Update

Hello All,

Its been a bit since my last post. I've been busy with a combination of different things in my life. Jason Duplissis, My old high school friend, and former roommate from my Woburn days came up this weekend. It was a good weekend overall. The anchor event of the weekend was a Lobster/Steamer feast I had on Saturday. Really the entire weekend was all about eating. Chinese food on Friday, seafood Saturday, and a homemade "moose-meat" chili on Sunday as a prelude to the Patriot's game. Not to mention Friday, my group at Millennium went to "Top of the Hub" for lunch on the company. For those unfamiliar, it is a swanky high end restaurant at the top of the prudential building, which is an approximately 50 story highrise (I forget the correct #, I think its something weird like 51 or 52). The view was the best part, as I had not been to the Prudential observatory since I was a kid. The food was good, but the portions were small and more about their appearance than every thing else.

So my first attempt to introduce seafood... specifically lobster, to Kate was unsuccessful. She tried a little morsel, but wasn't very enthused. Ahh, she doesn't know what she's missing. Lobster is, in my opinion perhaps one of Mother Nature's finest creations. Its taste is unmatched. I was mentioning to Jason that I heard of a psychology study that people like seafood so much because it reminds them of placental fluids, or the biological source from whence life claims, which is an interesting theory. I find that most people who don't like seafood tend to be those who just never ate any of it in their formative years. It just seems like it should be such an all encompassing "taste" excluding people who are allergic of course.

Knowing that seafood might not have been a big selling point I cooked up some steak tips a-la John Madden style. John, Thanks for that addition to my cooking knowledge.

Jason didn't eat a certain strip of meat from the tail, which he supposedly heard from a culinary show that he wasn't supposed to. I always remove the "lobster colon" for lack of a better term... but if the meat tastes good and isn't mushy green stuff... as a rule it gets consumed. I think that "culinary tip" was more directed towards presentation and preparation. Not to mention it aids in getting to the colon. If you were going to serve lobster tails, that would be the only way to access it without ultimately splitting the tail, and then it wouldn't be as pretty when you put it on a plate with cilantro or whatever. Any how I only raised my eyebrows slightly and ended up scoring those leftover pieces of meat, because I have no shame.

Well looks like "Scooter" Libby took a hit. I'm thinking that if I was a friend of Bush's, and he gave me a nick name that caught on, I might me worried that I was jinxed. We had "Kenny Boy" of Enron, then "Browny" of Fema "I B.S.-ed my resume fame", and now Scooter. Of course I don't really think W cares about the "Plame Affair" quite as the media would like you to think, because at the very worst it will probably mean a couple new appointments in the administration. If anything perhaps he's even a bit pissed at Rove and Cheney.

The whole world is such a mess right now. There is so much I could come on here and rant and rave about. I'm sure you can look forward to some more of that this week however to bring close out this weekend, I'm afraid I'm not going to be that inventive.

On an up note, the Patriots won!

Here's an amusing link to an article about a really fabulous ford escort.
Expensive Escort

Boycott Walmart

Ok folks, I admit it, this latest press release finally put me on the anti-Walmart bandwagon. I suppose I was sort of already there, as I avoid Walmart whenever possible. This however, this takes the cake.

The following article is based on a leak from an official Walmart corporate meeting.

Wal-Mart memo: Unhealthy need not apply

The title really says it all. However it details how they want to encourage part time employees over permanent employees. It talks of increasing health insurance burdens on employees. It speaks of a new strategy of multi-tasking that forces all employees to do their share of physical labor. The logic being that the elderly will no longer want to work at Walmart.

Sam Walton must be rolling in his grave. This company was founded upon community and treating employees with respect, now all that matters is profit margins. Even with year after year of increased profits.

A hard rain and my new cushion

Thought I'd start by posting a couple of the more interesting headlines of the past couple days. They are nice and light and fluffy, because the brain capacity really just isn't there for anything weighty tonight.

Here's Homeland Security hard at work:
Toy, Cookie Mistaken for Bomb Components

When puppets go bad:
'Elmo' not tickled by begging arrest

Of course this could just be another of the Man's many attempts to step on Steve Jobs. Then again, it is yet another reason to be proud that I chose not to go the "Apple" route when purchasing my MP3 player.
Apple faces suit over Nano Screens

I bought a new futon mattress today. I know, interesting stuff right?! Well... you see, it was pouring down cats and dogs, an ole' fashioned Noreaster. The wind was a howlin, the leaves a-shakin, and the branches a-quakin. So picture me, waddling about, staggering a this way, and a that. My sense of direction muffled by the awkward-shaped cushion clasped between my over strained arms. The wind is blowing, and the parking lot is riddled with mud and water with shimmering slicks of oil from someone's leaking relic.

I have 30 yards or so to get into the building. I can't stop or I risk ruining my high quality piece of furniture. If I take too long my car alarm is likely to sound since I left the lift gate open.

My heart rate quickens and a cold sweat forms upon my brow. An urge to stop and wipe my face, catch my breath is so overwhelming. My conscience is fighting a tormented battle. One side says "Don't give up George, you can do it... You can do anything! You must and will succeed! It is imperative!" The other side says "You pathetic piece of crap, you can't do anything right. 10 to 1 you slip, fall face down, the futon will land on top of you immediately saturating with filthy water. You'll die a cold miserable death steps from the comfort of your own, smothered by the very material comforts you seek solace in. It will be a fitting end to your trite and meaningless life."

Suddenly I've become aware that I have succeeded and that my fears and apocalyptic fantasies were nothing more than my overactive imagination seeking to bring amusement into an otherwise mundane task.

So, tonight, I no longer feel the wooden slats through my futon, and I'm a happy camper. A new cover will arrive in two weeks along with new pillows escorting in a new era in the creature comforts in "George's World". Exciting! :D

Goodness Gracious! Bed time!

Now it's time to say goodnight.... Goodnight, sleep tight.... dream sweet dreams for me.... dream sweet dreams for me......

(Noteworthy: Under circumstances of sleep deprivation, individuals of the homo sapiens species often succumb to delusions and erratic thought process)

A damp October Weekend..

I was up to Lewiston/Auburn for a brief, but busy weekend with a friend and my parents. The unthinkable has finally happened Lewiston/Auburn finally has a Starbucks. Its right across the street from the dastardly Wal-Mart, that is so big that it has its own weather systems. Lewiston also has a Quizno's... the latest and greatest in franchises that may one day rival subway (or so say many industry experts). I always take time to make observations that have anything to do with satisfying my belly.

