Arafat is in a coma

Yasser Arafat has slipped into a coma leaving hand selected people in charge of the P.L.O. At lease if he's in a coma, no one can blame him for sending teenagers to their self inflicted death in Israeli market places or on Israeli transit. At lease if he's in a coma, no one can blame him for inciting the Palestinians against Jewish settlers. Or can they?

I think the P.L.O., under the leadership of Arafat, made a long and abiding commitment to terrorize Israel for as long as it exists. I think the surrounding Arab countries made an agreement with the P.L.O. to keep the Palestinians living like rats in refugee camps as an army of avenging angels to rid the area of the Jewish scourge.

Perhaps, with Arafat gone, the Palestinians as a nation, will be able to settle in one or all of the surrounding Arab countries which are certainly wealthy enough to give every one of those terrorist homes and jobs. This has been going on too long. A true leader would have found these people homes and work a long time ago, but instead he continued to allow his people to live like dogs in the wilderness.

I invite discussion on this, so don't be scared to link and argue and do what you need to do.

Bush won

In case you hadn't heard, President Bush won and John Kerry lost.

It's a sad day for Democrats and their supporters everywhere.

We'll never know what kind of President Kerry would have made, because most likely he will not get renominated by his party to run another campaign. On the bright side though, if there is one, we won't have to deal with John Edwards or Theresa Heinz Kerry.

Another food myth has been debunked. Fruits and vegetables do not help protect you against cancer.

VOTE!!

I voted earlier this morning. It took longer than I thought. There were quite a few more people there than I'm accustomed to seeing. I saw my neighbors of the last 11 years; many familiar faces of people I have never spoken to.

All the voting is controlled by local volunteers. Why are those volunteers always 100 years old and hard of hearing? There were a few young faces but they were strategically positioned in places that weren't of help to anybody.

The police presence was a lot heavier than I remember in the past. Police were stationed every 20 feet or so. That made me feel safe even though I didn't really feel threatened. But that Bin Laden video, if you think about it, can be a little unnerving. So far, I haven't seen any reports of terroristic interference. That could be thanks to President Bush, but I still voted Democrat down the line.

Remember that your vote is private. It's the one privacy entitlement I know of that is legally protected in the U.S. I say this because if you don't want to get into a heated discussion at the office or the dinner table, you can quote me and avoid a sticky situation.

"You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss". Your romance is Casablanca. A classic story of love in trying times, chock full of both cynicism and hope. You obviously believe in true love, but you're also constantly aware of practicality and societal expectations. That's not always fun, but at least it's realistic. Try not to let the Nazis get you down too much.

What Romance Movie Best Represents Your Love Life?
brought to you by

Scary Costumes

Matt Drudge has done it again. He found a funny and obsure news site that both comments and amuses at the same time.

This time, he links us to a newspaper, that is offering funny Halloween costumes.

Here are some interesting facts about November 1, from the Wikipedia. Can you believe only 60 days remain until the end of the year.

Here are three questions for you to answer below or to copy and answer on your blog.

1. Has this year been going by quickly for you?
2. Has this been a good or bad year for you to date?
3. What would you like to see improved for next year?

Here are my answers:
1. Between 9 and 5 my days have gone by slowly. After 5 pm they have gone by quickly.

2. This has been a good year to date. Many positive things have happened in my life.

3. I would like to improve my work situation.

Halloween

Halloween fell on a Sunday, on the weekend. What a great time to be a kid!!! Could you imagine having an entire weekend to plan and executive your Halloween mechanations. Good times indeed. Last night, Jon and I went to a Halloween/housewarming party at The Anonymous Blogger's beautiful new condo. Three bedrooms, huge living room, comfortable sized kitchen, and two bathrooms!!! Sign me up. On top of that, his condo has a view of the park across the street - a very nice home indeed.

Jon and I dressed up. I was a jack'o'lantern and he was Matthew Lesko, the free government money guy. Thank you Sarah for letting me borrow thispicture from her website. There were several clever costumes indeed. The Skycaptain was there and so was a eurotrash/goth/lingerie model. A young woman from the ARMY was in attendance - she showed us the self defense form of Torah Dojo. It seemed like Clark Kent was having an identity crisis and exposed part of his superman S while loosening his tie. I've never seen Clark Kent look so disheveled, he seemed to have a lot on his mind. T.A.B certainly was entertaining as Fred Flinstone, Johnny Cash, one of the Dark Lords from the Star Wars trilogies. (Dressed as I was, I don't think I was too threatening, even when fighting the Dark Lord with my light saber).

T.A.B. served party bagels. Party bagels are just like those great big heros except they are bagels. Delicious. We all brought some home with us.

Special thanks goes to our friend who came as someone who doesn't like to dressup for Halloween. He drove us home, at 2 in the morning, halted in 59th Street Bridge traffic until 3 am. Who knew that the bridge would be so crowded so early in the friggin' morning. I don't know why I never remember. The city works on the byways late at night causing all sorts of problems you wouldn't expect.

Fun, fun, fun.

Today I'm going to see my 10 month old nephew dressed like a giraffe and I'm really looking forward to it.

Have a happy Halloween!! and keep your kids safe.

Worst Mom of the Year Award Goes To

this mom.

Not only did she make her baby smoke pot, but she photographed it.

D'uh

Reality Shows Update

Last night, Orlando Bloom look-a-like #1, from Survivor was voted off the island. Poor John. The young mechanical bull operator was a good sport about it. He tried to rally the troup against Chad, the contestant with the prosthetic leg, theorizing that if the jury had to choose between one of them and the guy with one leg, the guy with one leg would get the sympathy vote. His plan backfired becuase he was the only one who voted off Chad - John's team kicked him off unanimously.

Meanwhile, on the Apprentice, Orlando Bloom look-a-like #2, Andy, did amazingly well in leading his team to victory. The task was to create an ad inviting young people to join the NYC police force. He took command and didn't waver, didn't even compromise. He stood behind his idea and succeeded. Poor Elizabeth didn't fare too well. She was just too nice. She wanted to make every body happy and in the end made no one happy. She lost. I felt bad for her and I saw what her weakness was. She had trouble communicating. Trump didn't even have to think twice about firing her. He did it rather quickly, without her even having to go to the boardroom a second time with two people of her choosing.

Elizabeth. I salute you. You are smart and you were right. But you have to speak up for yourself more. You understood the assignment and Raj was a big pain in the ass. He confused you by seeming right about a wrong idea.

Arafat arrived in Paris . . . .

. . . . for medical treatement. Tests show that he has a low platelet count which could be symptom of a number of different illnesses. He is being treated at a French military base.

Arafat to Be Flown to Hospital in Paris

Sources: Ailing Arafat refuses Paris hospitalization

Sharon in top security meeting over Arafat health crisis

Yasser Arafat is dying or is he? Reports are mixed. Some say he is on his death bed while others say he just lost conscienceness for about 10 minutes. I even heard on the radio tonight, that there are rumours that he has A.I.D.S. and that it's just a matter of time before he passes over to the other side. That rumour, according to the radio, is supported by his rapid weight loss over the last two weeks and his bout with several colds and flu like illnesses.

This report I heard also said that several groups are primed and ready to fight for leadership of the Palestinian people. I never thought I would find myself in the position of hoping that Arafat lives. Now that Sharon has agreed to evacuate about 8,000 Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, Arafat would probably be instrumental in making sure everything goes smoothly and that the Palestinians accept this as a step toward increasing the peace.

Hey Trivialists. . .Trivialize *THIS*!!

Eric and I led a very coordinated co-hosting effort last night.

There were 10 teams, about 50 people. One team came in first, then another came in second and then finally one came in third. In true Valerie fashion, I can't remember who did what or when. I do remember there was someone in the audience who wasn't happy with one of our answers. He protested when we gave the answer, after we gave the answer, while we were collecting the answer sheets. He protested up until we started the next round. Finally he calmed down because I'm sure he realized he was wrong.

We didn't give in.

Never give in. Even if you are wrong which we weren't. But once you give in a little bit as the host, then you leave yourself open to a lot of negotiations for points. The crowd won't stop picking at you until you find by the end of the game, you've given it all up. Don't do it. It's not fair to the teams that play fair and work hard and know their shit.

