Now playing

A monthly diary of current postings and quick train of thought entries

DECEMBER 2008

Every so often you see a story where someone was arrested for doing something so ridiculously dumb that you can’t help but think all sorts of politically incorrect things. I don’t need to go into the thoughts, the jokes, or the inappropriate-but-oh-so-funny comments. You know exactly what I mean.

Earlier today, I saw one article in a Boston paper about a couple in New Hampshire. I refuse to link to it, because reading the story will actually remove brain cells from your body. But… hey… you’re resourceful enough. Just go ahead and use search words like couple… arrested… New Hampshire… Christmas… Wii…

See, in this New Hampshire story, a couple was arrested because some jerk (putting it kindly) apparently went on a rampage when he received a Nintendo Wii for Christmas this year. Blah-blah-blah… he wanted a four-times as expensive remote-controlled plane. No sympathy in these parts… throw away the key and let him rot for a few weeks in jail… and, I feel dirty and a bit dumber for having read the article.

Suffice to say though, occasionally there is a chuckle and maybe even a bit of understanding involved in such stories of inappropriate behavior. See, every once in a great while, you may find yourself at least raising an eyebrow and offering a silent… though brief… nod of sympathy for the guilty party…

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania… where a man was arrested for shooting the father of a family that was talking during a movie. Is it wrong? Well… of course it is! You don’t just shoot someone for talking during a movie. (Please tell me you didn’t need that explained to you.) But…

It was just a flesh wound… and hey, haven’t we all wanted to smack one of those idiots with a cell phone or toss popcorn at morons that whisper, loudly, every few minutes during the feature presentation? Sure we have. And… in this case… the guy pulled out a gun and lived our fantasy.

The funny thing is, these types of stories… regardless of the bad attempts at humor I might make using them… still remind me of a world I don’t like. It reminds me that there are people that, simply put, are different than you or I... different in ways that often cannot be believed. As Douglas Adams once noted… I’m adjusting his thought… assuming something is idiot proof shows a lack or respect for idiots. And our world is FULL of idiots.

So it is amazingly refreshing when you see a story that warms your heart. It makes you feel good. It makes you want to find a way to contribute.

Here’s one story like that. Couple in Maryland… the world lined up challenges against them… to the extreme of facing foreclosure after the husband got sick. A friend was able to work a few miracles and, dollar by dollar, this holiday season restored the faith in mankind for Daniel and Ebony Sampson. I’m thrilled for them. And trust me... follow the link.

In a way… because I read this story... I’m happy for me as well. (And I didn’t give them a dollar.)

I forget the movie, but twenty years ago or so I saw a film where a man was talking about watching Pele on TV. He was telling someone about how incredible it was, being able to see what Pele could do with a soccer ball. In fact, as he explained it, he felt better about himself and his fellow man because of Pele. Might have even admitted crying.

I didn’t understand the sentiment at the time.

Oh, I tried to understand it. I sort of thought I did see what he meant… but I really didn’t.

I do today.

It had nothing to do with Pele the soccer player. It wasn’t because Pele could do things he couldn’t with a soccer ball. It wasn’t because of how beautifully he played or how inspiring he may be to others or how his teammates loved him.

Instead it was because of how Pele excelled at something. It was about watching someone realize the brilliance of their talents at an exceptional level and lifting all those around him as a result. It was about doing something so breathtaking that it made him want to do something exceptional as well. He cried because if Pele could do that with a soccer ball… then perhaps there were no limits to what he might be able to do with a pen and paper… a paint brush… or, even with just his compassion for those in need.

It was because as a woman loses her family in a horrendous car accident… as her husband battles illness… as she finds herself pregnant and facing foreclosure… someone reached out a hand to help her.

It was because his talents in one area made us all better because of what we might be able to give.

I’m a better person because of stories like this… and the world is a better place, more of the place I like to think I live, because of stories like this.

Fortunately, there have been a few more of these stories in recent months. And it gives me hope… a sense that things are going to be ok… a feeling that in some way, the insanity we see in so many things around us are the exceptions and not the rule.

Alright… I’ve run on long enough with this one. How about some of those overdue old links I’ve been promising you?

Found... one lighthouse ~ A Massachusetts lighthouse, believed to have been destroyed more than 80 years ago, actually turns out to have been moved. The Coast Guard apparently sent it to California.

