Wednesday, March 31, 2010

slight exaggeration


just a slight exaggeration

My birthday gift: Dahon

So this was my gift for my birthday from Eddie.
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Yes, it is a bike.
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Now, I know what you are saying. Scott, a bike won't fit in your apartment.
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But this is a Dahon folding bike.
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See next picture.
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Cute huh?
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I got a good spouse.



F

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

MUST WATCH VIDEO

Best. Video. Ever!!!!! (NO politics!)
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Our Contract to Pay Lavin Must be up...


Steve Lavin was just announced head of the St. John's Redmen. They play in Madison Square Garden sometimes and an hour away on the E subway otherwise.
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I guess we are done paying him because he stopped getting paid if he took a new job.

And now, for something completely cool...



RioFall for the 2016 Olympics.
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A proposal to create a solar power plant that can also be turned on to provide an exourban Waterfall. Very Cool.
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Here are the details - but these are the pretty pictures.

Afghanistan, doubling down; does it help?

I have to ask if we are doing the right thing in Afghanistan?
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I am asking, not saying, but I have cause for wonder.
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In Iraq we doubled down and won.... but remember doubling down is a bet. No one, not even the house, wins every bet.
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In Iraq we were trying to get a government in place. Afghanistan has a government in place. And the President, Karzai, has serious problems with the United States. In an article today in the New York Times (who's news is very good, although you can argue it's bias in editorials) there is discussion of the Afghan's President's words to other Afghans. He believes that the US is trying to dominate Afghanistan and only he can stand up to us.
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He believes that the US is the obstacle to peace with the Taliban.
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Our goals was to remove a safe haven for Al Queada. Done. Let's go. Let's save money, lives and focus our efforts at home.
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Of course I have to note, in all honesty, I didn't think it would work in Iraq either - so I could easily be wrong.

Monday, March 29, 2010

My 3 Favorite Items From Salon's Slideshow

I love Salon's new article. I quote:
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We Demand An Apology
Slide show: Mea culpas are hot. Here's a list of those we hope will fall on their swords next. We're waiting
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Some of my favorites: click to enlarge.
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Luckily I never fell for this.


Crocs! I have burned those bridges (sorry Joc, Lynn and Keith).
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Yes, I drove people with this.

From My Friend Clay!

Clay posted this on facebook as the best snarky headline to date from a progressive blog. I likey.
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My Favorite Play Does 2 Great Things.


My favorite play /musical has 2 major milestones (1 past 1 future). The play, of course, is Next To Normal.
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Milestone 1. It made back its investment, which was unexpected in many ways. It is a musical with deep emotions about family and mental illness. Not everyone expected it to be a hit or to last.
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Milestone 2. It starts touring in November with the first stop in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson. SEE IT!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Ed's Dinner Last Thursday


So last Thursday Eddie went to dinner with his Uncle Roger Neppl from the US Paralympic Committee.
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He is on the board of the Paralympics and this dinner on the US Intrepid was for the Wounded Warrior Program in conjunction with the US Military.
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A lot of the Vets that return with disabilities rehabilitate with exercise and competition. The Paralympics can be part of this. As seen in the picture at left the Paralympic Games US Flag carrier was a vet.
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Anyway, it was a good thing. It was fun to meet Roger Neppl (3 of the 4 Aunts and Uncles down 1 to go).

Like a visitor that won't leave

Winter keeps leaving various things "accidentally" at the house, and returning.
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He has become like that visitor that leaves, but knocks on the door ever 2 minutes to see if the other guests "really" have left.
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You know, "Good-bye".... knock knock knock.
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"Did I leave my car keys?" And you know he is just scouring around to see if any of the good Scotch is left or if your favorite Aunt Amy and Uncle Earl are staying to gossip about Uncle Winter.
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"I'll just look in the kitchen", meaning "Did you put away all that cake for yourselves for tomorrow - we brought it for everyone!"
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So, after a few good days, days in the 70's!, winter is back checking for car keys and Scotch. As my good friend Gavin used to say, "Well (tap tap tap), time to walk the dogs. Good-bye everyone - yes, you too Wally Winter."

Friday, March 26, 2010

Mary and Annette on the Today Show


They got on the Today Show today.

