Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Fog at LAX


There was fogg at LAX this morning, so our flight from Palm Springs was cancelled. Our rescheduled flight was get to LAX at about 8:30, wait until 1:30 PM, then take a flight to Washington DC. Wait another 4 hours in Washington DC to get a flight to New York at midnight (on New Year's Eve).
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But wait, we have a house in Palm Springs. The option we took was to go back home and do all this tomorrow.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Christmas is over

Well soon we will be going back to New York. But I watned to share this picture Eddie took of a RoadRunner on our back fence. It has been very nice weather most of the time.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

A Christmas Story from Lynnie

Today I went to Sue's house for xmas brunch.  I took True, otherwise known, lovingly, by Sue's husband Gary as "that dog."  Whenever I take True to their house I have to pick their dog Gracie's food up because as we all know True will eat anything and everything she can find.  So I put Gracie's food on the counter by the sink.  Mind you the food is in one of a 2 bowl set, 1 bowl food the other bowl water.  Brunch is laid out on the island in the center of the kitchen with an assortment of knosh.  One of the guests is Aunt Honey.  She reminds me of Scott's grandma, hearing aid and all.  The day progresses and as we are in the midst of the gift exchange we hear a commotion in the kitchen.  Apparently, Gary found Aunt Honey munching on nuggets that she thought were roasted soy beans.  NOT.  Yes, Aunt Honey was eating Gracie's kibble.  Gary almost peed his pants he was laughing so hard.  He now blames "that dog."  I say "that dog" gave him the best laugh he's had and will have in a long time.  It is a story that will be retold in years to come.
 
Hope you had a good laugh today as well.
 
kisses

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas

Ho Ho Ho. Merry Christmas. We are heading over to the Cronin's for Christmas (Eve) dinner.
Have a good Christmas
Mudslide for Trevor for Christmas

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

My 2cents


Scooter’s top 10 and bottom 5 Live Theater (only based on what I saw this year)
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So here is the top and bottom 5 Live Theater things I saw this year. (* opened last year, but I saw them this year)

Best (not in order)

In The Heights *
Equus
August: Osage County *
Xanadu
Cry Baby (for the Dancing Alone)
All My Sons
Frost / Nixon *
Geometry of Fire
Next to Normal
Legally Blonde *

Worst (IMHO)
The Seagull
Three Changes
Boy’s Life




Monday, December 22, 2008

For Lisa: Thighs and Whispers

Lisa loves thighs. Maybe she will have a little more respect for US Football now. This is John Carlson from the NFL. (Click on it for thigh details)

Eddie Brought my camera cable

Eddie brought my camera so I can show you a couple of pictures from Palm Springs.

This is the snow line from our house. The mountain is about 11,000 feet (summit is 12,000 ft.), and the snow line is down about 4500 feet. So while Vegas was snowed in, Palm Springs was not. It was pretty, but not as warm as people wanted.


This is the Christmas Tree out here this year. We have used this tree set before, but this is the first time we put the monorail on the table. It almost doesn't fit (I had to take out 2 turns), but at least it is out of Terrier Territory - so it can run.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

What was I doing last March?!?!?

In the saddest of all things I missed this last March.
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Last March Arthur C. Clarke died.
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Wow! That is something for me.
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Arthur C Clarke was the second author I remember reading as "an author".
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Ray Bradbury was the first writing a kid's Science Fiction book about a new ice age and people setting our from New York to London.
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Arthur C. Clarke was an adult author and his "City and the Stars" was ... well, I don't know how to describe what it meant to me. It was full of ideas, and philosophy and dreams and hopes and warnings.
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It was a book that taught me that entertainment and fun could be had in a book that forced you to think. I read it in 7th grade, so that was a big and new thing for me at that time. He was never a great "writer". I mean his thoughts are / were wondrous and challenging. His prose... not so much.
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But he not just a writer, but also a scientist. He came up with the idea of "geosynchronous orbit", which essentially means that a satellite can orbit the earth at the same speed as the Earth turns. Therefore the satellite would also be over one place .
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This is how nearly communication satellites really do work now.
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He also prophesized the idea of a space elevator, which will probably occur someday (if we don't blow ourselves us first).
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A great mind was lost and one that made me think. He will be missed.
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I was thinking of this because I just finished his book "Fristborn" with Steven Baxter and I think it is probably his last book. And I was sad. Sad and thankful for having the opportunity to discover him.
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Discovering writers is a true joy and wonder that I wish for all people sometime in their lifes. And, at Christmas, I get to thank my Mom for a lot of this. She (and my crazy ass dad) both encouraged my reading. And I am a more complete guy because of it.

