a year ago today, I was in NY having a blast. now, having just returned from a wonderful week's stay there, I'm glad to be home for New Year's—just my baby & I.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
so, I lied; so, sue me.
despite my post from last year, I flew Delta again. I think our pilot was Bette Davis from All About Eve: "fasten your seat belts; it's gonna be a bumpy night."
Monday, December 19, 2011
may I recommend...?
I just discovered that besides a good western, political thriller, or documentary, my favorite type of movie is the "quiet film." do you know The Station Agent?
Monday, December 12, 2011
...and this would be stage...?
still, we leave the water dripping in the bathroom sink; open the front door slowly when we get home from work; think we see him out of the corners of our eyes.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
an intellectual review (or something)
a friend drunk-dialed me from New York tonight and mentioned that he loved my novelette and found parts of it "fascinating." I guess I should be okay with that.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
December
recent TV ads have ruined Carol of the Bells for me—and, like, forever. I used to dig that tune—particularly, George Winston’s version, from his album December.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
anniversary
a year ago today, I began a daily, 160-character, content-of-substance-&-import blog. today, I award myself a B+, although (or because) I didn't always succeed.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
why? because.
that is the reason; why is not the reason, and the reason is not because. why? the simple reason is that we don't ask why is the reason? but what is the reason?
useless infotainment
so, Foster the People is named after singer-songwriter Mark Foster, and Ben Folds Five is named after singer-songwriter Ben Folds. have I missed anything else?!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
past, present, no future
"what is it about booze that draws nostalgia near?", I just asked myself. then, I thought, it's that we forget the present when we drink—with no future thought.
Xgiving, Xmas, and then this
it's that time of year, my children—the time of year (or every four years) that I hear something every day that makes me shake my head more than the day before.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
well, that's ONE way to deal with DPD.
"I have had a lot of issues with numbness/emotional flooding cycles, and keeping a whole orange in the freezer has helped me from spinning completely out of control on more than one occasion."
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
this Gem is your Gem forever.
a non-fan of The Star-Spangled Banner, I propose either Columbia, Gem of the Ocean; The Stars & Stripes Forever; or This Land Is Your Land to be our new anthem.
Monday, November 14, 2011
idea for the next Hollywood-film poster:
two people with big eyes, giant in-the-cloud heads, standing back to back, their legs spread wide so you can see 2 people on a beach in the same pose—creating a mirror-within-a-mirror effect.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Occupy the Bus
this is not an official study, and these folks are not a representative group, but none of the Occupy Seattle people I've seen get on the bus has paid his fare.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
the saddest day
we have to turn back the clocks tonight. after the last day of the softball season & the final out of the Fall Classic, it's the lowest time of the year for me.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Día de los muertos
Momo came home today. I thought it appropriate, considering it's Halloween and the Day of the Dead is almost upon us. time to build a shrine/make a sugar skull?
Saturday, October 29, 2011
take it to the Rainbow Bridge.
Kübler-Ross left "self-destructive behavior" off of her admittedly incomplete Five Stages of Grief list; nearly two weeks after Momo, I haven't been a good boy.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
TV mom
the clothes that TV mommies wear in commercials—undershirt, V-neck sweater, and boring slacks—seem to say, "mommy makes babies, but mommy doesn't make whoopie."
Monday, October 24, 2011
from a friend...
...re: Momo: "I just saw your blog; I'm very sorry for your loss. an exceptional cat is a great thing; their passing is all the more painful." thanks, pal Joey.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
a fantascene
Stranger: [to Me, who’s having a cig] you shouldn't smoke; it's bad for you.
I: [to Stranger, who smiles as if self-satisfied] so is offering unsolicited advice. Thursday, October 13, 2011
from The Great Infidels (1881)
"to those who passed sentence upon him [Giordano Bruno] said: 'it is with greater fear that ye pass this sentence upon me than I receive it.'"
–Robert Ingersoll
–Robert Ingersoll
Saturday, October 8, 2011
schoolhouse wreck
these are adjectives that are used as nouns—with verbs—in TV ads:
· Engineering amazing
· Expect fresh
· Eat fresh
and what the fuck does "now more than ever" mean?