Gregg Zaun has a web site ~ Yes... Gregg Zaun. That Gregg Zaun. (Sports Ellen... he’s a catcher.) I have to admit... the introduction to the site isn’t half bad at all.

Schools facing budget cuts ~ I haven’t researched the items listed in this article from last August. So I can’t tell you if the Cheatham County Board of Education has figured out how to address funding for buses. I also don’t know about the four-day a week scheduling or the other topics of discussion. Still, in re-visiting this article for posting it, I found the information useful overall, since it manages to cover such a diverse range of subjects and troubles facing schools... and, in general, the economy.

A one-cent water bill ~ You know those idiots I was talking about a few moments ago? Let’s consider adding City Collector Debora Marcoccio of Attleboro, Massachusetts to the list. The article seems harmless enough actually. Woman gets a water bill for one-cent. Yup... a penny. Family points out the stupidity of spending 42-cents to send the bill. Marcoccio points out the system is automated. Both sides have fair arguments in a silly situation. But I’m hoping Marcoccio was sort of misquoted when she added this: “My question is, how come it wasn’t paid when the (original) bills went out?” Seriously? That’s your question Debora? Don’t you have some record of her underpaying a bill by a penny at some point? So you could look it up and find out what happened. Yes? And aren’t you the least bit curious why it’s possible for the city to spend more money than it will collect to send out some bills? No? Might save you some money in the future. But... your question is still how come she underpaid before? I hate admitting this... but I kind of hope there is more to the story and the city was at fault with the original bill.

Mark Patinkin on Detroit’s Big Three ~ I’ll be posting the old In My Backpack interview with Mark soon... but for now, this article from a few weeks ago just goes to show exactly how good he is and why I admire his efforts. It isn’t one of his best columns, nor is it one of his funniest. I don’t think it was intended to be either. But it is straightforward, connects with the audience, and delivers his argument about why the recent developments out of the big US automakers are so alarmingly similar to what they’ve given us before.

Junk mail... or a lack of it ~ A postal worker in North Carolina was arrested for failing to deliver the mail. Or... more specifically... junk mail. Yeah, it seems that he removed all that garbage mail that most of us wish never arrived at our homes. I do understand that this is a business... and I am referring to the business of creating and sending those pieces of mail being delivered, not the actual physical delivering of the mail. A serious business. And I do understand that some people look forward to receiving some of it. Over in Australia I saw several mail boxes at homes with “no junk mail” posted on the box. I always thought that was a great idea. Seems a shame we can’t come to an agreement with a person like Sandy Cutts and the Direct Marketing Association... something like her group has the right to produce the mail, and we have a right to refuse it.

There remains some examples of loyalty ~ There may not be a ton of them left, but there are still a few places where employees are happy to be a part of an organization long term... and the organization appreciates that dedication.

Ryan Parker ~ There is no way I can link to enough of this guy’s stuff.

The secret menu for In-N-Out Burger ~ What? That isn’t easy enough to understand? In-N-Out Burger has a secret menu. And this link heads to the version more or less accepted as the full thing.

And to wrap this up for today... don’t get rid of the snow with a blow torch ~ Sounds easy enough to understand. But I’m telling you... the idiots are out there.

Oomph.

That’s how the new web site is being described to me by some friends I asked to take a look. Or, more specifically, oomph is one of the words involved. Such as...

Lacking oomph… needs something, more oomph… oomph… oomph… oomph…

…and I’ve got no clue which direction to go in.

So we’ll be playing around with colors and trying to find out where this new software stores something I might be able to create some texture or depth with.

Today was an absolutely perfect example of why there are so many times that I seem to get so little done on this site. Simple answer… putting out the small, unexpected fires.

Terry and I planned a day of shopping. We were leaving in the morning… dropping off a car for an oil change… and then heading out to a mall we don’t visit that often. The idea was to hit some stores we don’t see much of, have lunch, and then head to Warwick to visit my parents (collecting Terry’s immense supply of would-be catering tools while there), and make a stop or two for some small items on the shopping lists… books, DVDs, etc.

In general… a car-filling, slow-paced, easy day.

On Terry’s list was an item that most people wouldn’t give too much consideration… holiday place settings. And yes, there’s our problem.

