Bill's Big Blog

Real food.

2011-11-12T13:28:00.003-05:00

I know it's been quite some time since I last posted here.

As most of you know, I'm a big proponent of sustainability and today's post is all about self sustainability.

Here's the recap of the last year in a nutshell. Stress, stress, stress. What this led to was fatigue, difficulty maintaining my usual positive attitude and sleeplessness. (although, to be fair, I've never required much sleep, but interrupted sleep is the worst!)

Here's the remedy. Raw foods, vitamins, fish oil, exercise.

RAW FOODS: At least half of each meal consists of raw fruits and vegetables (organic mostly). Processed foods have been reduced to less than 25% of my intake.

VITAMINS: Multivitamin that includes spirulina (aka super blue green algae). Nutrex Hawaiian Men's Multi-vitamin with Spirulina Pacifica is my choice.

FISH OIL: xtendlife's Omega 3 / QH Ultra with ubiquinol

EXERCISE: Treadmill 20-30 minutes 3 times a week so far(fast walking/light jogging) as my old knee injury from high school prevents heavy prolonged impacts. And running. Not running as most people think of it, but parking far out in the lot running from the car to the market door. Running while playing with the kids. Running because it's fun like when we were little and we ran all the time!

RESULTS:

More energy than I've felt since I was 19 years old!
More positive outlook and mental clarity than I've had in years!
Feeling of happiness and well-being knowing that I'm using food as nutrition as it was intended by nature.
Happier family (as they're eating real food and loving it and we're all enjoying feeling better, more energetic and happy to be supporting local and organic farmers.

You may be wondering what drove me to these changes. Fair question. I've long been concerned about where our food comes from and the steady decline of family farms. After watching Food Inc. and King Corn I started getting more interested in making a change. Seeing Food Matters pushed me over the edge. If you've not seen any or all of these documentary films, I strongly encourage you to do so. Watch Gasland and IOUSA while you are at it!

After a few hours well spent watching these films you'll understand what is meant by those bumper stickers that say "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention!"

Change starts with ourselves. Be the change you want to see in the world.

Be nice.

Peace

Longboard count up to 5!

2011-07-05T11:21:00.002-04:00

Now that all of us are riding, we finally have an equal board to rider ratio.

Madrid Wave Rider 39" concave deck w/kicktail
Madrid Swirl 42" concave deck id Swirl 42" concave deck
Madrid Pavement 46.5" flat deck (x2)
Madrid Skull 46" concave deck w/kicktail (my current favorite)

If all you know of skateboarding is the short boards you rode as a kid (or bought for your kids), you owe it to yourself to check out the current lineup of longboards. Whether you're looking at gentle slopes and bike path cruising, bombing mad downhills or commuting in style, there are plenty of great options out today and many made stateside. As you can see from our lineup we like to support Madrid as they offer quality products at fair prices and manufacture in the USA.

We have a mix of Gunmetal and Gullwing trucks and are split on our preferences so far. I swapped the Gullwing Charger trucks on one of our Pavements with the Gunmetal Double Barrels on the Skull and am very happy with the change. Next up is a set of 70mm Cadillac Cruisers with a 55mm contact patch for the Skull. Will post an update once I've ridden them for a bit.

Kick-Ass Lady Longboarders carve down a mountain in CA

2011-06-03T07:41:00.000-04:00

Carving the Mountains from Juan Rayos on Vimeo.

After recently renewing my passion for skateboarding, I came across this terrific video of girls in CA carving down a mountain road with some awesome moves.

2010-09-01T10:34:00.002-04:00

I recently toyed with the idea of nuking my Facebook account and then changed my mind when I thought about the potential to reach people with eye opening info about our food supply, fuel supply and incomprehensible legislation that needs to be fixed.

Take a look here for a list of top notch and riveting documentaries, links to legislation that needs your support and ideas on finding healthy food for you and your family.

Food Fuels and Fiascos

The Beat of New York

2010-09-01T10:28:00.002-04:00

It was serendipitous that I should stumble across this video today after the kids were just asking last night about going to NYC this fall.

Enjoy.

Be nice.

Peace.

Mountain trip update

2010-08-15T16:13:00.003-04:00

Well, this year's trip was a blast.

We based ourselves in VT and hit the Adirondack, Green and White Mountains over two weeks. Went to Montreal to visit friends and take in the International Fireworks festival at the Old Port and have sushi at the local farmers market. Visited man-made water parks in NY, natural water features in NH (the Basin in Franconia Notch), went BMX and Mountain Biking at the Trapp Family Lodge, slept in a tent, a basement and a cabin, took 3 ferry trips, biked in Burlington and even hit the local skate park while listening to MGMT w/Violens warming up for the Champlain Music Festival!

It was a fantastic time and couldn't have been much better.

Here are a few clips.

Running the Black River

Where our eggs came from.

AuSable Chasm

And finally for this update, a pretty little fountain we came across in a public park in the Adirondacks after grabbing a light meal at an "Irish" pub with no Irish food items on the menu!

More pics to come soon.

2010-06-25T20:07:00.000-04:00

Watch live streaming video from wkrg_oil_spill at livestream.com

Running ticker of oil leaked to date in Gulf of Mexico.

2010-06-25T20:03:00.000-04:00

Glacial potholes

2010-06-15T20:01:00.001-04:00

Look around folks. Amazing nature is everywhere. Just a short drive from us is a fantastic place for a day hike with the family to see glacial potholes formed by retreating glaciers millions of years ago.

Donut tree

2010-06-12T18:51:00.002-04:00

Money may not grow on trees, but apparently donuts do!
Witness the donut tree at a friend's birthday party.

2010-04-29T10:39:00.002-04:00

While I feel strongly that we need to get our soldiers home to their families as soon as possible, this poster speaks volumes about the brave men and women who are at war right now and putting their lives on the line to help the Afghan and Iraqi people regardless of whether they feel we should have gone there in the first place.

New Series of Doctor Who is coming!

2010-04-08T14:10:00.002-04:00

Seems most of the TV we watch in our home these days originates in the UK. Doctor Who, Top Gear, The F Word, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.

Hoping that Torchwood and Primeval return, but in the meantime, am stoked that Doctor Who comes back on April 17, 2010.

Oil of LA

2009-12-03T12:33:00.001-05:00

Who knew there were functioning oil rigs all over LA?

Health Care Reform

2009-09-17T10:08:00.003-04:00

I know it's been a while since I posted anything with a political bent, but the time has come to speak up.

