the WTC movie

I'm not a New Yorker. I'm not a Muslim. I'm not connected to the Pentagon in any way (that I know of). Am I'm not interested in seeing the new WTC movie. What's the point? Seriously, I don't see the pros, but I'm not promoting the cons, either. Nah, I won't say it's explotation by the studios. I think the actors would not want to be a part of it if it was so apparent. I do feel strongly that the towers should be replaced, but I also can see, having worked in a 20-story building, how company employees would be worried about being an everyday target. But they should build them back. By not building them back, does that mean that the original model was structurally and conceptually defective? Didn't Trump have an idea about putting them back, bigger and better? I don't know what the deal is about why they don't give Trump a shot at this. It's as if they're afraid he'll get too much power out of it. Hmmm. There must be more to the story. Back to the movie: I guess it's just too soon. Documentaries about the event? OK by me. But a full-scale fictional account partially based on fact and interpreted with dramatic license? I'm not interested.
(But wait...as I write this, I just remembered how much I enjoyed "Titanic" by Cameron. What am I missing here?)

Buck Rogers

As of today, I'm the proud recipient of my own personal wireless internet connection. Now THIS is cool. I still have the old (but mostly reliable) desktop upstairs, but I'm using the company's notebook for the trial run. And today it just so happens that the first game of the NFL season starts with the HOF game. Ok, so I'm surfing the web while watching NFL football in my garage...or on my screened-in deck...or in the living room on the comfy leather chair/couch...or in bed while smokin' a blunt and getting serviced. Well, as for that last part, that's Christmas Yet To Come. Anyway this is just way too Manly. And I like it. Kids are upstairs, playing on their new educational software, and I'm down here enjoying the show...Yes, I have heard stories about how dangerous this can be, with all the damn hackers out there, and how they can bring on serious damage. My connection, from what I see, is encrypted, so I'm hoping that is doing the trick, or at least be better than nothing... Anything else I should be concerned about? Besides wasting time?...

Morning Line

Just finished "Deception Point" by Dan Brown. Not a bad read, but somewhat predictable in spots. I've read "The DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons", and I enjoyed them for the rich history trivia that Brown loves to scatter within his books. Same MO here, mostly to do with NASA and Fed agency politics. All 3 books were quick reads, kept me interested to the end. They were all light in the human interest part, but Brown does his best to tie in the characters to the more interesting plot lines. I can see how Brown enjoys the research part of each book, and can't wait to share with others, but I can also see how difficult it can be to attach the good stuff to humans, to make the reader interested in the minutiae...

The Parade got rained out

Canes up 3-1, playing Game 5 at home, for the whole enchilada. But no, the Oil spoils the party with an OT goal, sending the series back to Canada for Game 6. I had a funny feeling about this. Too many people were counting it over. You can't get too smug on stuff like this -- unless it's the World Cup, but who's watching that anyway...
Cornbread Maxwell said on local radio that he preferred to win it all on the road, cuz the players get two celebrations. Guess we'll find out...or did I just jinx them again? DOH!

ritual de habitual, part deux

ok, I'm going to try it: post something every day for 30 days. Hopefully, this won't suck...

