out of illegal immigrants). The apes revolt, and thus create the planet of the same name.

Of course, according to "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes", this was all supposed to happen by 1991, which, in our life, has come and gone.

Maybe they just had the dates wrong.

Some trivia: The novel "Planet of the Apes" is more like the 2001 version than the 1968 one, as the astronaut takes off from the Planet de Apes, and, after travelling through time, crash-lands back on Earth, in Paris, which is now ruled and occupied by the apes.
I'm guessing the French rolled over yet again.

Coast to Coast

2007-03-21T19:24:00.000-04:00

Another cross-country trip last week, this time to teach a seminar for Latin American distributors. In the past year, I've crossed the country 11 times.
This time I flew into Manchester. And I made the mistake of flying out the day before the session began, not leaving me time to recoup from the flight.

I guess I chose the wrong time to travel. Either that, or luck was against me. But I should have known better, because March is one of those months that can turn on a whim, from 50's and 60's, to an ice storm. Which is what I ran into.

Wednesday and Thursday was the former, temps up into the 70's at one point. Which is why I brought only my leather jacket. But Friday was a blizzard, a nor'easter. I spent Friday outside cutting and hauling in the snow, mismatched gloves, aforementioned leather jacket and casual business shoes the only protection against the weather.
Friday night and Saturday morning I shoveled. Again and again. The snowblower was inactive, not having gas nor oil in it. I don't know why. My snowlbower was always at the ready, gassed, oiled, poised in the garage like a starving pitbull. If the mower doesn't work, I could always put off cutting the lawn. But if the snowblower is inactive, then you still have to shovel. Scooping up cold, heavy snow. Back-breaking motions. And as I type this, a week later, my back still feels like theres a vice grip squeezing the base of my spine. Wish I had saved some Vicodin.

Of course, the glass is always half full. My flight, while delayed, still got me home only 3 hours late. Which is better than most flying out of the North East.

11 times in the past 10 months, I've crossed the country. And I'm not done quite yet. The house still sits, closer to the market, but still not ready.

Ned Flanders and Michael Medved

2007-03-20T18:03:00.000-04:00

Is Ned Flanders really Michael Medved animated?
They both have obsene religious leanings, although Ned is a born-again Christian, and Medved is Jewish.
But listen closely to their voices....when Medved speaks, imagine a "diddly" after his diatribe. You'll see what I mean.

Sacramento, CA

2007-01-24T02:23:00.000-05:00

So here I sit in the Super 8 motel, off the 80 freeway west of Sacramento. The town of Dixon is flat, and barren, with only the usual roadside stores and restaurants. I'm surprised I can't find a Stucky's. Or a Waffle House, because that's the type of area this is.
But, it's the only, or one of the only places near the campus of UC Davis. So it's the place where I get to spend the night, complete with the sounds of the highway trucks in the distance.

Winter

2006-12-20T13:28:00.000-05:00

It's cold here, something I hadn't planned on, so I had to dig my sweat shirts, fleece socks and pants, etc. out of the plastic, sealed containers from the garage. The name of the game is layers. Long sleeve tee, and a hooded zipper sweatshirt, jeans and cumfy fleece socks. As the day progresses, and the sun heat's the house, I can relax in the bare feet.
I don't understand why it's one of the coldest Winters here, as one chick on TV said. I've been doing my part to accelerate the greenhouse effect. By the looks of the freeways, I'm not alone. Maybe it's time to remove the catalytic converter. Ha.

But it's a different kind of cold, since there's little to no humidity. It's dry, raw. And as the sun crosses the sky, it actually warms up a bit. But it does get cold as soon as it disappears behind the mountains.
About the only thing I miss is the gas fireplace, but that's one of the 'must-have's' for the new place, so I guess i can wait.
And being that it's December 20, tomorrow is the shortest day of the year. For the 'glass full' people, it means that everything starts warming up. Solstice.

We spent Thanksgiving at Disneyland, finding out it's the second-busiest day of the year for them, Christmas being the busiest. So that's out for Christmas. Maybe just a day at the beach, soaking the sun. Seems right.