Driving home tonight, the traffic was actually rarely sparse. I even used cruise control. While this makes things slightly easier, it can bring about entirely new frustrations.

Cruise control is a funny thing. Most everyone will want it as an option on their car (myself included) but then no one ever ends up using it. Most people don't go a steady speed on their own (once again, myself included). You get distracted, bored, concerned about cars, or your frustration at a few slow pokes encourages you to occasionally give the car some extra gas to maneuver around them. Or if you drive like I used to, prior to my speeding ticket last year, you go 85 when ever possible, strategically placing yourself next to other cars to prevent radar or lidar detection.
After a $200 speeding ticket, and an even more costly increase in my insurance... I began driving like a granny. In my defense I broke my own rules, and well, the speeding ticket was a result of that. I angrily passed a slow moving RV, in the right lane, going up a hill. Of course the officer was at the top of the crest. And like a fool, I was cocky and denied speeding when he pulled me over. I probably could have got off on a warning if I had an ounce of sense.
Anyway, now my idea of living on the edge is short occasional risky bursts of 75 miles per hour, while normally keeping it between 65 and 70.

Getting back to what frustrates me about cruise control; because you are going a constant speed you notice the irregularity in everyone else. They pass you, then slow down. You pass them and the process repeats and repeats. Because I'm no longer preoccupied with driving aggressive, the cruise speed I've set making most of my decisions, it frees me up to do something I never do. I begin noticing the people playing cat and mouse with me. Usually its young kids, (Yeah... I know I'm not exactly old... but I'm no spring chicken anymore either). Tonight this occurred with a Saab full of college aged girls (at another time in life perhaps I'd have cared); some dude with a "Free Tibet" sticker on his bumper; and a middle aged man who when he passed me, he had this testosterone laden lunge of the head to look and see who was driving. It wasn't to get back in the lane, because he never made that move. I'm assuming that driving a red sporty hatchback focus makes me likely to be a young woman. It is sort of a chick car I suppose. Anyway, he looked really pathetic. He was probably pissed off that I was actually some poser wannabe metrosexual rather than the object of his fantasies. Upon making the discovery he immediately turned around and gunned his "manly" Jeep Grand Cherokee. I suppose I could have been interested in who was driving that because odds are it may have been some sexy soccer mom... if that was my thing. Don't mind me... I'm just bitter at being a victim of car prejudice.
It could have sucked for everyone on the road if I was some sultry babe and the car in front of him hit the breaks or something.

I've never understood how everyone notices drivers of other cars. It isn't something I even do when I'm a passenger. I don't care about them, I'll never see them again, and lastly it just seems like a really bad idea. Just drive to your damn destination... I don't want to race, compete with, aggravate, or potentially date anyone who is driving in an anonymous vehicle next to me. Hey that's just my crazy view, but perhaps I'm just smoking crack.

Additionally I was thinking about the whole Free Tibet thing. I think China has compromised with several of the issues with the Tibet folk so I'm not sure it is such a "hot topic" as it was a few years back. However... Most of the people who have "Free Tibet" stickers are pacifists. I was just wondering how they expect Tibet to achieve freedom from a rising super power without possibly damaging sanctions or military action. But I think I'm thinking about it to much.

I always kind of thought it as sort of a joke, or a sarcasm by whoever came up with the slogan. Its the principle "You save Kuwait because they have oil, but don't bother with Tibet, because they only have goats". I think that is lost on many of the people that sport the bumper stickers. I think many of them really expect that the U.S. government needs to do something about it.

Every year new wide-eyed hemp necklace sporting college kids probably think that this is some current event. The Tibet "takeover" was completed by China in 1951. (I had to just look that up) I'd honestly have to look into this issue more, but I believe that the Dali llama, their spiritual leader is still in exile and tours the world. China now has the freedom of religion... Am I missing something? Why doesn't he just go back? Maybe he just doesn't want to return to the life of poverty and would rather get paid to give speeches and seminars? Naahh... that couldn't be it.

I'm sure there is a lot more to this, and what bugs me is that the "Free Tibet" sticker is nothing more than a symbol that the token Greenpeace/patchouli/tapestry/vegetarian/artist kid has, and they know absolutely nothing about it. I know nothing about it, and yet I probably know more than the folks with the bumper stickers.
For the record I liked tapestries and patchouli incense in college, but I never had a "Free Tibet" sticker.

I have to get up very early tomorrow for "Orientation" at work, and I really don't want to go to bed, despite being exhausted. Ahh, such is life.

Anyway

Crab People, Crab People!!

Ahhh, don't know if any of you caught the new Southpark, but it was definitely an "Its funny because its true" type episode. Stan breaks a beaver dam with Cartman's assistance when they try to drive a speed boat. It ends up flooding a town in the valley below. The rest of the show is a process that shows everything building up and cascading out of control. No one knows who destroyed the dam. Half of people say Bush caused it, the other half blame terrorists. Then it is decided that Global warming caused it. Of course people aren't getting rescued from their rooftops, and a quote from Stan's dad is rather fitting of recent events. When Stan mentions his concern over the lack of rescue missions, his father says "What's most important right now is figuring out who to blame". For all South Park devotees, crab people even have a cameo in this episode. Its one to treasure for ever.

Here is an article detailing the Woes of the Bush administration.... Actually only a fraction of them. Specifically it delves into the Plame Affair.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/20/bush.background.noise.ap/index.html

Friday at last!! I can't wait to sleep until 9:00 on Saturday its going to be great! Ah... So much to look forward to.

P.F. Chang's At Last!

Ahhh Kung Pow, Shichuan, Lettuce wraps, how I love thee.

Kate and I finally at long last made it into our trendy chain Chinese joint. On a windy fall night we arrived at approximately 7:00. We were told that there would be a half hour wait. In reality it was probably only about 35 minutes.

I ate a red chili pepper at some point and went through a pint glass of Coke, and an additional glass of water in what seemed like seconds. After satisfying my hunger pains at least temporarily, I stared into Kate's pale blue eyes glimmering in the candle light. Then we discussed what the proper amount to leave for a tip was.

P.F. Chang's may be the type of place that is either reserved for week nights or off hours.

To add some more information to the "Plame Affair" saga, Judith Miller was in the news today. Miller would like legislation that allows reporters to hide their sources. I think this is crap because it would, A. Set them above the law, B. Allow ease in fabricating stories (how can you question a source that doesn't get revealed?).

