Thursday, December 08, 2011
Yo! Win Somehting!
Just wanted to let anyone visiting here know that not only can you read the entries but you can click and win a Flip! Just go here (it's a safe site, guaranteed), check out the fly-fishing video, post a comment on THAT blog and you're entered to win a free Flip! Even mailed to you FREE. If you post that blog's link on your own blog, Facebook account or Twitter account your name gets entered again. TWO chances to win.
Act qucikly. Again, here's the link.
Another plug, especially if you like watching videos of the great outdoors while listening to music, check out Yukon Goes Fishing. A fine site put out by someone who inspired me to start blogging (yeah, yeah, I know I've been criminally negligent lately...) in the first place. He has kept up the good fight and continues to post always entertaining entries to get you through the doldrums of the day.
Act qucikly. Again, here's the link.
Another plug, especially if you like watching videos of the great outdoors while listening to music, check out Yukon Goes Fishing. A fine site put out by someone who inspired me to start blogging (yeah, yeah, I know I've been criminally negligent lately...) in the first place. He has kept up the good fight and continues to post always entertaining entries to get you through the doldrums of the day.
Labels: Blogs, Personalities, Quirks
Friday, January 21, 2011
Unhappy Hipsters...Doing One Line Comedy for Those of Us On the Sidelines of Modern Life
(Photo: Eirick Johnson; Dwell)
From this excellent site, Unhappy Hipsters. NSFW, as you may spit out your coffee on your flat screen, causing it to smoke thereby drawing attention to the fact that you may be enjoying yourself @ work.
TOTH to Execupundit for pointing out this daily treasure.
Labels: Blogs
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Plugging the Rumpus
One of the sites I visit 2-3 times a week is Rumpus.net. It's a site run by Stephen Elliot, author of Adderall Diaries, among other things. If you subscribe to the site, he'll put you on his e-mail list and you'll be guaranteed a slanted look on things in his personal life at least 3-4 tiems a week. His e-mails are sometimes a tad depressing but they are never not interesting. I'm hoping to post a piece regarding one of his e-mails dealing with the importance (or not!) of books.
From Rumpus recently, here's Rick Moody with a (too short of an) interview with a shoe sales woman named Lauren. It made me search out my tattered falling apart copy of Studs Terkel's "Working". Great little interview by Mr. Moody; fabulous treat of a book by the late Mr. Terkel, one that is a constant reminder that work is the anchor for one's life.
...and the book's a refutation of John Prine's "How the hell can a person go to work in the morning, come home in the evening and have nothing to say."
While I'm on Rick Moody, here's a piece he wrote last week for the NYT. It's about his young daughter, Hazel, who's busy teaching him. That's what daughters do, they're busy being the child who's father to the man.
From Rumpus recently, here's Rick Moody with a (too short of an) interview with a shoe sales woman named Lauren. It made me search out my tattered falling apart copy of Studs Terkel's "Working". Great little interview by Mr. Moody; fabulous treat of a book by the late Mr. Terkel, one that is a constant reminder that work is the anchor for one's life.
...and the book's a refutation of John Prine's "How the hell can a person go to work in the morning, come home in the evening and have nothing to say."
While I'm on Rick Moody, here's a piece he wrote last week for the NYT. It's about his young daughter, Hazel, who's busy teaching him. That's what daughters do, they're busy being the child who's father to the man.
Labels: Blogs
Monday, April 26, 2010
Theory Of Ice - She Alights Again
Ms. E is back with her occasional post. As usual, saying her posts are about hockey is like saying Crime & Punishment is about a Russian with a temper. She reeks with talent.
Labels: Blogs
Monday, March 22, 2010
"Bloggers Aren't Real Writers."
Maximillian Meehan, bouncer/booker/social commentator at Austin's Beerland had this to say about the smoking ban instituted in Austin back in 2004:
"They say it's on behalf of employees, said Max Meehan, a nonsmoker who mans the door at Beerland. "But you don't have to be a bartender or a waitress. Get employment elsewhere."
He said the plan would hurt business — Beerland earns as much as 16 percent of its sales from tobacco, he said — and lead to further restrictions on nightlife.
"It's gateway fascism," he said. "If it's such a public hazard, why push people into the streets? The whole thing is dreamed up by suburban schoolmarms."