Wit and Wisdom from Thursday's Real Housewives (NYC)


So, the Real Housewives of Orange County are never founts of wisdom, but last night were a few priceless moments.
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1) Ramona (the blond Coke Head) says, "Oh no! She was on me like white-rice." I think she meant white ON rice. Of perhaps her Minute Rice exploded in a kitchen in her youth.
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2) Then the Countess was talking about her divorce being final. In an answer to a question about how she felt she said, "I feel indifferent about it. On the one hand I am very relieved, but on the other hand I feel this sadness and finality." I believe that is ambivalent, not indifferent.
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and I am not even done with Tivo yet.

MSNBC's "Best Places to Have a Mid-Life Crisis" was written for me!

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6. PHUKET, KUALA LUMPUR, MANILA, MUMBAI
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Fed up of peering in the mirror, jiggling your wobbly bits and wishing everything was a little further north? Considering a little nip and tuck or two, but worried about showing your post-op bruises in public? Cheap prices coupled with recuperation in the sun is making surgery in Phuket, Kuala Lumpur or Manila increasingly popular. India is the daddy of them all. Today state-of the-art facilities make a facelift or a hip replacement a short inconvenience before relaxing by the beach.

Pictures from the Trevor Project


Ed and I support the Trevor Project - which is a hot line for endangered / suicidal teenagers. Anywho, they had a fund raiser mixer on Monday and we took Annette and Mary (I changed the order because a friend said like Marionette the other way :-).
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This was before name tags in the lobby so it is Mary, Annette and Eddie.
ps -I am in the middle with the "Scott Mitchell" name tag :-).

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Having a great time with Annette and Mary

Ed's cousins, Annette and Mary, are here for a few days. We are having a great time with them. Ed is down in SoHo with them now.
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On the train to SoHo.
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Everyone at evolution (a little odd).

It's taxing the English language to call this "a Thought Process"

So with the passage of the health care bill both physical attacks (rocks, bricks and concrete through windows, cutting propane lines at homes and FAX'ed nooses plus threatening calls to a black Congressman's wife) and threats have increased. Here is some of what has been happening.
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Probably the most symbolically freighted incident thus far has happened to Rep. John Clyburn, D-S.C. An African-American and member of the Democratic leadership, Clyburn reported that his office had received a faxed image of a noose, and that his wife had been threatened over the phone. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., have both had district office windows smashed, as has the office of the Cincinnati Democratic Party. Slaughter, who as chair of the House Rules Committee has had her name associated with House floor procedures, also received a voicemail that used the word "snipers." Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., released a passel of menacing voicemails that he received from abortion opponents who believe he betrayed their cause. And in Virginia, after a tea party activist urged angry healthcare opponents to pay a visit to the house of Rep. Tom Perriello, and mistakenly released his brother’s address instead, someone severed the gas line at Perriello's brother’s house.
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Well, today on "Morning Joe", Joe Scarborough said he never remembered the Republicans "whining" about things like this. Basically saying Democrats are wimps and should be okay with this.

Well, maybe, dipshit, because while Democrats and liberals complained about Bush trashing our budget surplus and turning it into a deficit, or launching an unnecessary war to prove he had balls or flying over Katrina to saw "ooowwwhhh, looking - Heck of a job Brownie," while all that shit happened we liberals raised money, and campaigned against the administration and laws we thought were wrong. We didn't run around trying to intimidate Republicans with bricks, concrete and pipe cutters.
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There might be a few protesters at a Senate Hearing - but we didn't cut any one's gas line or threaten to kill any one's wife.
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Dip Shit
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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Say you have $50 extra bucks....


If you have $50 extra dollars then donate to Preble Street in Maine.
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This organization services 325,000 meals to the homeless a year. It runs 2 half way houses for homeless women (because women on the street are more at risk then men are).
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The Catholic Church in Maine pulled their funding because they backed Maine's law for Same Sex marriage. Preble Street's board of directors voted to support the law because "He said Preble Street decided to join the coalition that opposed Question 1 because issues of sexual orientation are the single greatest cause of homelessness among youths."
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Full story here at the Portland Press Herald. I don't ask you to bitch at the Catholic Church or anything... but if you have an extra $20 or $50 you can help bridge their gap to reach out to women and youth in need. Donations can be made on their web site here (also a lot of information about the work they do here).