The following is a link to the associated press article (CNN.com)
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/10/19/cialeak.miller.ap/index.html

Wilma is threatening to be another ugly disaster. Seems like the jet stream should be shutting down any day now! Crazy crazy weather. The interglacial is over! (Yeah I know, the sky is falling too) How much is natural? How much is a contribution of human-kind? Difficult to say. Despite all of the unknowns if anything comes from this, at least the higher gasoline prices will demonstrate that decreasing our dependency on fossil fuel is a must, if not just for the economy, definitely for the well being of our planet.

Anyhow.. as Porky says, "Ba-De-Ba-De-Ba-De... That's All Folks!"

Complicated Media Mass

The U.S. news media is currently very tumultuous. So much so, it appears they are choosing out of many options what calamity to cover. Lately prime time news and cable news networks have been dominated by a couple of re-occurring themes.

Terrorist threats and the decision making process that occur on whether to reveal them to the public. Three recent threats can be cited, the first in Massachusetts was downplayed, with a mere increase in frequency of warnings administered to public transportation. The second, NY resulted in an extraordinary amount of attention. A scandal ultimately developed questioning Mayor Bloomberg’s choice to reveal the information, even though the source may have been illegitimate. Now it appears that the information was perhaps only revealed after family members of certain law and transportation officials found out about the threats through leaks, which have since been traced to the perpetrators, in most cases electronically. The last is the current Baltimore tunnel threat.

Secondly the Supreme Court Justice decisions are taking up an enormous amount of time. John Roberts retrospectively seems to have been an apt appointment by Bush for Supreme Court Justice. However his recent nomination of long time advisor and lawyer Harriet Miers appears to be a major political blunder. I believe that Bush is entitled to nominate who ever he pleases. I think it should be his unwritten responsibility to find the person who is the most qualified for the position, but as anyone knows, that isn’t the way the world works. On the other hand, I believe historians, and political science experts will agree that the purpose of congressional approval of these candidates should merely be a simple background check & capability check. Unfortunately with media pressure, pressure to please constituents, etc., our representatives treat it as a political appointment, rather than someone who is supposed to interpret and uphold our constitution. This being known, I also believe, in light of all of the important things our legislative branch needs to be accomplishing, that it was poor choice of action by Bush. He knows it will tie up the government. As her positions needed to be really searched out, the right was disgruntled. Now that they are being found to be loyal to the right, the left will be upset. One can’t even look at this as one of those appointments made by Bush to reveal the obstructionist nature of the left, because at least initially it inspired both parties to behave in this manner. Miers in all likelihood will not be approved, never a judge, and apparently staunchly pro-life. While the majority of the U.S. may be pro-life (I’m not included) I believe our representatives are likely skewed towards the pro-choice beliefs. Unless Miers is as eloquent at explaining how she will judge by “precedent” (Roe vs. Wade), and is someone who can really go a long way to impress (Most people have probably already made up their minds irregardless of her performance in front of the committee); I feel she’s doomed to fail.

Third: Disaster Disaster Disaster! Inadequate FEMA organization, the shifting of blame from local, to state, to federal over Katrina. Government waste in FEMA. Bush launching on an ambitious campaign to prepare for the speculative prognosis of the Avian Flu. People criticizing this (damned if you do, damned if you don’t). The debate over Avian Flu, is it less likely or more likely to be a problem? Are most of the fears simply sensationalism? (Scientists overwhelmingly agree we are due for a severe flu pandemic, I personally believe preparedness is important, and that we’ll still get taken by surprise). Of course now we have Hurricane Wilma, as well as the prospect of other future hurricanes, making it possibly the busiest season on record. There are mudslides in California, flooding in New England.

Additionally Saddam is going on trial right now; reporters are enjoying the opportunity to revisit stories of his crimes against humanity. People are debating whether Iraq is going to be soft on him. There are also the daily information/reports on the Iraq stabilization efforts, civil war which appears to be breaking out, Al Qaeda’s shift of terrorist training camps from Afghanistan to Iraq. There is the debate of whether Syria is doing enough to help secure their boarder. Is Iran doing enough to show UN inspectors around? (God I hope so). Is aid getting to Pakistan and India following the Earthquake? To build or not build new refineries and will it help oil costs? There is hypocrisy of the administration to suddenly claim that fossil fuel conservation has always been in their interests… it goes on and on. Oh yeah…Bush’s ratings are down to 39% approval according to gallup/cnn. Most of you know, I’ve developed quite an anti-bush bent over the past couple years… but really, I can’t argue with a straight face that his approval rating is purely because of bad policy. There have been many events that have happened and would have happened to whatever administration could have been in office. Anyone would likely be suffering through this.

We also can’t forget all of the time our media wastes on keeping track of who Lindsay Lohan crashed into most recently, Tom Cruise’s manic behavior, Brangelina, and who Paris Hilton pleasured last.

Following these are various news items that seem to get pushed aside or somewhat forgotten. One of which was mentioned by my friend Jens. I’m guessing that perhaps editorialists are making a bit more of this than they are over here. The Plame affair.

For those of you unfamiliar, this is the leak of a CIA agent’s (Valerie Plame) identity by someone in the Bush Administration to Judith Miller. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Miller_(journalist)
Plame’s husband Joseph Wilson was an ambassador who publicly criticized the administration on there repeated insistence of the presence of WMD in Iraq.

Ultimately, although I would have to research further, I believe the lack of sensationalism here is due to a couple things. People have plenty to be mad about, and there are way too many vagaries about this case. It is much like Clinton’s whitewater scandal, although at least with that there was a paper trail that led directly to Hillary. With this the trail leads to Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, who by the way was thrown in jail.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I._Lewis_Libby

The administration has made no effort to stand by Libby, and from the outset has repeatedly said, who ever was involved will be held accountable. They have even had Karl Rove, who was formerly a leak suspect (due to some questionable character traits) on the stand answering questions.

I think it’s probably safe to say that at least W didn’t know of any shady leaks to reveal this CIA operative’s identity. I think he’s probably someone who enjoys blissful ignorance so he can be appalled when things aren’t as rosy as they might seem. Cheney, well… his chief of staff was key to this fiasco, so it’s likely he was in on it too. But as Cheney is smart as a whip he isn’t going to pull a Nixon and tape his conversations.

Basically much like Clinton’s Filegate, people immediately involved are being held responsible. Pretty much no-one will be shocked if Rove goes down as well, I have a feeling the evidence tying him in will be inconclusive. Rove has been known to have secret service throw grieving women out of “Support our troops” rallies because they sport pro-choice stickers on their cars. The type of controlling behavior he’s being accused of is exactly his style.