Anyhoo. . . . . . .
==================================

So . . . Who are you voting for next Tuesday?

Again? Yes, Again

Tuesday Night Trivia
The Baggott Inn
October 26, 2004, 7:30 pm
Featuring Erik Kabakoff and Valerie Goodman
in their second ever appearance together

Bottom of the 5th

It's the bottom of the 5th, second game of the World Series. Ortiz just hit what he thought was a fair ball and a team of umpires is trying to determine whether it was fair or foul. In my life, I don't remember enjoying a baseball game as much as this one right now.

Perhaps, I have caught the fever from Jon, a fervent baseball fan with encyclopedic knowlege of the sport. Or perhaps, I am one those fans who can only enjoy post season baseball. I'm caught up in the Red Sox being the sentimental favorite to win the game. Maybe I'm excited about the almost 38 year old pitcher with the bleeding ankle who chose to try for a Red Sox World Series victory over surgery to fix what could become a permanent limp that could kill his career as a ball player. I think for these reasons, I'm really enjoying the game.

I still don't see how baseball is a metaphor for life, like many fans do, but I certainly can understand the emotional investment of those follow it before, during, and after the season.

Housewarming Party

Thank you to everyone who made it out to our housewarming party last night. It was a pie and wine kind of evening. I heated a Mrs. Smith's apple pie and put it out but it didn't even get eaten because;

One guest brought 2 pies. Good.
One guest brought a cake . Good
One guest brought He'Brew, the ethnic beer. Good and funny.
One guest brought Yellow Tail wine. Very good and very cool because I've seen the ads everywhere and was wondering what the hell it was.
Actually many guests brought wine. Extra good.

One guest made the world's friggin' best homemade guacamole. Yummers.

Two guests thought it would be funny to put an image of T** girl on our computer, so we would see it every time we booted up. Not so good. (I use the asterix because I don't want searches for that freak to find me here). Took me half an hour and the assistance of my brother to remove the image from my computer. Those guests were properly chastised.

I learned several things last night:
Men like baseball and so do some women.
Captain Morgan coconut flavored rum is scrumpt-diddly-icious.
Scatological humor is making a comeback (shipoopie).
Romy and Michelle's HS Reunion is a quotable cult film.
Half liter bottles of Poland Spring water are easier to serve than waiting for water to filter through a Brita.

But most importanly, I learned that we have really great friends.

Mark Burnett - Secret Crush?

Is it possible that reality show producer Mark Burnett has a secret crush on Orlando Bloom?

Look at these three pictures.

1. 2. 3.
On both The Apprentice and Survivor are contestants who look a lot like the young star.

Can you find the picture of the true Orlando Bloom?

Exactly One Year Ago

I'm kind of busy today, but I long to BLOG. I long to share with you.

So, I link to my post from October 22, 2003.

Not surprisingly, it is about trivia.

Castro Invertable

78-year old Fidel Castro fell on his face after giving a speech. He quickly recovered and let the crowd know that he was okay. He injured his knee. Why doesn't this guy just die already? It seems like he's immortal. He never dies. I think it's his hatred for all things Western that keeps him going.

He is the original ole dirty bastard.

Lay Lady Lay

Police stun 75-year-old
Rock Hill chief says Taser was used after woman attacked officer

Drinking and Thinking

• 7:30 pm - October 20, 2004
• Dempsey's Pub, 61 2nd Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets
• Janet Rosen, Valerie Goodman

Tuesday Night Trivia

Akachris cohosted last night with Caren. Not only did he do a good job, but considering it was his first time, he did super job. It's always a good game when Caren hosts, so I'm glad I went last night. In honor of an article recently published in New York about Tuesday Night Trivia, Caren wore her nerd glasses complete with tape across the bridge of her nose. (side note: I am mentioned in the article as the "pale, blowsy woman shouting out the answers from the previous round").

I played with my usual team last night, including T.K.O.A.B., Barry, Kory, and Robert. We invited Dina to play with our team because she was new. She explained to us that she had played previously in Hong Kong, where she worked as a lawyer for a few years, at fuctions for foreign correspondent. I figured a lawyer with international trivia experience would be a good new edition to the team and sure enough, we won first place.

It was a closer game than usual. Candy Blue Kite's team was only 1 point behind this time, coming in second. Candy's team has been playing much better lately, starting to emerge as a real threat to my unbeatable winning streak. Believe me, it's not because I'm on the team that we're winning (I received an honorable mention from Candy). It's because I have good people playing on my team, really good people. Robert surprised me last night by his expertise on club music from the 90's. Turns out, he worked as a dee jay in the late 90's. Who knew?

Celebrity Spotting

As I was walking through the turnstyle, leaving the platform at 28th and B'way, B.D. Wong was walking though in the opposite direction heading toward the track with a cute little boy, who I assume was his son. This is the second time I've seen him in this neighborhood and he looks just like he looks on television - very smart, very handsome, and very nice.

Taxing

Note: Matt Drudge points out that Mrs. Heinz Kerry pays less in taxes than most middle class Americans.

In an attempt to make Theresa Heinz Kerry look worse than she already does, the NY POST published this lovely article practically accusing her of being a thief. It reports she is paying taxes at half the rate the Bush's are paying by exploiting every possible angle of the tax code. It also reports the Mrs. Kerry's wealth is impossible to calculate because she is withholding information. Thank goodness no one looks at my records this closely. Of course, no one cares about my 25,000 a year.

I just did a little research and found that I am in the 15% tax bracket. Theresa Heinz Kerry somehow was in 12.5% and the Bushes are in 20 something percent.

That means that jointly the Bush's income is between 14,000 and and about $100,000 a year. Theresa's at 12.5% means her income is between about 15,000 and 23,000 give or take.

Check out your tax bracket here.

Theresa Heinz Kerry

Not knowing Mrs. Kerry personally, it's hard for me to say whether or not she is a good person or what she is like. But if I had to judge based on what I read about her every time she picks up a microphone, I'd have to say that she's a little bit out of touch with reality and the way common people live. It's to be expected. She is the wealthy heir to a large fortune and has lived most of her life in luxury. I'm not saying that her life has been easy, but I'm pretty certain, it's been more comfortable than yours or mine put together.

What inspires this post is a teaser I read at the Drudge Report. Although it is not there any longer, the teaser was Mrs. Kerry's remedy for arthritis pain.

"You get some gin and get some white raisins - and only white raisins - and soak them in the gin for two weeks," she said. "Then eat nine of the raisins a day."

She was addressing a pro-Kerry crowd at the Neil Road Community Center in Reno, according to this article at the Reno-Gazette Journal website.

The article later quotes an expert who says that raisins have sulfites and that people soak in sulfer springs as a cure for arthritis, but I think the journalist was using that offset how crazy Theresa Heinz Kerry sounded.

The DNC should not let her campaign for her husband. She gets crazier sounding with every sound byte.

Star Trekking

Last night, long after the closing credits for the Apprentice flashed on our TV screen, Jon and I decided to watch another fantastic episode of Star Trek from the Season 1 DVD.

Shore Leave is perhaps the most lightest hearted of the first season. The crew find themselves on a planet where every daydream comes true. The premise is quite silly but I think the episode sets the foundation of ideas for the hollow deck.

Does anyone remember the name of the Star Trek episode that only aired once?

The Apprentice - Season 2

Yes. Mark Burnett hooked me again, this time hodling my attention through two hours of television.

While changing around my summer and winter clothes I was half paying attention to the latest season of Survivor. Tonight the men's and women's teams were mixed together and the reward challenge was a test to see which team could dive deeper to collect disks. The reward was potato chips and beer. Tonight Travis "Bubba" Sampson was voted off for trying to communicate with his friend from the opposing team. This makes the show more watchable for me, because I tend to dislike chubby, ruddy skinned, white guys with hick accents named Bubba. I don't know much about him outside of his entertainment value and I'm sure the producers are thrilled to lose this equivalent of a lawn ornament/eyesore.

