Monday, November 30, 2009
What is the Truth?
Tiger Woods has been able
to keep from facing questions by police after his 2am car crash outside of his home last Friday morning. Legally he is ok.
There are numerous questions about what actually happened.
Tiger has chosen to remain silent and released
a statement through his website mentioning that it was a private issue. He's right on that account. His real problem comes
from the court of public opinion. This story doesn't seem to want to go away. In Tiger's case, he has a lot to lose as he
is the world's highest paid athlete, due in large part to his numerous endorsement contracts.
I think he feels
he can ride this storm out. Only time will tell. He is rolling the dice right now. Because of his silence, people are drawing
their own conclusions about what actually happened between him and his wife.
The story in the National Inquirer
must have really blown up in his face.
8:01 pm est
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Last Tree Standing
I bought a live evergreen tree. It's about a
foot tall. It was sold as a holiday tree. My only goal is to keep it alive past the holidays. To have it next summer would
be nice.
I've had live trees over the years and none have survived longer than month. Ever-greens soon dry up and
become ever-browns. I'm not sure how this will turn out. I'll do my best to keep it alive. I've seen these trees out in California.
They can grow over 5 feet. I doubt it will happen here.
8:46 pm est
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Where Was Casey Jones?
Train travel certainly has its
role in America. The biggest problem is making it profitable. I took the train to Boston yesterday. It was comfortable, reasonably
priced and timely. I was surprised to see the conductors still issuing paper tickets and using a hole puncher.
One
would think that in this day and age, they would have some type of automated system to issue tickets. I felt like I was back
in time. I find it hard to believe that this is the most efficient system out there.
10:42 am est
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Not Worth $2.50
I love my newspapers every day.
I read three of them. Today, the local edition was $2.50 instead of 75 cents. It was treated like the Sunday edition. It was
the same size as the weekly, but was full of circulars for Black Friday. I don't mind paying more on the weekend, but the
owners of the paper knows that people want this edition. They jack up the price and make a bundle on vendor sales and from
the circulars.
I won't get home delivery because the paper would be everywhere except in front of my door. No wonder
people are buying fewer papers these days.
10:49 pm est
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
One Thing in Common
Today is birthday #56 for me.
A number of interesting people share this day. They include Jenna Bush, Christina Applegate, Cris Carter, Bernie Kosar, Donovan
McNab, Joe Gibbs, Amy Grant, Bucky Dent, John Larroquette, Percy Sledge, Gloria Steinem, Kathryn Crosby and Lenny Moore.
For some, the birthdays have stopped. They include Andrew Carnegie, Joe DiMaggio, Ricardo Montalban, Pope John
XXIII, and JFK jr.
The goal for all of us is to keep the birthdays coming.
10:26 pm est
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Unwanted Visitors
I've lived in my apartment building
for many years. It's a clean place with 18 units. Recently, I noticed a couple of fruit flies in my kitchen. They might also
be grain moths, flour moths or some other creature. I really don't care what they are. They don't belong here and they are
leaving one way or the other.
First, I should thank them for making me clean out my kitchen cabinets and scrub
everything down. My appreciation for them was to buy "The Pantry Pest Trap " from a local hardware store. Since
they won't leave on their own, I'll make it easy for them.
Insects and me are not a good combination. I know they
serve some type of purpose, but not in MY HOUSE.
Hasta LaVista Baby!
11:13 am est
Monday, November 23, 2009
A Forgotten Day
Yesterday was the 46 year anniversary
of the assassination of President Kennedy. That day in 1963 had a profound effect on America and its future As the years passed,
it was always looked as a special day of remembrance.
Now, it has fallen off the radar. It wasn't mentioned in
yesterday's Boston Globe and received little mention on radio and tv.
A person would have to over 50 to have any
memory of the day. Given the age of the American population, it's easy to see why this is no longer a special day. It's like
Pearl Harbor Day when I was growing up. You would have to be in your 70's to have any recollection of December 7, 1941.
I wonder if 9/11 will become like this someday. It probably will.
9:09 am est
Saturday, November 21, 2009
They Should Tailgate
Haverhill has a huge Santa Claus parade tomorrow.
It's always a big event. I never watch it, but many people do from the surrounding area.
In a supermarket parking
lot along the parade route, there was already one RV parked there. In the morning, there will be a couple of others.