As I think W’s hands, at least are probably clean and that he’s calling for accountability, it was a political move on his part that protected him. In other words, this is nowhere near a scandal of “Whitewater” proportions because no one is standing behind the masterminds that dreamed it up.

I’m pretty sure W is there for another 3 years. While I’m never surprised by shady dealings in his administration, I would be surprised by direct links to him. For the most part he is a puppet, just delusional enough to believe he has a semblance of control.

Clinton’s presidency was riddled with scandal; Bush’s presidency is filled with abuse of power. The clever thing about this administration is, for the most part, the crooked things that they do, are a twisted interpretation of what is legal. Clinton’s administration was filled with people stealing information on republicans, illegal fundraising, improper use of funds for luxurious staffer vacations (travelgate), and in all of these instances, laws were broken. Clinton used certain executive privileges to slow the retrieval of information. Bush hasn’t had to do this because all of their incestuous relations with various industry, crooked CEOs, and their media control efforts… have for the most part been by the book.

Anyway… That’s quite a bit of stuff right there!

If you got this far, I’m really impressed.

Getting Cold!

It was almost too chilly for my light jacket tonight. I even saw several people sporting parkas, however I think that is a bit overkill.

I kept nodding off on the T (subway) ride home this evening. I was dreaming about food, and I woke up a handful of times salivating and licking my lips. I was sure there had to be people staring at me like I was a freak, however each time I neurotically glanced around everyone was off in their own universe. The woman across from me also seemed to be nodding off as well, although I'm pretty sure she wasn't chewing on any invisible snacks or anything.

Well... As I am still nodding off, hopefully falling asleep tonight will be a snap.
So, I think I must bid you adeiu,

-George

Catching up!

I confess I have been rather bad at updating the blog these past few days. I had a very good weekend.

First of It was Kate's Birthday, and it was wonderful spending time with her (as it always is), and celebrating the anniversary of her birth.

The Weekend didn't go exactly as planned, an extra long wait at P.F. Changs, a pseudo-swanky hipster Chinese chain, sent us elsewhere. (An hour and fifteen minutes) After checking a couple of nearby joints we settled on (please hold laughter back) Bennigan's. It was a nice high class meal. Tim & Brandy who came down to see Franz Ferdinand with Kate and I, slugged down 3 beers with their meal, and I kept the pace. In our defense we were probably there nearly two hours.

The concert was fantastic of course (or should I say a "Super-fantastic-show"?) They were a very energizing act, not hiding that they were bent on beginning a new British invasion, complete with Beatles overtones, 80s synth, and a mission to return dancing to mainstream rock & roll.

The second of the opening acts, Sons & Daughters who like Franz Ferdinand hail from Scotland, had a dark B-52s vibe. Compared to many opening acts I've seen, they weren't bad at all.

Sunday, I eventually made my way over to deliver Kate her "Cookie" Birthday cake, courtesy of Mrs. Fields. Her roommates invited me to a Birthday feast they were preparing for her... it was quite nice. They are a fun diverse group... they all seem like good people. Despite spending my evening with five women.. ;D It was very enjoyable good food, good conversation, and mint chocolate chip ice cream-cake (plus the cookie cake) to top it off. I think you are a lucky girl Kate!

I think some popcorn is in store for me.

The wind is howling through the trees and in between the buildings in my complex. I find it very relaxing. It was a beautiful fall day, even though the sun didn't stick around through all of it.

I've been a little detached from politics or current events over the weekend. Wait a day or two and I'll have some hot air to spew out for sure.

Anyhow

Goodnight!

Strike three you're safe!

I have to admit I'm routing for the embattled White Sox... now that the Red Sox are no longer a factor. That being said, tonight's game and how it was won is complete madness.

White sox fiasco

I have to admit, the new video ipod does sound enticing. However as I am happy with my Sony HD5 Walkman that isn't even a quarter filled yet, (I'm really bad at downloading more stuff onto it. It turns out that it is quite a chore for me)It definitely is not in my future. Two or three years from now, when and if I seek out a replacement it will probably be in a cell phone.

My only desire right now is to get a feed directly into my car speaker system that will play it. I have the FM transmitter, which works fine most of the time outside of Boston (although there tends to be a little static). Locally due to frequency saturation, the device is pretty useless. It was only $19. I was a bit bitter at first but hey, what are you going to do.

I went to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts tonight with Kate. Both the Entry guard and the coat check person yelled at me. The museum was much as I remember it (I haven't been there since I was 8). There are an impressive amount of world class/ renowned paintings and sculpture there. Wednesday night is free, every other night costs an insane $22. The original point of going was to see the Ansel Adams exhibit, but it of course costs $22 to get in. Seems a bit much to see a bunch of prints, even if they are seldom published selections. Makes you appreciate how lucky the folks are in D.C. with the Smithsonian Institute. Its likely that their art museum probably doesn't stand up to Boston's however. I was disappointed that there were no mummies there... I swear as a kid they had mummies. Anywho.

I've got to cut this off... too late for me. The circles under my eyes are already adding five years to me as it is, I don't need to make a bad situation worse.

And so I conclude my day.

Burning Smurfs, Freeh, and Evil Yoko

The UN has succeeded where Gargamel and Azrael never could. (The picture alone makes clicking this link worth your while). I’m not even quite sure how to respond to this. It is so incredibly absurd, I’m just speechless.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/10/11/unicef.smurfs.ap/index.html

Here is an interesting article which discusses Louis Freeh (Former FBI director) and his ongoing critiques of the Clintons.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/10/freeh.clinton/index.html

To me, a great portion of what Freeh has to say for himself and his experiences spanning the Clinton and Bush administrations sound like a load of crap. Freeh got caught up extensively investigating the man who appointed him (Clinton). Now the suggestion is made that he could not dedicate himself and the bureau to the more important tasks (Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations) in light of this. Contrary to what he claims people who work with him say his investigations were redundant. Additionally I would think national security would be a bit more important than Bill’s character flaws, but perhaps I’m crazy.

Yoko is at it again.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/10/10/showbuzz/index.html#0

What venomous woman! Can’t she just play nice for a change? Anyway in this little tidbit of entertainment news she trash talks McCartney’s song writing skills in a round about way. My opinion on her little quote by the way is such: McCartney wrote pop songs; Lennon wrote quirky eclectic tunes which were often protest songs or abstract. While his post-Beatles material is undoubtedly more accessible, the Beatles songs he helmed (save Revolution, and Come Together) for the most part weren’t the pop anthems like McCartney wrote. Lennon was generally an insecure person likely rooted in a very unhappy childhood. McCartney and Lennon I think are genuinely held to be equally good songsmiths. (And I personally believe George Harrison is just as good and doesn’t get the respect he deserves.) They have different styles, and a person may prefer one to the other, however the Beatles were made great by the collaboration and they both had successful post Beatles efforts as well.