bad karma

Last night at a business function, I was exposed to a possible stab in the back by a higher level supervisor at my company. He (I'll call him "Billy") and I were talking to a potential new business partner ("Newton") at an open house event, when Billy said to Newton, "so, I'll see you on Monday afternoon?". Say what? You see, I know Newton from last year, when he was a good friend of a former co-worker. Newton would come by to the office and chit-chat with co-worker, and they both comisserated (sp?) on how their lives sucked because of their recent divorces, and how their damn ex's are taking them to the cleaners and beyond. Other than that, Newton didn't have much else to do, so he would try to engage me in conversation, even though I was slammed with new biz, but I'll be a nice guy and listen to his stories. Anyway, long story short, one day, co-worker goes off the deep end and quits the company to seek serious mental help. Didn't see Newton much after that, until one day this year, he stopped by to say he's the new sales manager at a prominent homebuilder in the area. A home builder that Billy had a previous relationship with, but was so mis-managed that they dropped our company's services. So when I see that Newton is now with them, I jump on the opportunity to rekindle the relationship. Newton is ok with the idea; he says he likes me and that if his new company will let him, he'll not only recommend they use us, but he'll also demand that I be the point man on the project...so he says. What do I care if he's b.s.-ing me? It could be true, and I get a huge builder acct, or it all could be shit, and I dont' lose any ground cuz it was never to happen anyway. Well, I'm going with the former. So one day, I'm in Billy's office, and I tell him hey, guess who I ran into, and guess who he's working with nowadays? Right away, I see Billy's all into it, but he's trying to hold it back, cuz he knows what I'm going to say next. So I say it anyway: "and if we can get back on board with Newton's company, he said he wants me to manage the account, and I'm all for it." To which Billy sez, Sure, but let's see what Newton has to say about it. Billy tries to call him right then and there, but Newton isn't answering, so Billy leaves him a message. Billy and Newton go back several yrs -- I found out that Billy had been trying to recruit Newton, but Newton didn't take the bait. Newton also knows Billy's good friend ("Dean"), and Billy has the idea that Newton's company, if it comes back to us, will be managed by Dean. But I'm not privy to any of this until last night, when Billy says to Newton, "So we're going to get together on Monday, right?"..."and are you ok if Dean joins us?". I can see Newton is somewhat uncomfortable, because he now realizes I don't know what's going on. Newton says Yeah, sure, we'll talk Monday, and Billy walks off. I turn to Newton and say "what's that all about?". Newton tells me to my face that he's tired of their bullshit, he wants me to be there instead of Dean, he's tired of dealing with Dean. Yeah, right, I'm thinking, but why would this guy bullshit me to my friggin face?
Yeah, yeah, you're saying Welcome to the Real World of Cutthroat Business. That's bullshit, I say. I'm a big believer in Karma -- I've seen it happen, and I'm convinced that shit happens for a reason, and the things that happen to you are for a reason. There were 1300 people at this event. I knew maybe 10. It took me 30 minutes to get there from my house, and I was an hour late to the event, but when I got there, I saw that I wasn't the only one being fashionable. Plus, I got lost getting to there, and I had to make a 10-minute correction. When I finally get there, I stumble and fumble with stuff in my pockets, yet for some reason, it was meant to be, cuz when I finally get going (after going back to the car twice like an absent-minded schoolgirl), I see Newton driving in at the same time. I didn't know he would be there, but it's weird that we cross paths at the same time. Not only that, but I run into another former co-worker that's now a bigshot at a rival big bank, and we've been playing phonetag for months, trying to find a half hour to squeeze in a lunch so we can catch up, and I know she wants to recruit me. We've had absolutely no luck in connecting, but guess who I run into while waiting in line for the courtesy bus to take us to the open house? Yeah, her. Didn't know she was going to be there, either, but suddenly I find myself at the hip with not only two people I know, but two people that I want to know and I want them to know me, know what I mean?
Which brings us back to "what's that all about?". I'm pissed about this, but I'm at peace for the most part, cuz I know Billy and Dean (and maybe Newton) are messing with some bad karma right now. Former she-worker sez Call me, let's keep in touch, things are changing at our bank, and I want you to be a part of it. Hmm, I say, damn skippy, let's keep in touch. Especially if I'm going to get fucked in the ass by Billy, Dean and Newton. Maybe I'll beat them to it. Or maybe there's more to the story. Billy tells me to my face how much he appreciates my help with his business line. I want to be in Billy's good graces cuz he knows people, and he's an old man and will soon give this up, and I want to be considered for the position when the day comes. But there's something more there, something that I'm not quite sure of yet. It'll take more investigative research. And I may approach Billy after Monday to say, hey, how was that meeting with Newton, and why wasn't I invited?? It had better make sense, otherwise here comes the bad karma, fool...