· Engineering amazing
· Expect fresh
· Eat fresh
and what the fuck does "now more than ever" mean?
Friday, October 7, 2011
will wait till next year.
another year, another $190 million-plus dollars. the New York Yankees division-winning season is up in smoke. for some reason, I'm not too upset—nearly over it.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
save the children? "fuck the children!"
as I walk about town, I watch for drivers, dog poo, pennies/other money on the ground, other pedestrians, and lately the corner kids who want me to stop & chat.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
new drinking game
are you...? do you...? if you or someone you know... you won't see one low-
end late-night ad during any low-end late-night TV show that doesn't start like that.
end late-night ad during any low-end late-night TV show that doesn't start like that.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
they matter-matter-matter!
it's funny how they say none of the ballplayers' stats matter (they're thrown out the window) in the playoffs, but they won't stop mentioning them. they matter!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
wonderful spam
lately, my Spam folder contains mail from sites that connect Asian, Black, and Christian singles. flattering, but—isn't spam supposed to be "smarter" than that?
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
an end-of-season confession
for the past several months, I've put $5 into a weekly pool whereby you draw a ball team and, if that team scores exactly 13 runs—in a win or loss—you get $150.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
human-interest feedbag?
the local news—a bastion of provincialism. how are we to know the world doesn't revolve around us, when the news we're fed comes from a human-interest grab bag?
Friday, September 23, 2011
as luck would have it redux
on Tuesday, I found my second wallet of the year (this time on the bus), and a friend who lives near the findee offered to deliver it to him. how lucky is that?
Monday, September 19, 2011
Repugnicans
the GOP claim that raising the tax rate on the rich will create a class war reminds me of a bully who pushes two unwitting classmates together & yells, "fight!"
Thursday, September 15, 2011
kids, don't try this at home.
the things you learn while socializing with an old pal—like, how he learned to steer with his knees from his mom, who put on her makeup while driving to church!
Friday, September 9, 2011
mind you, I'm just quoting.
soccer is a gentleman's game played by animals, rugby is an animal's game played by gentlemen, and American football is an animal's game played by animals. yep.
remembrance of thing past
"if we had wanted a memorial to 9/11, it would have been more appropriate to leave one of the giant shards of broken tower [at Ground Zero] untouched." I agree.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
strange days, indeed
in ascending order, my three least favorite days of the year are the end of the softball season, the end of daylight savings time, and the day after the Series.
Monday, September 5, 2011
hold the £€ttu¢€!
one day, the kids I don't have will live in a world in which the Gov't that jumped out of bed with Big Tobacco long enough to sue them will prosecute Fast Food.
get-rich-quick
do the paid-programming powers sell enough weight belts, magic sunglasses, and smoothie machines that they can afford to clog the TV airwaves night after night?
Saturday, September 3, 2011
king of Paine
Suzy says I should wear fireproof clothes to the air show, and I laugh. at the show, Phil tells me they've had lots of accidents recently. o, my prescient wife!
Friday, September 2, 2011
another "interesting ethical question"
if I comment to my friend on last night's game "without [getting] the express written consent" of the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, should I be looking over my shoulder?
Monday, August 29, 2011
for Felipe Alberto
meeting young ones makes me feel old. seeing friends of my own age does the same—except we've walked similar paths, over which the snow falls to dust us evenly.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
nothing but a head
if I'm not dead by the time the first book is published for which the author used voice-recognition software instead of a pen, typewriter, or computer, kill me.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
have you noticed?
month by month, my blog entries have decreased in number: 30 in January, 28 in February, 22 in April, 18 in May, 15 in June, 10 in July, and 9 so far in August.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
buying the Farm
I'm thinking of buying a car so that I can have it insured through State Farm. then, I'll be able to save enough money that I can afford to buy myself a falcon!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
one reason that I don't own a car
a Hyundai commercial states that "you can't change gas prices." hmm. I'd bet that we could have something to say about gas prices—say, if we stopped buying gas.
Monday, August 15, 2011
whisperings
this blog is a metaphor for my persona: content with working from behind the scenes, under the radar, slightly over the shoulder—like the proverbial Black Pope.
just off the top of my head
here are 7 more words you can use instead of "amazing": remarkable, astonishing, wonderful, fascinating, incredible, scintillating, fantastic, and unbelievable.
