My Blog List

People I Know

Eclectic Folks

Media Blogs

Politics, Policy Blogs

Page Rank

Check Page Rank of your Web site pages instantly:

This page rank checking tool is powered by Page Rank Checker service

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Pieces of April

This is what I have going on for the next month:
1. Take Lydia for her physical today.
2. Participate in the Maundy Thursday service at my church service, and rehearse for Good Friday.
3. Go to the Capital Area Council of Churches ecumenical Good Friday service, also at my church.
4. Participation in the Good Friday service. We're singing The Seven Last Words of Christ by Theodore DuBois. Please come if you're in the area. The soloists are great and the organ part is very dramatic. Hope my voice comes bck; currently, I have laryngitis, probably from seasonal allergies.
5. Easter Sunday service. No wonder some choir directors refer to to this, ironically, as hell week.
6. April 10 - As mentioned, I'm going to see a scion of a rock legend. Sean Lennon at the Egg.
7. April 11 - I was asked do to this just yesterday: talk to a bunch of librarians about guerrila marketing.
8. April 18 - I am taking a CPR course. Also donating blood for the 120th time.
9. Thursday, April 19, 7 pm. writers Christopher Ringwald and Amy Biancolli will be speaking at the Albany Public Library, main branch, sponsored by the Friends of the Albany Public Library. He writes on religion and philosophy, she writes movie reviews for a Houston newspaper, but is syndicated nationally. BTW, they're married. Since I'm in charge of the event, if you're in the area, please, PLEASE come. It's free. I just want folks to come.
10. Friday, April 19. Carol and I are going to the Symphony! A world premiere based on William Kennedy's new book, Roscoe.
11. A work conference in Utica at the end of the month. Not only do I need to prepare my share of the library presentation, but I'm also writing the questions for a JEOPARDY! segment of another prrsentation. That's 61 questions, in 12 categories plus the final.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

Also, I must drink lots of water. This is based on an incident on Friday. I've finally gotten my bicycle out, on Wednesday. This involves putting the bike on the bus to day care; riding the 2.6 miles to the Y to play racquetball - by taking the bike, I actually got there 20 minutes sooner than I would have if I had taken the bus; playing racquetball (for over an hour -yay!), then taking the bike to the bus stop (another quarter mile), take the bike on the bus to Corporate Woods to work. I had to leave early to get my Internet connection fixed, so I get the bike to put on the bus to town, ride the bike to the bank and then home (1.6 miles+); then, after the cable guy comes, go to another bank to get a bus pass and back (maybe a mile each way). Then about two hours later, get the most painful cramp I've ever experienced in my life, noit in my calf, which I've had before, but in my left inner thigh. Utterly excrutiating, and wouldn't go away until after three glasses of water, some Motrin and 15 minutes.

Re: the cable guy, I need to con my friend Mark to come up and help me install a couple things on my computer, not the least of which is more memory.

Meanwhile, I want to be more current with the newspaper. I've been almost constantly a week behind, reading about our local Extreme Makeover: Home Edition family in Colonie, which will be broadcast as the season finale next month. This is a show I've actually never seen, but I'll probably catch this one.
There was also Dan Savage movie review of a couple weeks ago that I just read in Metroland: "Have you seen 300 yet? It's about a handful of lightly armed ancient Greeks—the Spartans—who take on the mighty and massive Persian army. Some feel the film is homophobic; some feel it's a conservative, pro-war piece of agitprop.
Homophobic? It's Ann Coulter on a meth binge."

I'm looking forward to listening to lots of Emmylou Harris and Marvin Gaye, since their birthdays were yesterday, as well as hearing some Richard Thompson, Willie Dixon, and assorted others.

Finally watched this video that's been sent to me TWICE so far, so if I post it, I won't get it again:

glumbert.com - The Apple iRack


Plus the usual stuff. So it'll be a busy month. And May will be equally so. I almost never wish my life away, but I'm REALLY looking forward to mid-June.

Florida beat Ohio Stste, and I fell from 1st to 4th in my pool. At least I picked out There's No Such Website on the first try.

Monday, April 02, 2007

7 Songs I Am Enjoying This Week

Part of the social contract of the blog is, whenever possible, to respond to the tag. Lefty tagged me to "list seven songs you are into right now. No matter what they are. They must be songs you are presently enjoying." How to limit it to seven? there's that Bing Crosby/Andrews Sisters I've been listening to, and the new Sean Lennon album; I'm seeing him at The Egg on April 10.

Not surprisingly, most of these folks were born in March.

God's Gonna Cut You Down-Johnny Cash (February 26). From the posthumous American V, this is a remake of Moby's Run On, which was a remake of Bill Langford and the Langfordaires' 1930s Run On for a Long Time. A morality tale. BTW, Nik has a link to a great Johnny Cash team-up.

Let's Make More Love-Nat King Cole (March 17). From the Billy May Sessions of the 1950s, this song has a certain call-and-response quality. This song fascinated me musically, but also because the composer is listed as "unknown".

Who Needs You?-Aretha Franklin (March 25). From The First 12 Sides, an album she did for Columbia before she moved to Atlantic in '67 and became the Queen Of Soul. Not sure it was released until later, though, since the © is 1973. More pop than soul, but quite enjoyable.

My Father's Gun-Elton John (March 25). Always liked his early albums such as Tumbleweed Connection, and always especially love the choir in this chorus. An album I own on vinyl, so went to the library to burn a CD, guilt free.

Circlesong Six- Bobby McFerrin (March 11). There's a 1997 album called Circlesongs, essentially a dozen or folks standing around doing eight interesting vocalizations. As the liner notes indicate: "No words are necessary, and, in fact, words only get in the way of the interaction between the singer and the Divine."

Papa Was a Rolling Stone-the Temptations. The 12-minute version from the 2003 collection Psychedelic Soul. I love this era of the Temps, the Norman Whitfield-produced, Whitfield-and Barrett Strong-written period, even more than the early stuff. Did you know Barrett Strong had the first Motown hit single with "Money"?

Bring It On Home-Sonny Boy Williamson. Apparently, this is the "second" (though older), more famous Sonny Boy, born Dec 5, 1899, rather than the first (Mar. 30, 1914). Anyway, this is a song Led Zeppelin stole for their second album. It's not that I minded them doing the song. I DID mind that they credited themselves. And musically, I really like LZ.

I now will tag...no one. Tosy, Gordon, Jaquandor, Marconi: do it if you feel like it. Or not.
***
At least Lefty namechecked me here. I tried to figure out what song the Beatles were doing without the sound; impossible.
***
I love the music of Emmylou Harris. I own at least four of her five LPs from the 1970s; several of her recent discs, including the pivotal Wrecking Ball; Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions with Linda Ronstadt; All the Roadrunning with Mark Knopfler; both Trio albums with Dolly Parton and Ronstadt; and probably others that I've forgotten. Not to mention lots of backup singing, notably on Ronstadt's oeuvre. I probably shouldn't admit this, but I've long had a bit of a crush on her. Happy birthday, Emmylou, who turns the big six-oh today.
***
Georgetown lost to Ohio State, but I can still win my pool if Ohio State beats Florida tonight. GO, BUCKEYES. This is at least the third year in a row that I've been around for the final game; maybe the third time will be the charm.