Gabrielle Bakker: Amazing


At last night's show (see entry below) we saw some work by a new artist Gabrielle Bakker. I LOVED IT. The picture doesn't do it justice, since it is partially gold leafed, but it was beautious stuff.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Went to a Richard Meier Reception

Tonight we went to the Academy of Arts and Letters (one of the first in the United States, Mark Twain was a founding member).
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Anyway, tonight was an "Open House New York" fund raiser. It was a tribute to Richard Meier, the architect. It was a blast.
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The cute girl on the left is Renee, she is Executive Director of the organization. The guy is Richard Meir.
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If you don't know who Richard is, my favorite of his works is the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Eddie and I went over and met him and I told him that he made my city beautiful. He actually appeared to be touched by the comment.


Spencer Day Does New "Big Band" Music and I Like It


I love Big Band music, but it is all pretty much standards.
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Spencer Day writes and records music that has a Big Band sound. This album sounds great I think. If you like this kind of music then try this.

Calling a non-violent civil rights leader a nigger

I understand the heat of the moment, but I think it is wrong for us all to turn away from what has been happening to avoid telling the truth.
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As John Lewis - an elected member of Congress - was walking to a meeting with the President, people starting yelling "nigger" at him. Do you not know John Lewis. Here is part of his biography (I pulled it from Wikipedia, so the numbers are documented references)
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Lewis was instrumental in organizing student sit-ins, bus boycotts and non-violent protests in the fight for voter and racial equality. He endured brutal beatings by angry mobs and suffered a fractured skull at the hands of Alabama State police as he led a march of 600 people in Selma, Ala. in 1965.[3][4]

Lewis became nationally known during his prominent role in the Selma to Montgomery marches. During the first march police attacked the peaceful demonstrators and beat Lewis mercilessly in public, leaving head wounds that are still visible today. At the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom of 1963, Lewis, a representative of [SNCC], the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was the youngest speaker.[5]

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So, as voting to provide health care to uninsured Americans - even if you think his vote is wrong, this non-violent man honored by both Republicans and Democrats in this country was called a nigger. Another black member of Congress was spit on - he did not press charges after capital police arrested the "protester". I am not sure what you are protesting as you scream nigger and spit on black congressmen, but that is what they were reported as.
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As for Barney Frank, people yelled faggot and homo, but that is less annoying for 2 reasons. 1) We fags use the word ourselves to take away it's power. Any homo over the age of 25 has had faggot screamed at them more than a million times. And 2) It is perfectly legal to discriminate against us. In 27 states you can fire us for being faggots if we are honest. In the Air Force a Staff Sergeant was outed by the Rapid City South Dakota police department because they were mad and the military fired her. So hating faggots is pretty much legal.
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The headlines all say things like "Congressman called N Word" or "John Lewis called n*****r." Hey, if we are going to tolerate this, if Glen Beck says Obama is racist against White People, if the Republicans are standing on the Capital balcony and egging them on (which they did), then own it baby. You called a great man a nigger, cheered the yell and then spit on the other black Congressman. You were able to call out a faggot for the benefit of those that might not know. Your arguments are not compelling and your hatred is obvious. Own it baby.
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Wow: NY Lean 25 Class kicked my ass


So I am taking a "New York Lean 25" class 3 times a week. (You can see for yourself at www.nylean25.com). Anyway, it is a good class, but totally kicked my ass today.
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The trainer focuses on stretching, then intervals of 20 seconds hard as you can, 10 seconds rest then moving on.
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I have taken lots of classes (I used to LOVE aerobics) but this is the first in a long time. It's at the Plaza. Actually, he uses various gyms around the town, but you only have to pay for his class, not the gym - which is great.
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The class is 6 weeks, 3 times a week so it isn't some years long commitment, but I like it. And he is cool and doesn't make you feel like a spazz.
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And it is a good hurt.

Monday, March 22, 2010

I don't understand why...

So a guy with Multiple Sclerosis in New Jersey was just sentenced to 5 years for growing his own marijuana plants for pain relief. He couldn't afford the medicine that was less effective.
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Yes, New Jersey has passed the medical marijuana act, but it doesn't take effect until the end of the year. And I know that he committed a crime and it makes perfect sense to lock someone up with MS at the cost of $50,000 per year and the state will pay for his medicines that are too expensive. Fine, if the state of New Jersey decides this is the right thing to do, who am I to argue with them.
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But here is my question in whole thing.
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The article says that the guy couldn't mention why he was growing it at trial - or even that he had MS. Why?
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I mean if you can use self-defense as a reason in court for killing someone why can't you use self-defense as a reason for growing pot? The MS was definately causing him harm and he had a reasonable fear that it would lead to worse harm.
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As for the alternatives, phfttt....Mark was given marinol - which is a pill form of Marijuana's active ingredients, but it was worthless. For him, he couldn't digest food. So, duh, he couldn't keep the pill down or if it stayed down couldn't keep it in him long enough to do any good. That is why Marijuana worked when smoked . It didn't have to be digested. The alternative was IV feedings twice a day at a cost of over $2400 per day versus a little pot.
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Again, I am not arguing the law, but I don't understand why the circumstances couldn't be noted. They were definitely relevant to why he was growing. PS - they did not find him guilty of having a factory, only of growing pot - but more than 10 plants. I guess the minimum sentence there is 5 years.
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It is a huge cost to the state of New Jersey I think.

