Too much to do...

And so the blog and my Internet presence are going to likely suffer until after The holidays.

I wanted to take the time to thank John Madden for putting a Romney Ad on my myspace page. I've been debating whether to delete it or follow suit with an Obama ad out of spite... but honestly, I can't even jokingly come to terms with putting one of the presidential ads anywhere, especially out of this lot. Giuliani is a poor campaigner, he should have run as an independent, I bet he would have been more successful. McCain... well he's been shaky at best, although he seems to be regaining some composure as of late. Hillary is the best Democratic candidate... and we all know how I feel about Hillary. Obama is all pizazz.... Edwards revolts me, Huckabee is a little "out there". Thompson is like some old geezer that tells you about how they had to walk through ten miles of slush bare foot. Romney = Kerry. Ron Paul is borderline mad, and Kucinich is a squeaky nuisance. Hunter and Richardson are largely forgettable.

Anyway, enough rambling... I have to go work on my project, and do other Holiday related crap. Sorry.... I mean, I have to get back to the "Joy of the Season".

A Songwriter Passes away...

Despite the juicy news (McCain endorsements galore!) I thought I would take a break from the politics.

Today has been so gloomy with the nor'easter pounding on my window panes. It is days like these that cause one to reflect on the past, and how fleeting the present is. I had a great weekend. It wasn't particularly eventful. My mother and Aunt came down to Massachusetts to visit on Saturday. Saturday night and Sunday I spent time with Kate and we reminisced of the Christmases gone past. We exchanged presents to some classic Christmas music. I found myself unable to sing along with Bing, or Mr. Como. It wasn't because of rusty singing chops, but because I was so overflowing with the feeling of time passage and nostalgia, that my voice cracked when I tried.

This evening I discovered that Dan Fogelberg passed away of prostate cancer at the young age of 56. Folgelberg had one or two songs that had radio play in the 70s and 80s. They still can be heard occasionally on easy listening stations. They are the types of songs that many people like, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, depending on his perspective) I think name recognition would be fuzzy at best. A couple of them tell stories, reflections of the past. "Leader of the Band" is probably one of the better known songs.



"Longer" is, cheesy... but that is why it is so good. It is simple, elegant, and comes off like a reassuring lullaby. This video is a youtube user's interpretation with nature scenes. I was looking for another live performance or official Fogelberg video, however this was the best of my findings. Fogelberg had the high tenor's octave that was perfect for the material. The video has a rather literal interpretation of the lyrics, which is a bit corny but whoever put it together did choose some nice photographs.



Lastly Fogelberg performed a melancholy Christmas song (Same Old Lang Syne) about a past love, which is very sad, yet beautiful. His lyrics are real, and in this song in particular they capture the unpredictable nature of the world and the amazing speed at which life flows by. The songs seem so simple, and yet it seems so difficult for many to match this type of writing that the listener really connects with. I especially like the ending of the song:

"As I turned to make my way back home, the snow turned into rain" followed by the sax crying out the familiar notes of Auld Lang Syne.

The following is a video someone supplied for this song. This video kind of bites, but the song is great... so close your eyes, picture what you may.

White House Press Secretary

What a revolutionary idea!

Make the White House Press Secretary an attractive young woman.

Since Tony Snow had to step down due to a relapse in his colon cancer, Dana Perino has stepped up to fill his shoes. Perino makes me stop and listen to C-Span as I'm flipping through the channels. Typically there had to be some big news or a scandal to get me to sit there and veg out to hear reporters ask questions. Nothing particularly interesting today, although I did laugh when a reporter asked her whether the administration thought Syria was involved in the recent Lebanon terrorist attack. Her response was something along the line of "I don't want to speculate.." Then she went on to say "but Syria has been involved in the past". I guess she didn't say "I won't speculate".

Honestly I was surprised to find out she was only 35, although Scott McClellan was only 38 at the end of his reign in the position. Perhaps it is her stuffy politician suits that make her appear older.

Huckabee dissing Mormonism now, then apologizing to Romney. I'm telling you... this guy's a piece of work.

Huckabee apologizes for comments on Mormons

I guess he does want the Utah vote... probably AIDS patients wouldn't vote for Huckabee anyway, so he probably figures why bother with that one.

Uncertainty with the Huckabee

I'm against Huckabee on his social issues, abortion, gay rights, and I think we need someone who distances their faith from their work. I think his ego is large, and perhaps goes a long way to explain his composure and charisma in this campaign. On the issues that count, the economy, federal spending, foreign policy, and immigration, I can't say I'm sold.

A follow up to previous posts:

Huckabee 'very willing' to meet with AIDS victim's mother
That would be interesting... if it were to ever happen.

From Article: "It's so alarming to me," she said in a telephone interview Monday with The Associated Press from her home in Leesburg, Florida.
"It's very important to me that we don't live in the darkness" when people thought AIDS was transmitted through casual contact, such as by "kissing, tears, sweat and saliva," White-Ginder said. "We have to treat this disease like a disease, and like Ryan always said, not like a dirty word."

Many of you may remember White who was the poster-child for the random AIDS victim. White actually contracted AIDS through a mistake in a blood transfusion, as opposed to from an action of his own.

Poll: Huckabee would lose to top Democrats by double digits

Yes it is a poll, and an early poll. Many would argue that it doesn't mean much, and in fact to some level that is even stated within this article. However the enormity at which Huckabee is behind I believe outlines the predicament of the GOP primary. If the radical Christian right is allowed to hijack the party on issues which aren't critical to the masses, we are going to have an unelectable candidate. I think Huckabee's handling of the AIDS comment and the prisoner-parole fiasco were poor. There is a level of arrogance there that America is tired of. It is expected from the Bushes, and the Clintons, but I'm not certain how much tolerance there will be when it is from an outsider.

A piece by Dick Morris, former Clinton advisor offers some comfort in the way of Huckabee's Fiscal Conservatism. Huckabee is a Fiscal Conservative Additionally, Morris's theorizing on the upcoming early primaries is also interesting.

From article: So what happens if Huckabee wins in Iowa? With New Hampshire only five days later, his momentum will be formidable. The key may boil down to how Hillary does in Iowa. Hillary? Yes. If she loses in Iowa, most of the independents in New Hampshire will flock to the Democratic primary to vote for her or against her. That will move the Republican electorate to the right in New Hampshire -- bad news for Rudy, good news for Huckabee. But if she wins in Iowa, there will be no point in voting in the Democratic primary and a goodly number will enter the GOP contest, giving Rudy a big boost.

They're all MAD I tell you.... MAD!

Well the news today in the social/ political landscape of America is nothing short of stomach churning.

First off we have the Vigilante "Joe Horn" from Houston... who is nothing more than an ignorant trigger happy redneck. People are making him out to be a hero after he shot a robber IN THE BACK who was one of two burglarizing at his neighbors home. He called 911, and told the police he was going to go out and try to shoot them. The police repeatedly told Mr. Horn to stay in his house, not just for his own safety, but for the safety of his officers. There were supposedly undercover cops on the ground nearby. A police officer witnessed the altercation which essentially amounted to Horn jumping out of his house and surprising the thieves as they fled, only to shoot one of them dead.... in the back. If you listen to the phone call you can almost sense that he is giddy over the prospect of getting to potentially kill them. Of course the robbers turned out to be illegal immigrants.... and a large contingent of the public seems pleased that Mr. Horn... much like the robbers, has total disregard for the law. In my opinion Horn is no better than the inner city kids shooting each other. His pea-brained intellect glorifies violence as a solution to a petty crime such as theft. People shouldn't even be talking about whether he should be prosecuted or not. Not only should he be prosecuted... he should be prosecuted for premeditated murder, and disobeying the police. The wild west should be long gone.... and people like horn, and all of those who are singing his praises need to be taught this.