Ho ho ho.

Ken Starr: Are you F*ing Kidding Me

Well yesterday, Ken Starr - famed Dick Head for the never-ending Clinton Impeachment that cost theUnited States BILLIONS of dollars (hey - we could use some of that money right now - except he flushed it down the toilet) is now head of Pepperdine Law School. He submitted a brief to the California Supreme Court yesterday requiring all legal and valid marriages of faggots be invalidated.
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Nice.
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PS - Not a great advertisement for "Christian values" is it really? (The picture is from their welcome page).
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A nice perfectly valid, LEGAL marriage is now subject to the whims to that nincompoop's uncomfort.
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Who would Jesus hate?
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And by the way... here was what these assholes said when I was young (HONESTLY).
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Fags are going to hell because they are immoral, promiscuous and don't conform to the norms of society.
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Fine. Now we are both going to hell AND destroying the institution of marriage because we WANT to conform to the norms of society.
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Hey Dick-heads, pick why you hate us and stick with it. And be fucking HONEST for a change. We all know the reason. Fags are icky. Fine - don't marry one and don't watch.
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Lord knows I would go out of my way not to watch Ken Starr having sex. But I am perfectly comfortable letting his big, flabby, hairy, white ass go to town on whoever he wants.
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By the way, thanks for the Christmas Present asshole. Nice way to celebrate the Brith of our Lord, who preached for love of his fellow men. “I know, I will give those icky fags the blessing of ripping apart the sacrament of marriage between two loving people and God.” And yeah, I was married by a MINISTER.
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I think perhaps it is time for Scooter to give up the blog for a while.Nice.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

The course of True Love... Gathers no Moss



The line (and the picture) is from The Philadelphia Story.
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But I mean it for me and the bf. We have been on opposite coasts now for a week. And today we talked on the phone for 29.41 minutes.
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And everyone, EVERYONE, knows I hate to talk on the phone.
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Suddenly I remember the entire year we did this long distance and we talked on the phone all the time.
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I suppose it is true love.

Yes Man From Salon (only beginning.. that's all you need)


Dec. 19, 2008 There's no aroma so pungent as the air of desperation that hangs around a fading comic, which is why we should be grateful that Jim Carrey's new comedy, "Yes Man," isn't being presented in Odorama. Gifted comics almost invariably go bad at some point, possibly because great comedy demands a touch of craziness, a willingness to go to extremes. And any extreme, hit over and over again, becomes tiresome. In choosing his roles over the years, Carrey may have had some sense of that himself, and although it's hard to forgive him for subjecting us to the hell that was "The Number 23," in other cases -- most notably, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" -- he's made unpredictable choices that turned out to be good ones.
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yikes

Short Political Rant Re Obama / Warren

Feel free to skip.
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Really... I am blowing off steam. Feel free to skip
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So here is my take on this whole Pastor Rick Warren's invitation to give the invocation at Obama's inauguration.
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Pastor Rick Warren has done a lot of good in the world.
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If Pastor Rick Warren had compared Obama's family to pedophiles or of committing incest, he wouldn't be invited.
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It's Obama's Inauguration and he can invite he wants. He can invite anyone he wants and ignore what that means to us. Hell, I sponsor a child through very anti-gay World Vision. I think that the good done for a child in Mozambique is worth swallowing the whole anti-gay thing for.
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It is a simple statement that I don't matter in the eyes of our President. One again. Somehowy 14 year committed monogamous relationship is the equivalent of having and adult hacing sex with a child.
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He won. It's his inauguration and he can invite whoever wants. That's the greatness of America.
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And I can say, honestly and totally...Screw you.

