I think it's a sign I'm too involved in politics. I get lists of requests from reporters looking for sources on stories. One came in with the title "Closet Organization". My first thought was this was something about secret societies, smoke-filled room stuff... a look at closeted organizations. Freemasons and all that.
It took me a minute to realize "Closet Organization" probably is a story about organizing your closet.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
A new Helen Keller joke (no, really!)
So I was playing this game called Apples to Apples, where everyone has an adjective (pretty, noisy, etc.), and you have a handful of nouns & proper nouns (ballerina, Canada, Rush Limbaugh, etc.). You have to play the noun that you think the judge will find the best or funniest fit.
The description was "Touchy-Feely".
Our little 10 year old player offered up as touchy-feely Helen Keller.
After about 2 solid minutes of laughter, we had to explain to her just why it was in fact so funny... she had no idea who Helen Keller was. She had read the little helpful description on the card that she was an accomplished author.
Well, yes, there's that...
The description was "Touchy-Feely".
Our little 10 year old player offered up as touchy-feely Helen Keller.
After about 2 solid minutes of laughter, we had to explain to her just why it was in fact so funny... she had no idea who Helen Keller was. She had read the little helpful description on the card that she was an accomplished author.
Well, yes, there's that...
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
25,000 Cent Pyramid
"you left me in the trunk of a hot car in the sun in the middle of August in Miami, ya idiot."
"ummm... Things My Lunch Would Say!"
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Even worse joke....
Due to a paperwork error, when I took my car into be repaired the mechanic gave me a loner car.
It's pretty much the same as a regular car, except that when I park, it just sits on the other end of the parking lot away from all the other cars and sulks.
It's pretty much the same as a regular car, except that when I park, it just sits on the other end of the parking lot away from all the other cars and sulks.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
yuk yuk yuck
New horrid pun in 3...2...
Kids today are increasingly using mobile technology to support their corner lemonade stands. iPhones can provide the kids with the recipes, help them track results, and even follow lemonade inventory.
Experts say the role of parents has been....
(ready?)
e-Lemonaded.
Kids today are increasingly using mobile technology to support their corner lemonade stands. iPhones can provide the kids with the recipes, help them track results, and even follow lemonade inventory.
Experts say the role of parents has been....
(ready?)
e-Lemonaded.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I hope they do the Macarena
I got an evite to an event this weekend. Really? People still do that? I checked and it's not dated 1996.
Too bad because I was hoping we could get into a discussion of how Alanis Morrisette's album is about that guy from Full House and grumble about how AOL keeps sending us CDs.
It's a shame the service fell out of popularity, actually. As best as I could tell there wasn't anything particularly wrong with it. Free invites you can customize, track, e-mail out people reminders, etc... I think the only thing that really killed it was people were sending out spam that looked like evites. Basically the same thing that effectively stopped online birthday cards.
Monday, May 30, 2011
To Boldly Go Where Every Fan Has Gone Before
So, doubt that I'm the first to do this... probably not the first to do it on a vanity blog, maybe not even the first to do it using blogger, but the SciFi Channel has been showing a marathon of all the Star Trek movies, in seemingly random order.
Some are really enjoyable, tight productions. Some are only for the dedicated fans. And some are unwatchable bilge. But, then, if you make more than a dozen of something that ain't cans of Coke, you're going to have some slippage.
Here's how I rank the films, with a few little notes as I remember them.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Star Trek (JJ Abrams version) -- there's a couple of flaws that really take down what could be a better movie. A long scene of Kirk drag racing in a stolen car would be mildly amusing if it weren't spoiled by being in the trailer for a year or so. Even so, the thought of someone 200 years from now considering a classic car being a joyride... I mean, it's not like kids today show their wild side by jacking a horse & buggy.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock --- this one ranks kind of middle of the road. There's nothing outwardly wrong about it, but also has no particular redeeming or memorable features. It's alright.