John, a 24 year old marketing director from San Francisco, was fired on tonight's episode of the Apprentice. Having finished the laborious task of hanging my sweaters during Survivor, I lay on the couch mesmerized and unmoving from 9 - 10 while the contestants designed a line and then presented it at a fashion show. The women finally beat their 4 time losing streak by selling more product to the attending buyers and the men had to go to the board room where they suddenly started turning on each other.

I just love this show. The cheese value is high, which I feel is an inherent factor in a successful TV show, but then it also has this quality about it that makes the viewer think they are learning something about business by watching Donald Trump sum up the basic idea of the assigned task. Tonight's lesson was Know Your Market. Wow. It took me a second, after all I only have a BA from a state University, but I realized that knowing your market is perhaps a great idea for successfully selling a product. If you detect derision, that's good, because I'm trying to sound derisive.

Debate three

Who said what? Can you identify which candidate said which of the following?

1. . . . outsourced the job to Afghan warlords . . .
2. . . . if you're younger and healthy, don't get a flu shot . . .
3. . . . 82,000 Arizonians lost their health insurance under this President's watch . . .
4. . . . I have a plan to cover all Americans . . .
5. . . . a plan is not a litany of complaints. . .
6. . . . by reinstating what President Bush took away, which is Pay as You Go . . .
7. . . . he voted to increase taxes 98 times. . . a tax on every small business owner in America
8. . . . here's some help for you to go to a community college . . .
9. . . . education is how to help the person who lost his job . . .
10. . . . I want you to notice how the President switched the discussion away from jobs to education. . .
11. . . . like Tony Soprano talking to us about . . .
12. . . . the fact is he cut job training money . . . he cut the Pell Grants . . . not extending unemployment benefits
13. . . . I don't want Americans subsidizing the loss of their own jobs . . .
14. . . . Whew!! Let me start with the Pell Grants. . .
15. . . . he voted to increase taxes 98 times . . .he voted against tax cuts 126 times. . .
16. . . . more people qualify for [Pell Grants] because less people have money . . .
17. . . . your record is such that Ted Kennedy is the liberal senator from Massachusetts
18. . . . Mr. President, do you think homosexuality is a choice? . . .
19. . . . defined marriage as between a man and a woman. . . .it shouldn't be up to the courts to decide
20. . . . we're all Gods children Bob and I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, she would tell us she's being who she is . . . it's not choice. . . that's why I'm for partnership rights . . .
21. . . . I believe that I can't transfer to another American citizen an article of faith . . . it's between a woman, God and her doctor . . . faith without works is dead . . .
22. . . . I think it's important to promote a culture of life . . . it's a brutal practice . . .my opponent voted against that law . . . fund maternity group homes . . .
23. . . . consumers are not involved in the decision making process . . . I know that the lawsuits are causing healthcare costs to rise in America . . . it's equivalent of buggy and horse days. . .
24. . . . this administration has stood in the way of common sense solutions that would reduce costs. . . blocked you from the right to have less expensive drugs from Canada . . . Medicare belongs to you . . .
25. . . . he has no record on reforming of health care . . . no record of leadership . . .
26. . . . I have passed 56 individual bills . . . the President's wrong. . .
27. . . . my healthcare plan America, is very simple . . . if it's good enough for us, it's good enough for every American . . .
28. . . . it's not fair to quote leading news organizations, well, nevermind - let me quote the Blah blah report . . .

I'm bored. One is building castles in the sky while the other is trying to convince us he's not stupid.

And it's all for naught, because George W. is going to win. He could write "I wanna' be Prezident" in his own feces on the wall behind him, during this debate and he would still win.

I'm going to watch Star Trek.

Trip Highlights

Mount Royal
Walking up Mount Royal through the park. We were hoping to see the Cross, but it started to get too dark to see anything. The park paths didn't offer to much in the way of lighting. We started our ascent at one of the entrances where Tom Toms were being played madly by wanna' be hippies. The square was full of rich college students pretending to be dirty gypsies, selling cruddy home made jewelry and seemingly tripping on ectasy. We were heard those tom toms all the way up to Beaver Lake. We were pleasantly surprised by the randomness of the sculpture garden near by.

St. Joseph's Oratory
On the side of the mountain opposite the park, we explored St. Joseph's Oratory. we chose to walk up the steps like tourists, rather than like the penitents we saw ascending on their knees (that's 90 steps,ouch). Exceptional. The history of the Oratory is interesting. Founded by Brother Andre 100 years ago, this was the most beautiful structure in Montreal. This is another site that surprised me with it's amazing museum. On the level before the basillica is a museum with over 200 nativity scenes from 107 countries. Nativity scenes, if you're not aware, are a lot more pleasant than depictions of the crucifixion. Way in the back of the museum is a series of life size diaramas representing the life of Joseph as it relates to Jesus. This is a little creepy but very special and a must see.

Marie Queen of the World Cathedral
Our hotel was across the street from Marie Queen of the World Cathedral. One of the reasons I love visiting cathedrals when I travel is my fascination with stained glass. In most cathedrals, the windows tell little stories either from the old or the new testament. In this cathedral, the windows explained the religious history of Montreal. I won't bore you with the details but the heroes chosen are interesting characters, many of them women. Canadians credit both special men and women with founding the city of Montreal. I also really liked the stations of the cross here, done in relief. The stations have more meaning for me since seeing the beating rather The Passion of the Christ. The structure itself is a 1/4 scale model of St. Peter's Basillica.

Notre Dame Basillica of Montreal
This was breathtaking. Gothic, romantic, religious. My observations for this cathedral are too personal for this venue. (I am still and always will be Jewish. I just happen to love Cathedrals. They are always more interesting than temples. Some of the best art I've ever seen has been in Cathedrals, because for years, the biggest sponsor of the arts was the Catholic church. They have commissioned more great works than any institution, mostly during but not exclusive to the Renaissance. Artists give up so much of themselves to express their love for Christ and for the church. You would have to be heartless not to find it moving. That's why I find it hard to express in words, what I felt when I saw this Basillica, not because I am having a crisis of faith.)

Ass Jumping
Staying at the hotel was great fun. We stayed at the Centre Sheraton and our room had two beds, two big fluffy beds. Part of the joy was playing a game I invented called Ass Jumping. Jon and I competed to see who could bounce higher on the beds using our behinds. The hotel had a pool and a jacuzzi and a sauna. All put to good use by two happy tourists.

Dear Weird Guy at Gate 89 at Dorval Airport

Don't you think it was inappropriate to be reading your whackoff material in the waiting area with children present? Seeing the look on your face when you opened the first magazine was quite disturbing. But when you groaned while looking at the naked women in the third one, I just knew that you would be sitting near us on the flight. I wasn't surprised to see you sitting one row ahead, nor was I surprised when you started to snore so loudly it sounded like you were sawing wood. I felt bad for the guy sitting next to you, quietly reading his Tom Clancey paperback, especially when you started looking at whackoff magazine number four.

I hope I never have to see you again.

We're back.

Hello from Canada

Before you read this post you should know two things.
1. The Canadians love this weird dish called Poutine.
2. Jon cut his hair and it looks really, really great.

Hello from Rue St. Urbain.

Jon and I are taking some time off from our walking tour of Montreal. We've stopped in a little internet cafe on Rue St. Urbain across from Hotel Dieu, which we think is actually a hospital. Yesterday, after checking into the luxurious Sheraton, we went directly to Rue de St. Catherine. We walked all the way down to the Place des Artes, then hung a right on Rue de St. Laurent, walked through Chinatown, into Old Montreal where the fun really began. When we first entered Old Montreal we noticed a couple of brides walking around here and there and thought it very charming. But then as we walked further down Rue de Notre Dame, the number of brides started rapidly multiplying. It was when reached the PlaceVauquelin, and the Hotel de Ville, or City Hall, we realized that people were getting married en masse. We saw brides everywhere. Yes. I took pictures, but I used by Pentax K-1000 so hopefully they turned out okay. The camera is almost 20 years old and hasn't been tuned up in 13 years.