The sad thing is he'll get off... Texas apparently passed a law allowing people to shoot at others to prevent "crimes". This is WRONG this is so so so very wrong. I'm all for the right to bear arms... but outside of shooting deer, or saving your life, I DO NOT believe you should be able to go on the OFFENSIVE. That is up to the police or the military. Texas has passed and approved anarchy. It is a double standard. Some kid who shoots someone in the projects... even because he is legitimately being threatened will go to jail. I believe rightfully so. This should not be ANY different.

Read the call transcript: Man Kills Suspects While On Phone With 911

If you heard his voice I don't know how you possibly could stand by and say this guy was right. There was lust in his voice. He probably considers himself a good "Christian" too.

From the article/ transcript, this is Mr. Horn:
"Boom! You're dead!" he shouts. A loud bang is heard, then a shotgun being cocked and fired again, and then again.

A word for the wise... If you live in Texas, don't lock yourself out of your house, someone might shoot you when you are trying to get in your window.

There is a poll on whether he should be prosecuted here: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/outintheopen/
Unfortunately people seem to think that shooting someone for taking a stereo is an OK thing to do.

AND THEN THERE'S HUCKABEE

I think what really gets me going is how the people who are going to vote for Huck... just aren't going to care about his obvious displays of ignorance. I'm really afraid this guy will be the GOP candidate... even more afraid than I am of Mitt Romney. I think Romney's already bit the dust. Even George Bush and his cronies understood that AIDS isn't a plague whose victims should be quarantined. For Huckabee to say something like that... and then STAND BY IT! MAN! You can't get much dimmer than that. I'm actually beginning to debate on whether I should register as a Republican again so I can go vote for Giuliani in the primaries. It would my the first time in the party ranks since 1998 when I defected as an Independent.

Huckabee refuses to retract '92 remarks on AIDS patients

And on the other Huckabee issue:

Huck: "There are families who are truly, understandably and reasonably, grief-stricken," Huckabee said. "And for people to now politicize these deaths and to try to make a political case out of it rather than to simply understand that a system failed and that we ought to extend our grief and heartfelt sorrow to these families, I just regret politics is reduced to that."

Well Huckabee, it came right out of your mouth. "The system failed" System failure is supposed to be what politicians prevent, am I wrong? So for you to suggest that it shouldn't be politicized because it is inconvenient to your election, I think that's laughable.

Iceland High School Student Dials Bush's Phone Number

This one isn't a domestic issue, but it is pretty absurd that some teenager is being considered for the "no-fly-list" over this.

Kate & George's weekend

Well, here's another one of my creations. Be warned the music came out a little too loud relative to the movie. That's one of many problems I had making it however... ENJOY!

And its Huckabee's turn

I've gotta say...

This guy seemed like he had his head on straight, but now it appears otherwise. I disagree with his social conservative views, but I would fully expect them from a minister. The fact that Jimmy Carter was such a lousy president sort of makes me wonder if hiring another minister for the job would be such a wise idea. Especially since our sitting commander in chief has fallen under criticism for using religion to dictate policy.

But all this aside.... he is charismatic and well spoken... and he seemed to be the real thing. But wait, after this I think you have no choice but to question his intelligence, but also how he interprets his own faith. I don't see how someone "Christian" who believes in God & forgiveness could think like this.... Although the "fire & brimstone God" ideologies would probably support such thinking.

Huckabee Wanted to Isolate AIDS Patients

from article: Mike Huckabee once advocated isolating AIDS patients from the general public, opposed increased federal funding in the search for a cure and said homosexuality could "pose a dangerous public health risk."

More: "If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague," Huckabee wrote.
"It is difficult to understand the public policy towards AIDS. It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents."

"In light of the extraordinary funds already being given for AIDS research, it does not seem that additional federal spending can be justified," Huckabee wrote. "An alternative would be to request that multimillionaire celebrities, such as Elizabeth Taylor (,) Madonna and others who are pushing for more AIDS funding be encouraged to give out of their own personal treasuries increased amounts for AIDS research."

ALSO: When Huckabee wrote his answers in 1992, it was common knowledge that AIDS could not be spread by casual contact. In late 1991, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 195,718 AIDS patients in the country and that 126,159 people had died from the syndrome.

If Huckabee had stuck to a "AIDS gets more than its fair share of funding" rhetoric... there may have been a legitimate argument. After all AIDS is only caught through an accident like blood transfusion, dirty drug needles, or promiscuous sexuality. You can see where heart disease and cancer should legitimately be getting more funding.

To play devil's advocate, AIDS creates immune compromised patients, who in their later stage can become incubators for disease. In 3rd world populations this can be devastating... and ripple effects will be felt in the industrialized world. This is a different reason to fight AIDS than that espoused by pop culture... but an important one.

I've got to say as a man of science and reason, THIS is SCARY! Huckabee just dropped behind Romney in my view.... and as you may have read, that's pretty low.

This news made me re-examine the stuff about Huckabee I've been ignoring.
Huckabee: Politicization of rape victims' deaths 'heartbreaking'

So just read the title... the politicization is heartbreaking? How about the deaths of the victims? How about the rape? That is heart breaking!

Now there is NO question that the media is inflating this story. Huckabee basically accepted that this prisoner (who would rape & kill upon getting released) could be considered for early parole. The system fails occasionally, and Huckabee... in this particular instance bears no responsibility other than he acted as many governors across the system act. (bear in mind that once again.... this is a MINISTER!!)

That being said:

from the article: The case of the rapist, Wayne DuMond, began in 1985, when he was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl. He was later convicted and sentenced to a life term.

I'm not certain that I would consider parole for a person like this. I think most rape cases deserve a life sentence, especially if forceful and not statutory.

I'd say it is Mitt or Thompson's shot now.... time to make up lost ground in Iowa. Too bad Giuliani couldn't pull something together.

MSNBC's Presidential rating grid

This is a neat feature that lets you pick who's views you align with the most. Bright green is agree... the darker shades less so. Bright red is completely disagree... and as they get darker... you disagree with less intensity.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21116732

Note that I'm with Giuliani... what are the odds:

Not a morning person...

So this is me fooling around with my camera to try and get the hang of the movie feature. Getting the hang of the film editing software too.... Enjoy my practice work.