Star Trek: Generations --- Should be lower for the wasted use & travesty end to Kirk.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture --- this might have been a bit better if, say, about 35 minutes of establishing shots were taken out.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier --- Much has been written about the circumstances that killed this film. Industrial Light & Magic was unavailable to do the special effects, so it has some thin points. It had budget and writer problems so some scenes in the conclusion were cut. Shatner's ego probably transfers writ large on the screen. People acting out of character. But I think the biggest problem here is "Eddie & The Cruisers Syndrome". It's a solid set-up that fails to deliver on the potential it builds up.
Star Trek: Insurrection --- soap opery. Picard love stories made bad episodes, and this one's like a 2 hour long bad episode.
Star Trek Nemesis --- a lifeless, wandering film that's entirely too self-referential for (the end of) two series with plenty of other institutional knowledge to refer back to. Some hideous filming choices, a boring villain, a confusing rationale... and what the hell is a clone that doesn't look like the clonee?
I don't think I missed any.
Some are really enjoyable, tight productions. Some are only for the dedicated fans. And some are unwatchable bilge. But, then, if you make more than a dozen of something that ain't cans of Coke, you're going to have some slippage.
Here's how I rank the films, with a few little notes as I remember them.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Star Trek (JJ Abrams version) -- there's a couple of flaws that really take down what could be a better movie. A long scene of Kirk drag racing in a stolen car would be mildly amusing if it weren't spoiled by being in the trailer for a year or so. Even so, the thought of someone 200 years from now considering a classic car being a joyride... I mean, it's not like kids today show their wild side by jacking a horse & buggy.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock --- this one ranks kind of middle of the road. There's nothing outwardly wrong about it, but also has no particular redeeming or memorable features. It's alright.
Star Trek: Generations --- Should be lower for the wasted use & travesty end to Kirk.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture --- this might have been a bit better if, say, about 35 minutes of establishing shots were taken out.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier --- Much has been written about the circumstances that killed this film. Industrial Light & Magic was unavailable to do the special effects, so it has some thin points. It had budget and writer problems so some scenes in the conclusion were cut. Shatner's ego probably transfers writ large on the screen. People acting out of character. But I think the biggest problem here is "Eddie & The Cruisers Syndrome". It's a solid set-up that fails to deliver on the potential it builds up.
Star Trek: Insurrection --- soap opery. Picard love stories made bad episodes, and this one's like a 2 hour long bad episode.
Star Trek Nemesis --- a lifeless, wandering film that's entirely too self-referential for (the end of) two series with plenty of other institutional knowledge to refer back to. Some hideous filming choices, a boring villain, a confusing rationale... and what the hell is a clone that doesn't look like the clonee?
I don't think I missed any.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
mmmm ecodisaster
2nd day of smoke coming in from a brushfire in the Everglades.
We oughta just replace the swamp with hickory trees instead of sawgrass. At least then the news would just be "Expect today to unexpectedly find yourself mildly hungry for BBQ."
We oughta just replace the swamp with hickory trees instead of sawgrass. At least then the news would just be "Expect today to unexpectedly find yourself mildly hungry for BBQ."
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
they stole my idea....
well, kinda.
My original screenplay was a movie about a royal facing the shame of his difficulty in successfully farming produce. It was going to be called............
(like you don't see this coming.............)
My original screenplay was a movie about a royal facing the shame of his difficulty in successfully farming produce. It was going to be called............
(like you don't see this coming.............)
The King's Peach.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
It was gonna be Patrick Swayze again....
People magazine announced that Jennifer Lopez will be on their cover of the most beautiful people today or whatever it is they call it.
In other news, People magazine announced that it takes 8 years for them to write each issue. After the piece on Jennifer Lopez being hot, there's a really interesting feature on Lindsay Lohan's promising film career, and eager anticipation of what M. Night Shamalayan will direct next.
In other news, People magazine announced that it takes 8 years for them to write each issue. After the piece on Jennifer Lopez being hot, there's a really interesting feature on Lindsay Lohan's promising film career, and eager anticipation of what M. Night Shamalayan will direct next.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
A Newt-ered Campaign
As is often the case, the Onion has probably nailed the sentiment better than any news analyst could...
