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Category: rants and ....

01/22/07 08:40 - 24ºF - ID#37825

Monday I got Friday

So, Hillary's in. Obama's in, Richardson's in, Edwards is in and a really obscure Republican. If the respective fields can have debate for the future instead of arguing the past, that would be a positive thing. This is going to be really long process where Hillary will have to hear about 1993 Health reform failures, Edwards and Obama will have to hear about their lack of experience for being President. Who the hell has that exactly? Joe Biden from Massachusetts has been in the Senate for over 20 years and he's no more experienced at being President than Obama.

I like Obama. He finds his own opinions and keeps them. He is going to be the frontrunner in 2012. The country is a very polarized place and he ain't gonna snag it the first time out. In the words of my favorite recent president (Bartlet), "You surround yourself with smart people." He adopts that he'd be fine. I like him because he is actually saying something. I'm not sure I agree with it all, but it's good to see that there is some substance once the media gets done with the first African American candidate novelty. Hillary has the star power, but she too is pretty polarizing. It's gonna be a long haul. Pace yourself, candidates.

Elsewhere, Number 1 son and I repaired to Cold Stone on saturday night for some desert and saw four fools wearing the bluetooth earpieces. Nobody looks suave with those things. I understand handsfree while you're driving, but good gawd, it's both pretentious and lazy to need to get the cell phone call so urgently with the scratch of the ear. And that ain't worth looking like Lt. Uhura, and not in the good way, if you know what I mean. I'd feel obligated to answer after making such an investing in falsely urgent yet dorklike techology.

I like to pair a few of these folks off so they at least look like they are enjoying human interaction.

I'm pretty sure the poor ventilation in my office is going to be the death of me. You feel good going in, feel light headed there and good on the way out. My desk is in a "room" partitioned off from another and the circulation literally blows. As a result, I'm looking for excuses to walk around, with a purpose, you know, the confident wave and a clipboard sort of strut.

It's almost the end of January and I finally took the box of xmas decor back to the basement. No sense rushing.

The kids had a good hoot at my expense. My Dad was quite the taker of Kodak Slides when we were growing up. He was showing a few, from mid 70's occasions. If he gets the slide of me at my six grade graduation completed, I'll post it. Considering it's from 76, you will buy a used car from me.

Fuck, I'm getting older. (e:Paul) 's birthday reminded me of my own in 2 weeks when I celebrate turning 30 for the 13th time, a fact compounded by the email I got about my upcoming high school reunion. Will the people who treated me like shit be worth being around that many years later? I doubt it.
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Permalink: Monday_I_got_Friday.html
Words: 537
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: mental mcnuggets

01/20/07 10:08 - 19ºF - ID#37790

Fox TV and other ass gripers

The deal with Sinclair broadcasting is done. Time Warner and Sinclair got their respective shit together so Homer, Jack Bauer, et al. are all staying put. This was a nationwide thing. Los Angeles was sweating losing their ABC affiliate. The whole thing was that Sinclair didn't like the existing arrangement. That being we put Fox and My TV commercials on the cable channels like we do for 2,4, and 7. Their argument being that since more people watch 24 than watch Trading Spaces, the cable company should pay a fee since a fee gets paid to TLC for Trading Spaces. This whole scenario was playing out in all the former Adelphia areas, but it's done now. And the clerk at Spot who saw my Time Warner dog tags yesterday can now shut his pie-hole.

Elsewhere, I was running some errands before work yesterday and saw the moving trucks in front of the Albright Knox yesterday. Couldn't tell if they were moving out or in, but the whole thing is troublesome. What the gallery is giving up ain't coming back. Is what is coming that valuable that a priceless collection needs forever compromised? I don't think so. You could make the argument that if the operating budget couldn't permit the purchases, maybe they shouldn't be buying. Guess that makes too much sense.