I guess you can't be tailgating for a Santa Claus parade. It doesn't look good if you are cooking steaks and drinking beer
before it starts. That works better at Gillette Stadium or some other football game.
5:59 pm est
Friday, November 20, 2009
I Wonder Where It Was
Coins have been part of our culture
for thousands of years. They tell a lot about a society. I recently saw a shiny penny in my change. That's not unusual, but
upon closer examination it was a "wheat" penny. These coins were in circulation prior to 1959. To commemorate Lincoln's
150th anniversary, the U.S. Mint changed the back of the coin to show the Lincoln Memorial.
The coin was
from 1957. I wonder where it was for the last 52 years. It was too shiny to have been circulated much. Was in in a penny jar
for the last 40 years? How did it get back into circulation? Did someone finally cash in their pennies? There's a story behind
this that we will never know.
I took the coin and put it into a cup that has a bunch of other "wheat"
pennies. I'll hold onto it.
12:01 pm est
Thursday, November 19, 2009
He Hit a Homerun
On this day in history 146 years
ago, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his infamous Gettysburg Address. It was a mere 272 words and lasted less than two
minutes. It contains some of the most immortal words in American history. It had a mixed reaction at the time, but is considered
one of the greatest speeches of all time.
President Lincoln conveyed his point in a brief statement, unlike
today when politicians and leaders feel they need to ramble on until the audience stops paying attention.
Today,
the speech would have been reduced to a few sound-bites on the nightly news.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Learning From Dogs
I think
we can learn a lot from dogs. Not all dogs are friendly. I'm nervous around most of them. People don't control
their dog. They let them run loose and harass people.
I had the opportunity to spend some time with Piper, my brother's
family dog. She loves to smell the ground. Nothing pleases her more. She does it with great passion and focus. She is always
on the vigil for the next opportunity to smell something special. We need to be focused on our goals like she is.
9:50 pm est
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Out on the Course
I had a doctor's appointment today
which brought me into an address on Beacon St. in Brookline. The office is located on what is the 24th mile of the Boston
Marathon. It's interesting to see the street with traffic, in contrast to the third Monday in April when it is a sea of runners.
As I looked east, I could see the landmark Citgo sign looming over Kenmore Square. It's always a great feeling when
you see that sign during the race. I drove most of the final two miles of the course to get onto Storrow Drive for my
return home.
As winter approaches, I know that 22 weeks will bring me to the starting line of the race. A lot can
happen between now and then, but my goal is to be there in 152 days.
4:47 pm est
Monday, November 16, 2009
Nobody Noticed
The
space shuttle was launched today and nobody really noticed. It was the 160th time that the USA has sent people into space.
There are only five more shuttle flights scheduled before the fleet is retired. America has tentative plans to develop a new
craft to go to the Space Station and the moon. That is years away. For the near future, we will depend on the Soviets to get
us up there. It's a real step backwards. There was a time when America cared about space flight and it really mattered.
NASA needs to establish a plan for the future. I don't understand why this is so difficult.
10:57 pm est
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Let's Go There
NASA has announced the presence
of water on the moon. This is very significant. In 2007, the Bush administration proposed plans to return to the moon by 2020.
This is a very ambitious goal, but severely underfunded.
Water was detected after a special probe crashed into
a moon crater at an impact speed of 3,500 mph. The subsequent analysis proved that water is there, a crucial component of
longer stays on the moon. Some in the media scoffed at this. It's no big deal they said. We have enough problems on earth
and don't need to throw money away on projects like this.
I strongly disagree. This would be a great way to create
jobs.The space program needs an additional $4 billion annually in its budget to make these plans viable. This money is a drop
in the bucket when compared to the amounts the government has given to the auto industry and financial institutions as part
of the economic recovery.
Space exploration is a great stimulus to technology research and development. We
gained so much from our race to the moon in the 1960's. We need to do this. It's a no-brainer.
10:19 am est
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Power of One
You always hear the cliche about the
power of one. It can be one individual or event. Everything counts.
I was at the market today to buy just
a few things. As I went though the checkout line, my total was $11.63 with one item to go. I had a $20 bill and was feeling
for change. The cashier put the last produce item on the scale. It was an exact $12.
When I got home, I looked
at the receipt. The grapes cost $1.37. If I had taken one less grape, the price would not be $12.
On the other
hand, there is the cost and size of the fish..........