Even Newt Gingrich a Little Depressed By Prospect of Him Running for President
There are at least three reasons why the almost-entirely-soon-to-be-really-this-time official Newt Gingrich campaign for president is a bad idea. Either it's going to bomb now or bomb later, but either way it's a disaster so bad he might as well hire Irwin Allen to be his campaign manager. (True, Irwin Allen is currently mostly dead. But then, so is the campaign).
Of the three reasons, only one has really been discussed by media and commentators.
The obvious one is "the bio thing". 17 years passing since the Contract With America and taking back the House (wow, math makes me feel old), that doesn't change his history of divorces and infidelity and whatnot. Now, he didn't especially help his case by being on TBN or whatever it was saying his marriage broke up because of his overwhelming sense of patriotism and love of country. That was just a useless statement, which... if you listen to the larger explanation... is slightly less of a useless statement. Which leads me to
#2 he's a professor, and professors make crap politicians.
Politicians have to be able to say what they're gonna say in... well less words than this little rant, certainly. Professors have to fill 45 minutes or more. There's a reason why attorneys are often good in politics. Moving a jury plucked from the general public is a lot like moving the general public --- peppering them with nuggets they can remember always helps as their form opinions.
#3 He got outflanked by the Clintons. Badly.
When it came time to implement the Contract with America, drive a stake through the heart of wasteful government... and oh yeah bringing impeachment charges, there can be no real argument that the Clintons ran circles around Newt. So much so that it's basically what led to him leaving DC with tail firmly tucked.
Fast forward a couple of years, and the same Clinton machine was somewhat surprisingly taken out by Obama, Ivan Drago vs. Apollo Creed style.
So, now Newt, who lost badly to the guy who lost badly to the guy... wants to take on the team that whipped the team that whipped him.
It won't be pretty.
Or particularly enjoyable.
Even Newt Gingrich a Little Depressed By Prospect of Him Running for President
There are at least three reasons why the almost-entirely-soon-to-be-really-this-time official Newt Gingrich campaign for president is a bad idea. Either it's going to bomb now or bomb later, but either way it's a disaster so bad he might as well hire Irwin Allen to be his campaign manager. (True, Irwin Allen is currently mostly dead. But then, so is the campaign).
Of the three reasons, only one has really been discussed by media and commentators.
The obvious one is "the bio thing". 17 years passing since the Contract With America and taking back the House (wow, math makes me feel old), that doesn't change his history of divorces and infidelity and whatnot. Now, he didn't especially help his case by being on TBN or whatever it was saying his marriage broke up because of his overwhelming sense of patriotism and love of country. That was just a useless statement, which... if you listen to the larger explanation... is slightly less of a useless statement. Which leads me to
#2 he's a professor, and professors make crap politicians.
Politicians have to be able to say what they're gonna say in... well less words than this little rant, certainly. Professors have to fill 45 minutes or more. There's a reason why attorneys are often good in politics. Moving a jury plucked from the general public is a lot like moving the general public --- peppering them with nuggets they can remember always helps as their form opinions.
#3 He got outflanked by the Clintons. Badly.
When it came time to implement the Contract with America, drive a stake through the heart of wasteful government... and oh yeah bringing impeachment charges, there can be no real argument that the Clintons ran circles around Newt. So much so that it's basically what led to him leaving DC with tail firmly tucked.
Fast forward a couple of years, and the same Clinton machine was somewhat surprisingly taken out by Obama, Ivan Drago vs. Apollo Creed style.
So, now Newt, who lost badly to the guy who lost badly to the guy... wants to take on the team that whipped the team that whipped him.
It won't be pretty.
Or particularly enjoyable.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
spambots gfy
So, I had to delete one of my old posts that was just a silly story about being a freshman in college... somehow a line in it must have been a trigger for spambots, because every day I got all sorts of notices of comments added to it that were absolutely nonsensical strings with some links and other junk.
Of course, now that I deleted it, the random crap is just showing up on another strand instead.
Rah.
Of course, now that I deleted it, the random crap is just showing up on another strand instead.
Rah.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
cheat and win or cheat and suck?