In the square across from the Hotel de Ville is this great fountain where all the brides were posing with their wedding parties. People were also posing by their limousines, their incredibly ridiculous Bentley and Rolls Royce limousines complete with tulle and other wedding decorations. Across the street at le Place Jacques Cartier, we saw the odd statue of one armed Lord Nelson, whose name I know, only from watching the movie Master and Commander. Jon knows more about the history of British naval warfare than I do, but from what I understand, Lord Nelson is famous for winning the Battle of Trafalgar which I guess was some important battle against Napoleon.

To the right, you can see the picture of city hall to the right of that very tall statue of Lord Nelson. Imagine this square full of brides. It was really quite lovely. Also imagine those big pots full of orange, yellow and purple flowers. Absolutely incredible.

We walked further into Old Montreal and found charming little shops and restaurants and windy streets and strange art stores and weird, original jewelry. We walked past the Notre Dame basilica but I was just too pooped by this point to really appreciate the basilica and besides it was overcast and you really can't enjoy stained glass when it's cloudy outside. We chose to save for it another day.

Today we took the metro to the Ile Saint Helene and saw the enormous geodesic dome which I photographed ad nauseam, and then this cool old fort, Musee Stewart. We were surprised to discover a fantastic little gem of a museum. Inside there was an interactive diorama explaining the history of the city plan. Very cool. There was also a lot of pewter, more than you can shake a stick at.

We're now headed out to Mount Royal to meander through the park and then walk back to our hotel back up Rue de Ste. Catherine. Can you guess what was named after Mount Royal?

Ste. Catherine Street

I got a tip from one of my company's vendors, a printer in Canada, that Jon and I should spend some time on Ste. Catherine Street when we are in Montreal.

Check out this link.
http://travel.e-scape.net/canada/quebec/montreal/streets/stcatherine.html

It looks pretty cool.

It's coming from inside the house

In Barstow, California, police reported that an 11 year old went after her babysitter with a shovel, a babeball bat, a BB gun and eventually a machete which she found on the front lawn. Huh?

Apparently the 11 year old was beating up the dog and the babysitter tried to stop her.

The 11 year old chased the 34 year old babysitter and her 12 year old sister into the bathroom where they hid to take refuge.

Just what we needed. A good scary babysitter story in time for Halloween.

Better Than Theraflu

Five days with this cold and finally I have it together enough to make some Jewish penicillin; liquid gold; good old fashioned chicken soup. Actually, feeling ambitious, I am making two different types of chicken soup. I'm trying out a couple of things.

I split a 5 pound chicken into its various parts.

In the first pot, I've added two pureed two chili peppers, two pureed small onions, two stalks of celery to the legs, thighs, breast and wings of my chicken. I also put mini carrots, some chopped celery, cayenne pepper and salt. This is going to be the hot and spicy soup to clear out my lungs and sinuses, basically acting as a decongestant. In the second pot, I put the neck, the back, the wing tips, some mini carrots, chopped celery, the juice of two freshly squeezed lemons, 1 pound of asparagus, white pepper and salt. This will have some kick but not be burning, burning hot. This one is meant to sooth and deliver that good chicken fat that has all the healing power.

I'll let you know how they turn out. Or maybe Jon and my neighbors will write a little review. It has yet to be seen.

Montreal

Jon and I are going to Montreal for a little get away. I am a big fan of cathedrals so hopefull the first site we see will be the Basillica of Notre Dame de Montreal. And I hope we also get to visit the Biosphere, the amazing geodesic dome designed by architect Richard Buckminster Fuller for the 1967 Expo. It's now an amazing environmentalal center and museum and being the amateur science geek that I am, it's a must see. What's wild is I remember Jon telling me about a geodesic dome by Fuller but I never connected the two.

Rodney Dangerfield Passed Away

Rodney Dangerfield passed away. He was 82 years old. I don't know anybody who didn't like him or didn't think he was funny. He made me feel like comforting him even while making me laugh. I always wanted to say, "You're not so bad looking." or "Your luck will turn around soon."

I have two favorites when it comes to Mr. Dangerfield. One was when he was a guest voice on The Simpsons as Montgomery Burns's long lost son. It's episode 4F05 from season 8. The second of my favorites, is the movie Back to School where he plays the wealthy owner of a chain of clothing stores for big and tall men. In it he attends his son's college to help his son fit in and feel better about himself in general. Of course the plan backfires, as Rodney's character Thornton Melon becomes more popular than any student on the campus. Part of what makes him so unbelievably, and I mean that literally, popular are his outlandish parties featuring Oingo Boingo as the main act (Danny Elfman, former lead singer, wrote the theme for the Simpsons and many movie scores) and his irreverence for his teachers.

You know the movie. You've seen it many times as one of your guilty pleasures. You've watched every time your clicker has fallen on Comedy Central while you were channel surfing on Saturday mornings. You know that the funniest scene in that movie is when he performs his dive the triple Lindy. A dive that is so impossible nobody could possibly do it. And if you know the movie as well as I do, you understand why it's my favorite of his.

Anyway, thank you Rodney Dangerfield for making me laugh. I'll miss you.

Ahhhhh. Theraflu.

I almost completely forgot about my favorite OTC cold remedy, TheraFlu. I added a packet of the powdered elixir to 6 oz of water and I feel so much better. I think I'll be able to sleep tonight. At work today, I was thinking about sleep having gone virtually 2 nights without it. I started thinking about some pillows that I'd seen on some recent rides down the internet highway.

Rides, rides . . .that leads us to my first online pillow memory. A few weeks ago, my friend Vidiot, informed his readers of a link he found to the Kropserkel God Father Horsehead pillow. I don't know how peaceful a sleep I would get, sleeping next to a reminder of the horror of that early scene in Part 1 of the Godfather, the best movie ever made. That wouldn't do.


So my mind wandered back to a link I saw on the Drudge Report last week for the Man Pillow. A manufacturer in Japan started marketing the arm pillow to the female population of Japan. They have been selling like hotcakes. What a brilliant idea. But why stop there. The pillow is just half a torso and an arm. Why don't they just make a whole man pillow? Why don't they sell that here? It would save single American women the expense of having to get a cat.

So, given a choice between the severed horse head pillow and the Man Pillow, which one would you choose?

Why?

Why would anybody go after these guys, especially with what they've just been through. Shame on those men.

Monday

It's early Tuesday morning and my sinuses have kept me up a second night in a row. Well, I haven't been awake exactly, but I haven't been asleep. I'm in that frustrating limbo between the two that most insomniacs understand whic is frustrating because I haven't had trouble sleeping in quite some time.

Sunday night was a night like that. Upon awaking Monday morning I felt neither refreshed or recharged. Working was a bit of a challenge but not as much as you would think. Something about 8 or 9 hours of light sleep makes your brain a little sharper even though you hurt other places. For me, it was my eyes that hurt. The combination of lack of sleep and sinus pressure was pretty bad. At one point, I had to breath water up my nose in the ladies room to try to get some relief. It didn't work like it usually does. It seemed to make it worse by making my eyes tear.

After work, I met Jon and Sandy at Wo Hop in Chinatown. Apparently the restaurant has two parts. At 15 Mott, the restaurant is set up more like a traditional restaurant but downstairs at 17 Mott is more cafeteria style. It's a famous New York eatery that gets referenced often on cop shows situated in New York City. Interestingly enough, there were three cops just sitting down to eat dinner as we were getting up to leave. The portions were generous. The three of us shared, steamed dumplings, cold sesame noodles, sesame chicken, Szechuan shrimp, beef chow fun, rice and we each drank a Diet Coke. This enormous feast, that we couldn't even finish, came to a grand total of $36.00.

When we got home we played two games of Scrabble. I lost the first game but won by 100 points in the second game. I bingoed with the word ADJUSTS on a triple with the first "s" connecting with the word ICING to make ICINGS. My total score for that play was 103 points including the 50 for the bingo.
That is the highest score I have ever gotten from playing one word.