Olympics, Daytona, PolySci & Lost

The Shroud over Turin (Torino): seems to be covering the heads of our Men's Hockey Team as they strive to underachieve. Going in, the concern was with the goaltenders, but judging from what I've seen in the past two games, it's the other guys that are not doing as well as expected. They look like a team that hasn't played together very much -- oh, yeah, it's true, they haven't. I don't see a sense of national pride with these guys like I see with the Euro's -- it's more like, yeah, I got millions in the bank, and I'm in Italy on the gov dime, so I play a few games, then go take in the scenery and sights, and get back home, sucks to lose, but oh well...

Cheat, Cheat, Never Beat...but not in NASCAR: oops, the winner of The Great American Race, The "super bowl" of racing, the daddy of them all, is the car that was caught cheating just last week. NASCAR wanted anybody but the #48 car to win. Now there goes the credibility, back down the one-holer out back...

Bill Mahar, are you serious?: your show is getting out of control, Bill. It's your job to moderate the conversation. And stop whining about losing your show -- GET OVER IT. Dude, you need to move on. As for the panel, it was not very good, but hey, it's only the first show, you've got nowhere to go but up! Helen Thomas, please step aside, your comments just don't make sense, and they're tarnishing your once-infamous reputation. And please tell me the brotha on the panel was joking with most of his comments. Or better yet, please tell me he and Helen were last-minute replacements, Bill! Try to get more of Joe Scarborough and/or Dennis Miller -- or are you afraid they'll make too much sense for your anti-Bush audience to take?

Lost in Space and Time: Are we really to believe that humans would act this civily and look so refreshed after being marooned for so long? And no one would go crazy, especially knowing that there's a hidden place that has food, and a shower with hot water, and electronics?? Or is it because they're all dead, or it's all a daydream? Kinda like "An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge" -- after all, we did see the Locke character with that book in his hands two weeks ago. I can't imagine not having someone go nuts, or not seeing more power struggles between the de facto leaders, or not seeing more crazy hook-ups between strangers -- it's natural for homo sapiens when they are put into their most basic environment...

Keep Gambling

I don't understand the problem with gambling by professional athletes. To me, it's like smoking weed: There's rules against it, and if you get caught, you get your hand slapped. If you use it so much that it impairs your life/job/whatever, you will pay for it, either directly or indirectly. These millionaires CRAVE competition, it's what keeps them going. Gambling has been going on forever (remember the centurions at the crucifixion?) -- it's entertainment, and these guys have so much money, they need something to do with it. I wonder how many pro teams have regularly scheduled Gamblers Anonymous meetings? Quit wringing your hands like an old woman! If they break the law, they get put down, just like the rest of us. And to all you newspaper columnists that are posting articles against it, I have a question: do you work for a paper that publishes the odds on games? Don't forget that charity begins at home, so if you care so much about this issue, take it up with your employer first...

55 Book challenge

Remember this from last year? An oldie but goodie. So I thought I'd incorporate it into my "new year's regimine". As of today, I'm still working on it. I've read a few books, but I'm way behind schedule.

"Fixing" what isn't broken

WARNING: this is a sports-related rant, but if you look hard enough, you may find (and hopefully think about and/or discuss) the underlying principle...

What's with playing the college football big bowl games over a five-day period? New Year's Day used to be a magical time, a day when all the games were on one day, and you went to or set up a huge party with friends, and it was all football, all day and all night long. I know, it's all about the money now, but they've ruined a good thing. Non-football junkies would hate this day because it went on forever, but at least it ended in a 24-hour period. Now the major bowl games are spread out so much, we lose interest and it's just not fun anymore. In the old days, January 1st started with the Rose Bowl Parade, which was a quiet start to your day, in case you were nursing a huge hangover from the night before. Then the games began: kickoff at the Cotton Bowl, then the Gator Bowl (or was it the other way around? who cares?) overlapped half-way thru, then the Outback Bowl, overlapped by the Fiesta Bowl, which overlapped into the start of the Rose Bowl, which overlapped into the Sugar Bowl, which spilled into the Orange Bowl, and it was all over. It was a day of recovery and gluttony, when you overindulged in chips/dips/finger foods all day, chased down by the appropriate beverage, depending on your current physical condition and mental state. I remember being at parties where the price of admission was, in addition to BYOB, you had to bring a television set, which you placed in whatever room needed it (including the bathroom). It was great, and it was all over in one day. Now, God forbid, even the Rose Bowl Parade was on Jan 2nd this year -- it was a bust today because it rained all day, in Southern California (serves them right). The karma gods aren't completely powerless...