ROG

Sunday, April 01, 2007

George W. Bush Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize!

It being April Fools' Day, and my brother-in-law Dan's birthday, he of the terrible puns, I figure I'd list some songs that feature the word fool that I actually own.

Chain of Fools-Aretha
Dancing Fool-Frank Zappa
If You Want to Make a Fool of Somebody-Vanilla Fudge
Ship of Fools-Erasure
What a Fool Believes-Doobie Brothers
Wicked Woman, Foolish Man-August Darnell
Won't Get Fooled Again-the Who
Why Do Fools Fall in Love-Joni Mitchell
Fool-Elvis Presley
Fool for the City-Foghat
Fool for You-Impressions
Fool in the Rain-Led Zeppelin
Fool on the Hill-Beatles; Sergio Mendes; Ramsey Lewis
Fool Such as I-Elvis Presley
Fooled Again-Tom Petty
Fooled Around and Fell in Love-Elvin Bishop
Foolish Games-Jewel
Foolish Little Girl-Shirelles
Fools-Deep Purple
Fools in Love-Joe Jackson

There are undoubtedly tons of other songs with the word fool inbedded. Seems Sinatra has a bunch, and I have a bunch of Sinatra. There's that classic What Kind of Fool Am I, which I must have by somebody. Of course, there's that duolog in Jesus Christ Superstar, appropriate for the season, with the line, "You're a fool, Jesus Christ, how can I help you?"
One of my favorire song that doesn't have fool in the title is Tell the Truth by Derek and the Dominoes ("who's neen foolin' you?")
But my favorite fool song is Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love: "You need schoolin', Baby, I'm not foolin'".
No, I never owned albums by The Fools, that Boston band with a couple albums in the early '80s.
***
Here's one version of my favorite terrible joke:
There once was a famous pitcher named Mel Famie. He was a great pitcher, a 0.45 ERA, and averaged 1.6 SO's per inning. He did have one flaw though, he liked to sneak a six pack or two into the bullpen during games.

It is the bottom of the ninth in Milwaukee, the game is tied at 0-0. Mel had started on his beer at the seventh inning, figuring that he wouldn't be used. One, two, three, four, the cans go by. By now, Mel is feeling a bit heated. The starting pitcher suddenly gets a cramp in his arm and can't continue. The coach calls Mel to the mound to relieve him.

Mel quickly stuffs his beer can into his back pocket, and gets out there. His first batter comes up...BALL ONE! The ump yells. Soon the count is full, and sure enough, Mel loses him. The next batter comes up...Mel has him at 0-2, but then throws four straight balls and walks him too. The coach wants to pull him, but Mel snows him into leaving him in. Mel strikes out the next batter with three straight fastballs.

So, Mel feels confident and sneaks the beer out of his pocket, and sucks the whole thing down, and slyly drops the can behind the mound. He faces his next batter...and can barely see the plate. He throws a ball just a bit outside, and then a strike. Then three more balls in a row. Now the bases are loaded, and only one out, but Mel somehow convinces the coach he can throw a double play ball. He gets the count to 2-2, then 3-2, and then he throws a curveball wide for ball four, walking in the winning run.

One of the Brewer players quickly runs out behind the mound and picks up the discarded beer can. One of his teammates says "What on earth do you want that thing for?"

To which he replies, "Don't you know?

This is the beer that made Mel Famie walk us!

(In another version, the opposition sneak beer to him.)


ROG

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Depressing Songs QUESTION

E-mail from a friend:

So there is this book called "I hate myself and want to die, the 52 most depressing songs you've ever heard" by Tom Reynolds

it is divided into chapters

1. I was a teenage car crash
2. I hate myself and want to die
3. I'm trying to be profound and touching but really suck at it
4. If I sing about drugs, people will take me seriously
5. She hates me, I hate her
6. Horrifying remakes of already depressing songs
7. I'm telling a story nobody wants to hear
8. I had no idea that song was so morbid
9. I mope, therefore I am
10.Perfect storms
Honourable Mentions

So I sat around in the Saratoga Last Vestige which is as close to High Fidelity as one is apt to get and 4 of us threw around songs and managed to guess over 20 of these songs and propose many others.

SOOO for the first thing I am making a set of CDs with the 52 most depressing songs of the book in order (from most depressing to the 52nd most depressing)

AND we are creating our own lists of 52 most depressing songs and combining them to make a second set of cds. And you are obviously the best qualified person I know to contribute to this endeavor.
[Oh, the PRESSURE!] so please make a list. If you include any songs from the book I will let you know and you can submit another or submit 75 songs in order and i will just take the first 52 that qualify.

The book starts in the late 50s and goes to the present. My list is only going to go to the end of the 20th century unless i decide to include "White Flag" by Dido (I know I did horrible unforgivable things to you and that you can't possibly ever want to think of me again that is why I have decided to stalk you for the rest of your life and make you miserable all in the name of this perverted love I think I have for you).

OH and including a pithy explanation as to why you are including the song such as I just gave you above on white flag is appreciated but not required.


With an invitation like THAT how could I refuse?

So, off the top of my head I provided:

My Baby's the Star of a Driver's Ed Movie-Blotto (1) - "her underwear was clean"
Leader of the Pack-Melissa Ethridge (1, 6) - this one you certainly know, if not by this artist
The Needle and the damage done-Neil Young (4) -a paean to his dead friend
Abraham, Martin and John/What The world needs Now-Tom Clay (6,7)
Timothy-the Buoys (7,8) - cannibalism
1941 Mining Disaster-Bee Gees (3,7) - self-explanatory
Ebony Eyes-Everly Brothers (plane crash - yet hokey) - why is the plane late? maybe it left late. Can everyone waiting for the flight please report to the chapel?
People Who Died-Jim Carroll Band (3)- "they were all my friends and they died"; a Q104 staple
Tears in Heaven-Eric Clapton (7) death of his son
Strange Fruit-Cassandra Wilson (7) lynchings of black people; a Billie holiday song
I Am Rock, Richard Cory, Sound of Silence-Simon & Garfunkel; "I have my books and my poetry to protect me"; suicide; "hello darkness, my old friend"
The Mercy Seat-Johnny Cash death row
- indeed several songs from Folsom Prison - "shot a man in Reno just to watch him die"
to Sting's I Hung My Head - another shooting, followed by regret
Biko--Peter Gabriel (7) - death of anti-apartheid leader in South Africa

But I know there's a lot more, so I'll make you a deal. Send at least one song, preferably with a brief description, and I'll make you copies (if you want) of whatever uplifting music I receive from this project.
***
And speaking of free music, but not nearly so depressing, I still have a couple copies of my award-winning, Lefty Brown's Mixed Bag V disc exchange entry, Flick Tunes. Send me an address and I'll send you some tunes.