McCartney’s new album is getting rave reviews. Music critics are claiming it is the best work since RAM. I’ve listened to some samples, it is formulaic but it is definitely a higher caliber than recent efforts

Rain, The Topsfield Fair, Wallace & Grommit

Hello all...

It was nice to have a long weekend. To those of you who didn't, the only comfort I can offer you is nyah nyah nyah, and for good measure I'll throw in a pttttttttt.

Saturday I was a vegetable (probably a summer squash). I slept late and did laundry. There is a significant amount more I could probably devote to this, however I'll cut it short.

Sunday was good fun. Kate and I went to the Topsfield fair. I don't think it was quite as big as the Fryberg fair up in Maine. It was probably the second largest fair I've been to. We ate too much fudge and fried food. (I had been having day dreams of blooming onions all week). I'm actually occasionally chowing on left over fudge still. The exhibits were all fun. I even enjoyed the animals quite a bit. As a kid I never really appreciated them. It was probably because of my allergies, which did not bother me. It could have something to do with the fact that I was a total weirdo too, I'm not sure.

There was a great "birds of prey" show that was pretty neat. Quite a few owls hawks and falcons that were trained to do some small routines.

The rain actually let up a bit while we were there. The only thing we had to deal with was the cold. I found it to be crisp, and the occasional gust of wind might raise the hairs on my neck, but for the most part I was OK. I'm definitely the type of person prone to the jitters and I managed to avoid that. We definitely hopped from barn to building to barn. I had my "rose" colored light jacket on which seemed sufficient. I think Kate was wearing three jackets, I'm not quite sure it worked out as well for her :D.

Monday, I once again slept nice and late. I had two rather unsatisfying slices of pizza from the Woburn Papa Ginos, then I went to see Wallace & Grommit. It was everything I'd hoped it would be. There was also a cool short (no pun intended) "Madagascar Penguins" before the movie. It was pretty clever. It was a packed house. I'm glad that Wallace & Grommit was #1 this weekend, especially upon hearing that the creator's studio burned down this weekend, destroying all of the Wallace & Grommit history including the sets for the three shorts, Chicken Run, and the latest Wallace & Grommit movie.

The big tragedy this weekend of course is the earthquake in Pakistan/India. Its bizarre it occurred in that contested region filled with so much violence to begin with. All of it stemming from ignorance in ideologies and greed.

I'll likely look into seeing if there is a Redcross effort taking place that I can contribute to. My company has matched funds in the past for the hurricanes and Tsunami, so perhaps I'll wait and see if they do that again. The amount of natural disasters this year is unreal. Hopefully the worst is behind us.

Miers is already having troubles... ironically this time its the republicans who are likely to cause problems. When will the madness end?

Anyway....

Lets hope & pray this week goes by with some positive things happening. There is too much tension out there and too much concentration on the negative. This world will never improve unless we as a people learn compromise and understand each other.

Jury Duty or lack there of

Thursday October 6th, a day that will live in infamy.

The case was presented. The defendant had excellent alibis, evidence clearly pointed towards another person and that this person would have to have an accomplice in order to commit the type of crime he had been convicted of. (I'm at course not at liberty to divulge many details)

The take home message here is there wasn't a shred of evidence that suggested this guy was guilty. But precedent showed he had a record. In addition he was sporting a New York Yankees themed tie. I decided and I'm glad to say my fellow jurors all agreed, that this man is a grievous danger to society. This man ended up getting locked up by us, however it was because something he wasn't formerly accused of was so heinous that punishment had to be allotted. Even if it meant accusing him of a crime he was innocent of.

May this be a lesson to you all... Pride can make you ugly and land you in jail.

(Disclaimer: Events mentioned in the passage above are merely a fragment of my imagination, any similarity to what actually happened on October the 6th in Massachusetts district court is merely coincidental)

Jury Duty: I found jury duty in Cambridge Massachusetts much more intimidating then my previous experience in Woburn. The foreboding highrise is enough to make the convicted feel like they are already in prison, guilty or not. Constructed of ugly concrete this building looks like it could be orbiting the death star in a Starwars film. The windows while actually large, appear like slits from the outside. They remind one of the musket holes you can find in old forts scattered about the U.S. coast (Think Popham Maine, or Castle Rock in South Boston) The building is 4-5 times as tall as the next tallest building in about a 4-5 block radius. It is built on a hill making it yet even more threatening. The stair wells have bars decorating the inside corners where the inner railing is attached. It gives the feeling that one is already in or approaching his or her cell block.

There were likely in excess of 60-75 jurors who were brought in. We were sequestered to certain areas of the building which we could not leave. Only certain sections permitted eating, drinking, or cell phone use. People continuously forgot about their phones and so the security was constantly irritated on having to scold the white collar yuppies (who am I to point the finger) on not using them.

The token instructional videos were actually fairly new. No Troy McClure to amuse and entertain everyone.

A judge actually came in and spoke to me letting me know how important and special I am. He doesn't have to tell me twice, although I was a bit miffed he was including all these other strangers. I guess they have to do that or those other losers will get unruly, and we wouldn't want that. Its nice of them to make all those people feel like they have purpose. You see, there are circumstances where it is OK to lie after all.

The most entertaining part of Jury duty was of course..... (Drum roll please,)

Lunch!

The cafeteria actually had quite good food but one of the cooks was yelling at all of the customers in a very militant fashion. There was a younger guy at the register who was clearly the protege. He would occasionally needlessly yell, tell people to stay in line, or move forward. Then he would look at the cook with big puppy eyes for approval from his master. They actually gave my meal to someone else who ordered about ten minutes after I did. Because of this I was going to let the woman who paid immediately after me take the meal they offered to me, because it should have been hers and I was in no hurry. This was a big mistake because they both started yelling at me like I was stealing an old lady's purse or something, and of course the woman wouldn't take the meal even though it was hers. So since they were about ready to jump over the counter and start beating me until security hauled me away, I ultimately decided to just take that woman's meal (which was even prepared specifically as she requested). I figure these guys must rotate from the county prison to the courthouse or something. I really don't see any other logical explanation.