I guess I felt a little better after we ate, thanks to the tab of Claritin I took before dinner. But I think the Claritin is what has been keeping me up these last two nights. The makers of Claritin aren't kidding when they list non-drowsy on the label. I've also determined that I am suffering from the ill effects of a cold rather than seasonal allergies, so I'm done with the Claritin and seeking something else for relief - something that doesn't cause drowsiness, yet doesn't keep you awake; something that doesn't dry you out painfully like Sudafed; something good.

Any suggestions?

Another Dead Celebrity

Guess who died. Come on. Take a stab at it.

Weekend Resume

Friday

• Worked
• Russian Turkish baths - see below
• Played Scrabble with Jon
• Slept

Saturday

• Woke up
• Watched the end of Osama
• Had brunch
• Napped
• Went to closed gym
• Picked up food for dinner
• Made steak and salad
• Watched When Harry Met Sally
• Played Scrabble with Jon
• Slept

Sunday

• Woke up
• Watched the beginning of Osama
• Made coffee
• Surfed the web
• Went to Renaissance Festival
• Went to Time Warner Center
• Came home
• Watched tape of National Scrabble Championship
• Made and ate dinner
• Played three games of Scrabble with Jon (lost twice)
• Watched a very special episode of Star Trek

Any questions?

My New Favorite Show

What Not To Wear on TLC is my favorite new show.

I just love it!!!

Salt is corrosive

Tonight I went to the Russian Turkish baths on E. 10th Street. It was my fourth time there, first time going alone.

I signed up for another Dead Sea salt scrub, this time with S . Last time, T scrubbed me down, so this time I wanted to try a woman. It was a much different experience. S explained to me every step of the process which was especially good when my skin started to sting. She is studying skin care and her scientific explanations were both interesting and a little frightening. Keep in mind that when T did the scrub there was no stinging involved.

S explained that, because she was doing it correctly, the salt was stinging because it was corrosive and burning off the top layer of my skin. Huh? What? Come again? After she slathered the corrosive agent all over the back of my body she told me to turn over. Those large grains of salt sstarted pressing into my back and were getting very warm. I was getting concerned. But I stayed the course while S rubbed more stinging salt all over my front. When she was done she wrapped me in a sheet, covered my eyes and told me I had to stay like that for 12 minutes. She warned that if the salts became too hot that I should yell for her, but just in case she couldn't get in there fast enough she left the hose for me to rinse myself off. IT WAS ALL VERY DRAMATIC and for no reason. Yes the salts were hot but their hotness leveled off. I was so relaxed lying there wrapped in salt and wet sheets I didn't want it to end.

S really knew what she is talking about. She said I shouldn't put anything on my skin that I can't eat. Instead of baby oil I should use olive, almond or sesame oil. She said I should use sour cream on my face because it has lactic acid. She then gave me a facial mask from her school that doesn't contain a single ingredient that I would want to eat.

Interesting.

She washed off the salt (I love being bathed - does that make me evil) packed away my left over salt and advised me that now that I'd been scrubbed I was really ready to sweat. So I did. I went into the various saunas before washing my hair and heading home.

I feel more relaxed than I've felt all week.

Ahhhhhhhhhh.

XP SP 2 WARNING

Whatever you do, do not, I repeat do not download the update for XP called service pack two or SP2. It screwed up my computer something good at work.

If you go to the MSN homepage, the update is sitting right there on the front page, begging to be downloaded.

DON'T DO IT.

Our company's IT group said that they have had to attempt repairs on 5 computers in three weeks that have received the download. After two rounds of repairs, my computer is still not functioning properly.

DON'T DOWNLOAD XP SP@!!

Wallet Woes

My wallet was lifted out of my bag this morning, somewhere between 28th/5th and 28th/Broadway.

I had only had about 2.75 in it, my debit card, some old UFT ID and insurance information, an expired Driver's license, some receipts, library cards for both Queens and NYC, maybe a moth - so it was no great loss, except. . .

The beautiful earrings that Jon gave me our first night in our new apartment were in my wallet.

Why was I carrying them around? Because no matter how fine the earrings I wear, my earlobes get irritated and sore. I carried them around because I couldn't wear them all the time, just some times.

I'm not big into jewellry but those really meant something to me.

Well. At least my robbery didn't involve any physical violence. I am thankful for that. I just feel a little violated, I guess.

Put His Money Where His Mouth Is

Here it is and believe me when I tell you it is good.
Why We Must Not Re-Elect President Bush, by George Soros.

Billion Dollar Ball$

Billionaire George Soros is spending his money on an anti-Bush election campaign. He is distributing his pamphlet, Why we must not re-elect President Bush, to 2 million voters. He is travelling to 12 cities to speak with local news and media about why we must not re-elect President Bush. He also plans to run ads in several US papers including the Wall Street Journal.

(From Turkish Press.com) "This is the most important election of my lifetime," Soros writes in the brochure. "I have never been heavily involved in partisan politics but these are not normal times. President Bush is endangering our safety, hurting our vital interests and undermining American values. That is why I am sending this message."

It's probably not a good idea to get on Mr. Soros's bad side. Dennis Hastert suggested on Fox News Sunday (link here for transcript of show) back in August, that Mr. Soros has been earning his billions through illegal drug activity (link here for Slate article).

What will happen next? Will George Soros run a successful anti-Bush campaign? Will the undecideds (if they actually still exist) issue their one vote for a viable candidate like John Kerry or give their votes to candidates that don't stand a chance in hell of winning like Ralph Nadar or Homer Simpson? We'll just have to wait until November to find out.

Update

Progress Apartment
Jon and I added a new piece of furniture to the living room - a day bed that we placed amidst our bookshelves for our library corner. Also, we've been enjoying the kitchen table we bought two weeks ago and assembled ourselves.

Weekend
Friday - worked, played, drank, slept
Saturday - slept, awoke, prayed, slept, ate, watched Glengarry Glenross
Sunday - slept, awoke, cleaned, rearranged, brunched, rented movie, cleaned, played Scrabble, watched The Passion of the Christ, slept.

About The Passion of the Mel
Not having a deep and abiding understanding of the stories, fables and fantasies surrounding the death of Jesus, I had a hard time understanding the movie beyond this one point. Jesus suffered. Who was there when he suffered and why he was suffering, I couldn't tell you because nobody in the movie spoke to each other or addressed each other by name. Well, Mel did seem to go out of his way to paint Pontius Pilot in a sympathetic light or at least I think it was Pontius Pilot. Mel also really seemed to stress that the leading Jews of Jesus's day were very much against him and were adamant that he not only be tortured but crucified and humiliated as well.

I don't know any more about the Jesus coming out of the movie than going into it except that he sure could take a beating.

Yom Kippur

Today is the day of atonement and boy did I atone. Jon and I went to services this morning at our local synagogue in Astoria through my bad hangover. Don't look so surprised. Amidst the overwhelmingly Christian Orthodox and Muslim population of my neighborhood, there exists a Jewish congregation on Crescent Street called The Astoria Center of Israel.

======================================

Last night, I convinced young Sarah to leave her borough for a second night a row. Once in Astoria, we had difficulty deciding what to do. It's always very exciting when a friend visits your house for the first time. I wanted to show her all my stuff and she wanted to see it. After a tour of our movie collection (Jon's and mine) we decided to watch a movie. I wanted to show Sarah A Star is Born, starring James Mason and Judy Garland. That got boring really quick. There is a feature before the movie, of the premiere for A Star is Born. Quite a large number of stars were brought up to a podium to be interviewed before the movie started. They basically all said the same thing - that they were looking forward to seeing the movie. Stars interviewed include Liberace and his mother, Ricky and Lucy, Janet Leigh and some guy. Then after getting through that interminable pre-movie feature, the movie opens with a premiere, which was just as long and winding as the one before the movie. BORING!!! We were too antsy for that.

So then we tried to watch a movie starring Judy Garland where she was a lot more innocent, because in A Star is Born she was quite boozy and over the edge and a little too thin. So we put in The Wizard of Oz, which is absolutely on my list of favorite films. We made it all the way "out of the woods" to the gates of the Emerald City. Maybe we have just seen the movie too many times, because we turned it off and moved on to something else. That something else was hanging out with my neighbors until 3 in the morning. Hanging out in this case is synonymous with drinking gin with key lime juice and gin with cassis.