NYC Trip III The Grande Finale

Saturday in NYC was our Exploring day. We had no museums or shows on the schedule and instead roamed around. Now we did however have a rough sort of plan. We began the day with The Lower West Side. I had drawn up a little itinerary which took us North of the World Trade Center site, west towards the river front which is lined by parks. We took the Chambers street stop on the Subway and walked towards the waterfront past Washington Market Park and the new Stuyvesant High School which is specialized high school for mathematics, science and technology. The Tribeca Bridge for pedestrians took us over a major roadway towards the waterfront parks. The first park is called "River Terrace Park" and one of the first attractions is the Irish Hunger memorial which is nestled amongst the high rises just off the side of the park facing the city. It was quite creative and far exceeded my expectations. From the water side it appears to be nothing more than a structure of dark stone and marble with various quotes engraved on it. There is a tunnel leading into it, and it appears modern and foreboding. As you head into the tunnel it eventually rises up into the center of the structure and empties out into what looks like an old Irish stone farm house. The path curves around back towards the water outside of the old stone structure. If you look straight towards the Hudson up the grassy bluff which forms the top of the monument, you could forget that you are in the middle of Manhattan. Of course there is noise and high rises on either side of you. I took this great picture of Kate on the monument.
Further south we walked past the Commodities and Mercantile exchange and a sheltered Marina area called the North Cove link. Eventually as we journeyed down the esplanade we crossed south cove park, then Robert F. Wagner park where the Jewish Heritage Museum is located. It was a very modern looking structure that had some interesting looking sculptures outside it. One of the better of these is a cat and a monkey together as though they are a couple. It was so strange I just felt inspired to snap a picture of it.

Back on the water is Pier A, location of the fire boat house. Castle Clinton is further South. We walked into Castle Clinton and took a quick glance around. Some of the Ellis Island/ Statue of Liberty tours are purchased there so it was mobbed with people. While being very old (originally built to protect us from the British in the War of 1812) it did not seem as impressive as some of the Forts that dot the New England Coast, including Fort Independence on Castle Island in Southie, or Fort Popham up in Maine. At the end of Battery park is the U.S. Coast Guard building and a small shipyard. Further on is the Staten Island Ferry. Kate and I would be heading there eventually to get a close glimpse at the Statue of Liberty... but first things first. LUNCH!! We reluctantly decided to go to the South Street Seaport. We had initially wanted to find a deli or sandwich shop, however we didn't want to deviate too far from our objective. South Street Seaport seemed like a good compromise, although I was a little concerned it was too far away from the Staten Island Ferry. We needed to cross around the southern tip of Manhattan towards the East side. Additionally some reviews of the market called it a touristy chain filled location. When we did arrive we were pleasantly surprised. I imagine the reviewers that write in Lonely Planet were a little more high brow than Kate or I. However, we appreciated a food court that was dominated primarily by non-chain ethnic food establishments. The dining area had stunning views of the water, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the adjacent tall ships which are docked at the Seaport. Kate and I settled on some Mexican food which hit the spot.

Determined to milk our day and get as much out of it as we could, we got moving again as soon as I licked the remaining vestiges of salsa out of a plastic cup.

Onward to the Staten Island Ferry which is FREE! Yes free, imagine that right? And...get this, they even serve beer on the ferry... so if you lived on Staten Island, you could have a nice lager on the way home after a tough day at the office. Sounds sort of romantic to me. Honestly I might need a beer at the end of the day if that was my routine. The boat ride was nice, but I imagine if the water was rough, or if it was mid-winter it may have been less pleasant. I enjoyed looking at the cityscape, and getting some close up shots of the statue of Liberty. There was something comforting about these big old boats. I can't explain it really. I suppose it was the idea that generations of New Yorkers have experienced this, and that it is an integral part of their life. The enormity of the ferries makes them an icon of the city. They seem to have the presence of an old familiar building that a community looks to for a sense of identity.

After we returned to Manhattan we decided to head over to Roosevelt Island and take the tramway. I wish I had snapped a picture but they were so crowded it seemed somehow difficult to do. I have to say they were a bit intimidating. I couldn't believe how much the cables sagged down as the tramway passed over them.

Mike Caprio and I saw Dark Water a few years ago which is a J-horror film starring Jennifer Connelly. I've been a little fascinated by the island since then. Although far from being as creepy as it is in the movie, there is something unsettling about the place. Apparently it has recently gone through some renewal/ gentrification. Most of the foreboding apartment buildings now house luxury apartments and condos. They are also building several new towers on the island. We walked down the main drag out toward some public gardens and soccer fields on the north end of the island. For an island that supposedly is home to 10,000 people there isn't a ton of commerce. A handful of diners and takeout restaurants stood amongst a couple pharmacies and a small grocery store. We went in the grocery store looking for a restroom and the variety of food available was surprisingly diverse. The views of Manhattan were absolutely stunning. There is an eerie calm on the island despite being in the middle of such hustle and bustle. The grounds are very green and beautifully landscaped with shrubs, vines and small trees. The vines and shrubs seemed almost overgrown while the trees almost appeared stunted. After going for a nice walk on the river way (the dark picture) back towards the tram, we headed back into the Upper East side.

On the spur of the moment I decided it might be neat to go into Bloomingdales and walk around. I wanted to look at their holiday decorations and their Christmas ornament section. I have a tradition of buying my Aunt Gigi a Santa figurine for Christmas and was hoping to find something unique. While nothing in particular caught my eye, Kate and I enjoyed the store. It was hands down one of the most beautiful stores I've been in. The decor had a warmth to it, the white floors gleamed despite the heavy traffic, and it was early enough in the holiday shopping season where people were still in good spirits. We pondered having coffee, however ultimately we moved on.

We decided on Supper next and Kate found a pizza place in her guide book called Arturo's Coal Oven Pizza. Kate said it was inexpensive, considered a original Neapolitan Pizza joint in NYC, and also typically boasted live jazz. This place was amazing, and if I go back to NYC... generally I'm someone who always likes going someplace new... but Arturo's is worth another visit. It was probably the best pizza I've ever had... and if that wasn't enough we were seated right next to a woman playing the jazz piano beautifully. The atmosphere was great, dark, warm, and strangely familiar. It was everything you want out of a pizzeria. Still family run, busy yet relaxed, comforting, man... I could go on and on. We ended up picking Arturo's Specialty which was a sausage pizza with peppers, onions and mushrooms. It couldn't have been much better.

The pizza place was in Soho. After eating we walked around Soho, the meatpacking district and Greenwich Village. It was a blast, I enjoyed being amongst the nightlife, the bookstores, the galleries, and all of the students, hipsters, and intellectuals roaming the streets. Some of the bars had some really amusing themes one called "The Slaughtered Lamb Pub" was decorated with werewolf dolls skeletons and other horrors. It had the general appearance of a classic English pub with the exception of the goth accents.

Our night was coming to a close at this point. Earlier we had tried to go to Serendipity III for some pastries and hot chocolate. As our luck would have it, Serendipity was going through renovations... go figure. Another time.

Below is a cheesy slide show I put together of all of our NYC trips. It is a montage set to Nilsson music... making it even cheesier. Perhaps it will make you laugh. I'm potentially going to work on something like this for my mother so it was a bit of practice really... but I thought I'd post it all the same. Eventually I'll get some movies on youtube now that my digital camera is capable of taking them.

Lastly, Sunday morning we went and got some breakfast suitcases in tow. We went to a place called Chat and Chew. The decor was very similar to "Silly's" in Portland ME. Very bohemian, a lot of mismatched furniture, antiques, and brightly colored retro ads on the wall. The food was good, however it was a little pricey for what you got. I had some blueberry pancakes complete with blueberry infused butter. I believe Kate had a variant of Ham and eggs... but my memory might be failing me. We both enjoyed our food a lot. Chat & Chew was in a basement location in Manhattan between Union square and 5th avenue. Oddly enough when I look at the pictures on their web site it doesn't appear as I remember it. Here is Kate standing out front. Thus concludes our vacation... as we headed to the Port Authority afterward for the bus ride home.