What is THAT all about???

Caught Nancy Grace on Imus the other day. She said that tourism in Aruba is UP. WTF! Or is the data skewed from the journalists and news crews going down there?? If not, then there's something very wrong, or very obvious.

The China Syndrome

I'm borrowing this comment from streetlife.com -- it's too interesting to ignore:

"The New Face of Communist China….Last week I went to an event with Rui Chenggang, one of the top young TV news anchors in China who was named a Global Leader for Tomorrow in 2001 by the World Economic Forum, and is a 100% loyal Communist. Chenggang, who's all of 28 and incredibly articulate, is living in the states for the first time as part of the Yale World Fellows Program. He highlighted some amazing statistics— there are more people who speak English in China than there are in the U.S. —and noted some key misconceptions. We westerners associate China with a fire-breathing dragon, but in fact the icon we see as a dragon, the Chinese see as a benevolent water-breathing serpent that cares for crops. When I asked about the fact that China is growing so fast that there may not be enough natural resources to sustain it, Chenggang was cagey—he insisted that China is working on alternative fuel sources and that the government is much more focused on environmental preservation than the U.S. acknowledges. That's a tough one to swallow." Julie Boorstein

It's the Holiday Season!

Is it me, or does it seem like more and more of us are getting into the "spirit" of Christmas sooner and easier every year? Let's put aside the sentimentality for a moment, and examine further: I think folks are working so hard to try to make ends meet, and to be the best parent they can be, and to be a productive member of society, all the while being bombarded by the daily grind that, in the end, they are starving for any break they can get. Take Christmas music, for example. Ever hear a sad, depressing holiday song from start to finish? Even "Christmas Shoes" has a happy ending. Personally, I like this music, because it's a very welcome respite from the daily dirge of death, or break-ups, or evictions, or corruption, or poverty, or hunger, or political hi-jinks, or whatever other depressing crap that floods the media outlets. Yeah, yeah, Go watch The Daily Show, you say, you'll get comedy and satire relief. No, that's not what we need. Deep down, we want peace on earth. We want to see kids laugh. We want to breathe clean air, and we want to drink clean water, and we want to sleep in and not be rushed by the damned alarm clock every friggin' day. We're getting tired of the crap in the Middle East, every damn day. It's getting old, just like "the troubles" got old (and hopefully it will end because of it). I think if you showed most Middle Easterners some of the great things life has to offer, they would think twice about their religious zealousness. It worked on the Puritans -- where are they now? All work and no play, and you'll lose your mind, Ebeneezer! Christmas (or should I say Christmakkuh) means happy times, holiday parties, buying gifts for people we love and sometimes just because it's the right thing to do. If you look back on some of the great memories of your life, isn't there at least one Christmas that still brings a smile to your face? Yes, I understand we can't have Christmas every day (see "Elmo Saves Christmas" for more on that), but it's...it's...oh, man, this may sound corny, but it's the Spirit that needs to stay with us all the year. I think that's why I don't have a huge problem with cell phones. People are talking more, which means more interaction, which leads to more social participation, and what's wrong with that? But that's another blog for another day. So have yourself a Merry little Christmas, now.

Point / Counterpoint Redux

Mr. Hyde: Iraq official defends 'torture' facility!!http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/11/17/iraq.detainees/index.htmlFirst we were told we had to attack Iraq due to WMDs.Then it was cause Osama and Saddam were buddies.Then it was because Saddam tortured his people.Now we and the new Iraq government torture the Iraqis.Bush and Cheney are corrupt and evil to the core! This game is over.