ROG

Friday, March 30, 2007

Roger (Finally) Answers Your Question, Greg

Sir:

I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I have a question about black people. As a foolish white person, I have noticed a certain comraderie that black people share even when they don't know each other. This is something I have rarely seen among us whiteys. I wonder if you notice this too, and if you have any explanation why it's a phenomenon. It's very interesting.

You can ignore me if I'm just stereotyping and need to get my head out of my butt.

Greg


Sir? SIR? Really! We've exchanged music. I know I'm about two decades your senior, but still...

You my have heard of a term called "white skin privilege". (I'd look up a reference but I don't have Internet access - see below). Whether you do or don't, and I'll contend that there is something to it, the greeting you see, I suspect, is an acknowledgement of a people looking after their own. Beyond that, there was the fact that there was the common experience. When Nat Cole had his short-lived TV show in the mid-1950s, I will practically will guarantee that 90% of the black people were watching (and obviously, not enough of the white people); ditto with I Spy or other shows with black stars, when that was extremely rare.

You don't see that many white people doing the head nod with unfamiliars because the white male system is still the dominant culture, even as it becomes less so, statistically, in this country. But it's interesting that you ask about it these days, because I see it far less often than I used to, when I was in my teens and twenties. There was a sense of solidarity in the common struggle, not just for justice, but occasionally for survival. Maybe it's because the racial dynamic has changed in the country. So I'm going to assume the correctness of the premise of your question, as far as it goes, Greg. But I don't think it's just a "black" thing. I think it's an "other" thing.

I have seen the nod with south Asians who don't know each other, but feel - I surmise, since I didn't ask them - that shared experience of feeling somewhat like the outsider.

When I was going to college in the 1970s, all the long-haired hippie freaks gave the head nod. They surmised, probably correctly, early on, that the values and experiences of those other people were not dissimilar to their own. (Later, though, when hair was not such a sign of rebellion, that assumption went right out the window.)

I find that I get it with bicycle riders, an "us against the motorists" salute.

Find a room of one businesswoman and a dozen or more businessmen. Another businesswoman enters the room, and more often than not I've seen it. The look. The "I'm not alone here" look, the "you may have some idea what I've experienced" look.

I got on a bus this year with a bunch of teenage, mostly black kids getting out of school, who were, to be generous, rather boisterous. Immediately, a middle-aged white woman and I caught each other's eye, and in fact, ended up sitting together in our little cocoon from youth. We were surely The Others in this case.
***
I didn't plan to stretch the question-answering for three days, but I've been having technical difficulties with my computer at home. I try to get on the Internet; it doesn't work; I call Time Warner Cable and a technician puts me through all sorts of exercises with the computer, the end result of which being Internet connectivity. For about ten minutes. I did this exercise thrice on Tuesday night, and once on Wednesday night. A techie is coming to my house today. Between 12:30 and 2:30, smack dab in the middle of the day.

ROG

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Roger (Finally) Answers Your Questions, Tosy

1. What is your biggest fear for your daughter?
That she'll become moody and cynical like her father.

2. What about your daughter are you most proud of?
Funny, I don't think of Lydia in terms of pride. Joy, yes.
I mean I'm happy that she's pleasant, often polite, often helpful, often using the potty. I know I'm thrilled that when we read this Barney story about being polite and Barney and Baby Bop are having peanut butter sandwiches, she says, "I can't eat that, I'm allergic." I'm pleased that she knows her parents' names, but doesn't refer to us by them anymore. (And if she does when she's 15, I'll take a page from the comic strip Zits and start calling her by one of the cutesy names I call her now.)
I think I'm unreasonably influenced by some recent report that suggests that a parent oughtn't to praise the child for the things that she is naturally (e.g., beautiful), but for the effort she makes, such as setting the table (quite accurately, and often without being asked), or remembering that a particular item that Carol bought from the store goes into a particular place in the medicine cabinet without prompting, even when the packaging is different. She's extremely observant, which of course cuts both ways.

3. What work of art (book, movie, whatever) are you the most invested in? Must read any article about it, have thought about it far too much, love to discuss it whenever an opportunity arises, etc.
I don't think I'm that invested these days in any one thing. Certainly, I'll read about the Beatles oeuvre, but not a particular album. Book? The Bible, I suppose, but that's so broad, and hardly exhaustive, since there are so many (sometimes contradictory) pieces about it. Or It. Movie? Maybe Annie Hall, but I wouldn't describe it as obsessive. My feeling about the movie may be, but not the need to read everything about it.
There was a time, though, I probably read everything about Sgt. Pepper. And I would get into heated debates at the time over Hearts and Bones with people who though that Paul Simon was a @#$%^&*! for removing Artie from the recording and me defending his artistic choice.

4. Name the saddest and most joyful pieces of music you can think of.
Sad depends on the mood. "Gone Away" by Roberta Flack for broken romance, e.g.
The In Memoriam music on ABC News This week, which is just a slower variation of the regular theme, where they scroll the Iraq and Afghanistan war dead US soldiers and Marines, always makes me a bit melancholy.
The Barber Adagio, especially at approximately 6 minutes into an 8-minute rendition; my late friend Donna George gave me a whole album of Barber adagios, so I'm always reminded of her.
But I guess I'll pick the adagio by Albinoni. There was this performance of it by Leo Mahigian on the violin and his son Peter on the organ. It was in the same program during which my church choir performed the Mozart Requiem. Leo's wife Arlene was a member of the choir. She became a very good friend to me, sort of a surrogate mother. However, she was too sick from cancer to sing, though she was at the performance in a wheelchair. Three weeks later, she died; I saw her the day before, and she squeezed my hand to let me know she still recognized me. There was an audiotape of the service that was available afterwards, and for about 10 years, every time I heard the Albinoni, whether or not it was that performance, I wept.
Joyful: tough. Lots of stuff. Sometimes, it the combination. I was putting together a mixed tape and it included Communications Breakdown by Led Zeppelin, followed by Barabajagal by Donovan. Not only was I pleased at how well the two pieces went together, but I was juiced to have the two former Yardbirds guitarists, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, back to back.
Anything with a good bass line (Keep On Running by the Spencer Davis Group, Hey Ya by OutKast). Anything where the folks performing seemed to be having fun (Cinnamon Girl by Neil Young comes to mind).
One of the first thing that came to mind - this will be different next time someone asks - was "Soul Sacrifice by Santana on Woodstock, especially seeing the movie in my mind's eye.
Just this past Sunday, the postlude our wonderful organist Nancy played was the famous Bach Toccata. Somewhere about 6 minutes into an 8-minute rendition (again), a most unexpected chord pops up. It always floors me. Then the last three chords send me into spasms of joy. This is much more true in person than listening to a recording.
But, separate from the a/v or in-person experience, I'm going today with a song I heard in May of 1971. I went to New Paltz to visit my girlfriend and we ended up breaking up - not my idea. Wounded, I hitched over to Poughkeepsie to see my old friend Steve. He was turning me on to different music, including the first album by some young singer named Bonnie Raitt, who he had seen. But THE song that caught my attention was the first cut on an album "That's The way God Planned It" by Billy Preston, an album produced by one George Harrison, BTW. The cut is "Do What You Want To". It starts off relatively slowly, but really moves by the end. I know this for sure because I had to listen to it again and again. (Neil Young's "When You Dance, I Can Really Love" speeds up that way, too.) Anyway, I was (mostly) out of my funk by the time I got back home in Binghamton.