30 Years Ago this week


30 Years ago this week Donna Summer's Live and More was the 4th best selling album in the country. I believe this was about the time I purchased it as my very first Donna Summer album.
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It spanned the (Oscar Winning!) hit Last Dance, and MacAruther Park - still as insipid as the original - was working its way up the charts.
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Memories.... like the cornors of my mind...

So there is of course the Neppl Family Gift Exchange...

And one doesn't tell who got whom.
Wouldn't it be too sad if the man in the red and yellow lettering sweat shirt had Scott as his Secret Santa.
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ps - anyone know where I can buy a Michigan Sweatshirt and some lumps of coal?

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Presented without Comment...


Best Site of the Day!!


This site is funny. It is the top 20 worst album art of the year. For example, this album says:
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My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges
Can Brian Dennehy crack the Da Vinci Code?

Homer Heche Lamphoon looks pretty good now..


"Scott, you are kidding right? On what planet does the name Homer Heche Lamphoon look good?"
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On the planet where parents name their children;
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Adolph Hitler Campbell. JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell. and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell.
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And the father tells people to get over it.

Another Bad Decision by Everyone Involved…

You know, I am not a fan of GM or Chrysler cars. I love Fords, but my first car every was a Ford Mustang and I learned to drive in a un-blown up Pinto – so perhaps it is nostalgia that prompts this.
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The picture below is not my 1967/68 Mustang, but a very similar one. Mine was the same color but no stripe.

But I digress....
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In any case, my dislove of GM does not reach to the depths of let the sucker-go-under. Between the jobs that GM has, the dealership jobs, the supplier jobs and the assessment that needs to be done to understand if having an American Car company is necessary for national security – I think we should proceed slowly with stupid decisions that close up shop.
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However, stupidity conspires to derail a support program at every turn.
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1st the idiots didn’t have a restructuring plan- do not pass go. They flew home in separeate private plans (ID - E - OTS)
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2nd time CEOs had a restricting plan tha pasted both Democrtic and White House muster, but Republicans in the Senate decided to show they still had big dicks and put the kibosh on it. (They did this by trying to unilaterally reduce the pay of union workers to an equal amount made by non-union foreign plants. This was after the workers already implemented pay cuts, job bank cuts and agreed to share the pain. And despite the fact that union payroll adds only 10% to a car cost. The Republican Senators did not require a similar pay cut for management of domestic auto companies (who make a larger premiums over Nissan Managers) or from Auto Company CEOs or Board members who make 20 to 200 times as much as their Japanese counterparts.)
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FYI – nice “less government” trying to screw union workers.
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FYI Again - Ed and I disagree about Unions. We both do believe they used to be useful, and were necessary. We both agree that in some (perhaps most) instances and businesses they have gone to excess. We disagree rather loudly about their current benefit in this second guilded age when Fat Cat CEO's have no hesitation about sucking the life blood out of their workers and they gleefully laying them off after gutting pension plans and layoff packages while holding multi-million dollar parties for their new trophy wives. I don't want to air dirty laundry here so I won't tell you which side which of us empathizes with. :-)
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3rd time the administration can’t figure out how to give $14 billion to the car companies to save upwards to 100,000 jobs, despite $350 billion handed out to financial firms.
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Also FYI – Last minute language insisted on by the white house (one sentence) in the financial bailout bill means that multi-million dollar parachutes are still valid for outgoing CEOs and other executives of failed banks, mortgage institutions and investment firms. Thank goodness they aren’t lazy ass overpaid union workers, but healthy good for the economy disgraced executives with no added value.
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4. Now, in the shortest of short term stupid decisions, GM shoots itself in the foot and cancels the building of the engine plant for the Volt (pictured above) and their new high mileage car – both promised in 2010.

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(Final FYI -their "high mileage import killer" is this horid "Cruze" pictured to the right. I believe "Cruze" is short for "Crazy Ugly as Shit Econobox" - but again I digress)
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GM is the manufacturing equivalent of the Dodo bird; which walks by starving people and says – “I can’t fly, I can’t fight, I’m juicy and I taste like chicken. What’s for dinner folks?”









Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Adults in Charge....


