1/31/09

Got what I came for: glassware!

Stood @ the bar for like a half hour and never got a drink.  It was so busy.  Absurdly.  Good times for the dancing/party crew, though a lack of swiftness in drink service was frustrating many, as they screamed at the bartenders and stood aghast as they were "ignored" by any of the five bartenders trying to serve drinks to a cycling swarm of 300 or so people surrounding this particular gigantic bar.  The bartenders were doing a good job, all things considered, but it did suck to not be able to get a drink while standing right at the bar for 30+ minutes.  

Mr. Cormier was there, kicking his groove, and the beats were laid down by "DJ Bis" as you are no doubt already aware.  I saw some other people I know, from across the rooms, but for the most part had zero chance of talking to anybody because it was just absolutely packed.  

I enjoy a good bout of the ole "people watching" so I could have stood at the bar all night just lookin, drink or no drink.  But Betty wasn't having any of it, so after 45 or so minutes of drinkless "packed like sardines in a crushed tin box"-edness we decided to make our way to our secondary destination.  Before walking away from the bar, you know I grabbed the two dirty glasses pictured above to add to my collection.  Having completed my mission, I was happy to move on, though before leaving I also grabbed a sweet (what I thought was free) Spark/Newark Co-op shopping bag.  The prizes inside indicate that it might not just have been there for the taking, but whoops!  It was sitting there on the coat check table, there were a number of them, and they were also giving away CD's (which to my shagrin [maybe], I did not get ahold of), so I figured I'd use it as a place to hold my newly acquired glassware.  While most of the contents of the bag were promotional info from sponsors, there was a sweet "prize" that made Betty's night, and all were happy.  

I WANT A T-SHIRT!

1/30/09

Back in August 2008, more than a month before Mr. McCain's catastrophic "Fundamentals of Economy Are Strong" and before the real start of the current financial calamity, this is what Billy D. had to say about the economy and election....


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/4/2008
Employment Instability may affect November Election
Job Security in Swing States May Be Deciding Factor for Voters


Scorelogix, a firm specializing in job security analysis, reports a continuation of the downward slide in National Job Security that began in November 2007. After a slight surge between March and April of this year, when national unemployment prospects seemed to brighten, the company reports a precipitous drop in the past two months.

The variability of this drop can be seen by examining two states projected to play pivotal roles in the upcoming presidential election. They are Florida and Ohio. Nationally, the company’s prediction of future employment, based on the Job Security Index™ or JSI, dropped by 7 points in June. The Florida drop was identical, while in Ohio, the JSI saw an 8 point drop.

Before November 2007, the nation’s Job Security prospects were steady, even rising. Since that time, a slow and steady drop has occurred, predicting a dimming employment outlook over the next twelve months. Ohio and Florida, relative to the nation, tell very interesting, very different stories.

In the past year, the Job Security trend in Ohio has been virtually identical to the national trend. As the national Job Security Index increased between June and November, Ohio’s index rose at a pace slightly better than the nation as a whole. In November, as the nation’s predicted job security dimmed, Ohio too began to experience an overall drop.
This does not tell the entire story, however. While the Ohio trajectory parallels the nation’s as a whole, the state’s numbers are significantly lower. The national Job Security Index ™, or JSI in July 2007 stood at 145.3. Ohio’s index, on the other hand, stood at at 125.6, a full twenty points lower than the national average. So while the trajectories have matched, Ohio’s remains a good deal lower than most of the country. Both the national JSI & Ohio’s JSI have dropped by approximately 15 points since November 2007. Ohio’s JSI, initially much lower than the nation’s, remains that much lower today. By way of comparison, Ohio’s highest recent JSI, 133 in November 2007, is only two points above the national low of 131.1 recorded in June of this year. Ohio’s lowest score, also recorded in the most recent data, is 114.8, a full 16.4 points lower than the national average.

Florida’s JSI pattern is different but no less worrisome. In July of 2007, Florida enjoyed a JSI of over 155, surpassed by only a handful of other states. But even as the nation’s index rose in the middle of last year, Florida began a slow decline that has picked up speed. Florida’s numbers dropped initially, and then remained steady through the end of last year into March 2008. Since March, however, Florida has seen a significant drop in Job Security. In the past four months, Florida’s JSI has dropped by over 15 points, losses that took nine months to accrue in Ohio and across the country. Since July 2007, Florida’s JSI has dropped over 23 points, leaving it just one point above the national average.

