Viral Videos & a couple of fools

So I learned tonight in my web searching about the term Viral Video. Apparently it is one of those sheik hipster terms to describe those MPEGs that get passed around, put on blogs, etc, etc. And so, not to alienate myself from this trend and to bring pleasure to your Friday, I bring you (drum roll) the Mad Jor'ge tribute to Viral Video!

best fight scene
Bad Kung Fu anyone? There are several other films here to check out. I especially liked the dance extravaganza. It seems sort of lame at first, but stick with it the absurdity builds. It won't disappoint, I promise.

I of course, after seeing the dance extravaganza, saw the web site at the end, and low and behold, there are five dance extravaganzas, and they are here:
Dance Extravaganza page

Of course here is the Natalie Portman Rap if you didn't see it on SNL. She's really foul and bad ass, its great.

And since I seem to just find Dancing hilarious, I hope you do too. Check this one out. Natalie and this link are through AOL, so let me apologize ahead of time if there are commercials. Hasidic Boogaloo

I never thought I would enjoy listening to "I want it That Way" but this viral vid does the trick. If you let it run, there are more lip-syncing fools after, but none are as good as the first.

And closing out Today's Viral Vid Craze: Spongeback Mountain
I think that it needs no explanation.

Enjoy my nostalgia pic! Happy belated birthday Jens!!

Life coaching, Nudity, & Ice Cream

I was pleased to see this link about this. It is from the "Daily Show" and is a mock investigative report on a new trend called "Life coaches". They are people who supposedly can be hired to help you make decisions to improve your life. Check it out.

Life coaching on Daily Show

Found this on boston.com, sounds like it might be a neato weekend activity.
It's hard to find, but Royalston Falls offers dramatic payoff

For pictures of Royalston Falls, as well as other New England waterfalls check out this page: NewEnglandWaterfalls.com

what blog is complete without
Wacky Britney Spears News?

Lastly, I had meant to include this recently but I keep forgetting it. I think you'll get a kick out of it. This is an art gallery of a photographer called Spencer Tunick. He specializes in mass-nudity shots, so... not WARNING... probably not workplace appropriate: Spencer Tunick Gallery And of course if you want to participate :D here is a sign up sheet. I find it seems more like you happen to be looking at a massive herd of some animal, rather than people. Now I know what they mean by "clothes make a person". Does that mean I'm not getting the artist's point? :D


Tonight Kate & I went to our old haunt, Mary Chung's. It was delightful. We followed dinner with a walk to Inman Square where we split a lovely Christina's hot fudge Sundae. We got Peanut Butter cup ice cream with whipped cream, hot fudge, and peanut butter cups (of course) sprinkled on top. It was fabulous.

Anyhow, I must bid you adieu.

An Inspiring Image and a Divisive Debate

I finally saw "Bend it Like Beckham" after receiving it in the mail from Netflix. I admit, I really didn't believe all of the hype, and thought it would simply be a "feelgood" little girl's movie that happened to be British. After seeing it finally I have to say it is brilliant!. It is a real class act, and they don't often make movies like this anymore. It is honest, basic, realistic, and heart felt. It explores hardship, prejudices of not only society, but from those that we hold dear. It is the type of movie that sends you off believing that there is hope for all dreams to become a reality. It is simplistic in that it is a reflection of life, but complicated in the detail of the image reflected. If I had a top 25 list of all of the movies I've seen in my life, I think it would probably muscle its way in. I know I'm behind the pack on this one, but if you haven't gone out and rented this one, do yourself a favor and put it on your short list.

I decided to add a little more about the "Immigration Debate" currently consuming our nation.

The following article explains the differences in the McCain/Kennedy bill which is supported by the President, and Bill Frist's proposal which mirrors one approved by the House of Representatives. I support something closer to the first proposal (Check it out, I'm agreeing with not only the Prez... but with Teddy as well! Pigs can fly!) Frist's proposal is a divisive one with unrealistic ideas on solving this problem. They seek out the ignorance vote. Penalties imposed by the bill will bankrupt many businesses if enforced, if not just by the draining of their work force alone. Frist's Bill is a sure way to derail our economy, I'm sure if it passes... and it does hurt the economy, they'll probably try and say it is the immigrants fault as well, and lots of bigots out there will lap it up like water.

A look at major immigration proposals

Enjoy! Make your own decision! You may be held up in traffic by a protest soon, if you haven't been already.