5. If you HAD to act in a remake of a film, what film would it be and who would you want to play?

Young Frankenstein. I'd be the Monster. Always wanted to be a song-and-dance man. BTW, I've read that there are plans to bring that classic Mel Brooks film parody to Broadway. Could be interesting, though Broadway, at least on the musical side, has become as cautious as network TV (CSI: Albany?) in trying to replicate the tried and true (Hairspray, Mamma Mia, etc.)

"Pardon me, boy, is this the Transylvania station?"
"Yah, Yah."

ROG

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Roger (Finally) Answers Your Questions, Scott



On the top of your web site, under the title, there reads: "B1 d- t- k+ s-- u-- f+ i o x- e- l c--" What does that mean?

Why thanks for pointing it out! It now reads B6 d- t k+ s+ u- f+ i o+ x- e+ l c-- Good catch!

What is your favorite baseball memory?

I had a hard time with this. Certainly, the 1962, 1977, or 1995 Yankees, or the 1969 or 1986 Mets winning the Series, or the 10-inning Jack Morris win in 1991 or the game I saw on 6/14/91 between the Red Sox and Angels. But the first thing that actually came to mind was Sid Bream sliding into home in the 1992 NLCS. Maybe it was because I hadn't gotten sick of the Braves yet, since they'd been so bad for so long. But I think it was just such a terrible slide against his old team, and how Barry Bonds' throw beat him to the plate but was just a little off line. The unlikely hero.

What is the last good book of fiction that you read?

Seldom read fiction at all at this point. Probably A Handmaid's Tale.

Do you think that finding an alternative fuel will become a government priority in the next ten years?

Yes, if some palpable disaster strikes. Don't know what that is yet.

Name something that you like that others think is uncharacteristic of you.

I don't think it's true across the board, but there are lots of people who think of me as a sweet, laid back, easy-going kind of guy. These people have never played cards with me. Or racquetball. Or softball. Or volleyball.
To that end, I seem to be in the minority of people who thought that the guy on JEOPARDY who had the lead, then initially bet to finish in a historic three-way tie bugged me. To use a sports example, it'd be like someone coming up in the 9th inning of a baseball game, already having hit a double, triple and home run, therefore needing only a single for the cycle, hitting the ball into the gap so that he'd surely get a stand-up double, but instead stopping at first.

What former (dead or alive) US President would you like to sit down and talk with?

Well, I've answered this before, and picked Jefferson and/or Lincoln. I think this time, I'll pick Teddy Roosevelt. He was an environmentalist. Maybe he has some ideas about how to create the political will in this country to actually fight global warming. I'm not sure Al "He's A Movie Star" Gore's recent visit to Capitol Hill will do the trick.

If Lydia had been a boy, what name did you and your wife have picked out?

Well, we had a bear of a time with boy's names. I think the only one that one of us hadn't yet vetoed was Micah. Not so incidentally, the snowperson is one she and Carol did after the Valentine's Day that resided in our front lawn. It was gone, though, by the time of the St. Patrick Day's storm.

I'll bite, but am interested since you brought it up) What is your favorite verse from the Bible?

We sang last week in church Stainer's God So Loved the World, which is based on John 3:16, what one former pastor described as "the Bible in a nutshell". I've been more partial to the next verse, also in the Stainer piece: "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." It speaks to me about those finger-pointing "gotcha" people.


***
Since you're a sports guy, I'll note it here:
All four of my teams are in the Final Four. Can't remember that happening, ever. I'm in first place in my pool, and only the commissioner (who picked Florida) or I (who picked Georgetown) can win. If Florida wins the championship, I lose. If Florida wins and Georgetown loses on Saturday, I can still win if Ohio State beats Florida on Monday, because we both picked Florida to beat UCLA. If both Florida and Georgetown lose on Saturday, I win. So, I'm still in it.

Oh, you wanted to know the MEANING of the code. You don't remember that I described it in July 2005? I don't either. Anyway, here's the translation.

ROG

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

The Lydster, Part 36a: Happy Birthday plus one

Friend Dan wrote:
"What! How did she get so old??"
Darned if I know.
My friend Deb wrote:

Great pictures of Lydia. Have you tried monster spray? www.monstergoaway.com(this is my question--I think it needs some research. There are lots of web sites and suggestions that a new label on air freshener will also do the trick.) I believe you can get it at CVS. We also had a doll named Baby who now lives on top of the desk in
my daughter's room (now 22 and about to go off [out of the country again]. Providence).
My friend Shirley wrote:

[My granddaughter] is four now, as you probably recall, and a look at your
blogspot reminds me that [she and] Lydia have some things in common, like being adored little girls and first and (to date) only children, with verbal and demonstrative parents. L's pictures suggest that she is a tremendously happy and well-balanced kid. The same is true of our granddaughter. We're realizing that first and "only," and therefore highly verbal kids, carry a heavier cognitive burden--lots to deal with in their little brains. I love it that you chase the monsters from L's room. But they sure do come back. It doesn't seem to us at all unusual for this stuff to go on longer than you'd like. Our little girl has been interacting with her nocturnal monsters for a couple of years now. Our daughter, a little tired of being wakened at 2:00 AM and trying to "do the right thing" and "explore the causes," now has a bed in her daughter's room and sleeps there some of every night.
That probably would get her a black mark by child-raising gurus, and we're not recommending it, but it's also not a permanent arrangement; she will grow out of this stage. Meanwhile it eliminates a lot of stress on all sides. My granddaughter sleeps better and so does my daughter. It also honors her concerns, which means she'll go on telling them about whatever is on her mind and not shutting up like a clam, and it deals with the "symptom" until the super structure of reality adjusts
to--well, reality. (Part of reality could be getting big enough physically so your parents bedroom doesn't seem like a thousand miles away.) No doubt Lydia, like our grannddaughter, knows perfectly well that it's "all in her head," but that it's none the less scary."