Stupid banks

2006-11-06T16:04:00.000-05:00

So I signed up with a new credit union here; start the direct deposits.

At DCU, my old bank, I call to cancel my card, and the account.
I'm told (by non-english) that I need to put it in writing.

Ok, I say, but i want you to disable my account now. I can't, she says,
unless your card is lost or stolen.

Um, I say, ok, I lost it. She cancels it. The card. Not the account.

I buy some songs from iTunes...prior to changing my iTunes account. I quickly change, adding my new card, deleting the old.

5 tunes. 4 get charged to my new card, one to the old. Don't ask me why, or how.

So 1.09 hits my DCU account, the one I tried to cancel, the one with no funds...and I get hit with a $25 charge. Insufficient funds.

I call, and get a guy who doesn't live in this country. I'm so frustrated at this point...I ask him where he is. He tells me he's in the "main branch"..Where's that, I ask...."Marlboro". I have him spell "Marlboro" for me...

Finally I request someone from my branch (Littleton). She explains to me that she'll refund the penalty charge, and for me to write a letter closing my account.

Now keep in mind that I have $5 in my savings...$5 needed to keep my account active, the same account I want to cancel.

So last week, I get a letter from DCU. Telling me that I have a negative balance in my checking ($1.09), and, if I don't respond by Nov. 15, they'll cancel my account, using the $5 in my savings to cover the checking.

So I'm off the hook..

Now today, I get a call from DCU...informing me I had a negative balance in my checking..I told her to use the $5 in my savings to cover. She says that the $5 is needed to keep my account open. I tell her I want to cancel my account. She says no, I have to do that in writing. I said "what if I do nothing"?

Well, she says, we'll close your account and use the $5 to cover.

Mom

2006-10-01T17:22:00.000-04:00

Motherless children have a hard time
When their mother is gone.
Motherless children have a hard time
When their mother is gone.

Motherless children have such a hard time.
There's all that weepin' and all that cryin'.
Motherless children, they have such a hard time
   
When their mother is gone.

Father will do the best he can
When the mother is gone.
Father will do the best he can
When the mother is gone.
Father will do the best he can,
But there's so many things he just don't understand.
Motherless children, they have such a hard time
When their mother is gone.

People say a sister will do
When your mother is gone.
People say a sister will do
When your mother is gone.
People say a sister will do,
But she'll get married and turn her back on you.
Motherless children, they have such a hard time
When their mother is gone.

You may find comfort in your husband or your wife
When your mother is gone.
You may find comfort in your husband or your wife
When your mother is gone.
You may find comfort in your husband or your wife,
But you'll be your mother's child
for the rest of your life.
And nobody treats you like your mother did
When your mother is gone.
-Blind Willie Johnson

Cloutier, Ruth P. (Dexter)

Acton Funeral Home

age 69, a resident of Boxborough since 1975, died Wednesday, September 20, 2006 at the Emerson Hospital in Concord. She was the widow of Gerald J. Cloutier, who died in 1976. Mrs. Cloutier was the daughter of Nellie (Baron) Dexter of West Warwick, Rhode Island and the late Ralph P. Dexter.

Mrs. Cloutier was raised in Warwick, and was a graduate of the Warwick schools. She earned her nursing degree from the Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Hanover, New Hampshire. She married Gerald J. Cloutier in 1958, settling in Billerica where they lived for many years before moving to Southern California and Boxborough, MA. Mrs. Cloutier's favorite place was the beach, and she especially loved her recent vacation at Old Orchard Beach in Maine. She also enjoyed knitting baby sweaters and Christmas stockings for family and friends.

In addition to her mother, Mrs. Cloutier is survived by her four children: Stefanie Cloutier of Concord, Michael Cloutier of San Diego, Keri Prasky of Groton, and Jeffrey Cloutier of Lyman, Maine; a brother Arthur Dexter of West Warwick; 7 grandchildren, and two nephews.