Catholic Nuns and the Voice of Reason



I, as an agnostic verging on atheist, have long been confounded by the Catholic Church. In fact, I am rather furious at the Pope right now regarding this whole abuse thing in Europe. BUT..
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But then I read a great article by an ex-communicated Rhode Island believer about the position the Catholic Layity and Catholic Nuns have taken on the Health Care Bill. Regardless of whether you believe in the bill or not, the Nun's point is a salient one...
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But the prospect of national reform prompted anti-choice extremists to demand that no tax dollars be used for health insurance plans that cover abortion for those who wish to use it. Nuns replied that a true pro-life view focuses on the millions of uninsured men, women and children who will be saved under a national plan.
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Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Michigan) has led the pack of Catholic lawmakers looking for ever-tighter abortion restrictions. After a prolonged holdout, he announced his support for the Obama plan on Sunday after the president agreed to issue an executive order clarifying that the Hyde Act (which bans federal funding of abortions) applies to the new law.
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But in withholding his support for so long and endangering the bill, Stupak ignored the endorsement of the plan by nuns, Catholic hospitals (through the Catholic Health Association), and the Catholic press (through the respected National Catholic Reporter ) -- all of them "pro-life."
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Full article here, but this is MY point.
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Maybe the Catholic Church is like the Democratic and Republican Parties, or like any organization that is trying to preserve power. Maybe the top of the organization has lost it's sense of purpose and has focused mainly on holding power. In fact, they might ACTUALLY believe this in in the best interest of the church or the party. But I shouldn't judge the work that the people on the ground (or in the parishes) based on the lunatic rantings of old men long removed from real life. Maybe the best way to judge the church is by the good the members do (and in the case of Catholics - the Nuns, Layity and local Priests).
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And so, I choose to see the help that the Nuns, as well as other people on the ground, did in bringing life saving care to the most venerable among us.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

My Hero: Clay Butler, a 27-year-old evangelical Christian from California


This story warms the cockles of my heart. Clay Butler, a 27-year-old evangelical Christian from California.
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He is working to stop children sex trade in Cambodia. This is his story.
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In a world where some religious institutions seem more intent on preserving their power, this story moves me. This is a man who is truly following the path of religious love.
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I am humbled.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

How the Fairy Tales End (hat tip to Jamie)


Cinderella
Snow White (Charm This you lazy ass).


Little Mermaid (and Flounder)

Friday, March 19, 2010

Is Matt Smith Okay as the Doctor


Hey my beauitful friends from England,

is Matt Smith a good Doctor.?

He looks a bit of a prat.

Country of Netherlands calls Bullshit on General Sheehan

Dutch Military Calls Sheehan Remarks on Gay Responsibility for Bosnian Genocide 'Complete Nonsense'
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The Dutch military has lashed out at retired General John Sheehan and his remarks that the Dutch allowance of gays in the military helped facilitate the Bosnian genocide at Srebrenica in 1995:
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Said Dutch defence ministry spokesman Roger van de Wetering: "It is astonishing that a man of his stature can utter such complete nonsense. The Srebrenica massacre and the involvement of UN soldiers was extensively investigated by the Netherlands, international organisations and the United Nations. Never was there in any way concluded that the sexual orientation of soldiers played a role."
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Sheehan said that the former chief of staff of the Dutch army had told him the presence of gays in the military contributed to the fall of Srebrenica.

Exit:Marketing


Well, that didn't last long.
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So I quit today. Here was the problem. I have a work / life balance AND I want to write. At this job I didn't have that chance.
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AND right now I have a cushion from Citi (augmented by tax refunds) and I want to try writing before giving up on that dream forever.
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So, after a week of seeing what they were like I highly recommend them as a company, but not an employer. It was just a little too "rote" for me at this point in my life.
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Oh well, live and learn.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Finally: Someone is tackling LBL!!


lbl= Light Bladder Leakage - but now there is hope. At http://1in3likeme.yahoo.com/ the "Poise" company helps women who can't stop peeing when they run or laugh or "just anytime".
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Apparently 1 in 3 of you women just dribble.
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Daily.
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I thought I was bad in the cold weather.