That is why when I woke up this morning at 9 to attend services with Jon, my head felt as heavy as a led zeppelin. Jon was already ready to go by the time I awoke but I managed to throw together a nice outfit in 5 minutes or less. We were off to services.

We got there 15 minutes into the service so we didn't miss too much. Everything was going swimmingly. Granted the songs were unfamiliar to me, but that happens when you go to a new temple, except in the case of the prayers surrounding the torah ceremonies. Usually those songs are the same from temple to temple. We were sitting in the back, under this overhang, when everyone rose for the removal of the torah for ceremonial march around the temple (giving everyone an opportunity to kiss it) and then the reading. That is one of my favorite songs. It's the Kee Meetzi-ohn and it's quite a lovely tune, quite enjoyable to sing along with. Being under the overhang, we didn't know that above us was an organist and a choir being led by the cantor from below.

Well, that killed it for me. How do you sing along with opera singers that are butchering your favorite prayer? The answer is you don't. We left shortly after the torah was replaced, just before the Amidah service.

The moral of this story is that organs, choirs and synagogues don't mix. If I wanted to go to church, I would go to church.

It was jarring.

After the services, I came home and slept until 7:30, pretty much giving the day over to my endless need for sleep.

Please write to me about your own Yom Kippur experiences and your views about attending synagogue as an adult as it compares with your childhood experiences. You can send those to genxmisanthrope@aol.com or comment below.

Huh?

Dogs sniff out bladder cancer.

Why?

Random Links

Cupping
Plating

Forking
Knifing
Spooning

More Trivia?

Yes. The answer is always yes. Tonight, I'll be attending Drinking and Thinking at Dempsey's on the Lower East Side. Jon is c0-hosting tonight and has been preparing his questions in secret all week. I'm really looking forward to attending because, gosh darn it, he's just so good at hosting trivia and I'm dying to know what he's been working on.

Something To Think About

Last night Michael and I hosted trivia for a modest crowd. There were 8 team present and a lot of new faces.

• Winning team - can't remember but they had 35.5 points, out of a possible 50. If you remember their name please mention it in the comments section.
• Funniest team name - Capitalism Stole My Virginity, although Michael and I were the only two who thought so.
• Last place prize - went to Hungry Girls - they won a granola bar.

Michael ran three excellent rounds. His top ten list was to name the first 10 Democrat Presidents. Audio round was to name the artists covering various Beatles songs and naming the Beatle song - songs ranged from William Shatner's version of Lucy in the Sky to George Burn's cover of a Sgt. Pepper's song. The visual round was merely to name the entertainer pictured but the theme was that all the entertainers had alliterative names.

I took on the General Knowlege and Current Events Rounds. For fun, I've listed my egg themed general knowlege round below.

1. Varieties of this vegetable include the large and purple; the skinny, lavender Japanese variety; and a small, white version. Name the vegetable.
2. What great novel takes place in New York City, the valley of ashes and East Egg and West Egg, Long Island?
3. Do you remember Egghead? He was the super smart bad guy whose brain was too big for his head was rumored to be the world's smartest villain. Who played him in the 1960's Batman TV show?
4. When I was a child, my younger brother and I used to create many adventures for these little egg shaped people utilizing accessories like their tree house and their cars. What were the names of these little toys that wobbled but never fell down?
5. Which Czar commissioned the first Faberge egg as a gift for his wife the Czarina Maria in1884?
6. According to Martha Stewart.com "these small, white, stringy pieces help anchor the yolk to the thick white, and are most apparent in fresh eggs. They are harmless, but can be removed through straining for aesthetic purposes." What part of the egg is she defining?
7. How often do chicken lay eggs?
8. What are the three ingredients in an egg cream?
9. How bird lays the smallest egg coming in at .02 ounces? You can put 4700 of them into an ostrich egg.
10. Hard boil some eggs, removing the yolks, mixing with mayonnaise, paprika and spicy seasoning -- then scoop the prepared yolk back into the eggs. What have you just made?

Tuesday Night Trivia

I am hosting Tuesday Night Trivia.
Please come down and bring some friends.

A Theory to Poop On

Did you hear they have found methane in the Martian atmosphere? Scientists (see article) are arguing whether or not this is proof of life.

Just think, someone or something could be pooping on Mars.

The Weekend

Every time I try to write about the weekend, I get interrupted.

So, I'm linking here and here so you can get an idea of what I did and where I went.

3 books purchased at Cranberry Bookworm
Are you There God, It's Me Margaret
A Journey to the Center of the Earth
A book on greek mythology

Cranberry, NJ

After visiting Cranberry, we continued on to Princeton, our final destination. Having attended a state university in New York and not having even the closest exposure to a school like Princeton, I was pretty envious when I saw what the campus. I can't even imagine what my school experience would have been like amidst the beautiful environs of ivy colored walls as opposed to the brick on brick existence of SUNY Purchase. Do you see the picture on the right? This is the campus of an arts college. The building on the right was the library. The building on the left, the school store. There were 8 other buildings on campus and they all looked the same. Brick. Our paper was called The Load . . . as in "one brick short of a". . .

Tiger Tiger Saved My Life

Roy Horn is talking to the press 1 year after his tiger Montecore mauled him during a performance. He insists that the tiger was trying to save his life after Montecore witnessed what Roy described as a stroke. He felt dizzy and fell down. Montecore dragged him to the edge of the stage because he knew that was where Roy would be able to get help.

I don't know how much of that is true but I do know that a lot of people were concerned about Roy Horn after this happened. For those of you who are fans, I'm sure you are relieved that Mr. Horn is doing well considering the extent of his injuries.

For those of you who aren't fans, I'm sure you are relieved as well. If you're like me, you're not a fan but were concerened just the same. I was pretty amazed when I read this article at the PEOPLE website at how well he is doing.

Welcome back to the media circus Roy Horn.

The Red Train

Did anyone else notice that the red train doesn't run on the 7 line anymore? All of the red trains are being replaced by newer trains.

Here is a link to Kevin Walsh's FORGOTTEN NEW YORK where he explains what is happening in his article Bye Bye Redbird.

I think it is a little bit sad that this old and familiar bit of New York folklore is being replaced.

R.I.P. Johnny Ramone

Johnny Ramone dies in sleep
At his bedside were Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante.

Johnny Ramone of 'The Ramones' Dies at 55
Johnny Ramone, Member of Punk Legends 'The Ramones,'
Dies at 55 After Battle With Cancer

Punk guitarist Johnny Ramone dies
Johnny Ramone, guitarist in punk band The Ramones, has died at the age of 55 following a long fight against cancer.

Punk legend Johnny Ramone dies of cancer
Johnny Ramone, lead guitarist of The Ramones, the punk band that influenced a generation of rock musicians, has died in Los Angeles after a five year battle with prostate cancer. He was 55.

Johnny Ramone, member of punk legends 'The Ramones,' dies at 55

According to MTV.com, Johnny Ramone died of prostate cancer last night.

Love The Bunny

Sarah did a good job last night co-hosting trivia. Yes. Her audio round was very challenging. I mean who ever heard of the musical Pal Joey except for two or three people there last night. Thank goodness one of those people was on my team. Well, the whole game couldn't be as easy as the visual round, where we had to identify the characters from the movie versions of the Harry Potter books. Our team got 12 out of 12.

Speaking of our team, which last night was named 4 Words or Less, we achieved the highest score of all the team, making us the 1st place winners.

But that isn't the good news. The good news is that Candy Blue Kite did not make the bunny cry.

You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile

Does a smile have to be genuine? Does it really matter? How important is smiling to getting along with others? Cosmic Zephyr wrote a nice piece about the importance of smiling in Western culture and how it contrasts with some Asian cultures. He writes:

"But, the cynic in me does wonder how genuine [smiles] are. I suppose I [have] to attribute that to the Asian way of upbringing which is to keep a mindful distance, and speak only when spoken to. Sadly, this behavior has often been misconstrued by most foreigners as being cold or rude. Hence, I've made a conscious effort to dispel that notion by initiating a gentle smile and acknowledgement to strangers or people I know. Thanks to increased Westernization, the Asian culture is slowly evolving (and vice-versa) into a more globally accepted one."