Madness!

BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Politicians Invite Terrorists in to Kill Our People. Come one, come all, say congressmen & women, and please if you can, bring a couple of dirty bombs.


The following is an excerpt from the article I provided a link to: "The report, along with two others by the GAO on the subject of smuggling and detection of nuclear materials, were provided to reporters by congressional sources in advance of the first of two hearings by the subcommittee scheduled to begin Tuesday."

I'm so sick of our entire system, in fact I would like to take this instance to launch a campaign, and it isn't a campaign to get Democrats into office (I'm almost certain you can gather who leaked this to the press, as if they needed more help) and it is definitely not a campaign to get the Republicans into office. Newt Gingrich said it best recently (I love you Newty!, no really I do...)

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who masterminded the 1994 elections that brought Republicans to power on promises of revolutionizing the way Washington is run, told TIME that his party has so bungled the job of governing that the best campaign slogan for Democrats today could be boiled down to just two words: "Had enough?"-Time Magazine

So you have the Democrats saying everything sucks, and is the Republicans fault, and then they offer no solutions of their own. Next you have the Republicans... who the hell are these people...? They are just like old school Democrats of the 80s & early 90s when it comes to spending & corruption, and to make it worse they have embraced the politics of fire and brimstone with a touch of fascism. You have Bill Frist that seems to have forgotten about our prison overpopulation (not to mention shortage of law enforcement personnel) problem so he can promote his "foreigners are bad bad people" plan. Now you have the entire southwest launching MASSIVE protests... Christ, even W, Mr. Flawed logic himself doesn't support this guy's psycho ideas. Unfortunately I'm afraid of many others do. I remember I originally thought Frist was going to be a moderate. I guess we all know why he's no longer a MD. Didn't quite fit in I'm guessing.

Anyway... Civil War in IRAQ? Naw... just the run of the mill "Your God Sucks" crap over in the fertile crescent which I sincerely doubt will go away any time soon, unless alien overlords land and order every one into submission with their mind power. "All hail YIGzferblatsky the 23rd & 1/2, supreme queen of the third quadrant!"

We'll be having a Civil War here soon at the rate its going... Call me CRAZY will you?

SO this is the plan (Until YIGzferblatsky arrives of course, then we will adorn the Mountain tops with Yams and Coconuts to pleasure our fearless Queen). The plan is: Vote for whoever isn't already in D.C. REGARDLESS of party, political persuasion, etc... etc... Imagine, if we could really wipe the slate clean, everyone had to get to know everyone. Imagine everyone was fresh, a dreamer, No one had to bow under some senior chair's power, if everyone was all at once... just innocent.... new, new and squeaky clean

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer, (guilty)
but I'm not the only one, (yeah but my dreams are Way cooler than everyone else's)
I hope some day you'll join us, (BANANAS!)
And the world will live as one. (HoonnnK.. blowing my nose, wiping tears)

3 cheers for food!

I had a lovely weekend and of course it went by way too fast.

Saturday I spent recuperating from my cold. Saturday night Kate came over. We didn't do much other than lounge about and watch T.V. Sunday we of course watched the phantom gourmet. We batted around different ideas with what to do. They day was a bit dreary, and the initial plan of walking around the reservoirs or around Boston never happened. Caruso's Pizza was closed for Sunday (that was to be lunch) and instead I decided to satisfy a craving for fried clams. We went to Sea Witch in Peabody, which was a quick drive up Route 1 to the Peabody border. The clams were nice. I liked the place, it was an old fashioned, almost diner like layout for the dining room. It had these funky Formica tables which had some sort grey & white print on them. I want to say it sort of looked like birch bark or something. There was a fish market there too. I'll have to check it out the next time I have a craving for steamers.
After eating we decided to go catch a matinee. Since I had picked out a couple of movies in a row recently, Kate evened the score with "Failure to Launch". I will say it was the perfect movie to see for the dreary day. It is a sort of light hearted romantic comedy and had plenty of laughs in it, some involving weird animal attacks from unexpected critters.