First of all let me speak to the Baucus plan. How Max is considered a Democrat is a topic for another time. For now, I'll just say this plan is a farce and a cynical person might propose that it was put forth to rally the American Middle Class against health care reform since it includes several key items that are completely unacceptable to most Americans.

* Allowing Insurance companies to charge up to 5x more in premium rates based on age is absurd and will only ensure that millions of people cannot afford insurance.

* Couple the provision above with a penalty for not having insurance and you effectively kick people when they are down. The whole idea of a mandatory insurance provision is to buffer the pool of insured with relatively healthy people tp help offset the risk associated with insuring older and/or more seriously ill people.

* Cooperatives that would be created by this plan would lack the power to negotiate rates and would therefore be rendered impotent in their ability to garner fair and affordable rates for the people who need them most.

* The lack of a public option clearly stands to appease irrational fears of insurance company executives who do not want the perceived competition that a public option could bring.

Let's hope that the other members of the Finance Committee kill this where it stands and let the other proposal from the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions committee head to the full Senate for a vote and progress towards the eventual reconciliation process.

At least we're all still talking about the issue. That, in itself, should be considered progress these days.

I'm back!

2008-12-14T10:20:00.005-05:00

Greetings to all who regularly visit this blog and to those who happen upon by chance!

The holidays are upon us, so I'll start by saying a warm and heartfelt Merry Christmas to all. If Christmas isn't your bag, than happy & merry salutations to you for whatever is important in your life at this time of year.

Financial meltdown, recession, multiple wars, massive unemployment. The list of things to be concerned about goes on and on. When things get like this, I manage to ground myself by harking back to the 3 spheres I apply in both my personal and professional life to keep from being overwhelmed.

Here they are from 1st to last.

Control - Is it within my sphere of control? Can I control the events that are unfolding? If yes, I act. If no, I move on to the next one.

Influence - Is it within my sphere of influence? Can things I do or say have meaningful influence on the events that are unfolding? If yes, I act or speak. If no, I move on to the next one.

Concern - This is where 80 % of things fall. Is it within my sphere of concern? If yes, I make note of it, I adjust my long or short term plans and goals if prudent and I move on with my life. If no, then it's a non issue and I pay it no further mind.

I know this sounds simple. It is simple. Remember the principle of Occam's Razor/ Loosely translated: "All things being equal, the simplest solution is usually the right one."

That's all I have to say for now. Merry Christmas.

Be nice.

Peace

Time to rethink our strategy...

2008-07-06T20:13:00.003-04:00

I know it's been a while since I blogged. Life gets busy.

Now that Hilary is out and it looks like a horse race of Old Bitter vs. Young Hubris, I think we really need to look at where we've been and where we want to be.

I was once a McCain supporter. Back in 99, after reading Faith of my Fathers and watching a truly independent spirited man stand up for what he claimed he believed in, I drank the cool-aid. I believed what he said. Hell, I even bought the t-shirts!

Then, he was brutally smeared by Rove and Company. He caved in to the pressure and began the long suck up to the religious right and the Bush/Cheney machine. That was it for me. I swore then and I repeat it now. I will never vote for that man as long as I live! As the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!"

And in the immortal words of The WHO, "We won't get fooled again!"

Now, back to the topic. Obama may not have been my first choice, but I firmly believe he is our only choice at this point.

Is he a bit high on himself? Sure

Does he think he's smarter than the average American? I sure as hell hope so! :-)

The last 7 years have been brutal on our economy. Our standing in most of the world is in shambles (certain areas of Africa & South America where we've been helping to fight aids and malaria notwithstanding). Our citizens are sorely disillusioned and we need to fix things.

It's going to be a long haul. Four years won't be nearly enough. But, it'll be a start. It will show the world that we are not all Bushites who want to democratize the world. It will show ourselves that we can do better and we will have hope once again.

And for the young 'uns reading this.

Clinton / Richardson 2008

2008-01-10T14:50:00.000-05:00

Here's what I believe about this year's election.

We can't afford to have a new candidate for change inheriting the mess of the past 7 years. Like it or not, we need someone who knows how the Washington machine runs and who will be realistic in their approach to fixing it.

We also need a veep who has street creds in the international community, who will hit the ground running to mend fences around the world and who knows what it takes to deal with the cast of characters all over the globe.

Hillary can accomplish much of what is required on the domestic front with respect to the economy, infringements of civil liberties, lack of adequate health care and repealing the unfunded mandate that is No Child Left Behind! VP Richardson can set to work securing nuclear weapons that are unaccounted for, establishing relations with nations we've ignored for the past 7 years and, hell, maybe even open up Cuba! Be a nice play for a tropical vacation!

That's all I have time for at the moment. Clinton / Richardson. Think about it!

Relax, breathe and let it flow....

2007-08-25T11:04:00.000-04:00

Vinyasa Flow Yoga has been one of my best discoveries over the past year. Seane Corn's DVDs are terrific and easy to follow.

A lot of you may eschew yoga has a hippie trend or have some other bias against it, but in my experience it's a great addition to life's routines that helps to keep me grounded, relaxed and able to deal with whatever comes my way.

What do you have to lose besides a few pounds and a ton of stress!

It looks as though Al's going to stay on the sidelines.

2007-08-15T12:50:00.000-04:00

So, our next best hope to fix the mess we are in has to be Hillary!

Russia claims the pole and everyone else loses all sensibility!

2007-08-09T08:10:00.001-04:00

So, Russia planted a tiny flag under water at the geographic north pole.

BFD.

Btw, this is the Russian Arctic Base Camp above.

The problem with this situation is not that Russia has claimed the pole with the goal of exploiting its reported gas and oil reserves (25% of total available resources globally be some estimates.).

The problem is the reaction of all these other countries to jump all over the issue and claim that they have sovereignty over the area and thus have rights to this reserve.

Ok, so that's only part of the problem. The big picture issue here is that they are already planning how to create a new arctic route to save going through the Panama canal with all the booty!

BIG PICTURE PEOPLE! BIIIIIG PICTURE!!!

The reason it is even possible to consider an arctic route for heavy oceanic transport is because the ICE is melting!

The ICE is melting in large part due to global warming!

GLOBAL WARMING is being hastened by the unchecked burning of OIL & GAS!

Common sense should allow us to consider that if:

A) Arctic Ice is melting because of Global Warming
+
B) Global Warming is hastened by burning of Oil and Gas
=
C) Then perhaps we should be more concerned about keeping anyone from touching the Oil and Gas in the Arctic region and focus on ways to develop clean and renewable energy.