Well, it's not every night, but sometimes, Lydia does end up in our bed, or she and I or Carol and I in the guest room, not so much from monsters while she's awake, but from nightmares.
This from intrepid reporter Mark:

Here is my theory: Respond as to whether you agree or not.

The worst years for all parents come in intervals of 3:

Newbown: Yeah, cute is one word. Another is ... well, that's three words.
3: Tantrums, with vocabulary.
6: Over that whole kindergarten phase where they are proud they can follow rules.
9: Think they're 12.
12: Think they're 15.
15: They are 15.
18. They are off on their own, and they're not ready.
21. They are really off on their own, and you're not ready.

That is off the top of my head. Discuss amongst yourself.


Yes, newborn WAS tough. Someone told me recently that boys tend to be more terrible at two, while girls are more terrible at three. Anyone want to comment on that theory?

ROG

Marshall Rogers, 1950-2007

I always had an affection for illustrator Marshall Rogers because of his name. Seriously. Oh, yeah, I read his Batman Detective series with Steve Englehart, and I read virtually everything he drew for Marvel before 1992, when I dumped my comic collection.

Wait, I still have my old comic magazines in the attic! I'm going to go look for Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, an old b&w mag series that I'm pretty sure that I still have. Despite the admittedly hokey name, I really liked those stories that he illustrated and Chris Claremont wrote.

Got an e-mail about his death from an artist fellow I know yesterday. 57! My condolences to his friends and family.





ROG

Monday, March 26, 2007

The Lydster, Part 36: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!



Today's Lydia's 3rd birthday! Yet I have pictures from 2005. The best-laid plans...

Friend TFox says:
She's a tall drink of water, as my mom would have said. You'll have to start screening boyfriends before you know it! :)
What about a link to other famous folks born on her B-Day?

OK, here it is Who do we find?Poets, such as A. E. Housman (1859) and Robert Frost (1874)Other writers such as Joseph Campbell (1904), Tennessee Williams (1911), Erica Jong, (1942), and Bob Woodward (1943)Musical folks such as Rufus Thomas (1917), Diana Ross (1944), Steven Tyler of Aerosmith (1948), and Teddy Pendergrass (1950)
Performers such as Strother Martin (1919), Bob Elliott of Bob & Ray (1923), Leonard Nimoy (1931), Alan Arkin (1934), James Caan (1940), Vicki Lawrence (1949), Martin Short and Ernest Thomas (both 1950, same as Teddy Pendergrass), Jennifer Gray (1960), and T.R. Knight of Grey's Anatomy (1973)Athletes such as Marcus Allen, football (1960, same as Jennifer Gray) and John Stockton, basketball (1962)But I was most interested to note that her birthday coincided with women of note:
Sandra Day O'Connor, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1930)
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House (1940, exactly the same age as James Caan!)
Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor (1953)So, what does she want to do when she gets older? I'll be fascinated to find out.
***
Final JEOPARDY!, 3/13/07:
According to the Mayo Clinic, allergies to these are the USA's most common cause of life-threatening allergic reaction.
All three contestants got it right.
The correct response: What are peanuts? I knew that, actually.

ROG

Sunday, March 25, 2007

(1) Foster Dulles; (2) and George Michael; (3) and Bernie Taupin

In honor of someone's 60th birthday today, I found these clues on the J-Archive for whom the answer is "Who is..." and the birthday person in question, except for the last three, for which the answer is this person, added to the footnoted person in the title of this piece.

HOT TUNES $600: He's recorded "Burn Down the Mission", "Flames of Paradise" & a big hit about a candle.
RAY CHARLES & FRIENDS $600: (Hi, I'm Larry King.) In 2005 I talked to this pop legend about his duet of "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" with Ray Charles
THE 1970s MUSIC SCENE $800: He sang "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" about a suicide he attempted when engaged to an onion heiress
DUETS $200: In 1994 he charted a new version of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", this time with RuPaul
POP STARS A.K.A. $200: "Rocket Man" Reginald Dwight
THE OSCARS $200: Though he's acted on screen, as in "Tommy", his first nomination & win was for a song in "The Lion King"
ROCK MUSIC $100: Although his 1974 hit "Bennie And The Jets" hit No. 1 in the U.S., it only reached No. 37 in the U.K.
NICKNAMES $800: This rock star, nicknamed "Captain Fantastic", has over $50,000 worth of eyeglasses
PEOPLE $400: When he auctioned off his wacky wardrobe, his Pinball Wizard boots sold for over $20,000
(1) BEFORE & AFTER $800: He sang "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" when negotiating a peace treaty with Japan & as Ike's Secretary of State
(2) POP MUSIC $400: These 2 singers, with 4 first names between them, had the 1991 No. 1 hit "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"
(3) THEY WROTE THE SONGS $300: "Honky Cat" & "Crocodile Rock"

This doesn't count the clues where the person's name is in the clue, including a whole category on 4/11/2006.

Unfortunately, the J-Archive doesn't have out yet my favorite Final JEOPARDY! clue, about a musician who has had a Top 40 song every year from 1971 to 1995. Interestingly, this person didn't have one in 1996, but had his biggest hit in 1997.

And if you don't know who he is, then write to me. Privately.


ROG

Saturday, March 24, 2007

The Lydster at 3: T Minus 2


I asked a few people how I should celebrate Lydia's upcoming birthday. My old buddy Pat from Kansas (the state, not the group) suggested that I do some timeline pictures. Good idea. These photos are all from 2004.

Someone else suggested I describe each of her years. Well, we have one of those books where we record everything: her first tooth,, her first step. But I'll be darned if I could actually FIND it. Much of Lydia's second and third years are recorded in this blog. But year one? It's already of a bit of a blur. Except for a few things.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being totally unprepared, and 10 being totally prepared, in terms of childbirth, we were about a 9, thanks to our Bradley course.
On the same scale, in terms of child raising, we were about a minus 13. On day four, all she did was eat, sleep and scream. Our doula was helping with breasst feeding instructions, because the child was not latching on. Day 4 was the WORST. We were exhausted, frustrated, and seemingly totally incompetent at this parenting thing. We realize that we were being punished for every inappropriate thought, word, or deed that we had ever done. Payback was brutal.

Then, on day 5, she didn't cry quite so much. Day 6 was worse than day 5, but nowhere as bad as day 4. Day 7 was a relative picnic. As we figured her out, we became more confident. Maybe she did, too.

Of course, it was not all easy. sleeping at night could be tricky for her, and therefore for us. I remember having a vacuum cleaner on just outside her room a couple nights. (Sidebar: I just read about someone who put out an album of appliance noises, including dishwashers, washers and dryers.)