6:26 pm est
Thursday, November 12, 2009
I'm Not Ready For This
In today's Boston Globe,
there is a story about runners who run barefoot. This has always been going on, but a recent book Born to Run, has
increased public awareness. I recently saw someone running barefoot during the New York City Marathon. I can't imagine this
being the most sanitary thing to do, especially on the streets of New York.
Proponents believe that wearing shoes
is unnatural and leads to an uneven gait and potential foot, back, hip and knee injuries. People who do this claim they are
injury-free.
In recent years, I have injured all of these body parts. I have an appointment next week for a new
pair of orthotics which will cost over $300.
People throughout history have always gone without shoes. They didn't
have orthotics back then. I think I'll take my chances and continue to wear shoes. When shoes are outlawed, only outlaws
will wear shoes.
10:27 am est
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Too Much Smoke
It's a little bit after mid-night.
I got back from a comedy show about an hour ago. I'm winding down before bed. Unfortunately, the show was at a private club.
That mean patrons can smoke. And boy did they ever.
My eyes and throat are still burning and my clothes smell.
I should probably take a shower as my clothes wreak of nicotine. My pants were from the closet tonight, but they are one and
done.
I don't know how I ever grew up in a household with second-hand smoke. I can't beileve that I worked around
it for a good portion of my career at my former employer. I feel like a stale ash tray.
12:14 am est
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
It Took a Lifetime
I don't like to throw things
away. There is too much waste in the world today. I haven't always bought the new and the best. One thing I went without over
the course of my life is an electric can opener. I always used the hand ones. Even when I was growing up, we never had one.
I don't open too many cans, other than tuna fish and soups.
My manual opener broke the other day. There was no
way to fix it. I finally decided to splurge and buy an electric one. I went to Walmart and bought a really nice one
made by Hamilton Beach. I just opened a can of tuna fish. This thing is really nice. It even has a knife sharpener.
All for $18.99.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
A Trip to Amherst
I went to the UMass-Northeastern
football game with a friend from the days living in Kennedy Tower. The campus has some really neat changes. We took a tour
of the new Recreation Center. I wish they had something like that when I was there! The new technology/engineering buildings
were quite impressive.
The crowd at the game was about 3-4k, with very few students. It was mostly adults and
family of the band members. The crowds were never that big when I was there.
The school has a huge 300 member
band. The football program might be Division 1-AA, but every time I see the band, I feel like I'm at the Rose Bowl Parade.
It's too bad they play before such a small crowd.
8:51 pm est
Friday, November 6, 2009
Just Like Kramer
One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes
is the one where he test-drove a car with a salesman to see how far he could go on empty. I did a similar thing with my printer
cartridge. I have a great HP printer, but it takes four cartridges. Naturally these suckers go for over $30 a pop.
I got a "low toner" message a couple of months ago. I continued to print, determined to get the very last copy
made. I needed to print something today. I got another message saying the cartridge needed to be replaced. I tried to re-boot,
but no luck. It's offially over.
I will buy a new black ink cartridge today. I will do it knowing that I got the
last possible copy printed. They might charge me $30, but I won!
10:35 am est
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Getting There
I have no problems embracing technology. There are things out there
I should be doing. I still don't have a GPS system. I've lived my whole life without one, but that's not a good reason.
Last night, I used Mapquest to get to a comedy show in Portsmouth. That was a big mistake. One of the final directions
didn't make any sense. I drove around aimlessly for 15 minutes, even to the point of going back to Rt 95 and retracing my
steps. I finally made a call and got some assistance. I made it to the show on time.
I can't give a reason why
I don't have one. I could get creative with an excuse, but it would probably sound real stupid and moronic.
9:57 am est
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
I'm So Outdated
I made it back from running the New
York City Marathon. I've carried a cell phone during my last few marathons. It's no big deal and fits in a little pouch I
wear on my hips. Many runners carry them. What separates me is that I'm unable to access my email, Facebook or any other applications
without paying large access fees.
I must be one of the few people that still uses a public Internet connection
when I'm away. It costs $2 for 10 minutes of time. On two occasions, my time ran out before I could finish. I had 165 emails
over the course of four days. I've got to get with the times and get a Smart Phone, Blackberry or some other device that will
bring me into the 21st century.
I need to post things while they are still relevant instead of waiting several
days. Status updates on Facebook get to be a bit irrelevant after a few days. Maybe this will serve as wake-up call or become
another thing I can procrastinate about.
10:00 am est