What's more disappointing --- when your team succeeds and it comes out later they were in violations of the rules --- or if they're mediocre and get busted?
You might say it's worse to have more taken away from you... the likes of USC, who has to forfeit their wins and championships and Heismans and whatnot.
But I dunno, I think a USC fan might hide behind "oh c'mon EVERYBODY's doing it, and we still got to experience being on top --- saying 5 years later "oh that didn't count" is kinda irrelevant and moot."
Whereas a school like North Carolina might look at themselves and say "Crap, we were cheating and STILL couldn't win? That's pretty depressing."
Or, more to the point, a USC fan would say "Shaw, like, whatever man!", and a UNC fan would say "Daggum, our team's like the northern end of a southbound mule."
You might say it's worse to have more taken away from you... the likes of USC, who has to forfeit their wins and championships and Heismans and whatnot.
But I dunno, I think a USC fan might hide behind "oh c'mon EVERYBODY's doing it, and we still got to experience being on top --- saying 5 years later "oh that didn't count" is kinda irrelevant and moot."
Whereas a school like North Carolina might look at themselves and say "Crap, we were cheating and STILL couldn't win? That's pretty depressing."
Or, more to the point, a USC fan would say "Shaw, like, whatever man!", and a UNC fan would say "Daggum, our team's like the northern end of a southbound mule."
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Gobbledyfoobidies revisited
Re-visiting my previous post, "McDonald's is now Gobbledyfoobidies", which looked at why the blue hell a company with a century of name recognition like Brink's security would choose to forgo all that and call themselves Broadview instead.
http://johnspartan.blogspot.com/2009/08/mcdonalds-is-now-gobbledyfoobidies.html
You probably remember seeing a lot of their millions and millions of dollars in TV advertising that had variations of pretty white women having a party and then getting assaulted by house guests who, umm, left and came back and then the alarm went off and they talked to someone on the phone, that made it all go away somehow.
At the time, I wondered if anything was sillier than giving up Brink's for "Broadview". As is often the case, it seems the answer to that question is YES... basically having wasted the last 6 months or so (and the aforementioned millions), because the company is merging with ADT to be known as.... ADT.
Seems someone at ADT has this wacky idea that if you have a brand name people know and readily associate with your product, you may want to consider using that name.
Maybe in 6 months they'll change again to Gobbledyfoobidies.
http://johnspartan.blogspot.com/2009/08/mcdonalds-is-now-gobbledyfoobidies.html
You probably remember seeing a lot of their millions and millions of dollars in TV advertising that had variations of pretty white women having a party and then getting assaulted by house guests who, umm, left and came back and then the alarm went off and they talked to someone on the phone, that made it all go away somehow.
At the time, I wondered if anything was sillier than giving up Brink's for "Broadview". As is often the case, it seems the answer to that question is YES... basically having wasted the last 6 months or so (and the aforementioned millions), because the company is merging with ADT to be known as.... ADT.
Seems someone at ADT has this wacky idea that if you have a brand name people know and readily associate with your product, you may want to consider using that name.
Maybe in 6 months they'll change again to Gobbledyfoobidies.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Why Rubio won
Marco Rubio will be the Republican nominee for US Senate from Florida because he has a Biscayne Bay Young Republicans polo shirt.
Now that may sound self-aggrandizing (and it is) but permit me to explain. Come in the Wayback Machine back to April 2009, a time before the Washington Post or National Review or Fox News knew Marco Rubio from Paulina Rubio.
Marco Rubio was willing, even eager to speak to whatever conservative group would happily have him. The Biscayne Bay Young Republicans meeting had several speakers... the intrepid Marcos Sendon spoke about the first Tea Party and the launch of some crazy website called SFlaConservative.com. Lubby Navarro spoke about her ongoing campaign for state house. And Marco Rubio announced he was running for US Senate. With the campaign starting here, the Rubio campaign would get known over the next 9 months or so of being willing to speak to any small group that was open to hearing messages of traditional conservative values. As our meeting wrapped we presented Marco Rubio with a Biscayne Bay YRs polo shirt, as much to advertise the shirts as to thank him for announcing his campaign with us.