Watching the Phantom Gourmet is quite a past time. Kate has actually been taking notes, although I'm not quite sure we've enjoyed the fruit of this labor quite yet. Soon we will, I'm sure. Well, I suppose our Pizzeria Regina visit was Phantom inspired. Anyway, the Phantom brought some exciting news this week. The empty Krispy Kreme in Medford (the one visible off of Wellington Station on the Orange line, right on Rt. 16) is soon to become the newest location of Kelly's Roast Beef. Apparently Kelly's lays claim to the fast food roast beef sandwich as we know it. Prior to their intervention, apparently roast beef sandwiches were thought of as counterparts to "hot turkey sandwiches" & tended to be made open faced with copious amounts of gravy. So I guess a little franchise called "Arby's" (one of my favorites) owes a lot to this Massachusetts nostalgia joint, which I, perhaps ignorantly always called over rated. I do hate their service however. Every time I go to the Saugus joint there is about ten people working the counter, and eight of them were staring into space.
Last week I took Kate there for some fries, and We stood in line about twenty minutes, and a cashier, not doing anything just stared at us. Finally I asked... Are you open? When I got there, he couldn't figure out how to ring in a medium fry and another employee was guiding him through every step (I thought I was being nice, but Kate informed me I was being sort of an ass... and I guess I was but the kid deserved it) I asked him, "Are you a new trainee?" And his weird response was "No this is actually my 21st day on the job." I then said "You should have just said yes..." After ordering the fries it took about another ten minutes. I also hate their system of calling out names. If this was a tiny place serving 2-3 people at a time, it would work. But when you have several lines at once, and they are calling out 3-4 "John & Sarahs" at once... It doesn't exactly work like a well oiled machine.
Kelly's Moving in for us Orange Line Folks!
Even better! The article above says that a "Not Your Average Joe's" is moving into the new "Station Landing" development next door. I love that place! Now there will finally be one convenient to get to rather than Arlington or Watertown.

Also, to make the out-of-stater's envious I invite you to check out their homepage... take a gander at that Lobstah Roll YEE HAW!

Kelly's Roast Beef

Anyway... I have some deadlines this week which I'm not looking forward to meeting... can't wait to see how that goes! Have a sweet Monday everyone!

Mmmmm cough syrup...

Who am I kidding, I don't use cough syrup so it's no excuse, I don't think chloraseptic counts.

I have this fantasy...
And in this grand dream I march through the streets of the city.
I march as though I were the only person in the world that mattered.

Cars repel from me and other pedestrians yield to my existence...

No scratch that, lets start again.

I have this fantasy...
And in this grand dream I march through the streets of the city.
Soon others join me and together we spread peace and love to the...

No.. way too corny... and way too much purpose, what the hell was I thinking? What kind of piss poor fantasy is that?

Third time is a charm they say.
I have this fantasy...
And in this grand dream I march through the streets of the city.
I march without a constructive purpose or destination...
I march with a skip in my step, and an energy in my breath that can't be contained.
I march, and others join me.
I march, we march and we exhilarate in our existence, cherishing each step,
cherishing each breath,
soaking in each fleeting moment,
each glimpse of the curious on looker
each smile or scowl that appears before us.
The energy builds with in the pit of our gut surging through our bodies and bubbling over.
The pressure builds
In order to release this positive energy we begin to chant. What we chant is insignificant, but in my dream, in my fantasy..... we repeatedly yell
"Bananas!"
It simmers at first, but eventually builds into an exalting crescendo of passion.
Some of us pump our fists, others of us flap our arms.
We can't be stopped.
Many souls too disgruntled and lost in their own repressed and weary world see us and are disgusted. But a few decide to join us, and with each block, half a dozen becomes a dozen, then fifty, then hundreds.
We are ecstatic with the total lack of purpose in our activity, and are high on the response of others, be it positive or negative. We don't care, we thrive on the meaningless abandonment of our daily reservations.
A chance to act unconventionally despite what consequence it brings... and the thing is, some people get it. Some don't, and some are simply jealous that they too can't escape themselves.

BANANAS BANANAS BANANAS BANANAS BANANAS
:D

all work and no play make.... (fill in the blank)

Trey & Matt Strike Back

I was out sick from work today, and had been feeling under the weather since Monday night. This has been the reason for my lapse in posts. Tonight's post will be brief as I will be headed to bed early tonight, because I definitely can't afford to miss any more work, as I have too much to do as it is.