All are invited to visiting hours on Sunday, September 24th from 3:00-5:00pm at the Acton Funeral Home, 470 Mass Ave. (Rte 111) Acton. Funeral services will be held on Monday, September 25th at 1:30pm in St. Anne's Episcopal Church, 14 Treble Cove Road, North Billerica, with burial following in North Burial Ground, North Billerica.

Those who wish may make memorial contributions to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen Street, Framingham, MA. 01701.

For directions to St. Anne's Church, please follow this link: http://www.stannes-billerica.org/map.htm

Things left behind

2006-09-04T23:34:00.003-04:00

About 13 years ago, I built this plastic model of a T-Rex. Being an amateur Paleontologist, I painted it to scientific specifications, too. I think it came out pretty damn good, if I do say so my damn self.

So come packing time, I decided that it was time for it to go. I chucked it in a trash bucket, and took it down to the Boxboro dump, along with everything else.

About 3 weeks later, I went back to dump some more stuff, and found it propped up like this, for all to see.

3000 miles away, I have public art (albeit in a dump).

Leaving Boston...

2006-07-24T10:04:00.000-04:00

I've lived here long enough to relate to all of these:

If you're from Boston:

You think crosswalks are for wimps...

You think if someone is nice to you they either want something or they are from out of town and lost

You know how to cross four lanes of traffic in three seconds

You think it's not actually tailgating unless you're touching the bumper of the car in front of you

You know that a yellow light means that at least five more people can get through before the red when another two can make it

The public transportation system is known as the "T" and you'd rather drive in bumper to bumper traffic for 4 hours to get to Boston than be caught dead on the "orange line"...

You could own a small town in Iowa for the cost of your house

Subway is a fast food place

There are 24 Dunkin Donuts shops within 15 minutes of your house and that is how you give directions

You believe using your turn signals gives away your plan to the enemy

If you stay on the same road long enough it eventually has three different names

Someone has honked at you because you didn't peel out the second the light turned green

You have honked at someone because they didn't peel out the second the light turned green

Anyone going faster than you is a maniac. Anyone going slower than you is an idiot.

All the potholes just add to the excitement of driving

Stop signs mean slow down a little, but only if you want to

Six inches of snow is considered a dusting

Three days of 90 degree heat is definitely a "heat wave"

55 degrees is "on the warm side" -

You cringe everytime you hear some actor/actress imitate the "Boston Accent" on TV or in a movie; if you don't have it then you're never going to get it even if you were born here

At the ice cream shop you call chocolate sprinkles "jimmies"

You know how to pronounce towns like Worcester, Haverhill, Peabody, Scituate, Chatham, and Leominster!

You know what they sell at a "packie"

You've slammed on your brakes to deter a tailgater

You keep an ice scraper in your car all year round

Paranoia sets in when you can't see a Dunkin Donuts, ATM or CVS

You've pulled out of a side street and used your car to block oncoming traffic so you can make a left

You can navigate a rotary without a problem

You feel the rest of the world needs to drive more like you

You know what a frappe is

You never say "Cape Cod"...... you say "The Cape"

You can drive to the mountains and the ocean all in one day

You know the Mass Pike and 495 create some sort of strange weather dividing line

You almost feel disappointed when someone doesn't flip you off when you cut them off or steal their parking space

You actually get all these jokes

But, no, I don't have the accent.

3 days of the Hondur(as)

2006-06-27T16:04:00.000-04:00

¿quién es más macho?

San Pedro Sula, Honduras; 3 days, 2 nights. I got the call while in New York, asking if I wanted to go. Of course, I jumped at the chance. Flew out Wednesday, and back on late Friday evening. Well, technically Saturday morning. I flew into Miami, planning to meet a representative from the company, and our own sales manager for Latin America. But our guy had mixed up the dates, and the rep, who had been acting as my translator, left after one day. So for the rest of my v
I do say that their English was far better than my Spanish.

The purpose was to assist a chemical company at a customer of theirs, a textile plant. Being inside with the boilers was so hot that stepping out into the 95 degree weather actually cooled me off.

Security was tight, although I have no idea why; they make fabric. But I was told that most of the larger factories have this kind of security.