Not to put to fine a point on it, but an Adult is in charge of Washington right now. You may not remember, but I was not a big Obama fan during the primaries. But I am a fan now.
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If for nothing else (and there is plenty else) I would like to STAND UP AND APPLAUD his choice for Secretary of Energy. Steven Chu who won the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics and now directs the government's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, will head the Energy Department.
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You know who are current Secretary of Energy is? No. Really. The price of gas went from less than $1.75 to over $4.00 a gallon this year - don't you remember him speaking about it. Oh no, he didn't. We are critically dependent on foreign oil, and the biggest supplier to us is Venezuela - who hates us by the way. Don't you remember Secretary Samuel Bodman speaking out about this. No. Maybe that is because Samuel Bodman came from an investment group.
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The Secretary of Energy before that was Spencer Abraham. He was a layer from Harvard who was the head of the Michigan Republican party and then a Senator from Michigan. Where he constantly headed the drive towards alternative energy for automobiles..... Nah! I'm shitting you. He lead the successful efforts to had off any upgrades to fuel economy standards and was in the pocket of SUV loving car companies. They could use him now!
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So now we have a Nobel Prize winning physicist from a University of California lab as Energy Secretary.
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Yeah for the Adults.

Trevor does not like Aloe Vera type plants

Trevor does not like the Aloe Vera plant.
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He isn't that he thinks it smells bad. Nor are the ugly. However, when he raises his leg and leans in a little - well they are a little pokey.
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And some of the pokey plants make him itch in his nether regions.
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And he does not like this. Understandably.

Monday, December 15, 2008

No pause...


Commercials, no pause... it is like living in Biblical times.
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Well that and I don't eat shellfish in the desert.

Eddie saw Billy Elliot on Broadway


Eddie went on Saturday (with Netty from my work in LA, who happened to be in New York) to see Billy Elliot, the musical.
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The boy on the far right (Elton's left) is Kiril Kulish. He was the Billy that Ed and Netty saw. This was on purpose as Kiril lives in our building and we have meet him and his mother.
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Ed thought it was a fantastic show and he really like it.
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I think I may take Elise when she visits next month.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Ed's Dog: Updated

Well Eddie is in New York and I have Trevor here. It made sense in the beginning, but let me tell you that Trevor misses Ed.
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Neither of them likes to be alone. If I go, Trevor bolts for the door (yes - he got out once).
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And he won't just go crap in the backyard. No, you walk Trevor, so you have to walk around back there with him. But he doesn't want you to watch him, so you have to be close, but then look away and pretend you don't know what he is doing.
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Toal OCD pup.
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So tonight I take him for a walk after Survivor (and I am so over it, I totally wanted the person who got zero votes to win) and he is still learning about the Desert. He lifts his leg to pee against pointy aleo vera type plants and he gets a jab in the jibblets. He does NOT like that. It happened twice more, and know he only pees on Palm Trees.

Cris & Tim's Choir Show

Well, I went to the Christmas Choir Show last night at Tim and Cris' church (Desert Springs Church).
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Well we all know I am not, per say, "church folk" and yet I had a very good time.
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Cris had a solo (a beautiful song called "Light a Candle" that was pretty upbeat), and she has a wonderful voice. We (Ed, Bradley, Lynn and I) had also meet a friend of their's, Tamara, who sang a solo as well.
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Honestly, it was a most professional choir. They counded amazing. The first half was very holly-jolly-Christmas and the second half was more religious.
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Thye had one lady who you would never have guessed was a belt-it-out'er, but she had the voice of Shirley Bassey or Aretha Franklin. She tore the place up and showed a white gal can holy roller with the best of them. She was amazing.
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There was only 1 rocky moment - the director's wife sang a real religious song and she sang it real loud, real high and not quite real right.
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Okay, 2 rocky moments - old Len fainted during the last song, but he was okay so I don't count it.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Even if you (like me) think the Bailout is Needed...