Just wanted to drop a line about the new episode of Southpark which I just caught. It was a battle cry by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They go well beyond how they mocked Scientology in the Viacom banned episode, and basically say Isaac Hayes was brainwashed. Anyone who knows anything about the fruity scientology club (Parker & Stone's description) and hasn't become a member of their cult can likely attest that this is exactly what they do. Tom Cruise, perhaps always a bit arrogant, is currently down right nuts. The tabloids have been running their mouths about how Katie Holmes has abandoned her friend and family since getting involved. This nutty religion has been rumored to have impressive power and deep pockets. Additionally, it is said it is an organization to be feared, as certain people associated with them have been reported to suffer untimely demises.

I personally predict that the $$ power of South Park will out do that of Mission Impossible III or Scientology's tendrils in the entertainment industry. Comedy Central definitely appeared willing to take that gamble. The only risk is that this episode is so foul, and will attract such a media storm, that they could be pressured by an increasingly fundamentalist populous to reprimand or cancel the show (however if that is the case Comedy Central's whole lineup could be up for some hurt, unless the people keep their ignoramus blinders on.... odds are they might).
I think if this is done right, Parker & Stone may have dug Cruise his own grave, which he may willingly (although unwittingly) climb into. Thank you soo much, this is even better than creating Cartman. In fact its almost, dare I say biblical? Do I see the roots of a new cult? :D

Anyway... this will be news likely as you read this.

Good Night, have a pleasant Thursday.

The comfort of Tomato sauce & bread

On Saturday night Kate & I ate at Massimo's Restaurant. It is located on Pleasant St. in Malden MA, which is probably only a mile or two from my apartment. We just took the T to Malden center. We had googled an Italian eatery to go to. I had a craving. Kate remembered seeing this place when we were out walking, however it's existence wasn't exactly advertised much on the web. I had some doubts it existed, and I think even Kate did, despite that it was from her memory :D.

It is the old fashioned family style Italian eatery that brings back memories of childhood. The portions were plentiful and the prices were reasonable. The owner greeted us at the door. The wait staff was for the most part older women with a bit of a maternal air about them. Patrons seemed like the type that had been going there for years.

I had a craving for good bread, and old fashioned Italian food. I like the north end, but I find that you really need to be in the mood to get dolled up and go out for their gourmet eateries.

If you want the comfort Italian food of the suburbs and your childhood, the North End Italian district for the most part is not the place to go. Sure there are some places that serve the traditional dishes, but most are headed by chefs who seek to meld ethnic dishes, or add some special flare to their entrees. They are for the most part all very pricey too.

Massimo's was very warm & laid back, with retro rust colored seats and stained glass dividers above the booths. There were some Michelangelo prints on the wall, and a gold sort of marble print wall paper. For the most part it was very tacky and out of date, but I suppose that is part of its charm. The amusing thing, is the owner definitely seems to take his business very seriously, and it seems to me just some minor upgrades would go a long way in improving his business. We were there past seven however, and it was still fairly busy. Perhaps business at Massimo's does not need improvement.

They sat us in the "Lover's seat" which was a little brick enclosure with a booth in it. At the end of our meal... I was still eating even though I felt like exploding, the owner approached Kate and said "mangiare!" It was sort of amusing. After this, the chef actually came out, I believe just to talk to the owner, but he saw us and asked us "how was your meal?" "Delicious!" we responded. Then he said "You know, you are in the lover's seat, was it good for you?". "It was wonderful!" I replied. This quaint little time honored restaurant made for a memorable night. I'm sure Kate and I will definitely be headed back.

I Purchased a new CD, a self titled one called "Clap your hands say yeah!"
It is like Radiohead, but not depressing. :D

Check out this NPR review with sound bites:

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Anywhoo... Happy Monday and stuff.

No more Snakes. Hooray!

Ever dream of purchasing a hybrid for your next car?

This page has some details, actually, for the most part, after reading it I'd be more likely to consider one.

Hybrids: Seven worries, seven answers

Thought I'd talk about something "Green" in honor of St. Patty's.

So it looks like the Saint Patrick's day parade is on a Sunday... that seems odd to me, but perhaps it isn't. I would think Saturday would make more sense... anyway.

The Southie Parade page

Cheers!

Snow?! Militant Wasps (no, not White Anglo-Saxon protestants)

For lack of anything to say, I thought I would bring you the most important news.

When Poultry goes BAD!

Teacher fired after allegedly biting boy: Speaks for itself!