Governor Crist received countless invitations to speak at little local clubs. His campaign not only did not accept these offers, in my own experience they were simply not even acknowledged. The Crist campaign was almost wholly focused on events where he'd get $1000 and up checks. And while YR clubs and REC meetings and women's groups are great ways to meet the locals, I'm afraid we're not often of the sort to max out on donations for a dinner.
Then, something happened. Marco Rubio won one little straw poll. Then a 2nd, then a 3rd. The momentum came before the money.
Now, to be fair, when both candidates got known Rubio had the resume and remarks that the Republicans ultimately chose overwhelmingly. Bob Smith came to speak to the club as well, and his campaign couldn't get past the fact that he was a former U.S. Senator, and no one in FL seemed to think that qualified him to run for U.S. Senate.
But how did the leading candidates get known?
Because Marco Rubio came to shake hands, chat, answer questions, and get his Biscayne Bay Young Republicans polo shirt.
Now that may sound self-aggrandizing (and it is) but permit me to explain. Come in the Wayback Machine back to April 2009, a time before the Washington Post or National Review or Fox News knew Marco Rubio from Paulina Rubio.
Marco Rubio was willing, even eager to speak to whatever conservative group would happily have him. The Biscayne Bay Young Republicans meeting had several speakers... the intrepid Marcos Sendon spoke about the first Tea Party and the launch of some crazy website called SFlaConservative.com. Lubby Navarro spoke about her ongoing campaign for state house. And Marco Rubio announced he was running for US Senate. With the campaign starting here, the Rubio campaign would get known over the next 9 months or so of being willing to speak to any small group that was open to hearing messages of traditional conservative values. As our meeting wrapped we presented Marco Rubio with a Biscayne Bay YRs polo shirt, as much to advertise the shirts as to thank him for announcing his campaign with us.
Governor Crist received countless invitations to speak at little local clubs. His campaign not only did not accept these offers, in my own experience they were simply not even acknowledged. The Crist campaign was almost wholly focused on events where he'd get $1000 and up checks. And while YR clubs and REC meetings and women's groups are great ways to meet the locals, I'm afraid we're not often of the sort to max out on donations for a dinner.
Then, something happened. Marco Rubio won one little straw poll. Then a 2nd, then a 3rd. The momentum came before the money.
Now, to be fair, when both candidates got known Rubio had the resume and remarks that the Republicans ultimately chose overwhelmingly. Bob Smith came to speak to the club as well, and his campaign couldn't get past the fact that he was a former U.S. Senator, and no one in FL seemed to think that qualified him to run for U.S. Senate.
But how did the leading candidates get known?
Because Marco Rubio came to shake hands, chat, answer questions, and get his Biscayne Bay Young Republicans polo shirt.
Palomilla and politics
It was like one of those big multi-generation family reunion photos... except, ya know, everyone actually wanted to be there.
Taking over half of an otherwise sleepy Los Ranchos in West Miami on a Thursday night was both a testament to the strength of a movement and the roadmap for the successful return of a national party.
The meeting was the investiture of the first board of the Miami-Dade Teenage Republicans (TARs). As president of the Miami Young Republicans, which serves the 18-40 community, I was honored and pleased to be asked to conduct the swearing in of these energetic and optimistic young men and women.
The well-spoken, eager next generation of party movers & shakers was impressive, and probably the story of the evening. But perhaps equally important was the show of solidarity and strength... I say this because the executive director of the Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee, the secretary of the Old Cutler Republican Women's Club, and the founder and president of South Florida Conservative & its corresponding initiative all made it a point to attend and show encouragement and support.
All these leaders of local organizations, myself included, came out with the same purpose --- to both give encouragement to and receive encouragement from this new group.
How will conservative causes return to prominence? Only through coordinated efforts that start with the people who have Marco Rubio on speed dial, go through the people who are tapped into the community that "never got involved before but cannot sit on the sidelines any longer", and all the way down to the young men and women in groups such as the Miami-Dade TARs who are just beginning to look into how they can support campaigns and initiatives.