Monday, August 8, 2011
putting the F in FedEx
dear FedEx, where the F are you? you're keeping me from a shower, shave, and my laundry! have you learned nothing from Kramer's run-in with the Plaza Cable guy?
Saturday, August 6, 2011
let's make a deal.
here's an idea for commercial advertisers: I agree to let you track my purchases, if you stop broadcasting ads into my home for products of yours I already own.
Friday, August 5, 2011
brothers–(and-sisters)–in-arms
nothing bonds a group like setting off to unknown lands to wage war with an unknown foe. of course, I refer to my softball team's trek to Portland last weekend.
Monday, August 1, 2011
if my math is correct...
one lesson I've learned—and which seems to be very difficult to learn—is that near-future matters we fret & fuss over aren't worth fussing over 90% of the time.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
priorities part deux
as a manager, when I say that I'd rather lose a softball game than that my players either become injured or don't have a good time, I could not be more serious.
Monday, July 25, 2011
what I like
I'm watching Police Story. hooker Tina Louise says to copper James Farentino, "you're not all cop, are you?" he tells her, "nobody's all anything." I like that.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
11–7 part deux
our team had a good season. with an 11–7 record, we finished in 5th place, out of 15 teams—and were the 5th-to-last team to exit the playoffs. math is so funny.
taking a Stand
so, at the library the other day, I picked up—just barely picked up—a copy of Stephen King's The Stand: the thing weighs 4 lbs. this is why God invented Kindle.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
softball lesson #1
one thing I learned this year is that as a manager it's not always easy to implement rules—such as the Substitutes Rule—that you enact as a league commissioner.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
11–7
you learn new things—about yourself, about your team—after a long softball campaign. if you'll give me a day or two, I'm sure I can come up with a few of these.
Friday, July 8, 2011
the Mayor of West Farms
after I'd complained of something irking me "when I do this," a wise man once said, "it bothers you when you do this? so, don't do this." a wise man, my father.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
some substance, little import
a body that's at rest tends to stay at rest, while a body that's in motion tends to stay in motion—unless the body has to stop & wait at a red light, of course.
Monday, July 4, 2011
4th of Ju–what-now?
maybe it's 'cause he's now 81 years old & doesn't give a rat's back pocket, but my feline friend is remarkably blasé about all these firework-related goings-on.
Friday, July 1, 2011
vice-issitudes
I often wondered about folks whom I'd see smoking at 9 AM (isn't that kind of early for a puff, friend?), until I started to do the same thing myself. ah, life!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Brawl at Dahl redux
I've been keeping a low, dark profile in anticipation of Saturday's perennial and classic "civil war" doubleheader against our sister beer-league-softball team.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
happy belated day-off to me.
regarding my previous post: when I said that I was taking Wednesday (my birthday) off, I didn’t think that it would mean taking Thursday thru Saturday off, too!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
taking the day off
don't ask me when it started—because I don't recall whether or not it was a conscious decision—but I've not worked (i.e., gone to work) on my birthday in years.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
a 44th time
it's that time of year, and the body recalls it and reminds you of it via sight, smell, feel—the time at which your birthday coincides with the summer solstice.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
I am they.
show me a man who doesn't feel guilty about taking 20-plus-minute showers, and I'll show you a man who skips a shower twice a week every week. (I am those men.)
Monday, June 13, 2011
here's something you don't hear anymore:
"keep the pack." you heard it a lot on TV and what-not after World War II. with cigarette prices being what they are now, you probably won't ever hear it again.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
when in doubt...
...go with your gut. as a softball coach, I give my players the benefit of the doubt and strive to follow this rule—as well as "never change your first answer."
Saturday, June 11, 2011
"I dood it!"
once—just once!—I wish that a pol (see Weiner, Edwards) would cop to his crime. can you imagine? "against the advice of counsel, I'm here to say that I did it."