I can't be the only one thinking of this. That's way too scary a thought that I am the voice of reason in the world!

In past years, (read before 2000) I would have suggested writing to the President and to your Congressmen and Senators. You can try writing your representatives but it'll probably prove as useless as writing to Bush and Cheney about it.

When even the environmentally Kennedy clan is sucked in by their own and other rich folks' interests (Ted Kennedy opposes Cape Wind project while only 14% of his constituents oppose it. But then, 86% of his constituents don't have homes on Nantucket that may be disturbed by the faintest sight of wind turbines 5 and 1/2 miles off the coast of the Kennedy compound!), there really can't be much use in writing, calling or emailing anymore!

So Bill, what can we do?

I'm glad you asked. I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Third Party.

And I hate to say it but Unity 08 doesn't cut it. It's clear that people in this country just don't get that flag waving fervor going over a word like Unity! They may favor it, they may even admit that it's a good idea, but they will not be putting stickers on their pickups about it!

What we need is a third party with a strong libertarian leaning and a name like the Patriot party.

Who doesn't want to support a Patriot? Before McCain sold out to Bush and Falwell he may have even been a contender for such a party, but no more.

Now's the time for action before we slide so far down that proverbial slippery slope that it's impossible to recover. Wake up folks! It's time to mobilize and strive for change. In a peaceful and non-violent manner of course! Did you hear me NSA? I'm sure you did. Give out a shout out to Alberto for me! :-)

Our job, daresay our duty, as Americans and human beings is to find a way to stop this ridiculous childish behaviour and get this country back on track as a nation that leads the world by example (good example!) rather than trying to force our will down the throats of others from the barrel of a gun!

Be nice.

Peace

2007-07-09T06:05:00.001-04:00

A brief interlude. :-)

Happy Independence Day!

2007-07-05T15:34:00.000-04:00

In spite of the current administration running roughshod over the Constitution, it's still worth celebrating the people of this great nation that care about freedom and democracy and each other.

Be nice.
Peace

Superu's day at the beach

2007-06-11T10:12:00.000-04:00

Once we paid The Man for our CRMC permit to take Superu on the sand trails, we were off and running in spite of many naysayers who told us of how they had heard of a Subaru getting stuck out ther once and that the sand was deep and that it was really for Jeeps and big trucks.

See for yourself. I can see how a Subaru without any lift, skidplates or aired down A/T's may have been high centered or possibly stuck in spots, but it was absolutely do-able and will be even more so once the 2" lift kit goes in.

The beach was beautiful, nobody at our spot but two pair of UConn students in a Jeep Unlimited. It was like having our own private beach and made for a very relaxing day with the family.

SUPERU is taking shape!

2007-05-26T08:01:00.000-04:00

The Superu is really coming together nicely. Yes, it's over the top. Yes, it's a bit extreme. It's not a true rally car since I'm building it more for off-road water fording and climbing capability than high speed handling in dirt, gravel and wet leaves! But that won't stop me from adding all the rally team decals. :-)

But isn't that what we've all come to expect from me? 1.6" of lift with tire and spring combination gives us 10" of ground clearance. A Primitive Racing skidplate protects the underside from rocks and stumps and slow small animals!

The Surco rack carries the full size spare, the Hi-Lift jack and shovel and axe combo as well as allowing plenty of extra space for tents and other important items.

The White Knight light bar in the back provides a ton of light for backing up

and the triumvirate of LightForce projectors up front let me see what's up ahead. In the rain, fog and snow the Hellas provide that visibility.

The CB keeps me apprised of changing road conditions courtesy of America's Truckers and the iPod/Stereo keep the tunes blasting on the way.

JDM rain visors keep the fresh air coming in when the drops are falling outside.

And when there's simply not enough room in the Subie, that's when we pull out the matching trailer! :-)

All in all, I'd have to say I am very pleased with this little monster we're creating! Stay tuned for more pimped out crazy modifications!

ICYWW, the chrome thing on the roof is a solar powered cabin vent from Nicro. Keeps the hot air moving from inside to out while the car is sitting.

Inside w/o screen

Outside

Get stuck off-road? Not a problem with these essential items on board!

Black Rat Winch

Hi-Lift Jack

Need to know the latest road and weather conditions? We've got that covered as well!

Cobra 25 WX NW ST CB radio because truckers have the best vantage point for traffic conditions and it has a built in NOAA weather alert feature!

And Storm Predator III for real time radar imagery and weather reporting on the laptop!

And for tailgating/camping, we have a perfect trifecta in the Engel MT-45 Fridge/Freezer,

The ToolBox Grill

and the Trekking aluminum folding table.

Need a place to sleep? Take your pick for large crowds and small.

Eureka 9 person 2-3 room tent. Sets up in about 10 minutes.

AirZone 4+ person tent. Sets up in 5 minutes.

And finally, for now, just to be sure the little Subie is heard when some big rig or cell phone talking, makeup applying, coffee drinking, breakfast eating driver starts to wander too close!

Kleinn triple trumpets with on board air tank and compressor.

This concludes today's installment of SUPERU update! Stay tuned for more updates and adventure pics!

Impreza WRX Sti pic here, but it shows the graphics that are coming for the side of SUPERU!

Be nice.
Peace

It's time to take a hard look at our nation.(Look in the mirror)

2007-04-17T07:39:00.000-04:00

In the wake of this most recent tragedy in Virginia and in the light of the ongoing situation in Iraq, it's time for all of us to take a long hard look at who we are, how our government is suppposed to work and what our constitutional rights really are.

Before exploring issues like gun control, let's look at the current administration and the decline of our country over the past six years. There are few times in history when a hugely powerful nation has been so reviled by the rest of the world. Since 9/11, the rights of citizens have been systematically weakened or stripped entirely from the populace and we've let it happen. It some cases we are guilty of even encouraging it. Foregoing our liberty for percieved security. And what have we gained by this horrific trade-off? Less security, fewer liberties and a world that fears, loathes, despises and pities us.

How truly sad is this? The answer can only be, very sad indeed.

Let us not forget that much greater empires have fallen and ours is a very young nation still full of hubris believing that we are right and just and in many ways superior to the more primitive and less enlightened peoples of the world. How is this different from the Spanish seeking to save the native peoples of the Americas with christianity or the Catholic crusaders seeking to convert or destroy the Muslim infidels or for that matter, the Muslim radicals presently seeking to spread their version of Islam and the eradication of those they call non-believers?