Questions from the GOP debate

Thompson drones on like the animated corpse he is... but makes sense in the process. In fact his answer is actually so long (uncharacteristic for him from what I've seen) I think Romney forgot what the question was when he had to follow up. I tend to like candidates that actually pay attention during a debate, but perhaps I'm crazy.



In this one I believe the question comes from someone who isn't a fundamentalist due to his sarcastic tone... "Do you believe every word of the bible?" While I agree with Giuliani's answer the best, Huckabee (The Minister) also came off strong and sensible. Who would have guessed. Romney's head almost exploded as he struggled to answer it.



Its the economy stupid... namely the National debt.. weighing us down, destroying the value of the dollar. McCain was feisty! I really liked the suggestion to reveal the names of representatives attached to pork spending in press briefings. It will be a cold day in hell when it happens. Romney's answer was weak and confused, he starts by agreeing with McCain... and then he brings up his Mass health care plan as an example of fiscal responsibility. The same Massachusetts health care plan that Hillary has praised, adopted as her own, mandates health care with tax penalties, and is already over budget in it's first year. Imagine that? Giuliani gave the best answer. It was filled with statistics and was based on innovation, something lacking in most of these candidates.

This was my first Republican Primary debate for this election process. It was hyped to be an interesting one since the dates for the first couple of primaries are drawing near. I think I'm going to have to watch the Democrats next debate just to be fair and balanced.

As you can see I'm routing against Romney... I could even be forced to vote for Hillary (excuse me while I choke on vomit) If he ends up being the GOP candidate. Of course Giuliani is the only one I like... It would take a lot of internalizing and inner conflict to get myself to vote for one of the others. I refuse to vote for Romney..... well maybe if he ran against Kucinich ;)

wow

Just when I thought they couldn't get any dumber..... they go and do something like this.....

Massachusetts Proposal Would Outlaw Spanking

Imagine getting taken from your parents because they spanked you..... It is a scary world.

Friday: NYC trip III part 2

T.Rex at the Natural History Museum in NYC. This was a great day, the museum was loads of fun and honestly I could have spent a lot more time there. Kate and I sort of breezed through a lot of the cultural exhibits and there were many exhibits we didn't even see. The dinosaur exhibit seemed worthy of some photos. We actually didn't even get to all of this exhibit as there was more skeletons on display in a second floor rotunda that we didn't get to. My favorite parts of the museum was probably the geology and "living planet" section which went into climate change as a function of the planets natural cycles, cataclysmic events, and the influence of man. There were displays on calderas such as Yellowstone which is showing increased activity in the past few years. There was also a timeline associated with an ice core from Antarctica which I was pretty geeked out over. Kate's favorite exhibits were the the hall of minerals, and the Asian culture exhibit.
There were some fossils of dinosaur gizzards which were pretty gosh darned cool too! I like to imagine these giant beasts running around going "Tweet tweet!!"
Here I am chillin with Triceratops. We had a killer lunch in the museum cafe. We both opted for an overpriced slice of cheese pizza. For some reason it tasted really good, but in actuality it was essentially a fancy slice of Elio's pizza, complete with that crust that has tiny holes in the bottom of it. We split a cookie for desert and slugged back our Diet Cokes in the bowels of the museum before fitting in another couple of hours of exhibits.

That evening we headed out to the Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn to see "Three" which was a show put on by an Israeli dance company called the Batsheva Dance Company. It was very ummm... avant garde? It was abstract, incorporating everything from Brian Eno music to the Beach Boys. I read about it when looking for things to do in the evening and thought it would be a pretty unique activity. It was put on by BAM or the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Three was part of the "Next Wave" festival which was supposed to highlight up and coming innovative artists from across the world. The dancers were great, and the compositions were heavy on themes of sexuality and equality in a chaotic world..... or at least that's what I got from it. I'm far from being an expert on interpreting modern dance. I was amused by the introductions of each part of the show by a man holding a computer monitor. He walked out on stage with it, and turned the monitor on while holding it over his stomach. On the screen appeared his face which proceeded to tell us the contents of the next act in broken "Max Headroom" style English.

The show definitely turned out to be a little more "shock theater" than I anticipated. Kate described it as though they were "trying too hard" to be different or controversial. This culminated when several of the dancers mooned us, and others eventually dropped their trousers to give us a brief glimpse of the frontal regions where the sun don't shine. While we were a little weirded out by this... it was generally a unique and enjoyable experience. I'm not sure we'd pick modern dance again however.... if we do we'll have to find some dumbed down Disney-fied version perhaps.

At what point...

does Atheism become a religion itself?

Sunday School for Atheists

I think for many it has become just that. Many Atheists are so rabid in their disdain for the various established faiths that they embark on campaigns to prohibit the public expression of anything related to "God". My question is if you simply don't believe, why should there be such "religious" fervor to fight those that do? It sounds a bit like the radical fundamentalism of the established faiths that I often express my disapproval of. While an Atheist can not technically be a "fundamentalist" they can have the same passion. These passions are based largely in fear, and they create the zero tolerance attitude projected at those who don't share the same beliefs.

I must say, despite being raised Catholic I consider myself amongst the "14%" non-religious population. While I understand the separation of church and state and often even support some initiatives related to this, many of these "Atheists" step far beyond their disbelief and try instead to prohibit the beliefs of the faithful, even if they are expressed in an individual way separate from government support.

I'd be interested in listening to the content of the course being taught to the children. It teaches that it is OK not to believe.... fine, but does it teach that is OK for others to believe? It is funny how religious tolerance only seems to be supported when it is self serving.

I hope everyone had a good Turkey day... and for those abroad, I hope you had a nice weekend.

I will continue with the NYC posts shortly.

Thursday Night: NYC trip III part 1

The bartender at this BBQ joint in the upper east side took our picture after we finished our meal. A bit blurry.... but it is what it is... The bartender may have been a manager as well because he seemed really eager to please. He came out and talked to us before we decided to eat there. He again ran out when he saw me snapping the picture, guess he's hoping for some word of mouth publicity. We ate here shortly after arriving in NYC. Brother Jimmy's appears to be a NYC establishment with a handful of locations on Manhattan.

We initially had a couple of other options we were seeking out, however this place looked really cozy so we changed our plans. Both Kate & I had pulled pork sandwiches although I had beans and coleslaw with mine and Kate had curly fries. I enjoyed a Old Brown Dog (beer) with my meal. After the bus ride from Boston it definitely hit the spot.
Moving right along this is me out front of the Old Carnegie Mansion, now the National Design Museum operated by the Smithsonian Institute. (The Cooper-Hewitt Museum)
Next this was a pretty Baptist church in the Upper East side. A door man spotted me unsuccessfully trying to snap a statue of a trumpeting angel perched on the church's corner. He offered to take this shot which turned out to be really unflattering, more so for me than for Kate. I've censored our faces appropriately.
The night pictures were tough for me, this was another church... the best of a couple photos. I learned a new setting later in the trip that I think helped with my focusing problems, unfortunately it was on the last full day in the city.
This is the Entrance to the Apple store on 5th avenue. This was pretty much the highlight attraction of that night. The store is located beneath street level and you enter through this glass elevator or swiveling staircase which descends into the middle of the store. The store used to be open 24 hours, I'm not certain if it still is. It was around 2-3 times the size of any of the mall locations for Apple that I've seen. Inside there were extensive displays of Ipods, and computers. Some were set up so you could play games (which we of course did). Even the line to purchase things was pretty cool. You basically put in your name, and an employee would call you when it was your turn.