Hapless series of crimes for suspected drunken driver To summarize: "David John Verrow, 46, was booked into Santa Rita Jail on a laundry list of crimes after he hit two parked cars, dashed from his truck and barricaded himself in his room. Once there, he used an ax to hack his way into an attic crawl space -- only to fall through the ceiling into the arms of the police below." NICE!

I don't necessarily believe this, although it sounds like an excellent way for us to waste money: Pentagon plans cyber-insect army I read a similar article a ways back... coincidentally also the BBC..... No possible anti-American bias here or anything, considering we don't even hear about it in the U.S. but somehow the islanders seem to have the 411 on us. US 'plans stealth shark spies'
On the article regarding wasps, there is a priceless side bar discussing failed military uses for animals. I know its wrong, and will likely add to my years in purgatory or hell, but it really had me cracking up especially:
WWII: Attach a bomb to a cat and drop it from a dive-bomber on to Nazi ships. The cat, hating water, will "wrangle" itself on to enemy ship's deck. In tests cats became unconscious in mid-air
They should have thrown some dogs into the mix, just to bring some truth to the old proverb.WWII: Attach incendiaries to bats. Induce hibernation and drop them from planes. They wake up, fly into factories etc and blow up. Failed to wake from hibernation and fell to death

The Rosebud & J.C.

I had a lovely dinner tonight with Kate at the Rosebud diner in Somerville. Nifty little place, it even has a full bar.

After getting back to Melrose, I finally got around to watching "The Last Temptation of Christ". It was quite good, Peter Gabriel soundtrack and all. I was pleasantly surprised by "David Bowie" appearing as "Pontius Pilot"... who's name I'm quite certain I just miss-spelled. It brought a lot of flash backs back to childhood "CCD" and, for that matter, church in general. I didn't find it blasphemous at all. I can see how the nudity must have freaked out some of the die hard Christians. I mean, we all know that nudity and flesh supersedes violence and hatred as a greater evil (sarcasm intended). If we compare the popularity of a certain little gore flick made a couple years back, to that of this one in question, (which seeks to invoke empathy for the poor, and love as a healing all power) I think you can gather the reason for my frequent discontent in the state of humankind.

Also, I could imagine people walking out on the end of this movie, if they went into assuming that Martin Scorsese would ultimately twist religion to fit his own ideals and agenda. However if they saw it through the end, I think they would see that Christian philosophy is preserved.

Most people unfortunately are ignorant, and have tunnel vision. They hate to think that they are wrong, that their parents were wrong, and they'd sooner accept the status quo when it comes to an often flawed flavor of morality, than adjust for gained experience. Thinking outside the box, is not the average man's strong suit. In the absence of logic, fear seems to have a stronger grip on society.

I noticed one interesting deviation in this film. I was always taught that Judas betrayed Christ on his own will. This movie actually has Christ requesting that Judas show the Romans who he is. It did actually correlate well to the story of this movie, although I'm quite certain this wasn't the way it is typically told in the gospels. Perhaps my memory is just foggy here however.

Literature of the moment

Yesterday I eclipsed the Idiot with yet another book... Although I'm really close to finally completing the epic saga, and bringing my Dostoevsky tally to... (drum roll) two. I find my self reading it in bouts. Truthfully this book is entirely a soap opera that thrusts a bumbling klutz, overly sensitive naive man, into a ruthless social elite circle who are perhaps equally as out of touch with reality as "Prince Myshkin", aka "The Idiot". When I do finish, I will provide my review. The Brother's Karamazov was much better, I can tell you that now. Of course it helped that I had to read that one for school.

So I finished my third John Irving novel, "The Hotel New Hampshire". Irving has definitely made his way amongst my favorite authors. This book was very surprising in its contrasts. You watch the metamorphosis of a seemingly normal American family, as it goes through some rather extraordinary circumstances. One of the focal issues addressed in this book is rape, and perhaps more than that fear. While this book is a serious dramatic work, it is at times laugh out loud hilarious, and other times nearly made me shed a tear. In all of the many books I've read, I can't say that this has been a characteristic of very many.


The plot of the novel meanders upon a course that seems both absurd, and yet somehow believable. The drastic contrast brought upon the Berry Family by the passage of time, creates an air of familiarity, in that nothing is ever certain, but we must find a way, and help each other to persevere.