Several people had told us that the car would be our salvation since she'd fall asleep in it. Well, yes and no. We'd get in the car, she'd cry for five minutes, sleep for one hour - and no more - then wail the rest of the way. This made trips to the grandparents in Oneonta (1 hour, 20 minutes) torturous for the last 15 minutes. Finally, and accidentally, we discovered that if I sang to her, and I mean pretty much constantly (Old McDonald with more animals than a zoo), she'd be placated until we got home.

She was crawling "early" by the book, so we thought maybe she'd walk early as well, but she was disinclined. Fortunately, we didn't worry about it.

Carol was breastfeeding, so we were both happy when we started on other foods at six or seven months, me because I could be a greater part of the process. I specifically remember thay Lydia had 8 teeth at 8 months. I used to call her Buddha baby.

An old friend from college, who is my age, but who has two practically grown boys asked: How about - why is some snot green? (I didn't know this until I became a parent.)
Well, I would, but I'm not sure, and from this piece about purulent rhinitis, other people aren't sure, either:

The green colour is due to immune cells called neutrophils. These are the first cells to appear when bacteria start infecting the nasopharynx. Neutrophils will engulf the bacteria (phagocytosis) and begin to destroy them within themselves using potent digestive enzymes (amongst other things, another being hydrogen peroxide). One of these is lactoferrin and other enzymes are dependent on iron for their activity. The colouration therefore comes from the iron. Ferrous iron compounds are green. It turns yellow the bacteria have been around for a while and other cells start moving in and dying
Dr Martin Powell, Caerphilly, Wales

I agree with Dr Powell that is is the enzymes in neutrophils that give snot its green colour. However, I thought this was due to another powerful antimicrobial agent, peroxidase. Incidentally, this is the same enzyme that gives wasabi its green colour - a lovely thought for the next time you're in Yo Sushi!
Unknown

Snot only goes green in the presence of infection. When white cells encounter germs they manufacture a large amount of an enzyme called myeloperoxidase which generates toxic compounds like bleach and hydrogen peroxide. Myeloperoxide is green because it contains a lot of iron, which you may remember from chemistry lessons is green in its ferrous form.
Ben Benjamin, Torquay, UK

Got that?


ROG

Friday, March 23, 2007

March Rambling

Yesterday, I was walking home from the drugstore carrying a couple bags, including a couple prescriptions plus bottles of ginger ale and cranberry juice for Carol, who had a couple wisdom teeth removed yesterday morning. This guy in his car yells out his window, something "doing with those f*****' bags?", looking at me. Then he giggled and drove away. I'm not sure why, but I've been a victim of that "yell and drive" before, in Albany, at least twice with a racial overtone. Sure I can ignore it, but I'd lying if I told you it didn't bother me, more as a reflection of the inanity of human beings, rather than any real damage done to me.

Still, if I weren't carrying items that slowed me down, I might have tried to catch up with this dude and ask him why he was being such a [end place for the digestive tract for an equine].

In fact, one time when I was a target of yell and drive, I was on my bicycle, and I did go after the car, which caught a traffic light. I got up to the car, pounded my fist on the trunk once, then pulled over to the passenger side, where the yeller was. He got all "hey, man, only kidding, man, it was a joke, man" on me. I said nothing as the car pulled away. That WAS fun, though.
***
There is this quite lovely woman I've seen on the bus. She is, as they say, "a woman of a certain age", with gray hair. She had age lines but they looked (really) good on her. A couple days ago, I see her and she's dyed her hair brown. Oddly, it made her look older, for the gray hairs, her face earned; the brunette ones, not so much.
***
High lead levels found in some Albany schools. This is not only somewhat distressing, but also a bit surprising. One of the schools is brand new (opened in January 2007) and is the school Lydia is likely to attend in a couple years.
***
There was an excellent story, written by a sixth grader, in the local paper about her peanut allergy. we're going to make copies so that Lydia and the people around her will have a better idea what Lydia is/will be going through.
***
Clutter and mess trump clean and neat: a story after my own desk, er, heart.
***
Here's a useful caffeine reference.
***
My old pal David Brickman has one of his photos, "View of Arbor Hill Neighborhood looking North from Lark Street 1998," which was purchased by the Albany Institute of History and Art last spring, now on exhibit in their "entry gallery," where works from the vast permanent collection are showcased. If you are within reach, you can go to the Institute and have a look. Or, use the link to see the image on his website.
***
My daughter woke up screaming at 4 am yesterday from a nightmare. SHE went back to sleep; I didn't. Then last night, I stayed up watching basketball (I got 3 out of 4 -Memphis won by 1 - ouch) until 12:30 am. Need caffeine. More tomorrow.


ROG

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Am I a Luddite?

Twice in the last week, actually within 18 hours, I was referred to as a Luddite. Once, you can ignore; twice, you have to think about it.

Time number one was Thursday afternoon, when I was expressing frustration with some technology at work, how it changes often and not always for the better. The young woman said, "And you just want it to work." "Yes, and I don't want to have to look under the hood," to use an automotive metaphor. Of course, even car mechanics can't look under the hood anymore without complicated diagnostic computer technology anymore. If wanting it to work without hassle makes me a Luddite, then I am.

Time number two was Friday morning, when one of my racquetball partners was going on about the wonders of being able to watch cable television on his cell phone. I furrowed my brow and said, "Why would you want to watch TV on a two-inch screen?" Informed that the screen was larger than usual, I corrected myself; "OK, a three-inch screen." If not being an early adopter of technology is being a Luddite, then I'm so there.

I had to laugh when I read this from Lefty Brown: "I'm behind the curve when it comes to technology. I've just started listening to podcasts." And he's thinking of starting one of his own this year. I'm planning a podcast, too...in 2011.

Truth is, mechanical stuff has never come easily to me. I need to be shown. I cannot be told. I cannot Read The Manual. Just this week, I was trying to design an e-mail template. I was sent instructions, which I was following, until I realized that I had to keep some window open that I had closed - NOT EXPLAINED IN THE MANUAL - and I had to start all over again.

Also at work, we've been putting together PDF files to send to clients. Well, I couldn't get this AT ALL. Then, someone SHOWED me, and I discovered how easy the task was. But reading about it simply did not help me.

In my first days of my job, some 14 1/2 years ago, I was operating something called an electronic bulletin board, which involved doing a lot of things at the C:\ prompt of my computer, i.e., in DOS. This despite the fact that I had no idea what an EBB was, or what it was used for, or DOS commands, for that matter. Fortunately, this very patient guy named Kevin showed me a lot of stuff over a two-day period, and I became rather proficient at it. A useless skill now, but it showed that I am teachable.

I LIKE some technology, but some technologies don't like me. I remember that wife Carol has gotten a lovely VCR from her brothers, but we never used it except to play tapes, because the tuning took three people three hours and it still wasn't right. Whereas MY VCR was so idiot-proof that, with the onscreen instructions, I was able to set it up in about 10 minutes. The DVR is wonderful, because I can easily watch programs out of order of when I recorded them and easily switch from skating (my wife's primary interest) to JEOPARDY, e.g.