Worsening job security has accelerated in Florida over the past twelve months. Elsewhere in the country, as in Ohio, drops in Job Security have been troublesome, but not nearly as severe. While Florida’s JSI remains better than the nation or in Ohio, a continued acceleration into the next quarter and beyond could spell real trouble for the state.

These projections, at 85% accuracy, are evidence that the workforce in both of these critical states could be significantly more hard pressed than elsewhere in the country. The experts at Scorelogix therefore believe that predicted unemployment will play a major role in the November election outcome in each state.





Live Acoustic Music
TONIGHT
& Every Friday @ 10pm
TONIGHT:
Rachel Schain & Jeremy James each grace us with their musical presence.
Rick Reilly Strikes Again 
Hello Muckity Mucks.
These ads make me laugh.  I like how the guy doesn't do any works, but rather just stands about being hilarious while the other guys do all the heavy lifting.  Nice M.O.
CARDS!
Mom brought me down a good amount of my baseball/sports cards today.  Here are some favorites amongst the ones delivered thus far.
L-R from top:  Mike Schmidt 1985 Topps, Mark Grace 1988 Donruss rated rookie, Reggie White autograph, Howard Johnson 1985 Topps, Robin Ventura 1989 Topps Rookie, Deon Sander 1992 Upper Deck "Prime Time's Two", Kirby Puckett 1986 Fleer mini-card, Gary Sheffield 1988 Rated Rookie, Mario Lemieux 1988 O-Pee-Chee, Tony Esposito 1974 Topps, Steve Yzerman, Wayne Gretzky 1984 Topps, Chipper Jones 1991 Classic Best Minor League, Juan Gonzalez 1990 Upper Deck Rookie, Mike Mussina 1991 Upper Deck Rookie "Top Prospect", Ricky Henderson Donuss 1986, Scottie Pippen 1992 Fleer Dunk Rank #13, Shaquille O'Neal Classic Best 1992 Draft Pick Rookie LSU, Michael Jordan Upper Deck 1991 Hologram, David Robinson 1990 Rookie of the year NBA Card.  Now you know.

1/29/09



Snowboarders are out in Rockford Park! Look at 'em go! I like this song, though this is an abridged version. The original is like a minute longer. I like the really high note part like a minute in. I can totally hit all of those notes, but Beth says it sounds like a cat dying. It's still fun to try, especially in the car by myself. i think that is what I will use when I try out for American Idol.

My favorite part is the whole middle part , and then into the high part...
I, I’m gonna tear down the wall
I may not be here when you call
So best be givin’ me your all.(oooooo)

After the havoc that I’m gonna wreak
No more words will critics have to speak
I’ve got the answers to the tangled knot
Sleep tight in your cot.


Radioactive!
I like Public Bath?

Inspired by the latest of Todd's excellent artistry, I suppose I should finally reveal the excitement that is the bathroom at my work.  The bathroom is in the hall, shared by the eight or so businesses that inhabit the second floor of the building in which i work.  The bathroom is accessible without a key, although on the first floor one needs a numeric pass code to gain access.  I have never used the first floor bathroom.  
Nothing particularly exciting happens in there (thank goodness) although the weird quotient is exceptionally high, I feel.  Now, I will give it this:  it is generally clean.  That is very important.  But weirdos abound!  First, I was in there peein' one day, and some random old dude came up to the urinal next to me, and was all like "how ya doin?" as I'm peein.  Luckily, I was finishing up, so I was just like "great" as I zipped up to walk away.  Wash hands, walk out.

The very next day, me peein' in the same urinal (there are only two, and one is clearly designed for a child), a different guy lines up next to me, and says, no shit...

"I hear this is where all the dicks hang out."


Wha??

Alarm bells start ringing, and I'm thinkin' so this is one of them "Alfie / Larry Craig" bathrooms and that must be why they had to put them locks on the first floor."  Goodness gracious.  So I wrapped up my business impressively quickly considering what had been the plan just seconds before, and bolted towards the sinks.  I think I said "apparently" as I walked away.  