See… plates… I mean, come on… that’s like buying someone clothes.

First… What fun are clothes (or, for that matter, a set of dishes) as a Christmas present? Exactly… no fun at all.

Second… It’s a bit personal, don’t you think? Dishes. My mother had some great advice for me when it came to clothes and a girlfriend… don’t buy one for the other. If you get it too small, your girlfriend will want to know why you don’t know her size and if you are telling her she needs to lose weight. If you get it too big, she’ll want to know why you thought about the larger size. And if, by some miracle, the stars align, the clouds part, Jennifer Aniston has something nice to say about Angelina Jolie, and you buy the right size… well… you’ll never pick out something that she would be caught dead wearing anyway. The only exception to this basically involved sweatshirts. After all, those really nice, really heavy-duty and high-quality sweatshirts are something everyone loves with a bit of extra room. Can’t go wrong with the extra big sweatshirt. But that’s it. Clothes? Ignore them on the shopping list unless you have been given unmistakable directions (and even then, approach with an insane amount of caution).

And if we can agree on that clothing concept, then… you probably see where this is going… dishes? What pattern do I pick? How many settings do I get? What kind of use will it see? There’s nothing I can do that won’t be wrong. If I pick plates and cups that are different and compliment each other, she’ll want all matching pieces. If I go low costs so she can have quantity for a party, she’ll have wanted imported and rare something or other for a formal dinner and limited guest count. If I like red with snowmen and ornaments… she’ll want green with reindeer and mistletoe.

Terry had already asked me to bring Ellen with me for the plate purchase effort. She wanted Ellen’s advice and opinion to guide me in the process. (Now, I love you Ellen… think the world of you and would do anything for you. But I saw what you did to my dining room… and I’ve seen your assistance on numerous other projects. And while your advice is always sound, as I’ve said before, you are an enabler. Let’s say a project or idea was going to cost me $100. Each and every time Terry brings Ellen’s advice and opinion into the effort, costs rise by 25% to 50%. Oh sure… the result is 600% better. I’m not saying it isn’t worth it. But it’s become something of a line item I can add to the bill every time. Sorry Ellen… we were never going to be shopping for dishes together.)

As the afternoon moved along, it seemed like we were going to finish early. Which… you know… was going to be awesome. Time to work on some settings for the web site. Time to practice some Christmas songs on the guitar. Time to surf for Santa-themed-holiday-cheer porn. What a great night ahead of me! Until…

I honestly didn’t expect to be making long distance phone calls when I pulled the car into a parking spot at the Christmas Tree Shop. But… sure enough…

We went inside and Terry found a set she loved. I mean… LOVED. She had been thinking of service for 12 as her goal. Naturally, they had service for 8 in stock. We bought them.

Back at the car, we started making phone calls. Connecticut… Massachusetts… can you check the floor?... do you know any other options?... whatever we could think of. And, eventually, the plan was modified. Buh-bye naked lady with a ribbons and bows in strategically thought out locations… buh-bye careful consideration to how to save some pictures and files from the old site and carry them over… hello drive through North Attleboro and into Foxboro* **. Yup… it was supposed to be a nice, early arrival at home. Now it was going to be a sweep through to drop stuff off and feed the dogs, and then head back out.

* I stole this idea from something I’ve seen Joe Posnanski do. On his web site, he calls this a Pozerisk… essentially it’s just a way of marking a tangent. Joe has something he wants to add, and it could be anything from stats about an athlete he is discussing to a reference from a Springsteen song. But, rather than tossing it right into the middle of a paragraph and destroy the flow, he marks it with an asterisk and inserts the comment shortly after the notation in a slightly less distractive way. I need to get used to it… but I like it. (The brother-in-law is going to hate it.)

** Remember the scene in The Blues Brothers where Elwood drives the car into the mall? And while driving around, they are looking over some of the stores, and Jake comments that the mall has everything? Well, I knew the Foxboro Christmas Tree Shop was on the same road as Gillette Stadium. What I didn’t know was that it was part of Patriot Place… the shopping and entertainment center built around the stadium. Check this out… in addition to just loving a bargain, people can visit a Bass Pro Shop (and, if you fish or not, a visit to one of these stores is an amazing experience), a Patriots Pro Shop (that didn’t surprise you… did it?), and all sorts of other usual and unusual retail options. Movie theaters? Check. 14 screens. Live shows? Sure thing. Heck… even Joe Bonamassa was scheduled to appear there this fall***. Geez… the place is even home to the Patriots Hall of Fame… an acclaimed place simply known as The Hall****. Patriot Place has everything.