This is still funny...


p s -You have to click on it and read the fine print!!!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

So you always see some things that change



Okay I am in LA for a few days, and on my way driving in from Palm Springs I come up the 10 through downtown LA.
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I expect change, I am not stupid. And LA changes all the time, so I thought nothing would shock me (I was surprised to see the "Fung Shui Tower" lite up with strobes, but not shocked). Then I drove past the Olympic Auditorium.
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Granted this is an old picture of the Olympic, but it hasn't really changed much. It was home to the boxing of the 1932 Olympics. It was the home of Rocky Balboa's big fight in Rocky 1. It was home to the Los Angeles Thunderbirds of Roller Derby Fame.
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Now.... Now it is painted white, the Olympic medallions are off, and Korean symbols are on it and in English giant words that say "Holy Church of Jesus Christ"
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I like religion as much as the next guy (providing the next guy is an agnostic who put up with a minister telling him that he was going to burn in hell no matter how nice he was to his grandmother), but would it kill them to leave on the outside Olympic Medals and the name "The Olympic Auditorium" somewhere. No it just an ugly white box now with big Korean letters.
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I don't think that is what Jesus would want.



Tuesday, December 09, 2008

New Knowledge; Painfully Useful

I know jackets.  This is wrong.
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I should not know jackets.  In my youth I think I had sweaters and maybe one or two "car coats".
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Now I own, like,  10 jackety things.  And before I go outside, I have to check the weather to see which one to wear.  Short down, Long down, overcoats, unlined but rain resistant...
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Sad isn't it.  This means I live somewhere where they are needed.  This winter hasn't been all that bad because to date I have been able to dress appropriately, even down to the teens.
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For many years I owned 1 coat.  It was a knee length, "Club Sportswear" after ocean jacket.  It was (well it still is for that matter) essentially a keen length windbreaker, that was lined with sweat shirt material.  it was less than useless in England (wind-breaker, not rain-breaker), but I love it none the less.  The picture of Karch Kiraly is appropriate because Club used to be his sportswear line - now sadly kaput.  
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I actually purchased said coat at the New York Macy's for $99 (marked down from $129) and I have totally gotten my $1 per wear out of it.  It was like my most expense purchase of clothes to that date I think.  It have to be like, 1990 when I got it.
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Memories... like the corners of my mind....
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FYI - I knew Karch from classes at UCLA (he tended to snore in Economics of Trade Unions) and this picture is from the LA Olympics of 1984 where he was on the team that won a surprise Gold Medal with some friends of mine.
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I was going to give the coat away, but I think I shall give another coat away and retire this one to Palm Springs tomorrow with me.

You have got to be shittin' me!

This is not funny.


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This is my trip to Palm Springs time frames kids - don't piss me off.

Monday, December 08, 2008

The things you learn in New York

I have learned a lot about a lot of things in New York. Some of the most interesting are the religious aspects of Orthodox Judaism. There are a lot of Jewish observers who believe on the Sabbath (which I think is dusk Friday to dusk Saturday) that they cannot operate any electrical / mechanical modern conveniences.
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I am used to Hollywood Jewish people. This is not really something they partake in – for the most part. Or if they do, they are relatively invisible about it.
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But this has some unusual side effects in this city. For example, there are high rise buildings that are orthodox friendly where the elevator stops on every floor – because they can use the elevator, but can’t press the floor buttons. Really. I am not making this up for a joke or anything.
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It actually turns out this is a big deal for co-ops here and a reason that many people will or will not move into a building. Because while this is convenient for the religiously observant, it is kind of a pain in the ass for others in a high rise. It is one of the things that a co-op has to disclose.
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There was a question on Salon today where a non-observant Jewish woman was complaining because visitors to her observant neighbor refuse to press the buzzer to announce they are waiting. When she comes out, they go in. But she isn’t comfortable letting in people she doesn’t know.
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Interesting huh?

So I am leaving on Wednesday

I am going to the desert on Wednesday.  I know it is early, but our neighbors are in a recital I said I would go to, and I want to see the folks at work before they all bug out on Dec 15th.
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But that leaves my spouse here in New York.
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Alone.
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It doesn't worry me, per say... Except that there is a serial flirter I have seen poking his nose around my mans.
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I first heard of him in Beijing, where my Eddie was pal'ing around with him in a group.  No big deal.
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When I went to Beijing I spotted him in the foyer with Eddie and I was introduced.  Maybe I am wrong, so let's just call him hypothetically .. oh I don't know ... P.A.  Well after we are introduced he excuses himself quickly and I worry a little but not too  much.
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Since then I saw him a few times with Ed.  I would meet Ed on the green or at the lobby and one Mr. PA would hip pity hop away pdq.
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Having harbored my own crush on Eddie for a while, I can spot the signs on others.  And if there is a Christmas party while I am gone - then someone better watch out.  I will hear if anything happens.
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And we are married now baby - I'll take half, then I will kill ya.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Simple Solution Pajama Pants!