I Do Love Jamba Juice

I do love Jamba Juice.  That is one of my favorite things about the new job.  I get to go back to Jamba Juice, so it is a little like home.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Winter Olympics by Telemundo

Flowers for my first day of work.

So for my first day of work I got these beautiful flowers from the owner of the company! I thought it was very nice.
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Even nicer were these from my honey, who hurried home to make me dinner the first night and got me these beautiful flowers.
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Turns Out There are Wheels within Wheels

So, regarding the whole Israel settlement and alliance debacle, more information is coming out.
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Turns out General Patraeus brought up the Israeli issue earlier. There is a great article in Foreign Policy about the whole Israel / US relations and how it is affecting the safety of American Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Here is a article.
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There are important and powerful lobbies in America: the NRA, the American Medical Association, the lawyers -- and the Israeli lobby. But no lobby is as important, or as powerful, as the U.S. military. While commentators and pundits might reflect that Joe Biden's trip to Israel has forever shifted America's relationship with its erstwhile ally in the region, the real break came in January, when David Petraeus sent a briefing team to the Pentagon with a stark warning: America's relationship with Israel is important, but not as important as the lives of America's soldiers. Maybe Israel gets the message now.
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It is getting interesting.

Yesterday Was My First Day


Well, I started and it is going fine. I say fine, not fabulous, because the hours aren't really built for a guy like me.
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They work 9 - 7. Once it gets busy, that will be fine. But right now, 10 hours is a long time to be learning. I have always enoyed getting in, getting my job done and getting out (and the kindness of strangers).
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Oh well, we will have to see how it goes as time moves on.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Gringo Cafe Opens (Softly)

Our friend Sam opened his cage in Rio. It is Ipanema, and called the Gringo Cafe.
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He is serving some thing syou can't otherwise get there (Ranch Dressing on Salads, Root Beer, Big Coffee). He and his staff investigated how to make them with local ingrediants.
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After shot below at their "soft" opening (making sure it all works before the big announcment).
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Before it was the Gringo, it was a lesbian bar.


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Sam serving his first cusotmers.



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Three New Reviews Up

I saw three great shows recently and the posts went up yesterday. I'll link to them and tell you a little about them.


First up is "Yank". It is a new musical, with new music designed to sound very 1940s. It was great. The story is about two guys that falling love in World War II. But it is much less than a gay love story and much more the story of people. In the 1940s there was no "gay", so these 2 people just fell in love. And the acting is amazing. One guy is really gay off stage and one is straight and married with kids. But the aching - which he barely shows but clearly does, is stupendous.
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Yeah, it gets bogged down for a while at the end (just because you are making a 1940's musical doesn't mean you have to do it all - the dream ballet is just painful). But I loved it. Everyone did - the show has been extended at the off-Broadway house and I would not be surprised to see it return to a bigger house or on Broadway - that is how good parts of it are.


The second show is "Glee Club" about a group of mature Vermonters, who share a passion for singing. $25 could NOT be better spent. I laughed my freakin' ass off. PS - Steve from Blues Clues is in the show. In the back row.
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No, not that one, the one all the way on the right (the bald one). He plays a singing crazy person (he shows the persona of mad scientist / serial killer). It is a "guy show" with jokes, asides and actions that only guys can truly understand (the women in the audience thought it was funny but absurd - the guys knew better and laughed more).



Finally was George Bernard Shaw's "Candida". A excellent revival of a classic (which - of course - I had never seen), that was really good. Particular great was cutie Sam Underwood - pride of Woking UK. That is a head shot, because I can't find a great still with him from the show - but he was really good.
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It was a dated, but really good show once you fell into it. It was written in the 1890s, it was allowed to be dated.

Friday, March 12, 2010

I Love Megan McCain


I could actually listen to Republican arguments if they came from intelligent people like Megan McCain who seems to hail from the Barry Goldwater strain of Republicans; honest, thoughtful and guided by a sense of limited government.
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It's kind of sad that her father, which must have given her these traits, has to pander to the right wing of his party now to win a primary in Arizona.
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Anyway, another good commentary by Ms. McCain here.