Over the past few months I've been happy to get to know Juan D'Arce, candidate for state house 112 and sponsor of the Miami-Dade TARs, Rudy Leal-McCormack, the club's spokesperson, and now Alejandro Moreno, the TARs chairman. It's easy to say the future is in good hands... but after Thursday night's event I can say I'm optimistic about the present.
Taking over half of an otherwise sleepy Los Ranchos in West Miami on a Thursday night was both a testament to the strength of a movement and the roadmap for the successful return of a national party.
The meeting was the investiture of the first board of the Miami-Dade Teenage Republicans (TARs). As president of the Miami Young Republicans, which serves the 18-40 community, I was honored and pleased to be asked to conduct the swearing in of these energetic and optimistic young men and women.
The well-spoken, eager next generation of party movers & shakers was impressive, and probably the story of the evening. But perhaps equally important was the show of solidarity and strength... I say this because the executive director of the Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee, the secretary of the Old Cutler Republican Women's Club, and the founder and president of South Florida Conservative & its corresponding initiative all made it a point to attend and show encouragement and support.
All these leaders of local organizations, myself included, came out with the same purpose --- to both give encouragement to and receive encouragement from this new group.
How will conservative causes return to prominence? Only through coordinated efforts that start with the people who have Marco Rubio on speed dial, go through the people who are tapped into the community that "never got involved before but cannot sit on the sidelines any longer", and all the way down to the young men and women in groups such as the Miami-Dade TARs who are just beginning to look into how they can support campaigns and initiatives.
Over the past few months I've been happy to get to know Juan D'Arce, candidate for state house 112 and sponsor of the Miami-Dade TARs, Rudy Leal-McCormack, the club's spokesperson, and now Alejandro Moreno, the TARs chairman. It's easy to say the future is in good hands... but after Thursday night's event I can say I'm optimistic about the present.
50 Most Beautiful People Slideshow 2010 - TheHill.com
50 Most Beautiful People Slideshow 2010 - TheHill.com
Wow. If this is the 50 most beautiful people in Washington, DC... this goes near the top of my list of reasons why I'm happy to be in Miami instead :-p
Wow. If this is the 50 most beautiful people in Washington, DC... this goes near the top of my list of reasons why I'm happy to be in Miami instead :-p
Friday, May 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Where I'm not
So, this is my current "Where I'd rather be"... it's in DC in the Eastern
Market neighborhood. Great little neighborhood pub with good food.
View Larger Map
PS apparently Google Maps now has an option for 3d. A pointless touch? Probably. But I still wanna try it sometime :)
Market neighborhood. Great little neighborhood pub with good food.
View Larger Map
PS apparently Google Maps now has an option for 3d. A pointless touch? Probably. But I still wanna try it sometime :)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
wistful smurf
From time to time (and entirely too often), I find myself wishing I could just go back to a certain point and time in life and live there again --- either start over from that point and see what I could change, or even just enjoy those years again.... This is of course pretty fruitless, but yet I keep going back to it.
My default seems to be to go back to college and the times I enjoyed there with good friends. But presently I have picked something a bit stranger to harken back to...
When I was little, July 4th meant, generally, going over to the Bal Harbour Club for their dinner BBQ, then down to the beach to watch the fireworks.
Now, even at the time, I knew the Bal Harbour Club was a rat shack, the food was just okay (which is weird because any other day they had pretty great burgers), and the fireworks show was average. But there was a simplicity to it all, especially being a "little squirt". And of course spending holiday time with the family was something I appreciated and somewhere I was pretty fortunate --- and our family friends in the community were always pretty nice to me when I was a rugrat. And hey, to a little kid --- the beach at night, BBQ food and fireworks, why not?!?
I even remember someone (we've had discussions back and forth since then as to who it was) that used his cigar to light some roman candles when we ran out of matches. I've tried duplicating that feat and have largely failed.
July 4 took on a new meaning for me when I was a teen. Without going into too much detail (if you're reading this there's a decent chance you already know the details), suffice it to say there was a year when making it to July 4 was a victory.