Why bring Mr. Meehan's name up?
Well...this gem of his opinionating ways came up in the NYT ongoing review of the just concluded annual SXSW festival.
His short epistle reminded me of John Kruk's timeless response to an elderly woman's inquiry as to his employable qualities, which was, "Lady, I ain't no athlete. I'm a baseball player."
"They say it's on behalf of employees, said Max Meehan, a nonsmoker who mans the door at Beerland. "But you don't have to be a bartender or a waitress. Get employment elsewhere."
He said the plan would hurt business — Beerland earns as much as 16 percent of its sales from tobacco, he said — and lead to further restrictions on nightlife.
"It's gateway fascism," he said. "If it's such a public hazard, why push people into the streets? The whole thing is dreamed up by suburban schoolmarms."
Why bring Mr. Meehan's name up?
Well...this gem of his opinionating ways came up in the NYT ongoing review of the just concluded annual SXSW festival.
His short epistle reminded me of John Kruk's timeless response to an elderly woman's inquiry as to his employable qualities, which was, "Lady, I ain't no athlete. I'm a baseball player."
Labels: Blogs
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Theory of Ice & Walrus
For those of you who have followed the mysterious Ms. E on A Theory of Ice and were wondering if she had put herself on an iceberg to float away into oblivion, be happy! She is writing again and she is doing so on a larger stage.
The Walrus offers her take on Team Canada's Olympic Hockey Gold.
A choice passage:
"And that’s the beauty of the Big Game, because the laws of probability might allow for any number of feasible outcomes, but in the end, in this only universe, this best of all possible worlds, only one thing happens. It is the single greatest moment of existential freedom a player can face, a point where he ceases to be whatever he otherwise is, whatever he inevitably will be over the eighty games of a season or the 600 games of a career, and is nothing greater or lesser than what he can accomplish in sixty minutes."
Sports matter because they give us metaphors for life, miniaturized scenarios stripped down to the bare essentials. Half of life is la longue duree, the things we do repeatedly, our habits, our jobs, our homes, our families, the things and people and places that recur again and again. That is the part of life where we practice, and grow, and struggle, and eventually become what we are. But the other half is the singular chances, the days unlike any other, the moments. The interviews, the dates, the tests, the accidents — these are life’s elimination series. Those events are not less real or momentous because they don’t give us the time to show the true depths and dimensions of our character. When the Big Game happens in real life, we don’t call it unrepresentative, we just call it unfair. And it is.
Let's hope she sends her academic career into the Sin Bin and get on with the life she was made for.
The best living writer on hockey. Seriously.
The Walrus offers her take on Team Canada's Olympic Hockey Gold.
A choice passage:
"And that’s the beauty of the Big Game, because the laws of probability might allow for any number of feasible outcomes, but in the end, in this only universe, this best of all possible worlds, only one thing happens. It is the single greatest moment of existential freedom a player can face, a point where he ceases to be whatever he otherwise is, whatever he inevitably will be over the eighty games of a season or the 600 games of a career, and is nothing greater or lesser than what he can accomplish in sixty minutes."
Sports matter because they give us metaphors for life, miniaturized scenarios stripped down to the bare essentials. Half of life is la longue duree, the things we do repeatedly, our habits, our jobs, our homes, our families, the things and people and places that recur again and again. That is the part of life where we practice, and grow, and struggle, and eventually become what we are. But the other half is the singular chances, the days unlike any other, the moments. The interviews, the dates, the tests, the accidents — these are life’s elimination series. Those events are not less real or momentous because they don’t give us the time to show the true depths and dimensions of our character. When the Big Game happens in real life, we don’t call it unrepresentative, we just call it unfair. And it is.
Let's hope she sends her academic career into the Sin Bin and get on with the life she was made for.
The best living writer on hockey. Seriously.
Labels: 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Blogs, Canada, Hockey
Old School
Jonathan Lethem wrote this piece for the BBC back in 2002. As I drive to work, wait on line in stores, airports, and queues of indeterminate purpose, his bit repeats itself in my head. Is this attitude toward phones, cell or land-lines, a generational thing, a question of the presence (or non-presence) of manners and consideration, or and introvert/extroert thing?