Anyway, that's going to be all for now.

Flushing Queens: Our temporary home away from home

The hotel that we stayed at in Flushing, HoJo's, is a classy joint... I think the wire framed Christmas (holiday) decorations were a nice touch. The polar bear, snowman and palm tree really added a certain something. And if you notice the decor continued on the inside too! Yes I'm passed out on the bed after a long day, and yes... that is a fake palm tree in the corner. That's Kate's backpack I'm hugging. I find that hugging something at night makes me feel more secure. Stay tuned for more NYC blog... I'll try and keep my long narratives to a minimum.

Amusing

Anti-Bush Sign Has Bridge World in an Uproar
Apparently Bridge is pretty popular amongst Bush fans.

The Clinton Files and The X-Files
Nothing incriminating or unusual here, I was just amused that UFO enthusiasts were amongst the first to request restricted Clinton administration files.

Minnesota bank held up twice in one day
Sucks to be those employees.... or the second thief for that matter.

The Drain

-photographed by Kate Fazio. Gillette Stadium Foxboro, MA. The Visitor's Locker room whirlpool drain. A clean exit.

Wicked November Weekend

I'm sitting here in my apartment on this Veterans Day weekend lounging about... unkempt and being totally lazy, and enjoying every minute of it. Kate and I are going to head over to Brookline soon and prepare a supper for her friend Jeff who is coming into town on business. Kate was searching for lasagna recipes earlier so it should be a fun & tasty evening.

The weekend began early for me on Friday since I took a half day. I went to "New Asia" in Cambridge for a Chinese buffet lunch. (Amusing restaurant name.... Jens?) Following this I went to get my hair trimmed, and then headed to the gym. The gym was great, no one was there since it was before the post work rush. I was exhausted that evening and passed out on my bed with the lights on while reading.

Saturday came and I picked up Kate to go to Foxboro and see Gillette stadium. Millennium had its yearly party for the employees there. It was a great time, they took us for a tour of the facilities. There was good snacking food and an open bar. Ex-New England Quarter back Steve Grogan was there as well signing autographs. After taking in the festive air for a couple of hours Kate and I returned to Melrose for an easy going evening. I made some bread sticks and we mindlessly watched TV.

On Sunday Kate and I had tickets to the Wicked show at the Opera House in Boston. The show was great! I was really impressed with the creativity of the story and I'm almost tempted to pick up the book and read it. The premise of the story is that the Wicked Witch of the West was really good and had her name dragged through the dirt by the corrupt Wizard of Oz. They really tied everything together well too so that it didn't tarnish the original story by L. Frank Baum.

Oil Junkies....

Mini to the max: Will the Smart car grow on U.S. drivers?

It's almost here... honestly it seems over priced, and when compared with several other cars already on the road here which are larger and have more horsepower... I guess I don't get the point. The Smart car has a 71 hp engine that is said to get at least 40 mpg.

The Toyota Corolla gets up to 35 mpg, has a 126 hp engine, and still maintains a sense of utility and practicality about it... and it starts at only ~$2-3,000 more than the $11,000 smart car which really can't be driven outside of an urban setting. I think MIT's shopping cart car (see prior post) has a better chance at success because it at least fills a certain niche.

Soooo... With Al Gore going on and on about ManBearPig and the world climate (political and physical) as it is, everyone is concerned about the oil crisis and it's impending potential to cause not just a domestic crunch, but an economic and relations disaster on a global scale.

Bernanke speaks and oil futures fluctuate
Drop after warning on economy; cost of gas maintains steady climb

You know what I don't get?? Where are the innovators? Where are the thinkers? Seriously... the best they can come up with are hybrid cars, tiny death traps, and wind mills? Where is solar power? Where is Mass Transit?

And for Mass Transit.... I guess I don't get why we can't use the very infrastructure we already have to support it. Ideally I think there could be large commuter stations along highways near major cities. It would work as follows... you drive your car to the highway commuter station and park it, etc, or... you take a bus or even walk to this commuter station. The station is set up as a private side exit on the highway, much like a rest area. There is no access to the highway here by private automobiles, only buses can access the exit. A station divides commuters from the outside and the buses on the highway.... really it works just like a train station with buses. Buses could travel an hour apart, or more frequently during rush hour. Large employers could be given incentives by the government to subsidize the fare for their employees.

It would be a huge public works project to implement such a plan, however I feel it would pay off in the long run.... and it would be a more realistic short term goal than rail service.

Additionally since many government workers are strictly 9-5, where applicable, I think they should be encouraged to use mass transit as a expression of their dedication to civil service. They should be obliged provide a leadership example to the rest of the country because preserving our livelihood is essentially their job.

As the world becomes more unstable, as demand for fossil fuels skyrockets with an expanding Chinese and Indian capitalist movement, and as our own oil consumption rises with population growth, the price of oil and gasoline WILL rise to unimaginable levels. For a nation that is largely rural, we had better be figuring out some solutions to the impending crisis that WILL change the way we live.

This isn't about banning SUVs, but rather it is about encouraging people to do what is right for themselves, and right for the country.

Random Random Random......

In the News:

Illinois Middle School Student Gets Detention for Hugging Friends Serves her right, if she's not going to hug everyone she shouldn't hug anyone at all. (Equal Opportunity Hugging, taking a stand against discrimination)

'Drug' Made From Human Waste Causing Stink on Web, in Law Enforcement
Ohhhhh Man... that's good sh*t!

MIT Developers Plan Collapsible Car for City Driving
Um yes... I drive a Toyota, a Toyota shopping cart.

I pulled this description off of the BBC of a Science article. I could be wrong but isn't this a double negative? Honestly, I can't say I care about the article. It seems like they are discovering "planets" in distant solar systems on a weekly basis now, but perhaps that is an exaggeration. Astronomers in the US unveil a new planet, the fifth in a solar system said to be not unlike our own.

Follow up on the urine froth subject, courtesy of Jeremy Viles: "Did a little investigative work on the Froth subject. Apparently it is caused by proteins and waste products that are released naturally. The reason there is less froth as George correctly pointed out in the blog, is the alcohol and the the fact that the urine becomes less concentrated (watered down Gregs...(1)) KIDDING! So that solves the quandary. Also for the record males have naturally more froth than females (typically because of the higher blood volume and greater filtration). So just thought I would share."
(1) Gregs: Nickname of a Brian Gregoire, implication: pieces of Brian are released in his liquid waste product.

On a more serious note:

Laser treatment 'could kill HIV' Interesting, sounds like it could have potential for topical infections at least, perhaps Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)?

Returning from blogging absence

Yes, yes... I know I've been absent from the blogging scene lately. Honestly don't expect much from this post either as it is late and I fell asleep tonight prematurely. This robbed me of some time I intended to spend on a post. Anyway I thought I'd post the best of some un-exceptional pictures I took on Halloween. I need to take a course on using the digital camera or something because I really can't seem to get the focusing down when there is any motion, additionally night time seems to increase the difficulty of the process. Anyway.