Now it's a cause for celebration again. For the past couple of years I've really as an (ahem) adult enjoying the new July 4 ritual --- a day of party and cookout and fun at the in-laws with friends from all walks of life.
But I wonder how many of the people there know that I have my own very personal reasons for celebrating on the 4th and all it means to me. And I wonder if they have their own stories.
Ya know, involving shooting aliens and such.
My default seems to be to go back to college and the times I enjoyed there with good friends. But presently I have picked something a bit stranger to harken back to...
When I was little, July 4th meant, generally, going over to the Bal Harbour Club for their dinner BBQ, then down to the beach to watch the fireworks.
Now, even at the time, I knew the Bal Harbour Club was a rat shack, the food was just okay (which is weird because any other day they had pretty great burgers), and the fireworks show was average. But there was a simplicity to it all, especially being a "little squirt". And of course spending holiday time with the family was something I appreciated and somewhere I was pretty fortunate --- and our family friends in the community were always pretty nice to me when I was a rugrat. And hey, to a little kid --- the beach at night, BBQ food and fireworks, why not?!?
I even remember someone (we've had discussions back and forth since then as to who it was) that used his cigar to light some roman candles when we ran out of matches. I've tried duplicating that feat and have largely failed.
July 4 took on a new meaning for me when I was a teen. Without going into too much detail (if you're reading this there's a decent chance you already know the details), suffice it to say there was a year when making it to July 4 was a victory.
Now it's a cause for celebration again. For the past couple of years I've really as an (ahem) adult enjoying the new July 4 ritual --- a day of party and cookout and fun at the in-laws with friends from all walks of life.
But I wonder how many of the people there know that I have my own very personal reasons for celebrating on the 4th and all it means to me. And I wonder if they have their own stories.
Ya know, involving shooting aliens and such.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
It's run like the post office
So, the Washington Post on the Post Office: "The agency's business model is so poor, consultants concluded, that privatizing it is untenable."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/01/AR2010030103452.html
No word yet on whether the article will also appear in the pages of Well, Yeah, Duuuuuh.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/01/AR2010030103452.html
No word yet on whether the article will also appear in the pages of Well, Yeah, Duuuuuh.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
well THAT's a relief
So, there's a new trailer out, and it seems Shia LeBouf is NOT playing Gordon Gekko's Scrappy Doo of a long-lost son....
He's playing his Scrappy Doo of a son-in-law.
Yay creativity! This won't suck the bigg'un much, will it?
He's playing his Scrappy Doo of a son-in-law.
Yay creativity! This won't suck the bigg'un much, will it?
Monday, February 22, 2010
yzuk yzuk
I've heard that sorry is sometimes the hardest word to say.
I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the rest of the time, "Kyrgyzstan" gets the title.
I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the rest of the time, "Kyrgyzstan" gets the title.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Hello to An Ony Mouse.
So, I had an anonymous comment from, ummm, well I don't know who (obviously) complimenting me on how the blog's coming along. It was on a post that I ended up having to delete because of some weird formatting problems.
The note said the original posts mostly sucked but over time it's gotten to be fun to read. They left off that it was originally very self-serving, silly humor and navel-gazing whereas now... umm hang on a tic...
The note said the original posts mostly sucked but over time it's gotten to be fun to read. They left off that it was originally very self-serving, silly humor and navel-gazing whereas now... umm hang on a tic...
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
a public service
Ya know, I like when people say "I don't care if you're black or white or red or yellow or green or blue...."
I really do.
Because it means they're not going to say anything intelligent from that point on, so I can just stop listening.
And that's a really handy out to have.
I really do.
Because it means they're not going to say anything intelligent from that point on, so I can just stop listening.
And that's a really handy out to have.
Monday, January 25, 2010
This post brought to you by...
Dear Taco Bell,
Skinny guys don't get 5 layer beef cheesy burrito things every day. And hot chicks don't work behind the counter.
And that's not even getting into the thought of 89 cent food being mostly scary.
Love, Bradley
Dear Random Insurance Commercial With Bobby Lee Looking Asian Guy:
Damn you for getting Kansas - Point of Know Return stuck in my head.