*** See how these asterisk things become handy? Joe Bonamassa reference… one of the original “Lucky Seven” interviews and soon to be posted here at the revised site.

**** The Hall only works because they’ve won championships. Let’s face it… it’s pretty ballsy to call your team hall of fame by a name like The Hall. The San Diego Chargers had Dan Fouts and Lance Alworth… they couldn’t get away with The Hall. (I’ll resist a five-asterisk posting about San Diego and Balboa Park. (You’re welcome.)) The Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills made a trip to the Super Bowl seem routine at times… no The Hall for them. But… six Super Bowl appearances… three Lombardi trophies… a perfect 16 game regular season… yeah, if anyone was going to attempt to build it and name it, the Patriots are one of three or four teams that could give it a legitimate shot.

So it’s just after 6pm when, instead of settling in for dinner and the company of the dogs, we hit the road to look for more dishes. Our first stop was in North Attleboro. Even though we had been told by someone that they had none, it was (1) literally on the way, and, (2) a place that someone at a different store said was showing a few sets in their computer.

Attempting to wrap this story up, I’ll tell you that I never made it to Patriot Place today. The Christmas Tree Shop in North Attleboro had seven… seven… 7… SEVEN more sets.

We bought them all.

My wife… who, if truth about Ellen the Enabler be told, needs little encouragement… even picked up the display dishes and bought them as spares. I have enough dinner plates to serve something like 37 or 38 people. Same with salad/dessert plates. (I still need to unpack and clean them before I do all the math.) My guess is, someone is planning a 2009 holiday party. But… you know… that’s just a hunch.

Tuesday is gone… much like many other days this year… a year of helping friends with their basement and having generous help in building a shed and all sorts of other distractions that, honestly, I wouldn’t trade having been a part of for anything else.

But the web site still needs to be updated.

And there are other projects… like wrapping presents or getting two Xbox units packed and sent out for repair… that need my attention.

I’ll get back to those old links tomorrow or Thursday. I’ll get the web site some updates this weekend. I’d like to promise you more specifics… but Justin comes home from school this weekend.

And we’re heading out shopping on Monday.

And I hear there’s a Bass Pro Shop just over the state line in Massachusetts.

This first entry is going to be really basic. I’m just trying to get something into place… a personal bookmark of sorts… that I can work with in setting up some drafts and temporary links. So… for the next day or two (or four or five), look for a bit of commentary, and alot of items with old stories I had been meaning to share.

With that said, and several other things taking my attention away from any major comments today… the start an amazing listing of overdue links…

Ok… I need some help… how, for YEARS, do officials just miss 125,000 gorillas? Blah-blah-blah places on the globe man has never set foot and blah-blah-blah it’s the wild whatever. Sorry… not working for me… check out this quote: “The last census on the species, carried out during the 1980s, estimated that there were only 100,000 of the gorillas left worldwide. Since then, the researchers estimated, the numbers had been cut in half.” So, researchers were able to estimate a drop of 50,000 gorillas. And then, would you look at that, a tip from some hunters and a trip to a swamp and 125,000 more gorillas. So, basically, the first census missed… rough guess… 60% of the world population. Yeah… ok… if we can miss thousands upon thousands upon more than a hundred thousand gorillas, enough gorillas to basically triple existing total population estimates, exactly how can we trust any population estimates on anything? Science. What I love about it is that it always deals with accuracy and facts.

LOVED this article on ethanol and how it may not be all that everyone promised (or hoped). Go figure… using a corn-based fuel as an alternative is placing pressure on corn supplies, which in turn is driving up feed prices and other costs that were previously held in check by the availability of corn. (I’m just stunned.) Add in other articles that covered things like the environmental concerns associated with producing corn crops for ethanol production… or an argument that people producing ethanol crops won’t want the prices there to drop significantly… and in general you basically have a major set of headaches.

Marvin the Martian is scheduled to hit the big screen. K-9 better be involved or count me out.