I never got an eight-track because I realized what a stupid technology it was when I was in someone's car, listening to The Beatles Again, when the song "Rain" stopped in midsong to change tracks. It's a three-minute song, FCOL! A stupid technology.

I never got a Betamax machine, but that was only because the competing technologies made me nervous; I didn't own a VCR until Beta was essentially dead. I'm feeling similarly disinterested in BluRay or BluTooth, or whatever is competing with something else; I'll wait until it all shakes out before deciding that I need it.

Need. So far, I don't NEED a Palm Pilot, or XBox. Or even a cell phone, though virtually everyone says I will when Lydia gets older, and maybe that'll be true. Or maybe there will be some other technology to replace it. Cell phones: a mixed technology. Useful in cases of emergency, but I've never wanted to be available 24/7, thank you.

Anyway, I don't think I have anything on Ned Ludd, the original Luddite, who used to smash machines to try to forestall the Industrial Revolution. Though I did write a little cheer for him:
Captain Ludd
He's our man
If he can't do it
Don't need to be done.


ROG

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Embracing 54

I'm working on trying to remember that I'm 54. It's not that I fear it, or regret it; it's that I'm likely not to remember it. It's not as though I can recall all the times I spent at Studio 54; heck, I never even saw the movie. It's a nonadecagonal number, but I don't even know what that means.

It's not like a number divisible by 10, or even 5. It's not a power of a number, such as 27 or 32 or 36 or 49 or 64. It's not a repeating digit (33, 44, or next year's 55).

It's not a popular culture iconic number such as Jack Benny's 39 or Paul McCartney's 64 (again - I should DEFINITELY remember that year.)

It doesn't have special meaning to me, such as last year (53 - born in '53) or the year I turned 37 (March 7) or will turn 73 (7 March).

It's not even a prime number.

So how do I embrace my 54ness? Shall I remember that 54 is:
The atomic number of xenon, a noble gas?
The jersey number of Chicago Bears' middle linebacker Brian Urlacher?
The number of the police car on an old NBC sitcom I used to watch enough that I STILL remember the theme, from which someone made a terrible movie starring David Johansen and John C. McGinley, the very existence of which I didn't remember?

Then it struck me, though not right away: 54 is the number of my house. I guess I WILL be able to remember it after all, and won't have to recall 54 40 or fight.

(There is some appropriate Homeric response, but I'm not going to g'oh there.)
***
There's a holdup in the Bronx,
Brooklyn's broken out in fights.
There's a traffic jam in Harlem
That's backed up to Jackson Heights.
There's a scout troop short a child,
Kruschev's due at Idlewild
Car 54, Where Are You?

***
Re: the US Attorneys' firing case, you may have seen this letter (in PDF) that has more conditions that attendees at a hypochondriac convention. Or as one colleague put it: "Jedi mind tricks: 'You will hear testimony from only Harriet Miers and you will be satisfied...'" And to think that she could have been on the Supreme Court.

ROG

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

It's That Time Again

Yes, I know the excitement is really building; don't pass out, please. It's your chance, once again, to ASK ROGER ANYTHING. That's right, and he has to answer. He might even answer honestly.

You could ask him what are the movie soundtracks he owns of movies he has never seen; there are several. Or his favorite Bible verse. Or the two-letter provincial codes in Canada. Or his most serious/favorite criminal endeavor. Or how he was an environmentalist before his time, scoffed at by his family. Or to explain the infield fly rule. Or to pick out his favorite Hess truck. Or how to bet on Final JEOPARDY! Or why the Michael Jackson album Off the Wall is better than Thriller.

Since the child is turning three soon, you can ask about her.

Some of you who have posed this question in your own blogs, to which I have always generously provided queries, are ESPECIALLY invited to share. You know who you are.

Here's an unsolicited answer to a non-question. While one can steal second base, third base or home in baseball, one cannot steal first base. The situation where a batter runs to first on a third strike after the catcher drops the ball is a no-risk move on the batter's part. If the catcher throws out the batter at first, he's out, but he would have been out anyway. But when a runner is trying to steal second, the runner is at risk of being thrown out; thus the successful pilfering IS a stolen base.

You can e-mail me or leave it in the reply section.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Yet Another Attempt at Minimal Self-Revelation through Answering a Series of Seemingly Unrelated Questions

1. Your name spelled backwards.
Neerg Newo Regor.

2. Where were your parents born?
My mother in Binghamton, NY. My father, I'm not sure - somewhere around there.

3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
Undoubtedly a picture for the blog.

4. What's your favorite restaurant?
Depends. But Carol & I always go to a restaurant called Justin's in January (or so), because that's where I proposed and she accepted.

5. Last time you swam in a pool?
At Fred Hembeck's house, summer of 2006. But I would call it swimming, it was more like hanging out.

6. Have you ever been in a school play?
Several, actually, in small roles. The largest was playing the fire chief in Ionesco's "The Bald Soprano".

7. How many kids do you want?
At this point, one.

8. Type of music you dislike most?
Tough question.

9. Are you registered to vote?
Always.

10. Do you have cable?
Yes, and a DVR to eventually watch the shows I record, eventually.

11. Have you ever ridden on a moped?
If I had, I'd never admit it.

12. Ever prank call anybody?
Not to my recollection.

13. Ever get a parking ticket?
In the 1980s, when I worked at FantaCo, every time Tom and I went to a show in NYC, we'd read the conflicting signs, decide it was OK to park there and end up getting a ticket.

14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?
Well, I haven't yet.

15. Furthest place you ever traveled?
Barbados. That's practically in South America.

16. Do you have a garden?
My wife does-flowers.

17. What's your favorite comic strip?
Probably For Better or Worse, even though it's going into its "wrap everything up neatly" phase, much to the annoyance of some. Also, much to my surprise, Luann.

18. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem?
Well, I know the first verse, kind of spotty on the second and third. But the fourth I know by heart. "Then conquer we must when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: "In God is our Trust."

19. Bath or Shower, morning or night?
When I'm in a hotel with a tub, I bathe at night. Normally, I shower in the morning.

20. Best movie you've seen in the past month?
None.

21. Favorite pizza topping?
Mushrooms.

22. Chips or popcorn?
Popcorn.

23. What color lipstick do you usually wear?
Well, I don't, but if I did, I expect it would be bright red.

24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells?
What?

25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?
My life is a beauty pageant.

26. Orange or Apple juice?
40% cranberry, 40% orange, 20% ginger ale. I like my mixed drinks.

27. Who was the last person you went out to dinner with and where did you dine?
With Carol at Justin's.

28. Favorite type chocolate bar?
Mounds.

29. When was the last time you voted at the polls?
The school/library vote in February.

30. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato?
Last fall.