Love, Bradley
Dear Car Company:
David Bowie's Major Tom is not a really sharp choice as background music. Major Tom's ship malfunctions and it ends up being a one way trip. Might as well call your car the Titanic.
Love, Bradley
Dear Home Security Company:
WTF? Your ads are getting weirder and scarier.
Skinny guys don't get 5 layer beef cheesy burrito things every day. And hot chicks don't work behind the counter.
And that's not even getting into the thought of 89 cent food being mostly scary.
Love, Bradley
Dear Random Insurance Commercial With Bobby Lee Looking Asian Guy:
Damn you for getting Kansas - Point of Know Return stuck in my head.
Love, Bradley
Dear Car Company:
David Bowie's Major Tom is not a really sharp choice as background music. Major Tom's ship malfunctions and it ends up being a one way trip. Might as well call your car the Titanic.
Love, Bradley
Dear Home Security Company:
WTF? Your ads are getting weirder and scarier.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
A plea for civility
I don't expect much when it comes to manners and respect in political discourse. Whenever any candidate, left or right, comes along and says they're going to change the tone in Washington, I'm inclined to pretty much just roll my eyes. "Reaching across the aisle in a spirit of bipartisanship" is one of those expressions that is just the speaker insulting the intelligence of the listener.
However, one thing I think is NOT beyond the realm of reasonable expectations, and still a point of some severe disappointment. Is it too much to ask that we not resort to disgusting schoolyard sexual slang as part of the discussion. I'm referring to the left's recent giggling use of the dismissive term "teabagger" to slander anyone whose only perceived crime might be daring to disagree with their own notions. For a bit of history on the term, check out http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=teabagger, it's a term whose only origin is a fairly ugly sexual term.
The statements by some on the left that the tea party movement is somehow rooted in a concern with the President's ethnicity are stupid. The statements that the people who populate these rallies are planted or paid somehow are also stupid.
But assigning and publicly using vulgar, indecent terms to refer to people exercising their right to peaceably assemble isn't stupid --- it's just rude and uncivilized. And it adds nothing.
I'll promise never to use an ugly sexual term to refer to public interest groups on the Left. Let's see if any there will do the same.
However, one thing I think is NOT beyond the realm of reasonable expectations, and still a point of some severe disappointment. Is it too much to ask that we not resort to disgusting schoolyard sexual slang as part of the discussion. I'm referring to the left's recent giggling use of the dismissive term "teabagger" to slander anyone whose only perceived crime might be daring to disagree with their own notions. For a bit of history on the term, check out http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=teabagger, it's a term whose only origin is a fairly ugly sexual term.
The statements by some on the left that the tea party movement is somehow rooted in a concern with the President's ethnicity are stupid. The statements that the people who populate these rallies are planted or paid somehow are also stupid.
But assigning and publicly using vulgar, indecent terms to refer to people exercising their right to peaceably assemble isn't stupid --- it's just rude and uncivilized. And it adds nothing.
I'll promise never to use an ugly sexual term to refer to public interest groups on the Left. Let's see if any there will do the same.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
endorsing education
So, apparently Charlie Crist and Jeb Bush are appearing at an event today to talk about, ummm, being pro-education or some such thing.
What's NOT true are the rumors that, when asked about endorsing Crist's senate candidacy, Jeb's response will be "of all the candidates running in this race, Charlie Crist is certainly one of them"
What's NOT true are the rumors that, when asked about endorsing Crist's senate candidacy, Jeb's response will be "of all the candidates running in this race, Charlie Crist is certainly one of them"
Sunday, January 10, 2010
If you like me, you'll really like me.
http://www.sflaconservative.com/ South Florida Conservative is back up, a retooled site that's neater and cleaner, and has a lot more back-end capability too from what I understand.
I have two new posts up on the blog since the beginning of the year. One on what to read into Obama's poll numbers being off and one on the heresy that is questioning global warming.
Check it out! :)
I have two new posts up on the blog since the beginning of the year. One on what to read into Obama's poll numbers being off and one on the heresy that is questioning global warming.
Check it out! :)
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