Hope all the snowbirds are happy. Side effect of the late starting snow is that all the plow guys are too. I took my car for an oil change yesterday at the Valvoline place on Delaware and nearly didn't make it. The entrance has a pretty steep incline and I had to slalom my way up to make the garage door without falling back to Delaware.

Domestic responsibilities made it impossible to get to the party, but Happy Birthday anyhoo (e:Paul) . Hope a grand time was had.

I've yet to meet (e:joshua) in person but I trust his beer judgement implicitly. Got some Tetley's from TOPS and it rocks.
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Permalink: Fox_TV_and_other_ass_gripers.html
Words: 329
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: fatherman

01/18/07 10:22 - 34ºF - ID#37767

Grey's made me call my Dad

Bastards! sniff
And then my phone rang....warm fuzzy
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Permalink: Grey_s_made_me_call_my_Dad.html
Words: 9
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: fatherman

01/18/07 07:58 - 16ºF - ID#37756

Curse you, domestic responsibilites!!

In news that matters to well.....me, I can't get to the latest PMT fest which is a bit of a downer. I seem to be in an every other party mode which I suppose is better than nothing. The monk's life is not for me. I have found that if you leave your apartment periodically, you might (gasp) meet other humans and interact with them. Boggles the mind it does.

I am sorry I'll miss it. The NYE party was like a irish wedding: beautiful women, flame retardant frocks, bumfuzzled men (wait that was just me) and drinks a flowing.

I'm remember turning 30, the early 90s were a different time and my hair was a different color.

Happy Birthday, Paul. My fellow aquarian. I'll be celebrating my 13th anniversary of turning 30 in a couple of weeks. Have a great day, good sir.
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Permalink: Curse_you_domestic_responsibilites_.html
Words: 143
Location: Buffalo, NY


01/16/07 10:51 - 14ºF - ID#37721

The Shawshank Reduction

Tim Robbins picks out the wrong record. Make me chuckle and wish I was better with audio software.


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Permalink: The_Shawshank_Reduction.html
Words: 21
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: feh!

01/14/07 01:49 - 31ºF - ID#37681

My mental remote control

Third straight Sunday, I made it back to church. Couldn't tell you if anything happened. Work is so preoccupying little vignettes started playing out in my head about what is to come in the next week or so in cable land. There is the distinct possibility that I'll get a chance to interview for my former post (If life was fair, it should just be given to me, but we all know about life). I'd like to do those things again, but it would be with a juandiced eye toward some of the collaborators. I thought there were tight friendships there, but that was only partially the case. Two women I worked with are fine. The rest of the staff there subscribe to the "If you are in the room, you get to play, if not, we don't know you" school.

The whole experience has left me professionally frustrated and socially retarded. There's no shortage of people willing to lecture you at work, but a dearth of people intrested in just helping out. This all came to me this morning. I'm standing the church hall, not mixing with anybody because I'm full for the work folly and it remains a hot topic.

Frustrating thing being is that I thought I was home. Good job and good reviews for doing the job. Now, I look to how I'm getting used and abused and thinking thank fuck for the decent health insurance. Guess I'm resenting how what should be what you do for eight hours a day is seeping beyond that eight hours when it doesn't deserve too.

There, got that off my chest.

Fun going bargain hunting at Borders yesterday. Took the youngins and we sought out new literature. Martin Amis for me, Traveling Pants for darling moody middle child, and Batman for Number one Son. The promise of expanding intellectuallism seemed worthy of a reward at Krispy Kreme. I stopped at coffee, can't abide their bake goods these days. Kids took up my slack. Good kids.
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Permalink: My_mental_remote_control.html
Words: 336
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: potpourri

01/11/07 12:37 - 40ºF - ID#37640

Historic Insults

No doubt you have noticed the unimaginative, repetitive use of
four-letter words in modern insults. In an effort to stimulate cells in the Wit Area of the brain, I am sending some examples from previous eras, when substantive human beings used the English language to skewer, gut and vanquish the objects of
their various venomous vexations.