Last week I was washing some of the clothes downstairs and... well first some giant cleaning woman (from the land of the Amazonians) came and took up EVERY SINGLE WASHER of which there are 24 (I know because they are numbered)… but that isn’t the crux of this story, just an annoying aside and I am venting here.
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So, later, I was folding the laundry downstairs, which I don’t usually do, but Ed was sick in the house and the cleaning woman was in and so I was folding in the laundry room. Since our laundry room is on the 29th floor with a view towards Times Square, it isn’t horrible – and I avoid sicky-sickerson and the guilt of watching the maid clean the toilets and oven.
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Anywho… this young woman shuffles in to move her clothes from the washer into the dryer. Now as someone walks into the laundry room, I do the is-this-a-serial-killer glance because my back is to the door and yes it is 2008, but I still have seen enough murder-in-the-laundry-room movie ads to wonder. ( I think Agatha Christy would have made a couple murder-in-the-laundry room plays if she lived in the states where laundry rooms proliferate; but then "Laundry Room Mystery" doesn't have the same ring to it as "Drawing Room Mystery" does, so perhaps it is best).
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Well, Miss I-own-here-don’t -look-at-me, gives me a lame attempt at a haughty look and proceeds to cough and hack to prove she has a cold. She is across the laundry room but I cannot help but look at her now; I mean she is about to lose a lung here. She is the picture of stupidity. I know she is sick, but come on – show a little tiny bit of consideration to your neighbors.
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She is wearing huge heavy “Juicy Couture” sweat pants, a black t-shirt with a heavy cardigan buttoned one or two buttons over that and a (honestly I am not making this up) Red Park with a furry hood (PULLED UP !) over that. Her nose is red, and she does indeed look sick. And on her feet? Flip Flops!
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Flip
Flops
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Hey, dim-wit, in the winter if you have a cold AND you are so freezing that you are wearing a Furry Parka in the laundry room – try putting on some shoes. You just know she has a pair of big ugly Uggs in that rat’s nest of an apartment somewhere.
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One last thing, now that my mind is working, what actually occurs in a "Drawing Room" anyway. I have seen shows where music is played, people are killed and secrets revealed - but never any drawing.... humm... something to ponder.

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Going out on a Blogging Limb Here

Now this may not be everyone’s cup of blogging tea, but bear with me – nothing is disgusting past the topic in general.
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You know there is something great about having, what Zela called, the “trots” every now and then. I mean not all the time, and around 3 AM – never. But in general I try to take advantage of the odd stomach flu that races thru me.
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Having visited Minnesota for Thanksgiving I am fully blaming either the Amiots or the Neppls for this week’s visit of the flu. Both my and Ed’s heads are stuffed up, bodies aching and stomachs unprepared for food to have a lasting visit. And so I say look on the bright side.
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This is one of the few times you can eat whatever you want, you’re not gaining weight! And all the food in the fridge that is probably spoiled, but tasty – go ahead eat it. What could happen, you’ll get the trots? Too late! I had some particular yummy left over Chinese pork chops that would have most certainly been wasted in normal times.
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When this occurs (either here or on the road) Ed will take Imodium. I loath Imodium. I mean it works. It works too well. The minute I take Imodium - I plug up like oatmeal, dog hair and liquid pledge down the kitchen sink. And if I am traveling, well whatever I eat for the rest of the trip is sitting with me until I start home. Then, on the actual flight home, the altitude of about 38,000 feet and the familiarity of airline travel means I suddenly have to use a lavatory that is ALWAYS occuppado. No. Thank. You.
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I rather time my meals so I have a good hour before I have to go touring the city. Then on tour, I can eat anything I want –during the last 30 minutes before I go back to the hotel.
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So there you go. Happy Saturday.