The constitutional guarantee of a right to bear arms "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." was designed to ensure that that the citizenry was able to protect itself from a tyrannical leader or governing body. This simple statement has been interpreted in so many ways over the past 200 years that practically no one can agree on what it truly means to a nation of 300 million composed of people from just about every nation on earth and of varying mental and social capacity.

Mention gun control and the NRA flips out citing the 2nd Amendment.

Mention gun control and the left will cite examples of restrictive laws in other countries that seem to result in much lower rates of gun violence.

Let's look at this from a 50,000 foot level. In Canada, there are an estimated 7 - 11 million guns in the hands of 2.4 to 3.8 million citizens. In the most recent findings, there were 816 deaths in a one year period attributed to guns. The fact that needs to be observed in this figure is the rise in the use of handguns to facilitate these deaths and how many were suicides versus homicides. The use of handguns in the these deaths in Canada has reportedly risen sharply over the past few years.

Point to consider.

Handguns are more readily concealed and transported than rifles.

In Australia, strict regulations on the ownership and sale of both handguns and long guns have seemingly reduced the number of gun deaths in recent years. This is an interesting case where virtually all guns have been included in the regulations and registration of weapons is required. I'm not trying to draw you to any conclusions here, just providing some food for thought.

Let's get a little bit closer now and see what simple steps we might take in an effort to address the problems associated with guns in these United States of America.

Registration of guns. May discourage a small number of borderline individuals from seeking out or acquiring guns. Will likely enrage the NRA and some citizens.

Gun buy back programs. May prove helpful in reducing the availability of weapons "on the street" or more accurately in closets, nightstands or other areas where they are easily reached by children or burglars.

Commission of an in-depth study to seek out causitive links related to violent behavior involving the use of guns. Such a study may examine factors linked to gun related homicides in the hope of determining potential areas to target for remediation. Look at key factors such as prevailing economic conditions, political climate, localized economic factors, personal details of the offenders including home and work life, history of drug or alcohol issues, mental challenges, etc. Such a commission would need to include people from academic, law enforcement, medical and local civic organizations to ensure a wide exploration of all possible links.

Now that we've started down the path of the guns/homicide issues, let's take a look at the civic side of the house and how we as citizens might act to regaing control of our country from powerful lobbying groups funded by major corporations that benefit at our expense from the largess of so called "corporate welfare". John McCain was once an allegedly strong opponent of corporate welfare and powerful business interests. Sadly, this no longer appears to be the case.

What we need now more than at any time in recent history is a grass roots effort to elect local politicians who will represent the interests of a society that we want to be. It's going to be a long, slow and sometimes painful process as those we've chosen fail to win election or disappoint us once they have and we need to start the cycle again. But it is a worthwhile endeavor that in years to come will show us as the truly great, compassionate, caring and free nation that we like to think we are but are actually nowhere near to truly being.

So, how do we get there? And, more importantly, who is this "we" and how do we make sure that everyone is included? On this point I have a couple of people to mention. Both of them politicians, both outspoken and somewhat controversial, one electable to the executive branch and the other presently restricted from doing so. Figured it out yet? I'll give you a hint. Tennesseein is believin' and Kalifornia! Yes, I am serious about this and yes I believe these two men can help to bring the nation together, restore our internal and external credibility and start us down the path of a being a nation of genuinely United States forging ahead into the 21st century where we have decent wage paying jobs, a political establishment that is trustworthy and serves the people, not the corporations, and a society in which we all feel valued, heard and responsible for our future and for that of our neighbors, friends and families.

I'll have more posted up here in the coming days and weeks, but for now let me leave you with this thought.

No matter our outward appearances and
disparate beliefs, we are all human beings here
by good fortune and divine providence as
stewards of this earth and each other.
Be nice.
Peace

Back to Green!!!

2007-03-16T18:20:00.000-04:00

After the forays into and out of the hybrid realm, we've settled in nicely in the earthy crunchy hippy granola car of choice. Are you ready? You're sure you're really ready? Ok, here it is...

The finest little kid and camp gear hauler made in the U S of A by none other than the car making family of Fuji Heavy Industries, one of seven sisters in the Pleiades cluster, the one spelled backwards that says you are a bus, in all its all wheel drive glory, I present to you the 2005 Subaru Outback Wagon! Commonly known by those in the know as the OBW! :-)

After driving everythng from Audi's flagship to Honda's techno wonder, I have to say this swift little wagon is a fantastic driver. Just the right mix of the things we need in a vehicle. Decent mileage, room for 3 kids, two adults and a fair amount of hiking gear! This car rocks! And speaking of rocks, if you're looking for good prices, fast shipping and people who know what they are talking about for all your outdoor gear, check out my new found friends at the sign of the goat.

If you're looking for "green" options as well, they have those too!

That's the scoop for now. Gore in 2008!

Be nice.

Peace

So long, and thanks for all the fish

2007-01-07T17:49:00.000-05:00

As a public service to all of you, I'm adding a musical number from the cinematic triumph known more commonly as "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". If you haven't seen it and don't feel compelled to after watching this video I simply can't help you.

It's been a while since I've added regular updates to this blog, but I shall endeavour to be more attentive to it in 2007.

Be nice.

Peace

TopGear - Clarkson AT Nurburgring

2006-12-16T11:08:00.001-05:00

Still green, but a bit sootier.

2006-11-03T16:38:00.000-05:00

Well, the Insight has moved on to a new owner. Back issues and long drives to work in the little spacebug were simply not compatible. We're still striving towards being carbon neutral. We just have to take some different avenues now.

The new ride is very smooth and much more comfortable for commuting.

Here's what she looks like.

On another note, the midterm elections are almost upon us and I find myself in a bit of a quandry. Our tiny state is a key battleground for potential control of the senate and yet I am hard pressed to vote for the candidate I distrust and view as a weasely looking character in spite of the fact that his victory could tip the balance to the Democrats. I can't explain it, but there's just something about the guy that I don't trust. And, I feel the incumbent has done a pretty good job of bucking the party leadership in the past and have little reason to believe he'll stop if he gets re-elected.

One thing I have to admit that's been enjoyable about this election cycle is watching the policies of this administration over the past 6 years beat the living crap out of Republican candidates across the country. They had the chance to do what was right and they followed a fool on his errand. Now they are simply getting their just desserts. Don't get me wrong. There are nimrods and screw-ups on both sides of the aisle and they all share a certain amount of blame for the mess we are in. But if the award for screwing the country the most has to be handed out, it's gonna go to the Republicans and the current administration.

Let's hope we take back at least one chamber of Congress and stop the insanity for a little while.

Be nice.