In other words, for when a hearty "fuck off" just doesn't seem right, I present...

"A modest little person, with much to be modest about."
-- Winston Churchill

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with
great pleasure."
-- Clarence Darrow

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time
reading it."
-- Moses Hadas

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."
-- Groucho Marx

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I
approved of it."
-- Mark Twain

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play, bring
a friend...if you have one."
-- George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second...if there
is one."
-- Winston Churchill, in response

"I feel so miserable without you, it's almost like having you here."
-- Stephen Bishop

"He is a self-made man and worships his creator."
-- John Bright

"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing
trivial."
-- Irvin S. Cobb

"He had delusions of adequacy."
-- Walter Kerr

"He inherited some good instincts from his Quaker forebears, but by diligent hard work, he overcame them."
-- James Reston (about Richard Nixon)

"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily."
-- Charles, Count Talleyrand

"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him."
-- Forrest Tucker

"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork."
-- Mae West

"Some cause happiness wherever the y go; others, whenever they go."
-- Oscar Wilde

"He has Van Gogh's ear for music."
-- Billy Wilder

Lady Astor: If you were my husband I'd give you a poisoned drink.
Winston: If I were your husband I'd drink it!
Lady Astor: We should have a child. Imagine a child with my looks
and your brains.
Winston: My fear my good lady is the child would have my looks and your brains!



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Permalink: Historic_Insults.html
Words: 392
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: work

01/09/07 10:59 - 28ºF - ID#37621

Reason to Believe

Something is on the horizon.....

I had to deal with a promotion we ran with the Tennis Channel late last year. One of the prizes that was to be given away was a trip to the Australian open to some lucky viewer. Because of legal and ethical dilemmas, we couldn't do it. I got a note today that as a thank you, the Tennis Channel is going to send a case of Mcwilliams Australian Wine (good stuff) to my attention to arrive next week sometime.

That's pretty fucking awesome of them.

Suddenly it got easier to laugh at the current round of inanties
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Permalink: Reason_to_Believe.html
Words: 103
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: work

01/08/07 09:36 - 33ºF - ID#37595

Estrip blocked?? WTF

Working for a communications collassus like I do, I can't help but marvel at my state of the art 1998 computer. Ever since I've been there, there has been a web filter to keep you from going to "subversive" sites. The joke is that you get this screen filling ominous warning that when you first see it, you're convinced the web cops are coming.

I think it sets off a light at our data center that if nobody's watching, nobody cares. I was researching a prize wheel once and got busted for "Gambling." If you go to my space, you get busted for "Nudity." The logic is there is no real logic. The warnings got strangely toned down with the take over, but it managed to block a truly "dangerous" site today.


image

Can't have that spoiling the corporate landcape.
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Permalink: Estrip_blocked_WTF.html
Words: 140
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: walkin

01/07/07 04:18 - 42ºF - ID#37578

Bird Island Wanderlust

It was truly weird. Usually packed with domestic and professional obligations, I had an afternoon off from everything. With camera in hand, I headed down West Ferry until you run out of West Ferry and are on the Bird Island Pier.

The place has all the ambience of a crime scene and features the snack bar at the end of the universe, but I like walking the pier because of the renewed perspective it can give you. Bear in mind, I don't have (e:Matthew) 's eye (or his camera) or (e:Metalpeter) 's tenacity, but I got some decent pics despite my shortcomings.

image
Graffiti folks in search of a better world.
image
A couple of ducks shooting the rapids
image
The Peace Bridge underside
image
What's up with barbed wire and fencing on one side and nothing on the other.
image
The ovaltine colored water
image
image
image
Blame Canada!
image
These folks declared their love in about six places. Either Fred had some lil blue pills or somebody was overcompensating for something.
image
Think a swimmer left it behind?
image
Rats with wings.....
image
The view from the end, before the long track back to the car....huff..puff
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Permalink: Bird_Island_Wanderlust.html
Words: 202
Location: Buffalo, NY


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