Friday, June 10, 2011
...this must be Belgium.
when you don't work—and, by extension, sleep—regular hours, Friday can feel like Tuesday can feel like Monday. consequently, Saturday & Sunday lose their sheen.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
oh, say, can you change the anthem?
the one thing I appreciate about our American anthem is that it doesn't mention any god. otherwise, I could do without the blood, brio, and bombast of the tune.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
a Markov the times
last night—in the bathroom of the Comet Tavern—I saw a sticker for a band called NonZeroSum. bands have officially run out of decent names. what's next: Theory?
Monday, June 6, 2011
the agony of defeated purpose
I've noted (and am guilty of it, too) that when callers leave a message that they want you to return immediately, they tend to ramble—delaying your quick reply.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
where's Bluto, when you need him?
I love the summer, when people stay outdoors longer and enjoy a fine evening with friends. what I do not love is when one of them decides to break out a guitar.
Friday, June 3, 2011
the coach–Comm-Ish
you know, I think I finally have got the hang of this beer league–softball co-Commissioner business. team manager and co-Commish, simultaneously? not a problem.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
how it works redux
the trickiest part of a daily blog post of no more—or fewer—than 160 characters on "matters of substance & import" is the daily bit (meaning the "matters" bit).
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
cheezy bullshit
sorry, "Papa John," or whatever the fuck your name is, but do we really need a six-cheese pizza? personally, I’ve lost the cheese taste after the second cheese.
Monday, May 30, 2011
fear the 'Foot.
besides wanting to be a wolfman in my youth—and speaking of Spokane—I wanted to form a team to hunt Bigfoot. now, I'm not so sure I'd have the balls to do that.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
does not rhyme with cocaine
I was recently in Spokane, the hometown of many of my Seattle friends, and it helped me understand exactly where they're coming from—figuratively and literally.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
say it ain't so, yo!
film producer and local softballer Stan "Staniel Adams" Mastalerz has been arrested for defacing the Space Needle to promote a local film! free the Mastalerz 1!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
fung ku, panda!
so, the SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival) includes Kung Fu Panda 2 in its lineup. oy, vey! thankfully, my buddy Matt Wilkins' film—Marrow—made the cut.
but, in time...
you ask if I plan to write another book; if I'm still writing stories; if I've written anything new, anything lately. my short reply? other than on my blog, no.
Monday, May 23, 2011
keepin' us honest
it's a good sign when your softball team loses in a laugher—takes a drubbing, has its collective ass handed to it—but then comes back to snatch a win in Game 2.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
workin' 9 to 5
what's the statute of limitations on illegal distribution of a sexual-harassment industrial video—one that features me, the Dabney Coleman of industrial videos?
Friday, May 20, 2011
on any given Sunday
pinched neck nerve. busted pinky. sore hammy. strained calf. bad back. two injured knees. a softball coach has to face these types of thing on any given Sunday.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
good plan
I'm glad I have my $19.99 all-you-can-text phone plan: over the past week, I've sent and received 571 SMS messages—an average of 82/day!—for a total of $114.20.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
stylish, but cheap
those Imported from Detroit ads (Chrysler) make the car look so stylish & expensive! then they say it's available for $199/month, which kinda cheapens the deal.
Friday, May 13, 2011
trapped
trapped in your home = your softball teammate falling asleep on your couch + the girlfriend who came to pick up said teammate also falling asleep on said couch.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
the ISL co–Comm-Ish
if you're wondering about my 2-day blog hiatus, I've been overwhelmed with work—not at my job, but with the goings-on of the Seattle Industrial Softball League.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
congratulations, Dan & Susie!
it must be a good, fun, happy wedding when it's cold and raining all weekend and yet no one complains about the temperature, the weather, or the 7-hour ride up!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Mome alone
poor monkey bastard seems to know when we're leaving the house for more than 24 hours. strangely quiet, he follows us around "supervising"—and always underfoot.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
thespianism
when I hear a monologue of the type that was given by Don Ameche in Heaven Can Wait or Mickey Shaughnessy in The Marrying Kind, I regret having given up acting.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
"causally connectible"
I'm into serendipity, coincidence, synchronicity. so I enjoyed seeing these randomly generated letters on the license plate of a car a cutie was driving: "UQT".