We worked the first day until 8 in the evening. The next day, a full one, almost 9 hours in the boiler room. A room only in the sense that it has walls and a ceiling, but it did have a side that was open to the air. We would get a cool breeze periodically, but mostly it was hot. África caliente.

Back to Manhatten...

2006-05-30T20:32:00.000-04:00

So this time, I had to get up extra-early, and take the red eye Acela. Red eye, because it leaves before 8 AM. And I had little to no sleep the night before. It was one of those nights that I feel I'm forcing myself to go to sleep, which makes it worse, more stressful. And about every hour, I look at the clock, and count down the hours until the waves crash.

The morning went by quickly. The train was empty, of course, and I arrived in Penn at 11, took a cab to Times Square (had to give the cabbie an address, as he's never heard of the hotel), checked in, and took the subway to Queens (L.I. City). And after that, went on a walkabout to the upper West Side...
That's from 41st street, up to 82nd street. I wanted to take the Seinfeld self-tour, plus soak in the rays at the same time. The walk proved to be exhausting, so I hopped the subway for a portion of the trip back...well worth it.
And grabbed a cheesesteak sub for dinner.

Thoughts while driving

2006-05-04T08:53:00.000-04:00

I think it's because I slept through my alarm; 7 minutes into it, to be exact. Of course, in retrospect, "Soothing Ocean Waves" probably isn't the best mode to wake to. But it made me late, and cause me to fly down the highway, breakneck speed. Almost spilled my iced coffee.

But trying to make up for lost time really gave me a good look on other drivers habits, mistakes, and missues of the roads...

1. If you're cruising along, and see a cruiser, with lights flashing, on the side of the road with a speeder, don't slow down! Why? He's got his victim! He's writing his $300 ticket for the hour! It's like a python slowly digesting a wild pig: there's no way in hell he's hunting again for quite some time. On the contrary, this is the perfect opportunity to step it up a few mph, and make up even more time! It's a free pass!!

2. Enough with the Prius and other "Hybrid" cars in the fast lane going 60MPH. The milage difference is what, 10mpg? 15? Please. You lose any fuel savings in the cost of the car, and angry gestures from idiots like me. Global warming is overrated. It's the cycle of life: when the Earth gets too crowded with iceburgs, another dinosaur fossil squirts some oil, and warms another patch of land. It's time we retire these "Hybrids" back where they belong: in the parking lot of PTA meetings, where the owners can brag about how they, and they alone, are saving this planet that managed to survive for billions of years without Muffy's help.

3. Cell phones are way too much of a distraction for drivers. Which is why I rarely use mine when driving. It also takes too much time away from my fumbling with my iPod. If I go in a firey crash, I want background music, not a tinny voice asking "can you hear me now?"

Gas conservsation tips

2006-04-24T08:41:00.004-04:00

Gas prices this morning topped off (no pun intended) at $2.949 a gallon. Well, topped off at that price at the station I usually stop in on the way to work. I stop there because they're one of 3 places that sell Diet Vanilla Pepsi.
Other places have been cheaper ($2.91) but I've seen more, especially close to the city. And they (the "they's" that always confirm urban myths) are predicting prices closer to $4 and up by the time things (re: Iran) shake out.

Ignore the usual musings of conservation, like ride-a-bike, and carpool. These are the way to save gas:

I've seen the guys racing in NASCAR do this (actually, someone who watches NASCAR told me. Honest). Follow really, really close the car in front of you. This is called drafting. Follow so close that your bumpers almost touch. This lessens the wind resistance on your car, resulting in better gas mileage.
Stop using the brake so much. Whenever you brake, you're robbing your car of precious momentum, and using your gas to stop. Instead of applying the brake, anticipate your stops ahead of time, and ease off the accelerator. Like 2 or 3 exits ahead. True, by the time you turn off you'll be going about 11 miles per hour, but think of the gas you'll be saving.
Use the cruise control more often, if not all of the time. And don't waiver from it, either. Sure, not all cars are going the same speed, and other drivers may try to cut you off, or slow down in front of you, but by keeping with cruise control, you'll not only save gas, but become a better, more efficient driver. You will become one with your steering wheel.
Ignore the "Drive-offs will be prosecuted" signs at gas stations. Especially the busy ones. Have you ever seen the people working there? They sweat just flipping a switch to turn on a pump, so I can't imagine one of them sliding off the stool and lurching out after you. And rationalize; paying for gas only keeps the terrorists in business.
Lighten the load in your car. This means no passengers. Detailed studies prove that carpooling actually wastes gas. Your gas, because of your hefty freeloaders.
Drive downhill whenever possible. I know, so obvious, it's simple. I wonder why this has never been thought of before?

And make sure to visit Alaska now; in a few short years, it'll resemble the Sahara Dessert. Or is that desert? Whatever.

Vinyl Albums

2005-09-21T14:36:00.000-04:00

If you seriously want to move foreward at any point in life, you have to let go of the past. I said that in my head over and over and over again as I sat and stared at two boxes of vinyl albums.
I've had these for years, collecting since high school, or maybe before that.
I'm not someone to live in the past; on the contrary, I've been accused of having no sentimentality. But I do have a hard time getting rid of these albums.

Over the years, they've been replaced by CD's, and now with mp3's. In fact my CD's have been packaged and put away as all of my music now resides on the hard drive of my Mac and my ipod. I haven't played them in years, probably not since 1987, the year we bought our first CD player. But they follow me around with every move. From Boxboro to Shirley, and all stops in between. Just becoming empty pieces of useless bagage.

I remember buying some of them; we used to take the train into Harvard Square and visit the used record shops, and the Harvard Coop in search of obscure, rare albums, bootlegs, imports. Some of the bootlegs were poor quality. I have one from the Stones, circa 1978 at RFK Stadium. It sounds as if the mic was in the coat pocket of one of the audience, but at the time of purchase, it felt like a 'find'.

The way records were treated always depended on the users appreciation for music. Some people just put the album on the turntable, dropped the needle, and left it at that. I'd carefully slice the plastic that the cover was wrapped in, slide the album out and carefully place it on the turntable. I'd then wash it with the felt and wood washer, and tape it. The album would return to the jacket, not to be played for quite some time.

So how can I throw them out now?

I see Kim Wilde, with "Kids in America". I bought this used, just for the single. Bob Marley's "Rastaman Vibration" with its liner note "(This record cover great for cleaning herb)"...The Cars debut album, which I have 2 of (marraige invariably creates some duplicates; im our case, it also brought more punk albums, like the "Black Market Clash" EP)...I also have Madness 12" single of "Our House".
Another one I found is the Jon Butcher Axis; I have a hard time finding his stuff online, much less on CD now. Saw him live at the old Cinema Lounge in Fitchburg at a midnight show. He looked like Hendrix, from the bandana down to the 'strat, and had the flair down cold. Speaking of Hendrix, I also have his Euro-import, "Smash Hits". Actually, I traded a cassette recording of the Who's "Quadraphenia" for this.

Some of the albums are pretty beat. When you purchase from a used record store, the quality may not be the best, and the sleeves may not exist at all. However, if the album is rare, then you catch as you can. Case in point is the Jonathon Richman and the Moder Lovers LP; no sleeve, the vinyl has some scratches, but at the time, it was out of print, so I scooped it. I washed it down, recorded it and put it away. The song? "Roadrunner", the only 2-chord song I have ever heard, or at least I think I ever heard. And yes, the same Jonathon Richman that plays the guitar and sings on the movie "There's something about Mary".

Electronics and the cyber world has rendered any argument for keeping these albums moot. Sure, there are used CD stores at the square and elsewhere, but why travel when I can find what I'm looking for with a few key strokes? And then download for a buck? And I can take my entire music catalog wherever I go, however I travel. So there's really no reason to keep the vinyl.