Peace

Green is the new black. :-)

2006-05-30T14:11:00.000-04:00

It's been about a month now in the Insight and I am loving it!

"What we got here is the Cadillac of hybrid vehicles". (Rental clerk to Chili Palmer in "Be Cool")

Chili Palmer: [about a Honda Insight] It's the Cadillac of hybrids.
Martin Weir: But what about speed?
Chili Palmer: If you're important, people will wait.

The dealer experience was truly pathetic in the sense that it could have come straight out of the IFC documentary film "Slasher". It's an inside look at the unseemly world of auto sales. My experience was of the sadly stereotypical nature of:

Salesman: What kind of payment are you looking for?
Me: None. I'll be paying cash.

Salesman: How much can you spend on the car?
Me: How much I can spend is not relevant. This is what I am willing to spend.

Salesman: Oh, that's quite a bit less than the price on the car?
Me: We both know the price you've put on it is a made up number that's too high to begin with so you can act like you are lowering it to give someone a deal.

Salesman: Let me talk to my manager.
Me: That's a great idea.

Salesman: My manager says that is too low. Could you do a little bit more?
Me: No. Thanks for your time. (Rising to leave.)

Salesman: Please wait a minute. Let me see if there is anything I can do.
Me: Ok.

Salesman returns with Sales Manager.

Sales Manager: Hi, my name's Joe Sleazebag (or something like that). Look, the amount you are looking to spend is almost $3000 less than the list price.

Me: Nice to meet you (not really). Look, you and I both know that the number on the sticker has no basis in reality, you took the car in on a trade from the original purchaser who bought it here and then bought another new car from you when they traded this in. I'm offering you more than you can possibly have into it and still allowing you a fair profit.

Sales Manager: Well, we also have other expenses into it.
Me: Such as? The car hasn't even been detailed yet since there are still dead bugs in the rear hatch area and even if you have one of your runners clean it up you'll still be pulling a very nice profit out of it.

Sales Manager: So, is this the most your willing to spend? What if I said you could have it for $5.00 dollars more?
Me: I'd say, "Thanks for your time and have a good evening."

Sales Manager: Give me a minute. (walks back to his podium in the corner of the showroom)

Sales Manager: (returns after 3 minutes of doing nothing) Well, I can't sell it to you for this price, but I'll do it because Emad (salesman) just came back to work and he needs the sale. (yeah right!)

This concludes our installment of pathetic sleazebag dealership experience. Hopefully, the service visits to a different Honda dealership will be better.

Now, on to the details of the Insight!

I'm averaging 54mpg with the A/C on and driving at or around 70+mph.

The factory stereo was a turd and has been replaced by an Alpine head unit with integrated Hi-speed ipod link,

a 4 channel 200w Alpine amp

and 4 Polk MMC-650 speakers with external crossovers.

The speakers mounted behind the seats needed a bit of custom spacer work to fit.

And of course a custom alarm system to keep it secure. :-0

The car handles suprisingly well considering the narrow low rolling resistance tires and I have no complaints about its manners on the road.

The auto-stop feature is one of my favorites since it gives you a real warm and fuzzy to know that while sitting at a red light you are neither burning gas nor polluting the air further. Oh, and did I mention earlier that this model is rated SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle).

A COMPARISON OF EMISSIONS STANDARDS

Clean Car Campaign-SULEV Standard
Hydrocarbons (HC) 0.01 percent
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 1.0 (grams/mile)
Nitrous Oxides (NOx) 0.02 (grams/mile)
Particulate Matter (PM) 0.01 (grams/mile)

Current Federal Standard - Tier 1
Hydrocarbons (HC) 0.31 percent
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 4.2 (grams/mile)
Nitrous Oxides (NOx) 0.6 (grams/mile)
Particulate Matter (PM) 0.10 (grams/mile)

Reduction
Hydrocarbons (HC) 97%
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 76%
Nitrous Oxides (NOx) 97%
Particulate Matter (PM) 90%

And don't forget, even small things can help shift the balance. Using rechargeable batteries in cameras and radios, installing the new design of compact flourescent lights, even wearing a watch that you wind or that converts light to power like the Citizen Eco-Drive series saves you from buying and disposing of batteries filled with toxic materials that find their way into our ground water.

From simple to fully loaded!

Small steps can make big differences. My long term plans include solar hot water for the house. Geothermal heat pump for heating the house and if the town will ever permit, a small wind turbine to generate additional power.

Now don't make the mistake of thinking I'm some hemp wearing, barefoot granola who's bent on converting the world. I love my plasma TV and my ipod as much as the next guy. I just think there are ways we can enjoy these things that have less of a negative impact on our planet and on our wallets.

And that my friends, is good for all of us!

Before I forget, check out Craig Newmark's blog at http://www.cnewmark.com He's Craig of craigslist fame. Some excellent reading and links to be found there.

Be nice.

Go green.

Peace.

Going Green

2006-04-19T18:16:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me will be shocked yet not totally suprised to learn that I am planning to give up my beloved Audi and start driving a Japanese import.

A confluence of events have brought me to this decision.

* Gas retailing at over $3.00 per gallon. The Audi needs Premium!
* A recent viewing of Nova. A spectacular program on Solar Dimming. Scary stuff!
* The astronomical cost of insuring an aluminum luxury car.

Add to this a 110 mile round trip commute every day and it's not hard to see why something has to give. Truth be told, the fuel cost is a motivating factor here but the fact that we are within 10 years of what is considered to be the point of no return for starting to repair the environmental damage we've done is really pushing me to act.

Here's the new ride that we're looking at.

Here's a link to the Nova program.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sun/

In the end, I need to do what I can to help leave a living planet to my children and to the children I hope they will one day have. Maybe we can all think about this.

Go Green.

Be nice.

Peace

Unanswered questions.

2006-04-14T16:19:00.000-04:00

I'm not a big conspiracy theorist. Nor am I a blind follower of our elected leaders.

I feel it's important to put that out for you before you take the time to look at the video about September 11, 2001 linked below. The narrator of this film asks a lot of questions. Perhaps they are some of the very same questions you've asked yourself over the past several years.

The upcoming cinematic release of a film purporting to chronicle the last minutes of United Airlines Flight 93 got me to thinking recently and I felt it was important that every voice be heard on issues that are deemed controversial.

It's been interesting to me to learn of the dissenting voices surrounding the birth of our nation and reading "His Excellency, George Washington", "John Adams" and "1776" have reminded me how important it is for all of us to question what our leaders tell us. To refuse to follow blindly and to assert our right to be told the truth regardless of how we may be branded as unpatriotic or giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

In fact, nothing could be more patriotic than questioning our leaders and rebelling against injustice. As to giving aid and comfort, how do we even know who the real enemy is? Food for thought.