Monday, May 2, 2011
spirit of America
say what you will, but there's nothing like sitting down—be it in the evening or morning—and rolling up your own nice, natural, additive-free-tobacco cigarette.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
out like a lamb
I heard some street noise today I hadn't heard in a while: the sounds of joy—kids screaming, basketballs bouncing, people laughing & calling out to one another.
Friday, April 29, 2011
damn, dude.
here's an addendum to my never-change-your-first-answer rule: never change your first answer, unless your first answer is completely and utterly fucking stupid.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
realiterally?
the next time anyone says "I literally had to..." or "it was literally...," I'm going to ask the person, "when you say 'literally,' do you mean that literally?"
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
priorities
when your softball team wins two close games against two lesser-division teams, don't give Coach shit for missing a bachelor party to be 100% for the next game.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Marwencol
a documentary I just saw on TV won myriad best-doc awards, but I wonder if it wasn't the subject matter—not any technical aspect—of the film that merits a kudo.
Monday, April 25, 2011
sleepwalking
I just woke up from a four-&-a-half–hour "nap." the dream that I had while "napping" seemed more real to me than the way that I feel now, which is drunk-groggy.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
the Man in the Yellow Hat
it occurs (and has occurred) to me that it's nigh impossible to post something "of substance & import" on this blog every day. I am not the freakin' Dalai Lama.
Friday, April 22, 2011
happy boitday to da Oit!
happy Earthday to you./
happy Earthday to you./
happy Earthday, dear planet./
happy Earthday to you.
and many more! I'm sure no one else has come up with that.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
literally, amazing!
I thought up what seemed like a good drinking game: take a sip when they say "amazing" on American Idol. bad idea: 6 minutes in, I'm being hauled off the floor.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
F-N M's
leave it to the M's to win—and win big—when no one's paying attention because of the NBA & NHL playoffs—not to mention every other goddamned who-cares ballgame.
Monday, April 18, 2011
buzzed texting is drunk texting.
thankfully, I've never been accused of "sexting," but I'm afraid that I am guilty of what I call "textual harassment"—that, or TUI: texting under the influence.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
pregame jittering
sitting here; poring over tomorrow's Opening Day lineups; not knowing what to do with myself, otherwise—knees bouncing, drinking yesterday's coffee and smoking.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
the great Neanderthal novel
I wonder who wrote the first work of fiction that was intended for popular consumption. what caveman scribbled the first words and said, "you should read this"?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
the wisdom of Yogi
I read that Berra used to keep a steak in his mitt, both to protect the palm of his hand and to pound the meat for his wife. (those last six words sound dirty.)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
why I missed the batting cages
dear bus driver,
what is wrong with you? if you miss a scheduled stop time, it should be because you're late—not early. and the next time you're early, wait up!
Monday, April 11, 2011
the Sports Hater
Friday night, an M's game; Saturday afternoon, a Sounders match; and Sunday, a softball tournament. (can you blame a gal for taking two days off from blogging?)
Friday, April 8, 2011
"stop whining!" (who, me?)
what's worse: two wheelchairs on one bus, or a bratty little kid crying on the bus? (at least, it isn't a bratty little kid crying in a wheelchair on said bus.)
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Unicorns, Scrub-Jays, and Ratz—oh, my!
I fear my posts "of substance & import" will be taking a backseat the next few weeks to musings on the upcoming Industrial Softball League season. my apologies.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
to the break o' dawn
sorry for not posting last night; I was up till the early morn' typing up, formatting, and e-mailing the 2011 Industrial League Softball schedule—a work of art.
Monday, April 4, 2011
get your own damn bus.
on my bus today, not one but two wheelchairs are loaded within stops of each other. what're the chances of that happening? (why can't they wheel down the Hill?)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
hunkering down
the time for taking practice cuts & infield drills is over. now we hunker down for the live fire that awaits us & use what we have learned to vanquish our foes.
Friday, April 1, 2011
softball roolz
rule #1: the night before the game, the player will abstain from indulging in debauchery & other lascivious activity. rule #2: the player will follow the rules.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
"an interesting ethical question"
a tweaker once gave me a hockey jersey. I gave it to a friend, then asked for it back, so that I could gift it to another friend (a hockey fan). was that wrong?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
crazy hand jive
a variation on a theme: today, I saw a bicyclist use her left hand—upraised and crooked at the elbow—to signal a left turn. I didn't know people still did that.