I'm not sure. All I know is my attitude is fossilizing into one where I view the convenience of the cell phone as leaning most toward the person on the other end of the ghostly wire than to me; I carry (and pay for) a cell phone for someone else's desire for usage. A good friend has successfully snubbed the ownership of a cell phone by stating he's not yet seen the benefits of his peace being disturbed. I admire his resolve (and his monthly savings).
A short snippet from Mr. Lethem's piece:
"This shop owner insisted, as well, that we counterpersons observe a strict hierarchy as to the precedence of a real live customer, standing in front of us waiting to be served, over a caller on the telephone. Telephone customers, he explained, however preemptory and insistent, were to be considered as ghosts, non-entities, birds in the bush. They hadn’t made the commitment to appear in person in the shop, and so weren’t to be given any privileges to rival those customers who had. We shouldn’t ever make someone standing before us wait while we dealt with a telephone order; we were always to put calls on hold. I suppose this was where my notion of the morality of proximity was first instilled"
I'm not sure. All I know is my attitude is fossilizing into one where I view the convenience of the cell phone as leaning most toward the person on the other end of the ghostly wire than to me; I carry (and pay for) a cell phone for someone else's desire for usage. A good friend has successfully snubbed the ownership of a cell phone by stating he's not yet seen the benefits of his peace being disturbed. I admire his resolve (and his monthly savings).
A short snippet from Mr. Lethem's piece:
"This shop owner insisted, as well, that we counterpersons observe a strict hierarchy as to the precedence of a real live customer, standing in front of us waiting to be served, over a caller on the telephone. Telephone customers, he explained, however preemptory and insistent, were to be considered as ghosts, non-entities, birds in the bush. They hadn’t made the commitment to appear in person in the shop, and so weren’t to be given any privileges to rival those customers who had. We shouldn’t ever make someone standing before us wait while we dealt with a telephone order; we were always to put calls on hold. I suppose this was where my notion of the morality of proximity was first instilled"
Labels: Blogs, Manly Advice
Friday, February 19, 2010
Self Referential: Luge a Deux (or my Mis-Spelled..
Luge a doux was a post I'd writen over 4 years ago. I don't want to mention the circumstances, but it seems this post has gone almost viral. Usual daily hits to this site are in the 70-100 range. A few days ago, there were almost 1,000 with the majority steered through search engines to the 4 year old entry.
While I certainly appreciate the traffic, I'm ashamed, embarassed, and feeling rather repugnant about the underlying reason. We humans are a curious breed of animals (I'm inlcuding myself completely in that category) to the point of mordancy.
While I certainly appreciate the traffic, I'm ashamed, embarassed, and feeling rather repugnant about the underlying reason. We humans are a curious breed of animals (I'm inlcuding myself completely in that category) to the point of mordancy.
Labels: 2010: Are We Recovering Yet?, Blogs
Monday, September 21, 2009
"Juliet, Naked" - Tempting Freebie
Join the rest of the Hornby-ites and try your luck at having your name plucked for one of ten copies of his to-be-released-in-a-week book, Juliet, Naked.
Just click here.
Previous screeds on Mr. Hornby's latest were here and here.
Just click here.
Previous screeds on Mr. Hornby's latest were here and here.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
D'un Endroit à l'autre
A new and, IMHO, most interesting blog, here.
La Vie Poeme.
A view from Paris through haikus and photos, as evidenced by a certain particularly familiar face.
Labels: Blogs
Friday, June 26, 2009
Verging on Pertinence Analysis
Thanks to Wordle, the last 20 posts or so come out, word hierarchy wise, like this.
(click on picture to ENLARGE) I'm still putzing around with this to get the image larger without distortion. Anyone familiar with the tricks, please let me know!)
(click on picture to ENLARGE) I'm still putzing around with this to get the image larger without distortion. Anyone familiar with the tricks, please let me know!)
Labels: Blogs
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
The Number
At 4:59:45 EST PM today, the 100,000th visitor to this site arrived, a certain someone from Philly, logging in through their Comcast service. I was off doing domestic chores, so I apologize for not laying our the red carpet, the bouquet of prizes and roses, nor the kiss on both cheeks. I'll do better the next 100,000th time around.
It's a big number and...