Let's all be thankful mid-term elections are coming this fall and 2008 is just around the corner!

Be nice.

Peace

People don't all suck! Decency lives on.

2006-03-24T12:51:00.000-05:00

The following is a post that was flagged as "Best of" on Craigslist recently. There are a lot of posts that end up on this list that really aren't what I would call "Best of" anything. This one is a litle different.

RAVE RAVE RAVE: "I'll take you where you need to go"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: anon-138796534@craigslist.org
Date: Fri Mar 03 16:46:15 2006

So this morning I'm running late for school as usual and am cross and frustrated and tired after staying up all night to write a paper and generally just in a relatively "Blech" mood.

Luckily I was able to make the bus, but only because it was held up with all the construction going on in front of U Village which has turned 45th into an absolute (if temporary) nightmare.

So the bus is rumbling along and trying to get over amidst the dozen or little cars who are all determined to get ahead of us before the bus can switch into the lane it needs...

*Tangent* (Btw, you clowns ever read those "yield" signs on the back? Yeah, they're not kidding.. YIELD! Is being one car length in front of the bus really worth trying to vie for position with 15 tons of steel and glass with your little Hundai Accent? I got 5 bucks says who is going to win that battle!)

*ahem* As I was saying.. so the bus driver is just doing his damnedest (I recognize this is probably not really a word) to merge over and he makes it over just in time to make it to the next stop, which he does announce and when no one pulled the cord, he gratefully kept on trucking to turn out of the traffic mess onto campus. As we are waiting to go through the intersection at the light at 25th, a very old (like 90 if a day) blind man nervously asked if his stop had come yet...

The bus driver instantly remembered that this man had asked to be let off at the last stop he'd just passed. This man was clearly hard of hearing (had giant hearing aids) and in no way could have known the stop was coming up to pull the cord. The driver had told him he'd remember to let him off there and then with all the traffic and stuff I guess he just forgot. (To his credit, he felt really really bad about it and was apologizing profusely).

The old blind man was clearly scared and asked to be told where he was exactly but even though we weren't far from where he wanted to get off... it would have been very difficult for him to get back there because the sidewalk is not continuous. The driver offered to let him off at that corner and was trying to explain how to do it, but it was just too complicated for this guy. (I don't blame him, the 25th, 45th, montlake intersection is kind of convoluted for pedestrians)The obviously distressed man finally decided that rather than risk it he'd just get off at the next stop and catch the next bus coming back the other way...

With an "Are you sure?" the driver began to close the doors again but then.. from the back of the bus came a woman's voice....

"I'll take you where you need to go" she said as she made her way to the front. She turned to the driver and said, "I can take him" and with that the driver let the elderly blind man and the young woman in a black jacket and pink bandana in her hair off the bus.

The bus was at the light for a moment or two longer and as I watched this woman gently talking to this man as she held his elbow and began escorting him safely to his destination I couldn't help but almost feel the kindness radiating off of her in his direction. They were beautiful. Her:looking very much the Seattle "granola girl" and him: frail, tapping his white cane in front of him.

Say what you want about hippies, liberals, whatever.. This woman displayed an unselfish compassion this morning that should put us all to shame, regardless of affiliation.

You see, she didn't pull the cord either... she was obviously on her way to somewhere else, and chose instead to delay her plans to help this total stranger walk half a block to safety. I was humbled.

Thank you, Ms. Kindest-Blue-Eyes-Ever for helping me to remember why we're all really here on this earth and for shaming me for my inaction to help my fellow man out of preoccupation with my own interests.

I needed that.

I think we all do.

So RAVE RAVE RAVE RAVE to you!

You not only made my morning, you made my co-workers mornings too when I walked into the lab and told them this story. Good on ya!

Signed,
An anonymous girl you gently brushed past on the bus so you could do what we ALL should have been making our way forward to do

this is in or around uw bus#75@10:15am

Love Actually

2006-02-14T16:30:00.000-05:00

You may hate this movie, you may love it, you may have never seen it.

Whatever the case, as schmaltzy as some parts of it may be, the opening voiceover by Hugh Grant as the British Prime Minister is indeed telling and on this Valentine's Day worth remembering.

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."

And there it is.

Be nice.

Peace.

Little things...

2006-02-14T12:56:00.000-05:00

From time to time, I stop and think about what makes people so miserable. You see them every day. Driving in their cars, walking down the street, waiting in line at the market. And they have one thing in common. They all look absolutely miserable!

Sure, life is stressful with oversized mortgage payments, car troubles, a boss that doesn't appreciate you. But stop and think for a minute about what's really going on with all of these things.

* Mortgage payment - May be a lot of money, but it validates that you've been able to achieve the goal of home ownership amidst all the economic perils you may have encountered along the way. And, mortgage rates are still at historic lows. The prices of housing may be overinflated, but you have a roof over your head for you and possibly your family.

* Car troubles - At least you have a car and probably a job to which you drive it when it's running. A lot of people take the bus everyday and stand in the cold and rain waiting for it not because they are green consumers trying to save the earth, but rather because they have no other choice. I've seen people on the bus with sick children on the way to the doctor's and I'm thankful I can take my kids in the 5 year old minivan when they are sick!

* Sucky boss, job, etc. - First I'll say be glad to have a job even if it seems to suck big time. Second, look for another one. Regardless of your skill level and educational background, there are hundreds of thousands of jobs in this country waiting to be filled. Check out monster.com or simplyhired.com. Maybe the next job will suck just as much, maybe it'll suck a little bit less. At least you'll get a better idea of what you don't like and that's half the battle in finding the right match for what you really want to do.

I've worked my share of craptastic jobs over the years. I've owned cars that left me stranded more than I care to remember. I've shared apartments with people I didn't want to look at, let alone live with at times. I've been kept awake at night wondering how to make the deep red budget creep it's way to black.

And you know what? I wouldn't change a thing or trade it for anything. My past has helped to make me the man I am today. The man my wife loves and my kids look up to. There's a saying that sounds trite when you hear it, but it's absolutely true.

Life is what you make it. I choose to make it happy, peaceful and worthwhile.

Sometimes I forget how to do that and fall into the trap of feeling that the world is a catastrophe not waiting to happen, but midway through a full on implosion. Then I'm brought back by a child who takes the greatest delight in making me a "special" dessert or giving me a hand scrawled valentine or simply gazing at me with wonder and awe at how I can pick him up so high.