Monday, March 28, 2011
hang up & chew.
dear pedestrian,
please do me a favor and pay attention as you walk—meaning, look up from your phone occasionally, jaywalk intelligently, and stay out of my way.
please do me a favor and pay attention as you walk—meaning, look up from your phone occasionally, jaywalk intelligently, and stay out of my way.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
I witness
I have an uncanny gift for recognizing faces—especially of well-known actors in little-known, early-career roles. Suzy says that I'd be hell in a witness chair.
Friday, March 25, 2011
"to everything—turn, turn, turn..."
dear driver,
please do us both a favor and signal if you're going to turn. they've yet to invent the car—or the pedestrian—that can read your mind or intention.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
espresso love's lost.
my coffee gal raised prices another $0.25; my doppio now costs $2.50. does she know I go only for her amiability—that better, cheaper espresso is 2 blocks away?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
updos & downtalk
in the future—when we hold our Aughts parties—we'll remember our guys and their unfortunate Sleestak hairdos, as well as our gals and their down-talking growls.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
"goodbye, soldier!"
when Tina Turner said, "we don't need another hero," did she mean we don't need another sandwich? ('cause, as we all know, a hero ain't nothin' but a sandwich.)
Monday, March 21, 2011
nephalism redux
that ride on the wagon I'd mentioned earlier turned out to be bumpier than expected. I've fallen off at least twice—with every intention of jumping back aboard.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
save the date!
want to draw crowds in support of the failing cinema? make romantic comedies. a lady on a first date might go—if only to delay a visit to her lame date's house.
Friday, March 18, 2011
need-to-know
running a softball team would be far easier if I disseminated only the necessary info. some day, I'll learn that too much info can be worse than no info at all.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wiley the Wise
today, I gave my standard never-change-your-first-answer advice to a friend's teenage son, who's taking a final exam. his reply: "oh, no, man! I never do that!"
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
"everybody look what's going down..."
I change the channel from depressing Japanese-tragedy news to Three's Company, and what do I get? "save the life of a child. sponsor a child through ChildFund."
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
shaken & stirred
earthquakes terrify me, but only in the intervals between them. the last one I experienced (in 2001) was not scary; I was too stunned—and unnerved—to be scared.
Monday, March 14, 2011
why 6 is my lucky number
June is my birth month; other than song #2, song #6 is the best song on a vinyl LP; and God created Man (allegedly) on Day 6. c’mon, what more do I have to say?
Sunday, March 13, 2011
ex–native New Yorker
have you been to New York lately? NYC in 2010 is what Los Angeles was in 1989: virtually empty of natives. when I lived in LA, everyone was from somewhere else.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
"force equals Ma."
the things you remember from teachers: sure, Mr. Haffner taught us that
F = ma; but, he also said, "never change your first answer," which I haven't done since.
F = ma; but, he also said, "never change your first answer," which I haven't done since.
Friday, March 11, 2011
seen thru a glass, darkly
when I was a kid, I spoke as a kid, I understood as a kid, I thought as a kid; but, when I became a man, I put away kid-like things. damn, I miss my skateboard.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
notes of a nephalist
it's time to hop on the water wagon, to get realistic & teetolastic. (the time, expense, and psycho-/physiological aspects of boozing outweigh the social ones.)
smudge
on ESPN yesterday, one announcer had an ashen cross on his forehead. how, exactly, is this less crazy-looking than any ritual we might mock in another religion?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Scrub-Jay herding
someone compared managing a softball team to cat herding; but that's not my experience. for me, it's more like running Sunday School—which is the same thing....
Monday, March 7, 2011
a.k.a. the ethic of reciprocity
searching the Golden Rule online yields the Yoruba "one going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts."
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
"and on the eighth day..."
the Beatles were on to something with "Eight Days a Week." weekends are for relaxing, not for cleaning up around the house. (for that, we'd need an eighth day.)