To make a long story short, I finished my bacon cheeseburger & fries and they sent us all home early because the cases all settled out of court.

hooray! Yeah! The American Judicial system does work, at least it did for me.

I was just disappointed I didn't get to meet Judge Judy. There's a thing or two I wanted to say to her.

When Fans stink as much as their Sox

I had a relatively smooth day at work. Just prior to leaving I fooled around on cnn.com a bit, checked my email. I couldn't bear to look at Boston.com and see what the sox score was. Ultimately I just slapped the ole Red Sox hat on my head and took off.

I was a bit tired, however not ready to head back to Melrose at the end of the day. I decided to get off at Downtown Crossing T stop. I made my way to Quincey Market and walked up and down the food marketplace a couple of times before settling on a couple slices of chicken and broccoli pizza from Pizzeria Regina's. I wolfed down my slices, slurped my carbonated beverage, and sat in a daze soaking in a performer who was singing a crappy, bastardized version of John Denver's "Annie's Song". He followed this with "She'll be coming around the mountain". He was quite an exceptional guitarist... good with the finger picking. He must have really paid attention to his Esteban tutorial he purchased on late night UPN.

Next I left the market and was enjoying people watching.. women in tank tops, business folks undoing the top buttons of those Oxford shirts, and of course tourists.

On my way to Haymarket station to pick up the Orange Line I passed by that strip of the main stream Irish pubs that seem to always be mobbed at all times of day. The purple shamrock was all opened up to the sidewalk. Low and behold it was the sixth inning and I stopped to see the Red Sox in the process of loading the bases displayed on the numerous plasma screen TVs. It is the greatest amount of time I have ever spent at The Purple Shamrock... I'll probably keep it that way.

I'll be the first to admit that there are two types of Red Sox fans.... the blindly proud, and the infatuated cynics. I'm definitely the latter. I always expect the worst, however there is that little bit of naivete in me that makes hope and dream, like a little girl that wants her ugly doll to suddenly become beautiful.

I really thought I was about to witness a historic & memorable moment in the Red Sox legacy. I watched the crowd outside build and build. I watched Varitek, then Graffanino, in epic battles. Both achieved a full count with the bases loaded. Both of them proceeded to strike out. I have to give them credit for a valiant effort.

At some point they cut for commercial break and I began watching this waitress run diligently about trying to keep all of her patrons happy. I was rather blankly admiring her lovely.... Suddenly the game comes back on.

Johnny Damon.... the lord himself is up to bat. At this pivotal moment for whatever reason first some dude that is about 6'5" decides he must stand in front of everyone to get a closer view. Slightly irritated I move to the side about six inches. At this point I think the count was 1 and 1.

To my great pleasure, another guy... I'm guessing anywhere between 22 and my age, suddenly begins bobbing all around me to my left. I reciprocate and bob out of the way trying to watch the game and listen to the crappy playoff commentators. It continues... I've lost track of the pitches now so I look over to see what the problem is. The guy is on his tip toes looking at the top of my baseball cap. He sees the large red B. Satisfied he exclaims... "Oh it had better have been that..." I try to continue watching this intense moment of the game. "I thought you might have been wearing a Yankees cap" Irritated by this accusation I avert my eyes long enough to give him that sort of indignant raised eyebrow look that says "What the hell!?"

As I am being forced to observe this guy that feels the need to bother me... I realize that his testicles are so big they are resting on the uneven cobblestones below. I cautiously take a step back. I wouldn't want to accidentally step on one of them.

My testosterone laden acquaintence continues talking, "I would have really hated if you were wearing a Yankees hat"

I can see him checking it again to make sure it hasn't suddenly changed... or that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. At this point I make a mistake. I respond "We aren't playing the Yankees right now lets concentrate on the white sox."

Miraculously Damon's still up to bat. I think I must have done something to give myself some bad karma because this moment is dragging. Now I see "Numb-nut's" eyes dilate and the pulse in his neck quicken. His face takes on a reddish hue... and as he begins talking I smell a combination of schnapps and beer which I swear causes my open pores to tingle as he breaths on me. Apparently furious that I did not choose to ignore the game and start chanting "Yankees suck" he starts in on a tyrade. "I was born and raised blah blah blah..." I can't see the screen, I can't see the screen"and so don't even start with me... the Yankees suck... blah blah blah" Oh good... full count, it isn't over yet.....

Mr. Personality gets closer...I decide to segway him in hopes of redirecting his attention to what he claims is his life and salvation... even though he's more interested in territorial pissing with a pacifist.
"So the Yankees are playing the Angels tonight?" I exclaim as much as I am asking...
"Yeah they are losing too... the jerks" He proudly responds
This works, and finally he steps out of my line of sight... as this occurs I see Damon cut through the air like he was swinging a sickle. Strike three. Of course you may guess what happens next.
My "buddy" turns to me and says "look what you did, I knew I didn't want you standing next to me..." I should have laughed, i tried to smile... but as this dude just felt bent upon spreading his negative vibe on me like cream cheese on a bagel all I could think of was James Earl Jones whispering in my mind, "Your thoughts betray you, young skywalker" I put my best smirk on... and started to leave before the seventh... as I had planned.
"Have a good night! Go sox!" he says.
"Hey, you too.......Go sox!" I manage to enthusiastically warble in response.

Well there's always next year. I guess the white sox are overdue. Maybe the Yankees will lose to the Angels... if only (sigh).

I remembered I haven't bought the new Franz Ferdinand CD! I've been so distracted with work, jury duty, the redsox... and everything else I forgot it was released on the 4th. So I think I'm going to Newbury comics now. Perhaps it will cheer me up. I'm going to see them at the Orpheum next weekend so I must familiarize myself with the new material.

I will elaborate more on the jury duty and what not as soon as I find the time.

CHEERS!

An Escalator to delicacy

I had a long eventful day... and I'm putting off bed as usual, when I really need it more than ever. Any way.. to briefly explain my title. Caprio, Scotty, and myself went to "East Manor". It is the large pagoda style restaurant up on a hill (Chinese food of course) I believe in Saugus on route 1. It had been closed for years however it was recently reopened. This place had an amazing buffet, although pricey. However it was almost worth the price just to get into this building. It is like a museum or an amusement park... yes there is an escalator... and bridges, and sculptures everywhere. Large wishing ponds with gold fish, a giant snoopy doll. You name it, they've got it.

Anyhow... I should elaborate more on this, jury duty, amoungst other things as soon as I get the chance.

Jens... thanks for the description of the situation over there in Germany.