Life truly is what you make it. So try to make it happy, make it peaceful and while you're at it, try to make it a little better for someone else each day. A smile, a caring word, a couple of coins in those ubiquitous tip jars. It won't cost you much and you find you get an awful lot in return.

Be nice.

Peace.

The Problem with the Muslim cartoon protests.

2006-02-03T17:25:00.000-05:00

First, please read this op-ed piece on Freedom of Speech and the current controversy over cartoons of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed from
http://www.stuff.co.nz

The precious right of freedom of speech
04 February 2006

Modern society rests on the contest of ideas, the ability to question perceived wisdom and to challenge authority, The Dominion Post writes in an editorial.

Without that contest, and the right to free speech that makes it possible, societies stultify and become entrenched in their beliefs. That freedom to question and to challenge must include the right to be offensive, to affront people's most heartfelt beliefs, even to disparage that which they hold sacred. Otherwise it is an empty freedom.

Our decision to publish the 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed from the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten (Jutland Post) at the centre of the escalating row between the Muslim world and the nations of the West is not one that the newspaper has taken lightly. However, in the clash of values at the centre of the dispute not to publish because of fear of disturbing the sensibilities of Muslims would be to give way in the face of bullying threats. That is what Muslims are seeking to have the Western democracies do with their threats of bombs and trade boycotts.

There is no doubt that Muslims find the portrayal of the Prophet offensive. The Koran is clear that the slander and mockery of Islam and prayer crosses a sacred boundary, and warns that those who cross that boundary will be hurled into "crushing disaster". Mufti Abdul Barkatullah, a member of the British Muslim Council, calls it a no-go area at any cost, adding "the Prophet is held above everything in the universe, over one's own person, family, parents, the whole world. It is less offensive to condemn and vilify God".

That is certainly true – for Muslims.

However Denmark, and the other countries where the cartoons have been reproduced, including in Britain by the BBC and in newspapers in France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Germany, are not Muslim countries.

They are democratic, secular countries which are not ruled by religious dogma, whether it be Muslim or Christian.

They have the same values as New Zealand, which includes the right to free speech in its Bill of Rights. There is an acceptance that people can write and say what they wish – except in tightly defined circumstances – even if others are offended by it, and that being shocked can be part of the price for being informed.

The Muslim case is not helped by the hypocrisy when it comes to respecting the religious values of others. No doubt many fundamentalist Christian Americans find it deeply offensive for their country to be constantly labelled the Great Satan.

And, as the German newspaper Die Welt pointed out when it published one of the cartoons, "when Syrian television showed drama documentaries in prime time depicting rabbis as cannibals, the imams were quiet".

There have been earlier cultural confrontations between the West and a resurgent Islam, beginning with the death sentence pronounced in 1989 on author Salman Rushdie for The Satanic Verses, and including the murder in 2004 of Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh after he made a film dealing with violence against Islamic women.

They are confrontations the West cannot afford to lose. The right to freedom of speech is a precious one that has to be defended.

OK. Now I'll agree that followers of Islam have a right to feel insulted and offended by the cartoons that were printed. However, the way millions of Muslims have chosen to display their feelings with violence, threats and violent rhetoric is a large part of the problem as to why the western world has a hard time accepting Islam and it's followers.

You can view the cartoons for yourself here.

Several noted Arab journalists had this to say about the issue in Slate.com:

Muhammad al-Hamadi, writing in the United Arab Emirates' Al-Ittihad, argued that the perception of a link between Islam and terrorism is not merely a figment of European cartoonists' imaginations: "The world has come to believe that Islam is what is practiced by Bin Laden, Zawahiri, Zarqawi, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafis, and others who have presented a distorted image of Islam. We must be honest with ourselves and admit that we are the reason for these drawings. Any harm to the Prophet or Islam is a result of Muslims who have come to reflect the worst image of Islam and certain Arabs who have not conveyed faithfully the life and biography of the Prophet." Al-Hamadi criticized Denmark as well for picking the wrong issue for a stand on principle: "If Denmark has tried to teach Arabs and Muslims a lesson in respect for the country's constitution and its laws, I believe it did not succeed in choosing the right issue. The justification that one must respect the constitution that guarantees freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to denigrate others, was not appropriate—this is the trap that Denmark fell into."

Abdallah Bin Bakhit, writing in Saudi Arabia's Al-Jazirah, used the popular boycott of Danish goods to direct subtle criticism at the Arab world's weak institutions: "All of the pressure that we see being exerted on the Danish government and on Danish public opinion is simply spontaneous pressure, supported by a few businessmen, that began with the man in the street and will end with him. The Danish goods that are today disappearing from store shelves will be back in a few days as though nothing had happened. Muslims are the strongest people in the world when it comes to individual reactions and the weakest when it comes to institutionalized operations. Events have taught us that every reaction to such attacks on Islam (wherever they may take place) ends with institutionalized responses aimed at sapping the popular, local anger, but not at treating the issue in the place where it broke out."

Where is the consideration for American Christians when Islamic leaders refer to America as the great satan? Where is the call from Islamic leaders to remind the faithful that Islam is a religion founded on ideas of peace and mercy?

If Muslims around the world wish to be treated with fairness, respect and understanding they need to look within themselves the next time something offends them and consider a less violent and more "Islamic" reaction. Only then, will non Muslim citizens of the world start to see them in a different light and hopefully engage in meaningful dialogue.

And it wouldn't hurt for journalists in the West to think a bit more when preparing to publish something that may be deemed highly offensive and provide some additional background to help explain their position.

Be nice.

Peace

F U Tom Cruise!

2005-07-13T13:31:00.000-04:00

Bill's Big Blog

F U Tom Cruise!!!!!

Ok, so I know it's been a long time since I've blogged, but I had to find time to address this raving narcissist.

I know it's not just me that thinks this guy is a total whack job. Put aside my personal belief that scientology is a bs cult created and perpetuated to make money for its founder and consider the recent outbursts against psychiatry, ritalin and drug treatment of post-partum depression!

Rant One:

Nutjob rant against Brooke Shields.

"These drugs are dangerous. I have actually helped people come off. When you talk about postpartum, you can take people today, women, and what you do is you use vitamins. There is a hormonal thing that is going on, scientifically, you can prove that. But when you talk about emotional, chemical imbalances in people, there is no science behind that. You can use vitamins to help a woman through those things."

Who have you helped Tom? Why don't any of these people come forward to support your moronic claims? Where exactly did you get your background in medicine?