Living in the melting pot (I know, trite) that is New York City, I've picked up that different cultures have different ways of showing respect for one another. In some, direct eye contact is rude. In some, not making eye contact is rude. This leads to a lot of anger and misunderstanding (e.g. Korean shop owners vs. Brooklyn during Mayor Dinkins administration). It's a shame we aren't more culturally aware of each other. I don't think it's because we're mean people or anything, I just think that, especially in the case of New York City, there are so many people living together from so many different countries, it's impossible to understand the cultural mores of each country represented.

Anyway, Cosmis Zephyr linked to a great BBC quiz that allows you to see how good you are judging whether a smile is real or not. You can link to that here.

Twosday

Good morning. Let me start his post by saying that over the last two nights I watched The Menagerie from my new Star Trek DVD. Awesome. Just awesome. Not only is it a prime example of 60's science fiction but it's laugh out loud funny. If you've seen it and agree that it's funny, please write to me. If you don't think it's funny, you can still write to me. My address for all matters concerning or relating to this site is genxmisanthrope@aol.com

It's early Tuesday morning and the garbage men are making their bi-weekly rounds. The trucks are noisy and smelly. The work of throwing our trash into their truck is loosening up pungent trash odors and releasing them into the air.

I don't know why I'm up so early. Maybe it's just because I miss listening to Howard Stern (go to his website to register to vote) so much. Nah, that's not it. I'm listening to his show now and it's like I didn't even miss a day never mind 2 months. He's arguing with his producer Tom about what a bad job Tom is doing; how he can't wait to leave the show; how he only has so much time life on his contract; how he is responsible for everything that is holy on the radio. What a kvetcher!!! He's became the most successful DJ in the history of radio by complaining, every day, about being on the radio. Isn't it ironic? Don't cha think? It's not the seemingly pornographic content I don't like. It's his constant whining. Oy!!!! The whining about his job and the constant arguing with his staff is the reason I stopped listening to the show and I've been listening since 1985 (that's a long time for those of you who are bad at math).

Tonight should be fun. Sarah is hosting Tuesday Night trivia tonight at 7:30 p.m. to be exact. She is hosting with Neil. Besides . . . I have to go. We all do. It seems that the people at Candy Blue Kite are holding a bunny hostage and if we don't go, they are going to make the bunny cry.

Oprah's Amazing Give Away

Say what you want about Oprah but I think she is just about the nicest talk show host out there.



Talk show host Oprah Winfrey sits atop a Pontiac G6 outside her Chicago studios Monday, Sept. 13, 2004, surrounded by some of the 276 people from her audience who each received one of the new cars at the start of the show to celebrate the premier of her 19th season. Winfrey said the audience members were particularly chosen because their friends or loved ones had told the show about their need for a new car. (AP Photo/Harpo Productions, Bob Davis)

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

Perhaps it's bad form to wish myself a Happy Birthday on my own blog but then again, if I don't mention it to people, how can anyone deliver Happy Birthday sentiments to me? Last night, for the first time in my adult life, I threw myself a birthday part. I invited my friends to join me for dinner at Doyers Vietnam, a fantastic little hole in the wall place on Doyers Street in Chinatown.

I had a really good time. I haven't had a birthday party with friends since I was a teenager and I forgot how much fun it could be.

Do you remember a few weeks ago when I posted that I wanted the Star Trek Season 1 DVD for my birthday? Well, so did my friends. I was so excited when they handed me the present I read the card second which I know was really impolite, but they seemed to forgive me when they saw the jubillation on my face. Or hopefully they did.

So, thank you to my friends for helping me celebrate the end of my 37th year of life and the beginning of my 38th year. For those of you who are confused, I just turned 37. The year I was born was a very interesting year. Read about it here.

Mona Lisa - Hottie or Has Been

The writer Tom Utley expressed his disappointment with seeing the Mona Lisa for the first time in his 50 years of life. He claims that seeing La Jaconde at the Louvre was hardly any different than seeing one of her many, many reproductions on mugs, postcards, key chains, etc. He thought that if the curators of the Louvre had attached the price tags to the paintings at the Louvre, perhaps people would be more interested in the Mona Lisa and the paintings on the way to her gallery. He didn't seem to get what the big deal was about seeing a painting that he can buy a copy of for say 10 pounds (I think he's British). I couldn't figure out if he's pro reproducing art, con reproducing art or just anti art. I guess some people just have a hard time understanding why some art objects take on such great value.

With regard to reproductions, I say "Huzzah. Keep them coming." It is through cheap reproductions that people get to see artworks they may never have an opportunity to travel to and visit with. It is such an opportunity for those of us who aren't fortunate enough to travel the world to see artworks that in the past have been primarily seen by those who could afford to buy or be in the circumstances to see them. I saw the Mona Lisa and I couldn't have been more excited even though I'd seen her in text books, on mugs, on notebook covers, etc. If anything, that much exposure to the painting gave me even more of an opportunity to appreciate it. The Venus de Milo. I saw her there too. Even though I'd seen her image oodles of times before, it still made my heart jump a little to see Venus just standing there on a pedestal in the middle of a gallery.

It's such a strange article. Please read it and tell me what you think.

Steppin' Out

The author of this article attended a blogger party that sounds suspiciously like the one we all attended this weekend.

What do you think? Could there be a connection?

Apres Le Deluge, Moi or Wet Wednesday

Yesterday, in New York City, we were struck hard by the remnants of Frances, the hurricane I vowed to never again to discuss. So for the remainder of this posting Frances will be referred to by other weather terminology about water falling out of the sky. We reportedly received three inches of rain between 6 and 9 in the morning, screwing up subway service in four of the five boroughs - I'm sure it would have been screwed up service in Staten Island as well if SI had a subway.

Here is a description of my commute which is most likely typical of everyone elses.

train
I arrived at subway platform at 8:15 in the morning. Remember my train is an elevated train. When I arrived I saw there was an "N" waiting in the station. At first I was excited because how often, during rush hour, do you happen upon a train waiting for you with its doors open? Not often - is the correct answer. I read Memoirs of a Geisha while people piled on to the platform. Once I saw the train was really delayed, about 8:30, I called into the office. It wasn't so bad outside. It was drizzling and it was about 70 degrees. I looked around. People didn't seem upset or angry, just puzzled.

I certainly wasn't either upset or angry. If the train was stuck on my way home, I probably would have been on the verge of tears. But on the way to work - just more time out of the office. By 9:15 I was on a train on it's way to the big city. I had to get out of it at Queensboro Plaza because it was just too darn packed in there. The 7 train was running beautiful and wasn't too crowded for a change. At Grand Central Station I transferred for a 6 train. I had a let a couple of those go by because of the crowds and finally I was able to catch a ride down to 28th Street. The whole process took about 90 minutes. I walked into the office about 10 minutes after 10. Everyone was there already and of course they all came from the suburbs.

It was kind of a hum drum day at work. The tasks were the same but I guess the weather was bringing everyone down. Everyone had a story. Last night, I went to the RussianTurkish Baths as if the streets of New York weren't steamy enough, I needed more. I was accompanied by Sarah who didn't need much convincing. I used the same masseuse as last time and got a pretty decent massage although I won't say it was the best one I've ever had. The masseuse seemed rather obsessed with working on my hips and right buttock saying that the muscles are just very tight there.

Down in the saunas one can find many different body types. For the most part they are the types you might typically find at a County Fair and of course there are your ridiculously gorgeous women with the impossible to achieve bodies. There was one woman there last night who I've seen on both of my previous trips. She's old, skinny woman - a pile of bones held together by some loose fitting skin. I nicknamed her Grandma Death because she looked like that character from the movie Donnie Darko. She looks like how Grandma Death would look if she was almost naked and soaking wet. Weirdly enough she punched Sarah in the arm.