Unfortunately right now I've got to cut this short and go to bed, but I'll be sure to right an extra long post tomorrow.. and my Phantom Gourmet meets Crossfire style... with a splash of frustration, will continue.

Till Then,
Good night, and Happy Friday!

Phatt Boys in Harvard Square...

The Fab Faz... my gal pal Kate Fazio took me out for some fine dining and enchanting conversation tonight at a fairly new establishment in Cambridge's Harvard Square.

I had half a rack of ribs.. the slaw was quite nice. Kate had this monster BBQ chicken sandwich. I think it was a "Texas" BBQ chicken sandwich to be completely accurate. I felt the need to chide her for not finishing it... but I probably would have been hard pressed to finish it myself. One of their own brews is fittingly called Phatt Ass Ale... which I'm ashamed to say I didn't try. Perhaps next time.

The bar portion is in the transformed courtyard of the same building that houses Fire & Ice and a Dado Tea and Coffee House. There was a bit of an echo from the lofty glass skylights... but that just added to the atmosphere. Provided it isn't merely decorative, this looks to be a real deal brew pub, as the brewing tanks and equipment are seen behind a glass facade. Plenty of plasma screen TVs adorned the place so I could watch the Red Sox return to their true late/post season form. I've gotta keep the faith... or convince myself that I ever had faith in them to begin with.

I returned early from this night out on the town... good thing probably, because I have to get up early for Jury Duty tomorrow. Exercising my civic duty should be quite a blast... (yes that is sarcasm you are detecting).

My walk from the train to my apartment was oddly peaceful and hypnotic. Yesterday some latter day Peter Gabriel made its way across my Sony Walkman HD5 MP3 player within a shuffle. (Walkman HD5: 13,000 song storage... 40hr battery life... oooh la la, can't beat it... I'll take functionality over the I-Pod's sexy looks any day). Anyway... I was impressed by Mr. Gabriel and have found myself listening exclusively to him en-route to and from work today. My belly full of rib meat, the Boston suburban sky glistening with airplanes shimmering amongst the stars... I was mesmerized. I glided about in a semi trance listening to Peter soulfully rasp his prose. As the feel of the cement and asphalt reassuringly resounded under my feet, the halogen glow seeped through the fluttering autumn leaves like liquid through a bed of limestone. I could of walked all night in that intoxicating crisp air.

I don't have too much to sound off on politically today. No scratch that. I don't have the energy, or the patience to sound off on much politically today.

Here's something of interest. Its a bit old news I suppose but ongoing.

This is an exerpt of Associated Press work on the on going political game of back and forth over in Germany. "Following a two-and-a-half hour meeting that both parties described as exploratory, Merkel sounded more positive on the prospects of forging a new government than she has since she narrowly edged Schroeder in a September 18 election."

So as my understanding is somewhat vague on this.. I'll explain what I know... or what I think I know. Germany has a government which is structured more as a parliamentary system, not unlike the UK or Canada, than our system which is split three ways with the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Our President is a reflection of who we vote for within our states, and if the electoral college (usually the popular vote) favors their election. Germany's chancellor who I believe is roughly the equivalent of a Prime Minister... is decided based upon who holds the majority in the Government. So currently, much like our Electoral college fiasco of 2000 where the Bush/Gore election was caught up in politics... Germany is in the midst of having to decide who gets to lead parliament, and what sort of Authority they may or may not have since it is so dead-locked. So far I guess Merkel (the conservative) has a slight edge, but it is so close that Schroeder has decided to stave off conceding. I imagine this situation is probably more complicated than our resolution of 2000 based on several recounts and a Supreme Court ruling. For better or worse... W's election was likely legitimate as only rulings with the most lax standards made Gore the victor and even then it was just barely. (counting hanging chads, incomplete ballots and votes for Pat Buchanan (chuckle) for Al... not to mention recounts were isolated to the 3 most democratic leaning counties in Florida... which is now, and historically has been Republican... nothing like Cubans Christians and old folks to get those red votes out) Anyway... We Americans... are deeply sorry that you are going through similar strife. I'd love to hear... because Jens... I know you lived through our fiasco stateside... what similarities and differences you see... and how you see it playing out. And please... educate me on my likely faulty knowledge of the German Government breakdown.

Also I've been told that not just anyone could read the comments posted. I've tried to rectify this in the blog settings... If someone (a non member) could test it out and let me know I'd appreciate it.

-Later

George

Did you ever notice that people seem incapable of discussing politics without going to an extreme? Of course I'm constantly aware of this. I live in one of the most left leaning portions of the country... And yet Newspaper editors still feel the need to try and reword titles to make them serve an agenda. For example in the Metro which I read on the train every morning (Its free), the same Associated press Article from CNN titled "Miers tapped as O'Connor successor" is titled "Bush nominates loyalist to Supreme Court". Now if you read just the titles.. you think Bush.. that bastard, all he thinks about is his agenda and rewriting American Politics. If you are one of the folks who doesn't just turn to the entertainment section to find out what Brad Pitt and Angelina are doing... you'll find that political analysts were generally surprised by Miers because she isn't viewed as a hardline conservative. Yes, she was an advisor to the President, however Colin Powell was also W's Secretary of State.

I just don't get it... I guess people like to be angry... and if you can get the choir you are preaching to, to join together on a nice hate fueled hymn.. I guess that gets people reading newspapers.

Political parties in this country just can't simply disagree... they have to loathe one another. Its this mentality that has gone a long way to create the Tom Delays (divisive politician), Trent Lotts (divisive politician-closet case racist), and Tom Dashcells (ex-divisive politician). Those politicians that don't have an ounce of individual thought. Well except for Trent Lott... there aren't a whole hell of a lot of people that seemed to have fond memories of Strong Thurmond's policies of old.

Tom Delay will go as far to disagree with what he championed a month ago if the other side suddenly decides it seems like a good idea. Do I think Delay's dilemma is a politically motivated scheme? Of course I do! But you know... the guy has greasy, slimey hands. He is the definition of the crooked politician. He was instrumental in numerous politically motivated witch hunts in the past (Even Newt!)... and I say good. Give him a taste of his own medicine. Right now they are bringing him to court for money laundering... from what I've read about this it sounds like they may have a case too. Hopefully he's gone. I'm sure some other slime ball... maybe even a protege will rise to take his place. (Did anyone realize that Delay actually was an exterminator who got into politics because he was against the EPA? You really can't get much lower than this guy.)