This book is not for the faint of heart. Graphic descriptions of unconventional scenarios may make some people (people like my parents for instance..) label it as trash. The tones that are taken however are necessary to give the reader insight to a family that becomes largely desensitized to much of what they exist in. The extremes are crucial to the story. Irving continues to pay tribute to Dickensian overtones. His stories always seem to convey great empathy with the common man, the poor, & the victimized. Irving recognizes that everyone has a life that exists in varying degrees of amplitude. There are always going to be highs and lows, and the frequency in which they occur is always prone to be unpredictable. Because of this he has repeatedly written timeless novels.

I've read in addition to this one, "A Prayer for Owen Meany" & "The Cider House Rules". Thus far I would rank "Meany" as my favorite.

I was thirsty for more and went straight to a used Book store after work before going to the gym. Unfortunately they did not have any John Irving novels available. I had picked up a short "classic" by Henry James a while back called the Europeans. This will likely become my new subway reading (other than the metro).

I must finish the Idiot so I can begin "A Soldier's Story". It is a memoir by Bob Dole which has gotten great reviews. My mother has loaned it to me. I've always liked Bob Dole, he was a moderate politician, and a rarity in D.C., a real decent man. I suppose that's why he didn't have a chance in hell when he ran for President. The prettiest man usually wins too. He should have made those Viagra commercials earlier it may have helped his appeal :D. Hmmmm... Perhaps not.

The leisure of exploring history

I had a SUPER DUPER, SNAPPY SPIFFAROOO weekend! Nice & relaxing, I can't complain. On Saturday Kate & I made it up to Walden Pond & Concord. It was the first time either of us had been there. We did a lot of walking around, checked out the state park as well as the quaint historic town. We even walked around a large old cemetery and went to "Writer's Ridge" where Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Louisa May Alcott are buried. The cemetery was very peaceful, and beautifully laid out on terraced ridges near the edge of a town composed of Colonials, Victorians, beautiful churches and grassy commons. Many if not most of the graves are likely old enough not to have any living family members to tend to them. There were some flowers on Louisa May Alcott's grave, as well as some obviously hand made rudimentary wreaths of dried brush. Likely some young fans of little women, perhaps local youth that one day dream to inspire others through literary greatness.


On a related note, I found this nifty site when verifying the names of the most well known authors buried in the Concord MA. cemetery. I've always found cemeteries fascinating (just in case you weren't aware that I'm a weirdo) If you share this fetish, you'll appreciate this page. Funnily enough I was wondering if such a thing existed (actually the one in my mind would be even more detailed and comprehensive, but I was even surprised by the existence of this one).
Find a grave
So, with this neat-o tool you can search by locale or by person in the United states for graves of notable people.

Personally I've always thought of cremation for myself. Realistically I know one day my grave will/would likely be just another of many meaningless stones. It could be vandalized, and it will likely be forgotten. (I know.. I'm such a fountain of joy :D ) Not to mention cemeteries could be moved of disassembled entirely, if there are no notables there. It happens, although this occurrence tends not to be newsworthy. Cemeteries are a poor use of land, not to mention plots can be, and usually are, really expensive. I think bringing my ashes to some mountain top would be pleasant. I should think of a few places I'd like to be scattered.

Anyway, after a vigorous day of gallivanting about and enjoying the nice weather, Kate & I ate at Friendly's in Bedford. We ate too much really, but the fried junk food was very satisfying.

I went to work today for a bit. I wanted to go to the Gym afterward, unfortunately the Porter square Bally's apparently closes at 6:00 on Sunday. Since I only had about 15 minutes of work out time, I walked back down Mass Ave rather than taking the train. I stopped in the North End on the way back to Melrose. I had a couple of slices of fine Ernesto's Pizza for supper while mindlessly watching the Bruins under perform. After this quick consumption I left and walked to North Station before the game let out.

Some more pictures... Some of my fun with the scanner, a weird sort of angle of me covering my eyes hovering over the scanner. Rather unflattering, definitely amusing, my teeth are straight really they are, I even had braces :D !
Next, fun with photoshop as I superimposed my face on my hand. I'm still working on how to properly blend the colors, this was the primary reason I changed it to a gray scale. The face if from a picture a few years back on an old company ID. I had this stash & goatee. I erased the goatee because I think it makes for yet an even more amusing effect.
Last, Chad Dixon, myself, & Jens. This was taken in the Chad & Jens apartment in Laramie, the year after I left. I don't know what it is with me and leaning in photos, I never seem to stand up straight. It is sort of like how some people close their eyes in pictures, I always seem to lean towards someone.