Friday, March 4, 2011
orange pekoe
if only I had a blue cat (and they do make 'em in blue), I could wear my Navy pea coat without first having to de-fur it, which I have to do with an orange cat.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
do-over
tattoos are like bankruptcy in that they might be for others, but not for me. (I'm not interested in things that cannot be undone, bells that cannot be unrung.)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
but only at times
at times—as now, when I'm reading Thomas Frank's The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule—I wonder why I bother to vote, when others pull the political levers.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
blogging while asleep
last night’s dream featured me blogging while watching street-corner buskers: one, a Spanish-pop acoustic guitarist; the others, an iPod-playing electronic duo.
Monday, February 28, 2011
how to get fired
about 15 years ago, in a meeting at work, the founder of the company used the cliché, "there is no 'I' in 'team'." my reply? "no, but there is a 'u' in 'fuck'."
Sunday, February 27, 2011
universal truth
how's this for a mindbender? "our universe is the only known example of a universe in the Universe." thanks to Neil DeGrasse Tyson, from NOVA scienceNOW on PBS.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
might've been, schmight've been
why regret what never was or might've been? it'd be like resenting your friends, whom you met at your backup school, instead of the school you wanted to attend.
Friday, February 25, 2011
that's cold.
cold weather keeps fools moving, so that they're less likely to stop to mess with you; if they do stop to mess with you, the extra layers will soften the blows.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
amazing, literally
logically, I do appreciate something being "literally amazing." but it means little when everything is "amazing" and this is "literally" (and incorrectly) that.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
#1 might be more difficult.
staying away from Facebook for one day is a bit like making #2: you still have to face getting back on the pot by the end of the day, by which time it's harder.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
together, alone
sometimes, I want to be alone with my thoughts; then, I find out that my thoughts would rather spend that time on their own (they suggest that I go to the bar).
Monday, February 21, 2011
baked goods
once, in L.A., absolutely baked out of my mind, I said: "you will find the answer to it all, then you will die"—meaning that we learn too late how to live life.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
de Baboo hay...
if the Bible says that "thou [man] shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread," why aren't there more Christian vegetarians?
Saturday, February 19, 2011
I'm wit dem Dems!
I am liking this recent walkout by Wisconsin Democrats, this mini-rebellion! they've taken pages from two books—one each by Egyptian protesters & the Tea Party.
Friday, February 18, 2011
modern techmology
riddle me this: do these stupid-moron TV-news reporters really need those handheld mics? it seems to me that the technology would be there to make 'em obsolete.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
to tell a story
I think I know why I watch the same films over & over again when they come on TV: it's the storytelling gene—a drive to memorize scenes for sharing with others.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
play time (almost)
it's begun—softball talk, that is. our preseason starts April 10, with Opening Day the following weekend (April 16). also begun: smack-talking, as it should be.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
from the findee...
"lost my wallet last night. checked email; some nice guy had found it, found me on FB. now I have my wallet, with all my cash n junk back. thank you, universe!"
Monday, February 14, 2011
lost & found
as luck would have it, I found a wallet just as I left work & stepped off the curb. by luck, I mean that of the owner, who'll get his wallet soon, in one piece.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
throwin' a clock out the window
I know it's 'cause I'm aging and days are cascading into weeks, months, etc., but I was dreading Christmas just 4 months ago, and suddenly it's Valentine's Day.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
especially memorable
guess the one day of the year I make it a point not to drink. believe it or not, it's the day of my birthday. why? I want it to be special, unique, memorable...
Friday, February 11, 2011
not a good thing
all this talk about Mubarak finally having stepped down seems to ignore (naïvely?) that the man has handed over the reins of power to the military—a good thing?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
gayborhood?
what do the media mean by community? do they mean neighborhood? who, what, or where is my community? if there's a gay community, am I in the straight community?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
thoughtlessness
oh, my god, my thought, my thought, my thought! I promise you, I had one. my thought, a thought, my kingdom for a thought! now I know how Bill Shakespeare felt.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
not-so-magic mirror
the kids'-TV episode of PBS's Pioneers of Television series reminds me of how bummed out I'd be when they didn't say my name in the Magic Mirror on Romper Room.
Monday, February 7, 2011
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