The whole Supreme court judge selection process really churns my gut. First off... it seems to have been accepted by the masses that the House and Senate have a right to decide who should serve on the court based on their political preferences. The legislative branch is supposed validate whether the person is capable of serving not whether they like the person's political views. And the judge's personal views should not be an issue because Supreme Court justices are supposed to up hold the constitution and written law. This same principal should also apply to federal judges. Of course... lately there is no shortage of federal judges who appear to have an agenda other than the written law. For the most part, Supreme Court justices seem to be less inclined to play politics which is the way it should be. This may be because certain Federal judges have jurisdiction over large areas, where the Supreme court judges must work as a group and answer to each other.

Anyway, seeing the criticism of John Roberts, because he would not divuldge his personal opinion on various social issues was rather amusing. Had he any opinions at all.. he would have been royally screwed as there is no longer any middle ground (or common sense) left in American politics. Either the left would have been furious at his "radical right wing agenda".. or the right would have called him a Godless liberal.

I listened to my fair share of the Q & A sessions in front of the Senate. Ted Kennedy already had decided he wasn't going to vote to approve him before the evaluations/interrogations even began. He would ask a question, and not even give Roberts the time to formulate a response. These Senators get to go out there with complicated questions about numerous historical judicial events over the past 20 years... which mind you are all totally prepared by their interns. And Roberts is on top of it all...miraculously.

Anyway... now we are going to get to go through it all over again with Miers. Really if these people are willing to put up with the b.s. torchure sessions of the legislature, they should just get these jobs by default. I'm not quite sure how much they'd have to pay me to endure even 30 minutes of that scrutiny, by people who can barely face themselves in the mirror.

Bottom line is the point of having the legislature approve is to make sure they are fit to serve. In other words, do the abide by the laws they govern? Are they educated in law? It isn't supposed to be about whether they are God fearing Christians or Marxist atheists. Its pretty simple really, are they practicing lawyers? Yes or No.... are they criminals? Yes or No? If they are law abiding citizens who passed the bar exam then they should be appointed to the position they are nominated to.

My predictions for the this evening: Matt Clement (Red Sox Pitcher) is somewhere getting really intoxicated right now, The Angels live up to their name, and somewhere out there a baby awakes crying.

By the way... for the one person keeping track, French fries. The answer to the question was French fries.


Good night.

Monday has come and gone. Only four more days till our long weekend in honor of that Chris Columbus guy. What a reason to celebrate, a disoriented explorer arrives believing he made it to Asia. He returns to Queen Isabella with stolen native jewelry which he exchanged for plague and pestilence. But hey... A day off is a day off right?

I have jury duty Thursday. Nearly three years to the day they call me back. (For those out of towners... Massachusetts can't call you back within three years of your last service). I'm supposed to train on some new instrumentation at work, which I essentially directed the purchase of, however it looks like I won't be available. A bit of a bummer I suppose but civic duty calls! Luckily the courthouse is about a mile from work, so I can just hop back in once I get out. I'll be sure to write about those miss-adventures, (once I'm at liberty to) of course.

A dear friend has made me aware that apparently... To them at least my blog title, reminds them of the title of an adult film. Which begs the question, what exactly is this title implying? What sort of deviant mind makes that type of association? Why must one befoul the name it took me... Two, perhaps three agonizing minutes to come up with? Has our society been infiltrated with so much smut that no thought, phrase, or idea is impervious to such perversions? In the interest of not betraying the commentary of this friend I will not reveal this person's name.

On an indirectly related tangent I was thinking... wouldn't "Purple Hayze" be an excellent name for an adult film star? Or perhaps a villain in a new Quentin Tarrentino movie. I envision a curvaceous yet androgynous being not unlike SNL's "Pat". When not seducing future victims... (mostly vagrants), "Purple" engages in an illicit drug trade of shamrock themed acid hits and other lucky charms. This sexual deviant can be seen driving a hot pink Toyota Passeo listening to prog rock that is an unusual contrast to his/her flamboyant screen presence. An underlying struggle for this character is their fascination with passing gas and how it inhibits and interferes with any tricks they might be trying to pull.

If anyone has any connections in the film industry be sure to pass it along. Its a winner, it just needs the right director to bring it to life.

Anyone catch Arrested Development? The Bluth Family was entertaining as always. I find the Monday night accompaniment on Fox to be rather disappointing however.

Well... I think its time for an enormous bowl of popcorn, then read, get ready for work... And off to bed. Such a life!

The question for tomorrow is... should I have mashed potatos or french fries with my frozen stouffer's broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breast?

Goodnight

"A stroll in the Parks" >> What a play on my last name! It is that type of sheer genius that is sure to make one want to vomit.

There is nothing I like more that to see what I've been thinking laid out before my very eyes. Many of you have experienced the fortunate (or unfortunate) consequence of this through my occasional long drawn out emails. While the idea of a personal blog has been something that has been a source of enchantment for quite some time, I was unwilling to move forward with it. It seemed way too egotistical or, for lack of a better term, masturbatory of an exercise for me to endeavor in.

In the past I've searched for the means to set up some sort of message board that would allow others to respond with their two cents, however I'm not aware of a forum that allows this. Anywhoo... I thought I'd give it a try. It may phase out soon enough... but I thought I would take a stab at it. Those of you looking to roll your eyes or, or distract your self from boredom, hopefully, can somewhat be entertained by the garbage floating about my head.

Today was an introspective fall day for me. I'm embarrassed to say I spent the majority of it unshaven and lounging about my apartment. The Redsox lost... I exchanged philosophical banter with good ole Mom. I had pizza for supper. (Man I'm such an interesting person! Who isn't going to want to read this day upon day upon day?)

Ultimately I decided to break free of my solitude and I went out into the world after making myself semi-presentable. I rented "In Good Company". It was pretty good... a relatively saccharin free drama that had its moments of comedy. Scarlett Johansson is in it... so that was reason enough to cough up the 5 bucks. (It’s probably the only reason I'll be renting "The Island") Typically I would not rent a movie merely because of a beautiful woman who happens to make an appearance, however I find that Scarlett brings a certain quality with her that commands my attention. Dennis Quaid plays an aging salesman for a magazine. His company is purchased by some beastly conglomerate complete with a CEO that looks like the former leader of the "Heaven's Gate" cult. In this buy out Quaid's new boss is none other than Topher Grace (That 70's show) who plays a variant of his dry, smarmy, witty, slightly nerdy yet endearing self. The message that this movie drove home was self reflection, perseverance and making sure that one does not take his or her life for granted.

Well... As it is late, and as I have had rather a dull day, I am going to conclude this current post here.

Cheers!