Well here comes another week, and loads of fun, I just know it!

Anyway, Take care all!

TGIF

Have a good weekend all...

I'm including a link to my friend Jason's Travelblog on his trip to Egypt. I unfortunately just don't have any time today. These entries are pretty educational/entertaining.

Jason's Travelblog

Take care

Sometimes a scream is better than a thesis.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

ohmigod,WHAT an awful day... well, not that bad really, but tiring, long, frustrating, and very unexpected. I guess I was due. I'm too tired to tell.

Anhyhow...
-enjoy-
Aiiieeeee! It's ICKY!

Soon everyone will catch up to me...

Man demands money from bank tellers, then says 'just kidding'

Woman Allegedly Fakes Death Over Tickets

Anti-inflammatory Effect Of Beer, Blocks Interferon-gamma-induced Chemical Processes

Tuesday Briefly...

A decent day over all. Can't complain, at least not too much.

I don't have much time to write tonight so I'm going to have to put off a couple of political rants and save them for another time.

I went to the original pizzeria Regina tonight with Kate. I was pleasantly surprised. I knew it was a place of nostalgia and had high reviews, however it was far removed from the Sbarro like pizzerias in the malls and Quincey Market. It had a warm atmosphere with varnished wooden booths gold walls and faded red Formica tables. Coupled with walls lined with old black & white photos and neon beer signs, it had a very "neighborhood pub" sort of feel. The pizza was a notch above average too. I will definitely be a return customer.

Anyway..

That's about all I've got for tonight!
Hump day is here!

Little Duck (Not to be confused with the little yellow chicken)

Tee heee hee hee!
Bill Clinton advised Dubai as Hillary criticizes its US ports deal
Ah listen to them skate around that one!

You know, after reading and hearing a lot about this deal, and its premise, I find myself on the opposite side of 70% of the American public, and I'm in rare agreement with W, Carter, and Bill Clinton (although Billy's backtreading due to the Hillary snafu). First off, the only reason this deal didn't sail through is that it is an Arabic country. Secondly Dubai is a very westernized capitalist modern nation. They are trying to emulate us, and they, or at least their government, are our allies. Third, the idea that there will be security breaches is B.S. If this company does not uphold stellar security, (they'll likely be held to a higher standard) then not only will the stakes be high for that company but for all of Dubai. Security, if anything, will be even better with this company.


It is really sad to see all of the politicians jump on the anti-Dubai bandwagon. It goes to show just how many of them legitimately care about what is good for the United States, vs. what is good for their poll numbers. The politicians are smart enough to know that this deal could strengthen relations, and democracy in the Middle east. On the other hand, they know it will be easier, and more quickly rewarding politically to play to the fear card.

The Bush administration did a real horrible job of communicating this deal. Not only was it poorly communicated to the Legislature & public, but even the president himself was not aware of it until after it was put through.

This is a controversial deal, and it is a no-brainer that it would raise eyebrows.
Political savvy strategists everywhere say one of W's strongest assets is that he can talk to the American people on their terms. Why isn't this being exploited? Reagan made frequent use of evening addresses. The Republican party likes to preach that government should trust the American Public to make their own decisions. Why don't they practice what they preach? This stuff isn't rocket science, it just needs to be talked about in the open and not done in shady corners of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

I'm pretty convinced that this deal is going to fail, and it will deal yet another serious blow to Middle East relations, in a country that had become increasingly favorable of us. All because some greedy senators and representatives fear the risks involved in the game of politics.

For your enjoyment, I'm tagging on this bizarre series of pictures that were taken at the University of Wyoming. They are myself, Brenen Ulrich, and Jason Potts respectively. I had film to use and it was shortly before my graduation, so our creativity was sort of ummm.... well the pictures speak for themselves really.

Fried Onions and the Oscars

This evening I enjoyed watching the Academy Awards. Truthfully one of the primary reasons I watched was because Jon Stewart was hosting. I probably caught a portion of last year's ceremony but I generally find Chris Rock tired. His jokes seem to be about 80% derivative of race based themes, and I find it unoriginal, HBO, not the Oscars, is the proper venue for such laughs. I've enjoyed Steve Martin & Letterman in the recent past, and I've been luke warm on Billy Crystal. (Notice I've forgotten Whoopie... well not really) Stewart did a good job. His humor was a bit muted and more conservative for the broader audience. My favorite joke of the show was when they did a montage of clips from films that addressed social issues, and Stewart followed it by saying "And because of these films these issues are no longer problems, thank you us!".