More relaxing than the massage was jumping into the ice cold pool after sitting in the hottest of their four saunas, the Russian sauna. That sauna is so hot that you have to dump buckets of ice water over your head in order to stand it. I got really hot twice and jumped into the cold water twice. Amazing. My ankles felt as though they were chilled right through to the bone. 2 hours in that place will make anyone feel like a million bucks, even without the massage. Just going back and forth between the four different saunas is all you need to feel relaxed. The massage definitely helps.

Tuesday Night Trivia

Our Blogger Meetup fun continued last night as we all gathered at the Baggott Inn to include Wes and Wendy in an evening of Tuesday Night trivia.

Before trivia we met up for dinner. Sydney took Wendy to BLogo or Vego or something like that. It's a vegan place somewhere in the Village.

Our group included Chris, The Anonymous Blogger (yes, I'm still speaking to him), Sarah, Caren and of course Wes.

Our group, feeling more carnivorous than Sydney's group chose Harry's Burritos for our evening repast. Sarah and I weren't as peckish as the others and split an order of nachos and guacamole while the rest the gang ordered meat and cheese filled delights. One of our group even ordered a shrimp something or the other which she let everyone taste.

When the bill arrived we were all surprised when Wes decided to treat. He wouldn't even allow us to tip. I have to say, that was pretty nice of him and I hope he realizes how much we all appreciated the gesture.

By the time we got to trivia we were ready for some competition. Wes played on my time while Wendy played on Sydney's. We were called OB/GYN Kenobi for Bush. Playing on our team were Chris, Barry, Jason, Roslyn, Phil, Wes and Robert. Not to brag (okay, to brag) we scored a total of 40 out of 50 points leaving the other teams not too far behind but far enough to win first prize. Wes and Chris totally dominated the visual round, devised by Caren's co-host Brad which was identifying cartoon characters and the shows they were from. The audio round done expertly by Caren, were 10 songs about school to coincide with school being back in session.

Brad's top ten list were Woody Allen's first 10 theatrical releases in reverse chronological order. Current events and general knowledge were just that. I am proud to say that several of us on our team knew that Locutus was Picard's name when he was abducted by the Borg.

We won a prize for having a silly answer which was a sippy cup with a picture of a donkey in the center of "New Jersey Democratic Campaign Action Team". I had to fight Robert for it but once I told him that Jon had lived in New Jersey he finally relented.

What else can I say? We had fun.

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It was so lovely meeting Wendy I was sad to say goodbye last night as the younger folks ventured further into the W. Village to visit the Magnolia Bakery.

Wendy is gone now, having parted ways with Sarah earlier today at Port Authority.

I hope she has a safe trip home and writes all about her incredible visit over the days to come.

More Blogger Meetup

I gave you an idea of what was seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, when we met up on Monday. Originally, we weren't going to meetup with everyone at the museum and I told everyone that Jon and I were going to be working on another project. After listening to Wendy talk about the Met's collection of Van Gogh, I got caught up in her enthusiasm and changed my mind about going. It was very exciting when Wendy first glimpsed the paintings she had been studying for some time. She showed me her goose bumps upon approaching the gallery and it felt really special to be a part of that. I love to show people New York City, especially when I can show them museums.

Our Very Own Blogger Meetup (cont'd)

As you know, Sunday night found many of my little blogger community partying at Sarah's Entertainment Spot (in this case her apartment). Members of the community have started circulating pictures, allowing us to create a visual record of what occured that evening. You can already see pictures at Sarah's Entertainment Spot, and Phil's Spin Zone.

Here is one, sent to me by akachris of Candy Blue Kite and myself and of course the birthday girl, Zoey.

Au Musee

As promised we met up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We saw the Van Goghs, the Gaugins, the Monets and the Manets, the Picasso, Lichtenstein, the Courbets, the Cot.

We saw Washington crossing the Delaware, a woman with lute, and we saw Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer.

We visited The Oxbow, the Parthenon, and the Gulf Stream.

Then we visited the museum restaurant and then we called it a day. We certainly would have continued looking at all of the great art but by the time we were done gabbing over lunch the museum was closing.

Our Very Own Blogger Meetup

I've heard about other meetups, where bloggers from a certain community arrange to meet face to face. Tonight I attended my first. Sarah of Sarah's Entertainment Spot was kind enough to host 20 or so bloggers and friends in her lovely apartment. This evening I met up with the people responsible for akachris, Blog of Wes, Candy Blue Kite, Caren Lissner, Dave, Diva Who, Evil Twin Theory, Brain Spew, Phil's Spin Zone, and Wendy Fournier.
I was particularly happy to meet with Pam, Wendy and Wes because they came in from out of town for the party.

We were also celebrating the birthday of Sarah's wonderful Lhasa Apso Zoey who turned two years old today.

Sarah did a wonderful job hosting as there was plenty to eat and more than enough to drink. I bet you wouldn't think bloggers could drink so much or perhaps this wouldn't surprise you at all. We drank and some of us were what some would consider drunk, even pie eyed or shit faced!!!

The party doesn' t end. The out of towners are staying for a few more days. Tomorrow we're heading over to one the larger museums in town, which I am not naming for purposes of privacy. One of our guest did some research and really knows where to go and what to see at the museum. They are pieces with which I'm familiar so I'm looking forward to sharing the experience, in this case, seeing the museum's permanent collection of Van Gogh.

Quiet Friday

It's a quiet Friday night at the ranch and well deserved.

Something incredible happened on the subway ride home tonight. I was sitting by the subway door minding my own business when all of a sudden a knight in blue armor came riding through the car on a silver unicorn. Chasing this knight was a 3 headed bull with 6 horns and 3 rings through his 3 noses.

He was breathing foul smelling steam but in all fairness the smell could have been eminating from the bum sleeping half way across the car. They continued like this for 20 steps when all of a sudden the blue knight stopped turned around and started charging the 3 headed bull. He stabbed the beast 47 times with the tip of his peppermint striped lance. The loser next to me, not realizing that this was all happening in my imagination pulled the emergency break. It turns out he was veterinarian and he wanted to save the life of this rare 3 headed bull saying over and over again, how he could become rich by selling its sperm. Anyway, after the 1/2 hour delay, the train started moving again. When I got out at the station nearest my house, I thought "Isn't it wonderful that I live in New York City and that I get to see amazing things like this."

I Would and I Did

I both watched and listened to the President's speech last night. I watched it until 11 and then when I went to bed and I turned on the radio, I heard him there too.

Well written speech, well delivered.

I hated the constant chanting from the GOP everytime he paused to take a breath and I found the FLIP FLOP chant both distracting and interesting.

Those were grownups in the crowd, right?

Will I or Won't I

It's Thursday night, 2 minutes to 10:00. I've spent the last two hours roasting a chicken, surfing the internet, doing a facial and watching television. Most of that hour was spent watching my new DVD of South Park Season 1.

Here is the question.

Now that the chicken is roasted, I'm bored with the net, my face is as clean as it's going to get and the television is still glowing, will I or won't I watch President Bush' acceptance speech for the GOP's nomination. CNN is on. Wolf Blitzer is wrapping things up and I'm balanced on the edge.

Will I or won't I?

Tune in tomorrow to find out if I did or I didn't.

Yeah . . . I Know Him

Met this guy again last night, he played on my team at Wednesday night trivia. Second time in as many weeks, that I seen 'im.

He's a little fuckin' ray of shine, let me tell ya'.

Strange but True

This little baby girl survived for days on her own.

Is It Really Thursday?

I can't believe it's really Thursday.

Work, this week, has been like watching paint dry. Of course the others don't feel it because they are the ones actively applying the paint while I followup on all of their incredibly mundane and tedious efforts to sell our clients marketing services.

But while the work week drags by, the non-work week seems to go by quickly. I feel like I exist in parallel temporal zones; one where time is measured in painfully slow increments and the other where time flies by so quickly it can't be quantified.

Speaking of temporal mysteries, I am reading a book called The Science of Harry Potter by Roger Highfield. In the book he talks about the scientific possiblities of recreating the magic that takes place in the books with explanations from Quantum Physics and Physics. It's a great way to get general overview of some of the more advanced advancements in the above two fields.

I'm enjoying it and learning quite a bit.

If it weren't the mathematical figuring part of it, I'd probably be pretty good at physics.