Friday, December 05, 2008

A Lesson: whereupon we learn to use the Internet for our own nefarious purposes

I don't know who Sara Morrison is, exactly, but I shall reproduce her blog entry here because it is high-lar-i-ass. (And she is in West Hollywood where the crazy old Russians are giving everyone a run for their money!)
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So I made peace with the lady next door. She still leaves her shopping carts by the stairs, but she leaves them on the other side of the stairs, where they're not in my way. It turns out that there's another, even more Russian woman who lives next to her who's determined to put the shopping carts on the side of the stairs where they're in my way. I keep catching her do it, but when I nicely and politely (seriously, I say please and stuff) ask her to stop and to put the cart back, she does not. So I put it back for her. Then she comes outside and puts it on the other side. Then I put it back. Each time saying, "please keep it on this side. On that side, it's in my way. Thank you." The other day, she actually pushed the cart into me in her zeal to put it on the other side of the stairs. When she did it today, I was ready. With a camera!

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Here she is, ready to swing the cart around and put it where it doesn't belong.

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And here she is again with the cart now moved to a spot that's in my way.

Please observe the white piece of paper in her hand in the last picture. She rolled it up and hit me with it. Hit me! With a rolled up piece of paper! I could have gotten a papercut! Stupid crazy lady. How does she know I won't sue her or I'm not one of those violent Americans with a gun? She's lucky that I couldn't get the video function of my camera to work right so I didn't get her attack on tape. But I will next time, and then I'll call the police and they can explain to her why you don't 1. steal shopping carts, 2. deliberately put them in the path of other neighbors, and 3. hit people. 

She does have cool sunglasses though.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

With the news about India: some thoughts

The first time I was suppose to go to India for work, my trip was cancelled at the last minute. It turns out that there was a fairly good change (that is above 5%) of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan at that time.
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Now, I have been all over the world for work and never too overly worried. I have been to Indonesia the week after bombing at the Marriott. I have been waited on in Malaysia by a woman in a burka. I have traveled where I should not let people know I work for Citi (or previously for Xerox).
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But the idea that there might actually have been a nuclear war did freak me out. I mean people in India and Pakistan were actually thinking of war - and it would easily escalate.
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The weird thing is that it wasn't especially big news in the USofA. I kind of get the feeling the same thing is going on now. I think things in India and Pakistan are a lot worse than we know.
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It is sobering.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Mascot for December: Cam Gigandet

Okay, Cam Gigandet is the mascot of the month. Here is his picture from Men's Fitness.

I wish I could give a good reason for this. I mean we all know it would be a big fat lie, I just think he is kind of cute, but still.. it would be nice to have an excuse.

He is one of the stars of the new Twilight movie. So at least it is a timely pic.

Here is a little info about him from a fan website.
About Cam Gigandet

Cam Joslin Gigandet (pronounced ji-gon-day) was born August 16, 1982. The Tacoma, Washington native is best known for his portrayal of bad boy Kevin Volchok in seasons three and four in the popular Fox television series,
The O.C. However, Cam is quickly on his rise to stardom, receiving starring roles in multiple upcoming movies and working alongside many of Hollywood’s well-known actors.

Cam started his career making appearances in indie movies such as 2004’s
Mistaken, and winning guest roles on hit television series such as The Young and the Restless and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. More recently, Cam has moved to the big screen with movies such as 2008’s Never Back Down and Twilight, based off the popular young adult books by Stephenie Meyer. He will also have a role in the upcoming thriller The Unborn directed by David S. Goyer.

In 2008, Cam was honored with several awards including the “One to Watch” award received at the 10th Annual Young Hollywood Awards. He also shares a MTV Movie Award with co-star Sean Faris for “Best Fight” from the movie
Never Back Down. His latest accomplishment is the “Rising Male Star of the Year” award, honored to him by the Home Entertainment Awards.


The picture below is from the OC, where he first started. He has some interesting tatoos.

Below is a picture of him and Sean Faris who won the MTV award for best fight last year for "Never Back Down".