In light of the Academy Awards subject, I wanted to take a moment to address a related issue. I feel for many, especially some members of our elder generations, that a major deterrent from watching the Oscars is the often blatant political overtones. For all of the critics of this, (I must admit that I myself have been) I believe that it is misplaced. Nowhere is there a more appropriate forum to air political statements than through these outlets of art and entertainment. In a bit of hypocrisy those who may critique outspoken artists on the other hand criticize them for not setting a good example with their role model stature. So which is it? Should they speak up or shut up? I can say without hesitation that this is an impossible choice to make. Regardless of their opinions I commend those willing to speak up and try to make a difference.

I think many of the nay-sayers who shutter out these American cultural events, are just afraid of certain truths that may be revealed to them.

Politics aside, I was pleased regarding several of the awards. Reese Witherspoon was very deserving for her award portraying June Carter. Walk The Line was one of my favorite films of the past year. Reese accepted the award with great poise and I believe that she is one of the stand up individuals and intellecutuals to come out of Hollywood in recent times. Then of course, "Wallace & Grommit" is officially oscar material! A few of us dorky fans perhaps will now get some more respect (yeah... I know, unlikely :D ). I was surprised by "Crash" winning best picture. I'll have to rent that one. I'll also have to see Brokeback Mountain to officially see what all the hype is about and develop a fact based opinion. I respect the universal theme of love that the movie addresses, I've heard however, that the nominations are more "political" based, rather than on the actual quality (comparitively speaking) of the film. I'll let you know what I think once I see it.

My weekend was good, I did a little spring shopping... Filenes is looking really sad now days, RIP. Kate & I went to Bugaboo creek in Burlington. It is much smaller than the one in South Portland & seems to be more of a favorite for children than the Maine location. But the food was the same delicious hearty grub. We had a bunion onion for an appetizer followed by our main course, which we could hardly eat after stuffing ourselves with bread and fried onion.

Anyway, I hope everyone's Monday starts off the week well!

Yep.....

After work tonight I headed over to Porter Square in Cambridge. There is a Bally's there, and I'm quite certain after visiting that I'm going to transfer my membership. I'll probably do it officially tomorrow night and work out for the first time in an millennia. It is quite a bit nicer than the one I currently go to in Woburn. It has a pool and a large jacuzzi, not to mention significantly newer equipment. It will be quite convenient after work, and as it turns out, there is a parking lot across the street, so I could drive there on the weekend rather than taking the train. The subway is convenient when I have to work, but when I'm not already there it will be much quicker to drive since you have to take the train all the way into Boston on the Orange line, then all the way back out into Cambridge on the Red line. For me it should be a quick 20 minute drive.

I'm up too late again and didn't get chores that I need to do done. Tomorrow I must do laundry.. Exciting huh? This is the grade A sh*t that keeps my readers devoted.

Oh get this:

Beijing starts campaign to end spitting

China thinks spitting is their biggest problem... must be a really great place. Nuff said.

Red Sox's Ramirez Arrives At Spring Training
And there was much rejoicing. ahem, whoopee....

Images from the "Before time"

Due to a lack of time and creative energy I've decided to post a couple old pictures from the college days.


This first image taken in Wyoming on a visit the year after I graduated kind of invokes the whole "band" pose and is quite cheesy. It is definitely good for a chuckle. On the left, moi of course.. sporting one of my more unconventional looks. Center is Jens Fehn, and to the right, Chad Dixon. The bad lighting in this photo actually added a nifty effect.


Myself and Tim Hayes are seen here striking a pose in our Saint Joseph's College Junior year. This is in the notorious Caprio/Blouin room.


Also in the infamous Blouin/Caps room, here can be seen from left to right, Jim Musson, Michael Caprio- the man him self, and Chris Pike. Jim steps out of character and looks at the camera with conviction and confidence, perhaps invoking reference to such chiseled beauties as "The Marlboro Man", "The Cisco kid (one of Jim's many alter egos)" and "Tall, beardless, Caucasian Jesus". Meanwhile Caprio and Pike, who are well aware of the evils of modern day photography, close their eyes in order to prevent the permanent loss of their souls.

Anyway, that was good fun... lets do the time warp again, some other time.