Dr. Jekyll: I opened my email and a Bill Maher monologue erupted! You seem to be conveniently forgetting that those in power, both Dems and GOP, shared the same intel reports and most voted in favor of the war. Sounds like a Kerry-ism: first I voted for it, then I voted against it. Too bad the Clintonites were so damn gung-ho with passing policy that stopped the FBI from sharing intel info with the CIA and the Pentagon. It's well documented that we had sufficient intel on Atta and others well before 9/11 but it was never shared cuz it wasn't permitted. Bush/Cheney are no worse than ANY other leader tandem that has been directly involved in foreign conflict, and that includes any improprieties regarding human rights and/or torture. It's also too bad that we never get the same run in the press with good stories about socio-economic advances within the Iraqi people. Sure, we have a LONG way to go (no one is denying that), and the cost will be significant, but in the long run, it will prove to be positive. And now there's news that Bob Woodward knew of Valerie Plame's identity long before Scooter Libby allegedly leaked it to Novak. What a surprise...not!

Baseball Playoffs

National League: who cares? especially since the Dodgers aren't in it. Or is it God's way of saying "you need to stop watching so much TV anyway"?...
>>I'll be watching out of the corner of my eye: to see if the Braves choke yet again.

American League: gotta go with SoCal, so Go Angels.
>>I'll be watching out of the corner of my eye: to see if the Sawks were a fluke last year...

Miers for SCOTUS

I'm not sold on this idea. I think the Prez is not correct to nominate someone he prefers. He should be nominating someone that is competent for the country as a whole. Although Ms. Miers seems to be a competent Texas atty, she has no judicial background. I am not an advocate for promoting from outside when there are so many viable and strong candidates within the judicial ranks that have worked hard to achieve a high level of success. It goes back again to "it's not what you know, it's who you know", and this pick is bordering on cronyism. It was suggested that this pick may be the "sacrificial lamb", served up for the hard-line conservatives, and if she's shot down, the Prez can shrug and say "I tried", then nominate a more moderate judge, which appeases everyone but the Dems.

The Da Vinci Code

yeah, yeah, I'm three years too late, but hey, blame it on the kids taking up all my time. So what's the skinny with this book? It was my on my summer reading list, and it's the first book I've read from cover to cover within two days in a long, long time. I heard and read that they're making it into a movie. What's the big deal with the topic? I don't have a problem with Jesus hooking up with Mary Magdalene. I see a bigger problem with people who think Jesus looked like the Aryan version of Bo Bice. HELLOOOO, does anyone from Nazareth look like that? From what I've read, it seems that Jesus wanted his message promoted, not his private social life. Organized religion is so maddening at times. Don't miss the point. Be happy for the guy, that he was able to (possibly) enjoy the company of a loving woman that (allegedly) cared for him very much. Focus on the message, people, and take it for what it's worth...

The Celestine Prophecy

A work buddy ("WB") of mine suggested that I read this book. Something about how I could use the "positive energy", et.al. WB knows that I'm constantly in a state of organized chaos and crisis intervention, thanks mostly to our wonderful jobs. OK, so I picked it up at the local library the other day, and have started reading it, in between the never-ending interruptions (is that a negative comment?). Should I ask for opinions on this book prior to finishing it? Meanwhile, in the back of my mind, I can't help but wonder where I've heard of this book before. All I can say is that, judging from the first couple of chapters, it's covering topics that I've often wondered about over the years. Is it a coincidence that I was drawn to this book? (Insert "Twilight Zone" theme here)...

Random Sample

Today is the first day. I don't expect much, but I'm curious for legitimate reponse and equally random thought. Oh, there'll be topics from time to time, in addition to the random bits of tid. Random Sample will be the place for the "pre-package mayo in tuna cans" ideas that come out of nowhere...
Did you think Christopher Hitchens got his ass handed to him by Jon Stewart the other night? I thought it was another example of a talk show host hogging up most of the interview time. Hey, dude, you have a 20-minute show, save your comments for when the guest is NOT there. Doesn't matter if you don't agree with the guest. Yo, McFly, you are on every night of the week. The guest is on for maybe 10 minutes, max. I know your position, I would like to hear the guest's. Did anyone catch where Hitchens left the stage almost immediately instead of waiting for the c'mml break? I don't think he was too impressed...