Not Sucking Up



So I know some people (I'm looking at you John) might think I am sucking up - but I am not. Not that I above it around gift giving time, but I am just giving a "Good Job" where deserved.
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A while back I noted that I was sending packages to some Marines in Iraq who were helping women with sewing supplies. Well Jo (Ed's mom) put a big package together made up of packages pictured above. It is a sewing kit with a bunch of thread, needles and then she added scissors and to keep them sage she sewed a potholder to hold the scissors and put some extra buttons on it.
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It is way cool and she did a great job. And - since I couldn't carry a box of scissors on the plane, she is sending them out for me.
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Great Job!

What a silly law and lawsuit

Nin.com.poopery..
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There is a Kentucky Law and a Lawsuit about it which is just nincompoopery.  It is a silly thing to legislate and a silly thing to sue over.
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In 2002 Kentucky passed a homeland security law that stressed God's input (with a capital G).  Here is what the article says "Of particular concern is a 2006 clause requiring the Office of Homeland Security to post a plaque that says the safety and security of the state "cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon almighty God" and to stress that fact through training and educational materials.  The plaque, posted at the Kentucky Emergency Operations Center in Frankfort, includes the Bible verse: "Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.""
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Now you can already guess what happens next...  The "American Atheists" (who are apparently a real group) are suing to overturn the law.  And, not content to just piss off people with the lawsuit, the Atheists spokesperson released this statement, ""I'm not aware of any other state or commonwealth that is attempting to dump their clear responsibility for protecting their citizens onto God or any other mythological creature," Buckner said.".
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Here is my question.  Didn't Kentucky know this was going to happen when they passed this law?  Come on.  In these times of funding issues, is this what Kentucky needs to spend its money on, defending a meaningless law?  I mean, really, if God is going to help save Kentucky- then putting it in the law shouldn't make a difference.  I doubt that God is so petty that he won't help Kentucky unless they put it "official".

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Amazing Story on Island Foxes

There once was a species of fox on the Channel Islands - a large group of smallish islands off the coast of California, just west of Ventura and south of Santa Barbara.  This is a GREAT story on the revival of the Island Fox.  It was fairly cheap (compared to the Condor).
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This is one of the reasons I love the Western states.  We have saved the Island Fox, the California Condor, the Buffalo and wild wolves (perhaps the later too well).
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It is a wonderful story if you have a minute.

Happy Dog


The picture looks messy, but let me explain. After we got back from Thanksgiving, I didn't get a chance to unpack.
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Right after we got home we saw Gavin, Micky and Lisa, who were visiting Gavin and Lisa's sister for Thanksgiving. They were only available on Sunday so we spent some time together. I threw the luggage into the office.
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Well today I realized the luggage is still unpacked and so I separated it for washing and dry cleaning. Trevor, who always sleeps under the bed in the office when I work raced over to our clothes and is sleeping on the dry cleaning that smells like me and Ed.
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Awwwww!

Fly a Bigger Plane


I see no reason to fly this little tiny plane between Newark and almost anywhere.
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Really this is the little job we flew this week-end.  It is also the plane we always fly if we go to Columbus.
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Here is my question, doesn't it make more sense to fly a 737?  I mean this bad boy only holds 50, an I have never flown them when they are not full.  I think they
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And while it isn't a bad plane once in the air, it is a hell hole on the ground waiting to take off.  It is small cramped and there is very little air circulation.
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It is so bad, Ed an I can't decide on the right configuration to fly it in.  It is a 1 seat aisle, 2 seat.  So you think that Ed and I would want the 2 seat style, but that doesn't always work.  It is kind of cramped.
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On the way back we tried the 1 seat side each.  That isn't bad except for every the steward(ess) sashays by she knocks into your shoulder.  Even worse on our flight where baby did indeed have back.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Thanksgiving Picture


Isn't this a nice picture of everyone at Thanksgiving.  It was lovely.
 

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Well, The Day the Bird Dies Occurs Soon...

Thanksgiving is coming up and I am thankful for many many things.
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My husband (still), my family and my friends. So I shall be positive and happy today - until I begin the long slog to the airport...
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Go out, eat well, buy what you can after Thanksgiving to support the economy, and remember that we are all loved by someone. Some of us, by many someones...
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xoxoxo
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Scooter
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ps.. the reason I look like the cat that ate the canary is because Trevor was not happy with me and the costume I purchased. (And I was stone cold sober).
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