However, upon seeing in the mirror's reflection who it had been, the alarms subsided and I realized it is a gentleman who I am peripherally friendly with, in that we sometimes find ourselves entering and leaving the building at similar times, and thusly occasionally make small talk.  He was not, almost definitely, obtusely coming on to me, but rather, just trying to be funny in an effing strange way.  Fair enough, most likely.  

As for the first guy, he was just an awkward old man, trying to be friendly, I'll say.   But I'm sorry folks, my general rule is "no new friends in the bathroom."  I try to be super friendly in all aspects of my daily life, but when I am in a public bathroom, I am interested in only one or two things, and neither involve making small talk with anyone I don't already know.  Is that just me?  

So these two incidents were mildly strange, and happened so concurrently as to be noticeable.  
But neither takes the cake.   Sadly, nor does the "fluid" stains that one might notice on the walls of the stalls, were one to glimpse in the right light, take the cake.  

What takes the cake, for me, is that someone who works in the building has the amazing habit of pissing all over the floor in front of the 'adult' urinal.  It's not a lot of urine, but it is enough that your stance has to be just a smidge wider to ensure no contact with the shoes.  

But that shit is there like every day!  
One time, I came in with somewhat dirty shoes, and got dirt all over the bathroom floor.  I felt bad, but had no way to clean it.  I came back like two hours later, and lo and behold, it had been cleaned up.  This made me feel even worse than I already did, b/c someone other than the nightly cleaning crew determined this dirt to be unacceptable and took it upon themselves to take care of it.  Sorry.

But this random guy, he just pisses all over everywhere and doesn't even realize or care.  There is literally a fresh small puddle on the floor every day.  What is that?  It went away for like a week, and I was hoping maybe a certain someone had been transfered to Alaska.  But alas, as of just days ago, it is back, with a vengeance.  

1/27/09

oh, conservatives.  (names redacted for protection.)
What a great interview!  I thought I might cry on the day of the inauguration, but I did not.  I was moved, and it was a magnificent moment, but it did not bring me to tears.  However, almost every day since, I've been nearly on the verge of crying, and driven to chills every time I hear this man speak.  I thought his inauguration speech was exceptional, and portend to a serious man who will not tolerate the partisan cheering squad of the coming States of the Union.  With every speech, policy move, and appointment (generally) he has been impressively consistent in doing and saying what I would like for the POTUS to be saying.  It is such a strange and alien feeling, after ten plus years of hapless haberdashery.  Here we are, and we'll see where we go from here. 

What Obama has attempted to do so far, to varying degrees of success, is to reestablish confidence in our government, both here and abroad.  His actions have been sweeping.  Though not perfect, they are impressive.  His interview here with Al Arabiya is powerful and insightful to how he will move forward in foreign relations.  His rhetoric is essentially unflawed and incisive, and neutralizes the fanatical opposition in a way that is effective from a propaganda standpoint.   Whether it will succeed militarily remains to be seen, but I feel that it will be.  

Obama speaks with authority because his depth of insight demands it.  If you, as so many others already have, find yourself slipping back into a vindictive partisan squabble, please, just stop and read or re-read everything that this man has said since becoming President.  His engagement with the global community could itself, in many ways, become the propellant rocketing the United States to exponential success in the 21st Century.  

Again, we'll see.  

But i just keep shaking my head, in utter disbelief, every time he opens his mouth, that he is our President of the United States.  This man is speaking my language, and he's in charge!

In conversation today, it was mentioned how slow the past few weeks have seemed to have gone.  My response was that after all, last week we tortured people.  Now, I also was required to note the loophole Obama purposefully left in the law, just in case he gets the urge to torture some people.  

1/26/09

DEAR LEADER, LEAD US.
(obama's weekly address available @ above link)
Rest in Peace Ray Sr.
click below for a
SLACKER UPRISING
ALIEN
ECONOMY

1/25/09

1/23/09

Tonight @ Pastabilities

Acoustic Performances from Evangelina

& Patrick Derns w/ Pete

Decisions I agree with:

Stem Cells!!
Gitmo
Torture
Iraq
Freedom of Information (sorta)
Transparency
Pay Freeze

Things to be done:
much

1/22/09

23 DAYS

until pitchers & catchers report

1/20/09

Live blogging the inauguration...