This picture of the state house bearing the Red Sox victory banner was probably one of my better shots. It took me three takes to get a non blurry photo... and I still think it could have been better.... ahh well. Moving right along.

Here you can see my "blurry" problems. This was at Beacon Hill on Halloween. The picture totally does not capture the excitement of all the dressed up people (actually I don't even see any in this shot) nor does it show the beauty of the decorations. There were several archways of balloons which were on this road and they just can't be appreciated here. Actually I imagine this is sort of giving the experience of what the night may have seemed like if I was really drunk at this point.... despite my bad camera work I had no alcohol.

This picture of Kate wasn't bad but again, aside from Kate, the wall, and those vines everything else is a blur. I think I'm coming to accept while I may have some artistic skill in other forums... photography is definitely not my forte. I took several other shots of the decorations including some elaborately carved Jack-O-Lanterns, some park decorations, and additional street shots, however all of them are as bad or worse than what you've already seen so I'll spare you.

I had a decent weekend and hope everyone else did as well. Friday I did some needed errands. I actually fixed the water damaged bathroom vanity (sandpaper, brush & paint $15). I think it looks pretty good and makes the bathroom seem much cleaner. The vanity was pretty gnarly looking after a broken sink started running and and ran over when I wasn't home. (Not one of my better memories from 2007) Saturday I did some more house work, and Kate came over. We had Fuddruckers for supper. I was going to try a new pizza place, however it hadn't opened yet and we settled for some good burgers instead. Saturday morning we had a nice pancake breakfast at the apartment. Later we headed out and saw "Bee Movie" written and voiced by Jerry Seinfeld. It was pretty funny, the animation was beautiful and the colors vibrant. For Seinfeld fans there were definitely scenes where the bee babbled on about nothing as though he were sitting in a diner with George and Elaine. It even worked in a cover of arguably one of my favorite Beatles Songs penned by George Harrison.

Anyway... I think that's going to be all for now. Have a swell Monday.

My Super Social Weekend....

So Friday night I headed up to Maine early from work. I met up with Brandy in Saco. There was some running around, multiple phone calls and some jittery nerves as Brandy plotted on the phone with Michelle and Christine over the party plans. Brandy was to head over to Rosie's and help set up for the party. Rosie's is a small laid back pub in Portland's Old Port that is frequented by my friends in Maine. Since she was headed to Portland she dropped me off at John & Michelle's apartment where I met up with John and Jim Musson. Tim showed up shortly and after a few beers we headed off to Rosies. The plan was that Tim was going to try and convince John that the party was really somewhere else... somewhere more up scale. Tim said we were just heading over Rosie's for a few drinks before the actual party, which could be believable since this is how Tim's 30th birthday party unfolded. It was a valliant effort by everyone to pull it off, but I think John was on to everyone. When we walked up to Rosie's and "The Gift" from the Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat album was pouring out the door.... well I think at that point John knew that we wouldn't be leaving Rosies.

It was a good evening of beer, a shot of yager... (more like a cup) snacks, and of course conversation and laughing. John's friend from highschool Chris Buellens (sp?) was an interesting guy who naturally became a center of attention. One of the more amusing moments of the night came when he put Enrique Iglesias on the Juke Box and sang along with him. It was an unexpected event, especially in the midst of the music snobs that most of us are. It was hysterical.... bravo Buellens. I think the only way he pulled it off is that it was essentially the very anti-thesis of every politically incorrect, foul-mouthed joke spewed forth by him all night.

After Rosie's we headed to Amigo's (my favorite dive bar> sarcasm intended) for last call, and then on to Michelle and John's to close out our late night, or early morning (to be accurate). Brandy drove Tim & I back to their apartment in Saco. Upon arriving I promptly collapsed on the futon.

I was in rough shape the next morning.... Pabst always seems to somehow pack more of a punch.

Brandy & Tim drove back into Portland to pick up Tim's car and we had breakfast at Kathy & Dave's, a family restaurant/luncheonette on outer Forest Avenue. After we returned to Saco, there was a brief segment of vegging out before the 1.5 hour haul back to Melrose.

Once at the apartment, I took a brief nap, cleaned up, checked my directions... and then headed to Berwick, ME which is just over an hour away, near Portsmouth NH. Jeremy Viles was in town for the weekend. He and Chris Pike were headed to the Pat's game on Sunday. Chris invited several friends over to watch the World Series Game and catch up with Jeremy while he was around. When I arrived Chris's brother Tim, Brian Gregoire, and Chris, his wife Kerri, and Jeremy were already tipping back some cheap beer. Jeremy Storrer later arrived with his wife Lisa. When we weren't watching the game the evening was primarily spent rehashing old memories from St. Joe's. Jeremy suffered through some mild guilt or "gaining a conscience" as he put it in regards to many unflattering nick names he gave to both people he knew at St. Joe's, as well as the unassuming recipients, those he had seldom spoke to, if at all. Gregoire ended up regressing a bit (well... regressing would suggest that his sense of humor had "matured"....and it hasn't), and got a hold of Kerri's laptop.

The surfing began by attempting to find out what exactly caused urine froth after a short discussion on the topic. Froth, or foam, as in "the bubbles" in the bowl or urinal when well... you get the picture.

Jeremy used to use "the froth" as a running gauge on how intoxicated he was. As more alcohol is imbibed the urine becomes clear and froth-less as you continue to dehydrate. Brian and Jeremy were somewhat quiet about their search efforts when Kerri questioned what they were doing with her laptop. She hadn't been paying attention to them initially, and I suppose they were attempting to prevent an intervention that might have impeded the search process. This search ultimately bore little fruit..... Brian was pretty incompetent when it came to googling/ researching. I think he searched for urine froth, without reference to alcohol or dehydration. Urine content, composition, urea... all things he could have used. When suggested by others in the room the typical "In a minute...! In a minute!" response was blurted out, while Gregs was distracted with the shiny object of the moment. Dismayed with his poor googling skills, Gregoire moved on to looking up people on Myspace voyeristically (is that a word? It should be.)

Eventually the game came on. The early part of the game was rather slow, the Sox dominated, but only because the the Colorado offense was just a little more bleak than Boston's. In the fifth inning, Dice-K began showing his typical signs of fatigue, and he was replaced early in the sixth. The game got very competitive from this point out. I ended up staying until the 8th inning, at which point I decided I needed to begin my journey back to Melrose... despite the excitement. I listened to the remainder of the game play out on AM radio on the return trip.

It was good seeing everyone, especially Jeremy and Brian who I haven't seen in years. We joked (well not really..) that we'll probably see each other in two years. Brian asked if I could fit him into the schedule... I'll see what I can do.

Jeremy has gotten his 15 minutes of fame in a reality TV series called Big Medicine. The second season is coming up and Jeremy said he has some good air time. They perform some of the surgeries in his OR. I'm going to have to tune into a couple and see if I catch a glimpse.

http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/big-medicine/big-medicine.html

Last on the agenda was hanging out with Kate on Sunday afternoon. We went to Margarita's in Waltham for lunch. We walked briefly around the river after our meal, but headed back to Brookline after.