I thought about selling them, as a lot, or indivudually, so I checked the various onlite sites. What I found was that, unless the album was extremely rare at the time of printing, a la the Beatles "Yesterday" butcher cover, they are not worth the material. People were giving them away. My albums are officially junk.

Tyrannosaurus Sue

2005-08-05T10:47:00.000-04:00

I have my "Tyrannosaurus Sue" t-shirt on today. People ask who she is...

Sue is the largest, most complete T-Rex skeleton ever discovered, and currently on display at the Chicago Fields Museum. I saw her in 2002, while on my way to the Hamilton-Sundstrand IT Managers conference in Michigan City, IN. Yes, Michigan City, IN, on a man-made lake chock full of senior citizen pontoon boats.

I flew out early in the morning, caught the subway to the downtown by the waterfront, and spent a few hours in the museum to see Sue. Her skeleton replaced the Brachiasaurus skeleton, which is now at the O'Hare Airport.

Who is Sue?

As I said, Sue" was the largest and most complete T. Rex skeleton found up to her discovery in 1990; she was named after her discoverer, Sue Hendrickson. While fossil hunting with her then-boyfriend, Peter Larson, Sue happened upon a skeleton on the side of a small mesa. A complete T-Rex skeleton. The skeleton was on Sioux land (Sue, Sue and Sioux. How complex can this get?) which was owned by a Native American (yes, an out-of-character pc'ism by me) named Maurice Williams, who had a "trust" on the land. The Black Hills Institute (the Larson Brothers) had obtained permission from Williams to dig where Sue was found, and using expensive equipment, they painstakingly removed the T-Rex.

Once back at the institute, they began to prepare the skeleton for display. The plan was to use Sue as a centerpiece for their museum. But they also realized what a find they had and, being devoted (albeit amateur) paleontologist, they sought to share their find. And here's where the troubles began, for as the academic community caught wind of this specimen, word spread about the value. And everyone wanted a hand in the find.

The Sioux reservation sought claim. Williams' land was part of the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation, and the Sioux claimed that it was illegal to remove the fossil without the tribe's permission.

Williams, of course, thought it should be his (never mind he received a payment for permission to use *his* land), and the government, being the government, wanted in as well. On May 14, 1992, the FBI raided the Black Hills Institute offices and impounded the fossil. Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Schieffer arrived on the scene and stated, out of the blue, that the fossil was U.S. government property. This claim had never previously been asserted; the government simply walked in and nationalized Sue. The National Guard was called out as part of the seizure; the governor of South Dakota, who was not informed of their use till after the fact, called the Federal government's action "underhanded." The bones were deposited in an uncontrolled environment which could have damaged them through chemical breakdown.

The government claimed that Williams had placed his property in trust with the Department of the Interior as a tax-saving action, and therefore could not sell it without permission of the government. Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Schieffer interpretation of the law was that all Indian trust land is government property and that Indians are simply tenants. (He did not, however, extend this argument to void the oil leases which Williams had issued on his land.)

Williams prevailed in court; the government ruled that a dinosaur in the ground is real estate, and therefore Williams' trust agreement prevented him from selling her. Ownership reverted back to him. Sue was finally auctioned to Chicago's Field Museum for $7.6 million, (not counting the auctioneer's percentage), and is now on public display at the Field Museum.

The feds weren't finished, however. Wielding the sharpened axe they were aching to grind, the federal government prosecuted Larson and the Black Hills Institute on a large number of charges, none of which related directly to Sue. Larson was found guilty of "failure to fill out forms" -- he had not declared $15,000 which he had brought in from Peru on a required customs form. He was sentenced to 2 years in prison, serving 18 months.

And the "other" Sue? The feds threatened to prosecute her unless she would provide them with testimony against the Institute, and ordered her not to communicate with the Larsens. She wound up so disgusted with the entire affair that she left the United States afterward. She said that the events "shattered my faith in the United States government."

There's more to this incredible true story, but I suggest reading 'Tyrannosaurus Sue", by Steve Fiffer.

And by all means, make a trip to Chicago, and the Fields Museum. It's an amazing glimpse of the skeleton of a real-life "monster" that once walked the earth.