CNN's coverage is too race centric. Switch to C-Span!
Did Harry Reid just come in twice??
Getting chills to say the least!
Now, kids, it's not a rock concert. Let the man do his thing.
Is Feinstein really making this political? OK maybe not. Good!
Dr. Rick Warren..... We'll see where this goes.....will he say Jesus???
rhyming! all over the place. good job!
freedom and justice for all....(except gay people.)
did he just sass Malia and Sasha??
there it is, at least done tastefully enough.
the "our father" is an interesting choice, but fair i suppose.

Aretha! What a gorgeous bird upon your head.
Let freedom ring indeed. Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring!

12pm: Though the lovely music of John Williams and his star studded amalgam of players continues, and is breathtaking, as of now, Barach Hussein Obama is OFFICIALLY, by Constitution, President of the United States of America! Congratulations, sir. I look forward to your swearing in and your inauguration speech. Hot damn this is some good music!

They're really rocking out up there!

PAGING DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN: Was that, in fact, the worst swearing in, EVER? What happened there?? I think it was Roberts' fault, but, really Barack, come on!

Here's hoping the speech is better!
Is that Roland Burris back there behind Obama?


Great, sober speech. Just what we need to hear. I can't wait to hear a State of the Union where the President doesn't allow for all that partisan clapping mumbo jumbo that always gums up the works.
oh, space.

oh, craigslist.


1/18/09

G-G-G-Great News!
THE HEADIES are prepared to release their NEW 14 song record 
While the artwork and logistics are still in the works, we are PROUD to release the album, in its entirety HERE and anywhere else you can find us on the internet.  Enjoy, and pick up a hard or digital copy SOON.

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NEW TIT PATROL VIDS!
on the relative eve of the release of their EXCELLENT second record Tit Patrol: Gets Less Worse, Tit Patrol shows their stuff @ the Spot with videos recorded by our man James Yetter. Enjoy Monsters Go Home and Hot Dog Emergency!  



1/17/09

1/16/09

Anyone else notice Tina Fey on 30 Rock mention last night how all her crew members are named "Sully" and that also it happens to be the nickname of the heroic pilot from yesterday's Hudson River antics? Synchronicity!


When Ron Asheton died last week, the venerable Mike Watt posted the following on his site:


friends,

some words I picked from mr whitman's "leaves or grass" for ronnie here:

the yankee clipper is under her three
skysails . . . . she cuts the sparkle and scud,
my eyes settle the land . . . . I bend at her prow
or shout joyously from the deck.

the boatmen and clamdiggers arose early and
stopped for me,
I tucked my trowser-ends in my boots and went
and had a good time,
you should have been with us that day round
the chowder-kettle...

great is the quality of truth in man,
the quality of truth in man supports itself
through all changes,
it is inevitably in the man . . . . he and it are
in love, and never leave each other...

o truth of the earth! o truth of things! I am
determined to press the whole way toward you,
sound your voice! I scale mountains or dive in the
sea after you...

...I cannot define my life . . yet it is so.

I swear I see now that every thing has an
eternal soul!
the trees have, rooted in the ground . . . . the
weeds of the sea have . . . . the animals.

I swear I think there is nothing but immortality!
that the exquisite scheme is for it, and the nebulous
float is for it, and the cohering is for it,
and all preparation is for it . . and identity is for
it . . and life and death are for it.

...if you want me again look for me under
your bootsoles.

you will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
but I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
and filter and fibre your blood.

failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
missing me one place search another,
I stop some where waiting for you

big big love from watt



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1/15/09

OH SHIT!


MAD PROPS to the crew of this US Airways Flight, whose pilot saved the lives of 150 people, plus himself, by maneuvering his GIANT Airbus 320 into the Hudson River, as opposed to say, a building, or the ground, after a flock of geese destroyed two of their engines. The plane, which was 3200 feet in the air when it ran into the birds, managed to make an emergency landing in the Hudson, and preliminary indications are that all 151 on board survived, despite having to spend some time standing on the wings in frigid waters. But you know all of this already.




the sky is freezing!

CLASSICS!
Somebody tagged Brian on Facebook in these pics, and I have grabbed them
for my nefarious posting purposes here.

Don't You Mess with Cupid!

1/14/09

TODD PATROL!!