...it's not, considering I've been at this since 1/16/2004. But to loyal readers, friends, curiosity-seekers, and folks that tripped over the Internet doormat and landed face first into this site...
I thank you all for coming around.
The next 100,000 visits are quicker, right?
It's a big number and...
...it's not, considering I've been at this since 1/16/2004. But to loyal readers, friends, curiosity-seekers, and folks that tripped over the Internet doormat and landed face first into this site...
I thank you all for coming around.
The next 100,000 visits are quicker, right?
Labels: Blogs
Reclacitrant
For those folks meandering back each day in hopes that I'd posted Something... Anything!...I offer apologies, but no excuses.Luckily, a chop off of the old block has revived himself from a deep sleep and has opened up shop at a new location, The Peppermint Mine.
He provides pics, commentary, and a few videos. All heartily recommended for educational purposes and Montana-related information.
Great Job, Sir!.
I, meanwhile, am working on a few posts, some dating back to early December. My traditional St. Nick's Day posting has yet to be finished!! A minor surprise will be gifted to my patient readers....as soon as I fine tune my scanner.
Labels: Blogs, Family Matters
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Eclectic Election Elucidations
Here, from Onion Election HQ, the bloated "War for the White House" includes bloggers like Dac Kein, retired Viet Cong Torturer, Gary Brunson, 4 week old fetus, and Don Delillo, the critically acclaimed book-sales-challenged author. Well, I think it may be him. Or, perhaps, a English PhD grad waiting for that position at DelMonte Community College & Canning Emporium to open up who, mint the mean time, is doing a credible imitation of Delillo's style. My bet's on the latter, with a tip-o'-the-hat to Mr. Delillo for allowing to have his pic posted and going along with the joke.
All of the bloggers post intricately drawn out "thought" pieces on what they're hearing and seeing. I'm still waiting to read the blog of one Pip Dawkins, purported 19th Century Street Urchin, on his take. We here out in the blogosphere welcome all of these new posters, albeit not of flesh and blood.
In other Onion Knews, Senator McCain Vows To Replace Secret Service With His Own Bare Fists.
McCain Vows To Replace Secret Service With His Own Bare Fists
All of the bloggers post intricately drawn out "thought" pieces on what they're hearing and seeing. I'm still waiting to read the blog of one Pip Dawkins, purported 19th Century Street Urchin, on his take. We here out in the blogosphere welcome all of these new posters, albeit not of flesh and blood.
In other Onion Knews, Senator McCain Vows To Replace Secret Service With His Own Bare Fists.
McCain Vows To Replace Secret Service With His Own Bare Fists
Labels: Blogs
Friday, May 23, 2008
Link Addition
A new addition to the Daily list is Mr. Jason Gurley over at Deeply Shallow. Got to his site via a search for reviews of one of my top five all-time movie favorites, Robert Benton's adaptation of Richard Russo's Nobody's Fool. A perfect book joined with an almost perfect film adaptation. Mr. Gurley does a fine job of critiquing the movie. Only part he left out was that Nobody's Fool was probably Bruce Willis' finest hour. Being a Jersey kind of guy, I always had a soft spot for Mr. Willis, the thinking man's Sylvester Stallone.
And Mr. Gurley's Site? Something's always happenin', no matter the mundanity of it all.
And Mr. Gurley's Site? Something's always happenin', no matter the mundanity of it all.
Labels: Blogs
Monday, May 19, 2008
Shoe Tea
"Slovenes will make tea out of your shoes if you stand still long enough and then they’ll give it to you for the hangover you got from drinking their schnapps made from flowers."
What Rebecca West was to the pre-WWII Yugoslavia, Mr. Sgazzetti over @ Isoglossia is to the post-Yugoslavia split Slovenia. With quaint observational lines like the one above, how would you not be tempted to read on about the happenings in that beautiful country that is so often mixed up with Slovakia?
Hint! Slovenia has A seacoast (o.k. a very teeny slice of one).
Slovakia has NO seacost.
What Rebecca West was to the pre-WWII Yugoslavia, Mr. Sgazzetti over @ Isoglossia is to the post-Yugoslavia split Slovenia. With quaint observational lines like the one above, how would you not be tempted to read on about the happenings in that beautiful country that is so often mixed up with Slovakia?