Of course last on the agenda was the World Series. Game four was a good one. I got myself a small Pizza from the neighborhood joint "Theo's", and sat back and watched history unfold. Bobby Kielty's (oops realized my confusion on the train this morning... not hinskey... thats what I get for cutting and pasting) home run was a nice surprise and I thought Mike Lowell's MVP trophy was well deserved.

Silent Movie, a forgotten past

I like the piece with the family feeding their infant, it is beautiful and yet unsettling because by now that child, born in 1895 has long since passed away. It is a transient ever changing world in which we live in. Live life to the fullest, and most of all... enjoy it.

I'm obviously postponing the post on the weekend yet again, stay tuned.

World Champions Again

That's right NY Yankees, we aren't just a flash in the pan.

Speaking of which.... Please Red Sox Management... Don't sign the second biggest ass, jerk, (whatever you prefer) in baseball. I can't stand A-Rod... I sort of believe it was meant to be when we didn't get him the first time.

We currently have a great 3rd baseman in Mike Lowell, MVP of the World Series I might add. Do the right thing, resign him. Use the rest of the money you could waste on A-Rod on something positive.

Anyway, after a lack luster second half of the season, I was thrilled by the post season performance. Lets do it again next year!

I had a good weekend which I'll write about in detail tomorrow night.

When is the Parade!!!

Papelbon Imitators

It is only Tuesday....

And yet it feels like Wednesday...
Kate and I moved our night together up so she could go volunteer tomorrow as a tutor for GED students, and so I could watch the World Series. Both noble causes ;)

We went to Mike's in Davis Square where Kate had a Meatball Sub and a hearty helping of french fries, and I a heaping plate of pasta with Meatballs and garlic bread. It was sinfully glutenous, but totally worth it.

We walked around Cambridge a bit before finally going our separate ways.

There's so much in the news right now I don't know what to write about. I think tonight I'm going to keep it simple and free of politics.

So... Tomorrow is Wednesday and the week is half over. Happy Hump Day.

American League Champions!

Well three years later and they do it again!! It was scary in the 5th inning, there were a couple of questionable calls that the Sox got lucky on, and later an error by Lugo... I definitely broke a sweat... but in the end the Red Sox offense took off showing that even if the correct calls (V. Martinez getting thrown out by Manny when he was visibly safe comes to mind...) had been made we would have still overcame the efforts of Cleveland. So to celebrate, here's "Sweet Caroline" a 8th inning sing along tradition at Fenway Park. A fan took this and posted it on Youtube... while definitely rough and amateurish, I thought it was a nice window into the ambiance that is the Fenway experience.
There were more "Riverdance" sequences performed tonight by Papelbon but I imagine it will take a day or so for that to show up on Youtube. I'll be sure to look for them.




And of course no Red Sox celebration would be complete without the Standells... so here they are in their amusing TV video for "Dirty Water".

Red Sox Victory (Ye-yeaaaah!)

Hayes... the title is a tribute to your celebratory yelp.

Anyway, I had a good day which began with a lot of apartment cleaning. I threw out quite a bit of paperwork and other crap... and managed to make space for the air conditioner in my closet.

Last night I had stopped off at Jason's apartment to catch up... I caught him in the middle of consuming a large plate of syrup (Aunt Jemima) laden buttermilk pancakes. Anyway we had a quick chat and agreed to cooking something up Saturday night prior to the Sox game and then sitting down tow watch the event.

So tonight at 7:00 Jason & I cooked up some tacos, had some Brazilian beer called "Brahma" which I've gotta say was pretty good. The bottles have no label, however the name is etched in the glass and they have a curvaceous shape, much like a woman. But aside from that it was quite tasty and refreshing too.
The game was great... Schilling and the Sox offense proved to be more than we could hope for. J.D. Drew... thank you.

So here I am... post game rambling...
Aside from this I did buy the Traveling Wilbury's Collection finally which is currently out in the car. I look forward to enjoying the collaboration between Harrison, Lynne, Petty, Dylan, and Orbison. Additionally I added to my collection of "The National". This latest CD, even with a cursory listen, sounds phenomenal. It is called "Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers" and It was released in 2003. Kate and I saw this Low-Fi Indie label act from Williamsburg NYC back on the 6th at the Roxy. Another Williamsburg based band... with Interpol, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Nada Surf, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and many others.... there has to be something good about that run down part of Brooklyn I just didn't pick up on.

Anyway.... I think I'm going to chill out for a bit with my new tunes before finally slipping into slumber.

Some Dancing....

In honor of tonight's Red Sox victory..... I'm looking forward to Saturday.

The Celtics Pre-Season game

I went to see a game where a Boston team won! It's the first for me in probably a couple of years. (Since the Sox game in Tampa with Kate and Jason) Lately I can't even watch a game on TV without the team losing. So my luck has turned.... Cleveland, watch yourself!

The ticket to the game was thanks to Mike Caprio who emailed me on Monday asking if I could accompany him. His roommate Matt has season tickets and couldn't attend. The seats were one row from the top, however they were free, and they were smack in the center too so I can't complain. It was a fun game to watch with a final score of 101 to 61.
Big Three Leads Celtics to Dominant Win Over Knicks

Caprio made a point of routinely cheering on the every move of Celtics Red-head Brian Scalabrine. Additionally we attempted to cheer for the game to attain symmetrical score (example 95 to 59) at several points in the game when it seemed to be a legitimate possibility... unfortunately fate was not on our side and we had to settle for beating the New York Knicks by 40 points.... sans symmetry.

Arrggghhh!!

I had to stop watching the Red Sox right after the first couple of runs scored for Cleveland in the fifth inning. It was just too painful. I've checked into Redsox.com periodically which seems to offer me some emotional protection as opposed to seeing it play out on television.

Well thankfully it looks like we may have avoided another political blunder. I noticed that CNN chose not to even headline this potential embarrassment: Dems Withdraw Support of Armenian Genocide Resolution I'm sure it is probably buried somewhere on their page. Pelosi suffered a blow in her attempt to cause U.S. soldiers grief and suffering. Luckily enough Democrats defected support (came to their senses) on this one. Everyone understands the Ottoman Empire's actions against the Armenians were horrible. That being said, this had not been brought up for many years, and the timing was not a coincidence, it was intended to be a calculated blow at the U.S. military. If this bill had gone through, Turkey threatened to end or severely cut back our alliance as they did recently with France when a similar measure was taken. Pelosi is a smart woman, and she knew EXACTLY what she was doing... it is borderline... no it IS TREASON. It could be argued that she is a traitor to the very government she should be supporting. Of course proving that her specific goal was further destabilizing Iraq for the intent of political gain, while really obvious... would be tough to demonstrate.

First Baby Boomer Files For Social Security Benefits: This article goes into details about how our current social programs may not be fiscally viable in the future.

From Article: Walker (the comptroller general of the Government Accountability Office, Congress' legislative arm) said over the next 75 years between Social Security, Medicaid and other entitlements, the federal government will be in a $50 trillion hole.

The irony is certain Presidential Candidates are discussing the creation of an entire new health care social bureaucracy.... instead of first figuring out how to fix the ones that are already underfunded and essentially broken.

Friday... Red Sox implosion...Kate's Birthday

Well... Happy Birthday Kate... It is the official day, or the last couple of minutes of it as I write this. It has been a weekend long celebration for Kate starting with dinner on Friday night. Kate's friend Kevin was in town again on business with his coworker Julie. We went to Zenna Noodle bar in Brookline and had a nice meal. The cuisine is described as Vietnamese Fusion.