31. Have you ever won a trophy?
Racquetball, 1989.

32. Are you a good cook?
I think I could be, if I applied myself.

33. Do you know how to pump your own gas?
Well, yeah...

34. Ever order an article from an infomercial?
No, but I was tempted once.

35. Sprite or 7-Up?
Whichever.

36. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work?
Yes, it's called a tie, a noose around my neck.

37. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy?
Undoubtedly something for Lydia.

38. Ever throw up in public?
Not lately.

39. Would you prefer being a millionaire or find true love?
Yes.

40. Do you believe in love at first sight?
Lust, maybe.

41. Ever call a 1-900 number?
Those still around? Actually the NYS Department of State has one to find out about corporations. Don't think I've called it, though.

42. Can exes be friends?
Actually, at least four of my exes are friends, and attended my marriage to Carol. Another one didn't make it, but Carol and I subsequently attended her wedding.

43. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital?
Might have been my friend Donna a few years ago, just before she died.

44. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby?
Not especially.

45. What message is on your answering machine?
An intentionally boring one.

46. What's your all time favorite Saturday Night Live Character?
Mr. Robinson of Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood.

47. What was the name of your first pet?
Peter, the cat. BTW, I read that security folks are now asking questions other than your mother's maiden name, such as your first pet's name. Guess I won't be using THAT one. They're also asking for your favorite sports team (what if you have two, or none?) and your favorite food (one favorite food? couldn't even imagine).

48. What is in your purse?
Haven't used a purse in a few years now.

49. Favorite thing to do before bedtime?
Play Internet backgammon.

50. What is one thing you are grateful for today?
That there is a two-term limit for the Presidency.
***
The passing of Brad Delp, the lead singer for the band "Boston", who committed suicide last week in his Atkinson, NH, home, made me surprisingly sad. And I wasn't even that big a fan of the band, though in truth, I do own THE album (LP). Police reports released a few days ago reported that a note was paper-clipped to the neck of Delp’s shirt when police found his body on the bathroom floor, his head on a pillow. The note read, "Mr. Brad Delp. J’ai une ame solitaire. I am a lonely soul." Such despair...
***
March Madness. I was 25-7 after the first two days. All 8 of my Elite 8 teams are still alive. Huzzah.
***
Happy birthday, Amelia B. and Jon P.

ROG

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Four Years

Four years ago, the President gave this brief address to the nation. Since then, Saddam Hussein is dead, 3000+ Americans are dead, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are dead, two million Iraqis have fled their country, including many who had supported the US military mission but who are now not getting the support they need.

Many of the American wounded might not have survived 25 or even 10 years ago. Some, especially early on, were provided inadequate protection, and now find that, once they leave the hospital, are given inadequate care. "Support the troops", indeed.

John McCain was right about those non-binding resolutions the Democrats tried to pass earlier this year: it's immoral to continue to, on one hand, fund the war and on the other hand, suggest the war is wrong. The "surge" will work until it's over, and whether or not we set a "timetable for withdrawal" or not, the forces of instability will wait it out, change tactics or change venues. Hey, don't believe me; read what wide-eyed liberals such as Zbigniew Brzezinski, National security adviser to President Carter; Richard Clarke, Counterterrorism czar from 1992 to 2003; Gen. Tony McPeak (retired), Member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War; and Bob Graham, Former chair, Senate Intelligence Committee have to say.

I had predicted four years ago that a partitioned Iraq would exist one year from now. Kurdistan exists now in almost every way (flag, currency, head of state) right now, and has since the US and UK enforced the no-fly zones 15 or 16 years ago. It seems that perhaps trying to force together an Iraq initially created by the British after World War I, insensitive to tribal concerns (see also: the colonial powers in Africa), that a different way ought to be considered. Yes, I know about the concerns of Turkey and other countries in the region. The Kurds may be the largest group of people without a country to call its own, and trying to keep an imposed country together without force may not be practical (see also: Yugoslavia), maybe it's time to deal with the reality.

Incidentally, I don't think that the wisdom of initial opposition to this war should be shelved with a "yeah, but what would they do NOW?" retort. Criticism of this war before the war started, expressed by Barack Obama and Dennis Kucinich, and no other Democrat or Republican running for President - if there's anyone else, please let me know - shows at least a certain foresight that their colleagues lacked, which may bode well for the future.


ROG

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Media and Politics QUESTION

The Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago will be celebrating the 75th anniversary salute to FDR on July 2. FDR accepted his nomination at Chicago Stadium and announced his plans for the New Deal. If I were in Chicago, I'd be very inclined to go to this gig. Media! Politics! Robert Vaughn!

Also at this event, the organization will be announcing America’s top 100 political moments in radio and television.

Without thinking or researching, because thinking will just confuse things, and I wanted to go with my gut feelings, my Top 11.
In chrono order:
1. Al Smith, 1928. Not many people saw it, of course.
2. FDR, "Day of Infamy", December 1941. Still respond to it in the ear.
3. McCarthy hearings in the 1950s.
4. JFK-Nixon debates, esp. the first one. I read somewhere that people listening to it on the radio thought Nixon won, while those watching TV would pick Kennedy. This would be #1, if I were to rank.
5. I Have a Dream speech (That certainly is political), August 1963.
6. JFK assassination. November 1963.
7. Cronkite dissing LBJ about Vietnam, February 1968
8. Democratic National Convention, August 1968
9. Watergate hearings (esp. John Dean), 1973
10. Reagan in Normandy, 1984
11. Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearings ("high-tech lynching")

Of course, there are the FDR's fireside chats, the black power salute at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Jimmy Carter's Moral Equivalent of War energy policy with the sweater, the assassination attempt on Reagan, Iran-Contra, and a bunch more, but the ones I picked just resonated more for me.


So, what would be your picks?

P.S. - Gordon, might you attend?
***
I should note St. Patrick's day, since I'm Roger O'Green, but there's already enough blarney in this post, what with media AND politics. The primary Albany parade, though, was postponed for a week because of the foot plus of snow we received overnight.

ROG

Friday, March 16, 2007

Oscar-Worthy Movies I Have Seen: 1929-1930

The nominated films - Production (Picture):
"ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT" (winner), "The Big House", "Disraeli", "The Divorcee", "The Love Parade". Saw none of them.
Interesting that this was the only year multiple nominations for an actor or actress in the same category were allowed. So George Arliss beat himself ("Disraeli" over "The Green Goddess") and two Ronald Colman performances ("Bulldog Drummond", "Condemned"), among others.
Likewise, Norma Shearer in "Their Own Desire" was beaten by Shearer in "The Divorcee", while Greta Garbo was an also-ran twice, in "Anna Christie" (of which I've seen pieces of on TV) and in "Romance".

ROG