Hint! Slovenia has A seacoast (o.k. a very teeny slice of one).
Slovakia has NO seacost.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
April's Rain Brings With It It's Pain
Well, it's almost the 15th of April, which means, despite the gorgeous weather, I'm belted to my seat and Turbo-Taxing away. Three fingers of this (having already gotten the heartbeat racing with espressos aplenty), throwing almost substantiateable figures around and I'll be ready to be writing a final accounting of things by tomorrow night. With a full day to spare! I'll save the 15th to make sure I work out the correct spelling of I R S as I send away the money they "loaned" me last year.A TOTH to Gwynne for pointing out this productivity test. Something to drop on the troops on Monday, oh, around two-ish, when what was lunch has settled in and kicked in the drowsies.
Frankly, I'm stunned at her score. It's mid-April, she's barely a buzz, and she calls herself a CPA!??!? She should be off the scale...unless...unless..oh, yeah the big cruise is coming.
The Very Big Cruise. You're stylin, Gwynne, just plain stylin'
Labels: Blogs
Friday, February 01, 2008
Crack Open Your Ears..
..and give this a listen. Mr. Whisky Prajer has gone podcast. He reads Footnote To a Bread Recipe from his self-published collection of short stories, Youthful Desires.
The story is a bit over 14 minutes. Grab yourself a hot cup of coffee, crank up the computer speakers, and settle back to a gorgeous rendition of one of the wonderful stories contained in Youthful Desires (highly recommended for purchase and perusal!).
He starts with Every day at 4:15 she rescued me from the grain elevator like some kind of gasoline angel, barreling down the dust road in my '67 pick-up to claim the soul of this work-worn soul. Having grown up in a family where the spoken and the written word carry equal weight, it is no surprise that the published words of his story come off strong and uncluttered when read aloud. It is not easy trick to write intricately with a tuned ear for the mot juste, and have the story present itself well both in the reading and in the speaking.
Congratulations to Mr. WP for pulling it off.
In other more pedestrian news, yours truly has recently purchased a replacement box for the twin domestic PC's that gave up the ghost. No, it's not a Mac (pause to dab the tears); it's a Dell. Adequacy in the face of additional buckos. This weekend, I'll be setting it up and hopefully renewing the blogging spirit. For those kind folks that still came to visit here in hopes of some scribbling, I thank you and I will be back, very shortly.
February will be a big month for dj-ing at 91.3. In addition to my semi-regular show, The Morning After, which I'll be hosting on Sunday, February 3rd, I'll be sitting in on a friend's jazz show, Avenue C, while he is on hiatus. The latter is on each Friday night from 10:00 to 12:00 midnight. I'll be dj-ing all of February's Fridays. So, listen in, if you've got somewhere to be within earshot of some happening tunes.
Labels: Blogs, Reviews, WVUD 91.3
Friday, January 11, 2008
Coming in (Randomly Generated) at #12
Tried this.
(From Mr. WP, who got it from Jim)
Got this.
Band Name : Baruva
Album Title: Wife Asks for Nothing
Album Cover:
(From Mr. WP, who got it from Jim)
Got this.
Band Name : Baruva
Album Title: Wife Asks for Nothing
Album Cover:
Labels: Blogs
Monday, January 07, 2008
Apologies to the Faithful Visitors
Folks,
Please accept my profound apologies. No fecundity here in a while. I've been buried (willingly and happily) in family-centered holiday events and trying to get through the trio of this book, this one, and also this one. Each is a treat; each is a juggle of a read.
I will be back. Shortly, or as soon as my home computer (the previously named Piece of Crap) is resuscitated. Unfortunately, no Apples falling from trees for this non-Newtonian dreamer.
Keeping me company in silence are these involving bits of music.
Please accept my profound apologies. No fecundity here in a while. I've been buried (willingly and happily) in family-centered holiday events and trying to get through the trio of this book, this one, and also this one. Each is a treat; each is a juggle of a read.
I will be back. Shortly, or as soon as my home computer (the previously named Piece of Crap) is resuscitated. Unfortunately, no Apples falling from trees for this non-Newtonian dreamer.
Keeping me company in silence are these involving bits of music.
Labels: Blogs, Domestic Burdens