Saturday Kate and I got up and I made pancakes on the griddle that she purchased for my birthday last month. With some maple syrup from Jillson's farm in my home town of Sabattus, ME they were a heavenly delight. Kate and I spent the afternoon walking around Boston, specifically the Charles River. We decided on a whim to go to Thornton's Fenway Grille which is off the beaten track near Kenmore square. Located on Peterborough St. if you walked down the main routes out of Kenmore, you would easily miss this bar located in a small oasis of eateries including a Mexican, Thai, Greek, and sushi restaurant side by side.

I had intended to meet up with Tim Hayes who had organized a group of our friends to meet up and watch the second game of the Red Sox playoff against Cleveland. The group had decided to stay at the Baseball Tavern longer, so I went ahead and got food with Kate. I originally thought we'd all meet up and eat together, but I was starved and my stomach just didn't want to wait. As luck would have it Steve, Tim's brother ended up suggesting the Thornton Grille to eat, and everyone met us there. Kate not being a baseball or beer fan headed back to a quiet night in Brookline and I remained behind with everyone. Watching everyone eat was a bit weird, but lucky for me my friend John had also eaten. We decided to go outside in the sidewalk cafe area and drank our beer while John smoked. Soon we headed back to the Baseball Tavern, which I actually enjoyed. Some sports bars lack character, but the upstairs here had great decor comprised mostly of old black & white photos of baseball players. A moose head adorned one wall and it's rack held a baseball bat. The windows looked out at the back side of Fenway park, and we would occasionally glance over to see if a well hit ball could be spotted above the walls. Unfortunately as luck would have it, and otherwise great game imploded in extra innings with the Indians winning 13-6.

Sunday I spent doing some things around the apartment. Later in the afternoon I went out and got Kate a "cookie cake" and brought it over. We went out to Moogy's for steak sandwiches and walked around for a little bit. After I got home that night I slept well. I think I was still tired from the prior night of drinking.

Monday was a rather slow day at work. Thankfully I was looking forward to going to the Sunset Grill for supper which is just off of Harvard Ave in Allston. I had a Smuttynose Pumpkin ale with the grub. Kate and I ordered a half plate of nachos and a platter of "wimpy burgers" and "wimpy fries" (mini burgers). It was delicious. After our meal we walked back to Brookline for some of the cookie cake for desert.

Anyway... I think this is where I wrap up this weekend summary.

Tax & Spend

Chance of Increased Taxes if Hillary Clinton is Elected

Ouch... and this is coming from the mouth of Dick Morris, former Bill Clinton staff member. Biggest tax increase since the "New Deal". Targeting dividends and capital gains in a way that will probably create a huge blow to investment. I'm no financial expert but I would guess that it would deal quite a blow to the markets, and business in general, bringing an already cooling economy to a free fall.

Nobel Prize Winner Gore? (Groan)

An inconvenient Peace Prize

Read why the Nobel peace prize has become somewhat of a joke, and simply a political statement.

There is nothing wrong with educating people on Global Warming, however there are several misconceptions which are repeatedly supported. The most common of these is perhaps that everyone on the coast will drown in 50 years if nothing is done. The last is that we as a population can prevent the adverse effects from happening. Scientists who aren't a part of the miss-information machine will explain that the damage can not be reversed, and earth will have to repair itself.

Global Warming 'Past the Point of No Return'

It's actually simple chemistry. Plants remove carbon dioxide from the air, when they die the take it with them decompose and may eventually become deposits of fossil fuels in thousands of years. By burning this fuel we are quickly releasing all of the Carbon Dioxide removed by plants over the course of thousands of years of world history. The world CAN NOT process this increased carbon dioxide as fast as we create it.

Does this mean we shouldn't bother eliminating fossil fuels from our diet? Of course not, but when you fill people's heads with garbage, and they figure out that you are just either:
A. using a cause as a platform to make money, or gain political power; or
B. trying to scare people into responsible behavior, they'll lose respect for you, and your cause.

Not to mention.... Al Gore really doesn't follow his own advice.

The Not-So-Green Al Gore

Democrats: War Mongers

Turkey threatens repercussions for U.S. : So the Democrats have decided after 80 years to let the Turks know they disapprove of actions inflicted upon Armenians by the Ottoman Empire. A dumb move on the part of the Democrats, or is it just a Machiavellian tactic? I hate to say it, but the timing reeks of a Machiavellian tactic... This really is something to post votes up on because these people (the dems) are voting DIRECTLY for more war. Once they come in... I'll get the names.


Nancy Pelosi on the timing: “Why do it now? Because there’s never a good time and all of us in the Democratic leadership have supported” it, she said.

From the article: Turkish warplanes and helicopter gunships attacked suspected positions of Kurdish rebels on the border this week and Turkey's parliament was expected to vote next week on a proposal to allow the military to pursue a large-scale offensive in northern Iraq.


From the article: Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I. Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the killings didn't come from a coordinated campaign but rather during unrest accompanying the Ottoman Empire's collapse.

They are right... about it being genocide. But does this 80 year old horrible event really need to be brought up again? Additionally the 1 million dollar question is why are the Democrats bringing it up now in the middle of a war where the Turkish are amongst our only allies in the area? My morbid guess is to make things worse. Intentionally. Their few attempts to scale back the Iraq war failed and this is their new morally bankrupt tactic. Burn more bridges, cause more death, destabilize a peaceful region of Iraq, all with the hopes that you can blame it on Bush and the GOP with the intent of getting VOTES AND POWER. Nothing more, Nothing less. Evil. Despicable. Or incredibly poor judgement. It's as though they are playing with the emotions and prejudices of a region, just to make their own dreams of grandeur come true.

Horses should stop being slobs

How did Menino get elected? Better yet, how did he get re-elected?

In the Boston Metro, the Mayor Thomas Menino explains the equine digestive process of Boston Police horses. The impression given is that they are unique due to their thoughtfully maintained diets. This is cutting edge stuff.

Perhaps he is being rude or sarcastic in response to a rather silly complaint. (The complaint was over horse poop.) Regardless I don't get how his public relations people let this response slip by.

Metro moments with the Mayor from the mayor's response: "April, the Boston Police Mounted Unit feeds their horses natural products and, as a result, their manure is bio-degradable."

The take home message: Feed a horse Twinkies and Diet Coke and perhaps you can start a rubber plant.

Also on that note: Paper is bio-degradable, as are food products... does that mean we can litter as long as the litter in question will return to nature in a relatively short time?

For April who wrote the following: "People step on it or cars will run through it. Since people are required to immediately take up after their pets, why is this same procedure not followed with these horses?" The way I see it April: A) Enjoys walking down the middle of the street, rather than on the sidewalk. Or.... B) April is incredibly lazy and doesn't think she should pick up Fido's crap. Or.... perhaps C) If the horse can take a dump in the road why can't April?

Oh...wait Maybe... April just needs a job and she wants to follow the horses around all day with trash bags, just waiting for them to crap. April could catch the crap in mid air and would ask for only some of that wonderful natural food that the Boston Police horses chow on. After all, Whole Foods can be pricey.

I can't imagine what a person such as April must be like when she has a real problem.