Rant Two:

When asked if he could be with someone at this stage in his life who doesn't have an interest in the Church of Scientology -- Holmes has said she's embracing the religion -- Cruise told interviewer Matt Lauer: "Scientology is something that you don't understand. It's like you could be a Christian and be a Scientologist.

"It is a religion. Because it's dealing with the spirit. You as a spiritual being." When Lauer mentioned Cruise's earlier criticism of Brooke Shields for taking anti-depressants, Cruise told the "Today" show co-host he didn't know what he was talking about.

"You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do," Cruise said.

The interview became more heated when Lauer, who said he knew people who had been helped by the attention-deficit disorder drug Ritalin, asked Cruise about the effects of the drug.

"Matt, Matt, you don't even -- you're glib," Cruise responded. "You don't even know what Ritalin is. If you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt, OK. That's what I've done."

Rant Three:

In an interview with Der Spiegel magazine.

SPIEGEL: We visited one of your locations near Los Angeles and were amazed to find a fully staffed tent of the Scientology organization right next to the food tents for the journalists and extras.

Cruise: What were you amazed about?

SPIEGEL: Why do you go so extremely public about your personal convictions?

Cruise: I believe in freedom of speech. I felt honored to have volunteer Scientology ministers on the set. They were helping the crew. When I'm working on a movie, I do anything I can to help the people I'm spending time with. I believe in communication.

SPIEGEL: The tent of a sect at someone's working place still seems somewhat strange to us. Mr. Spielberg, did that tent strike you as unusual?

Spielberg: I saw it as an information tent. No one was compelled to frequent it, but it was available for anybody who had an open mind and was curious about someone else's belief system.

Cruise:The volunteer Scientology ministers were there to help the sick and injured. People on the set appreciated that. I have absolutely nothing against talking about my beliefs. But I do so much more. We live in a world where people are on drugs forever. Where even children get drugged. Where crimes against humanity are so extreme that most people turn away in horror and dismay. Those are the things that I care about. I don't care what someone believes. I don't care what nationality they are. But if someone wants to get off drugs, I can help them. If someone wants to learn how to read, I can help them. If someone doesn't want to be a criminal anymore, I can give them tools that can better their life. You have no idea how many people want to know what Scientology is.

SPIEGEL: Do you see it as your job to recruit new followers for Scientology?

Cruise: I'm a helper. For instance, I myself have helped hundreds of people get off drugs. In Scientology, we have the only successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. It's called Narconon.

SPIEGEL: That's not correct. Yours is never mentioned among the recognized detox programs. Independent experts warn against it because it is rooted in pseudo science.

Cruise: You don't understand what I am saying. It's a statistically proven fact that there is only one successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. Period.

SPIEGEL: With all due respect, we doubt that. Mr. Cruise, you made studio executives, for example from Paramount, tour Scientology's "Celebrity Center" in Hollywood. Are you trying to extend Scientology's influence in Hollywood?

Cruise: I just want to help people. I want everyone to do well.

Spielberg: I often get asked similar questions about my Shoa Foundation. I get asked why I am trying to disseminate my deep belief in creating more tolerance through my foundation's teaching the history of the Holocaust in public schools. I believe that you shouldn't be allowed to attend college without having taken a course in tolerance education. That should be an important part of the social studies curriculum.

SPIEGEL: Mr. Spielberg, are you comparing the educational work of the Shoa Foundation with what Scientology does?

Spielberg: No, I'm not. Tom told you what he believes in, and after that I told you what I believe in. This is not a comparison between the Church of Scientology, the Shoa Foundation and the Holocaust. I was only showing you that some of us in Hollywood have set out to do more than just be actors or directors. Some of us have very personal missions. In Tom's case, it's his church, and in my case, it's the Shoa Foundation, where I'm trying to help other people learn about the mortal dangers of pure hatred.

SPIEGEL: How do you set about doing that?

Spielberg: I think that the only way we're going to teach young people not to kill each other is by showing them the reports by the survivors of the Holocaust -- so that they can tell them in their own words man's inhumanity to man. How they were hated. How they were displaced from their homes. How their families were wiped out and how by some miracle they themselves survived all that.

Cruise: How did the Holocaust start? People are not born to be intolerant of others. People are not born bigots and racists. It is educated into them.

Spiegel: Mr. Cruise, as you know, Scientology has been under federal surveillance in Germany. Scientology is not considered a religion there, but rather an exploitative cult with totalitarian tendencies.

Cruise: The surveillance is nothing like as strict anymore. Any you know why? Because the intelligence authorities never found anything. Because there was nothing to find. We've won over 50 court cases in Germany. And it's not true that everyone in Germany supports that line against us. Whenever I go to Germany, I have incredible experiences. I always meet very generous and extraordinary people. A minority wants to hate -- okay.

SPIEGEL: There is a difference between hate and having a critical perspective.

Cruise: For me, it's connected with intolerance.

SPIEGEL: In the past, for example when "Mission: Impossible" (1996) came out, German politicians called for a boycott of your movies. Are you worried that your support for Scientology could hurt your career?

Cruise: Not at all. I've always been very outspoken. I've been a Scientologist for 20 years. If someone is so intolerant that he doesn't want to see a Scientologist in a movie, then he shouldn't go to the movie theater. I don't care. Here in the United States, Scientology is a religion. If some of the politicians in your country don't agree with that, I couldn't care less.

Now to read what other celebrities have been saying about this so called religion.

Check out this link: http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/celebcrit.html?FACTNet

And finally, Tom Cruise, shut the hell up!

Blessed again!!!

2005-02-20T08:55:00.000-05:00

Well, our lives are turned upside down once again. But in the very best way. Parker William arrived at 19:39 on Thursday at 8 lbs. and 21 in.

Everyone is doing well and Parker's "big" brothers couldn't be more excited!

It's easy to get caught up in the hassles of our everyday lives and to forget about the things that make everything right.

Children are the great equalizer for me.

They need, but you don't mind giving. They give without realizing they're doing it. They love you like nobody else can and it's all completely natural to them. They don't know any other way! And, you find yourself giving everything you have and then digging even deeper to find that little bit of extra strength to keep walking the floor at 3:00 a.m. because one of them has gas and can't help but cry, or to get up over and over because one of them has a running nose and keeps waking himself up. You find yourself repeatedly doing these things without thought of benefit or reward and you have a chance to reconnect with that person that your parents always saw in you. The one that they placed all their hopes on, spent their sleepless nights worrying over and beamed proudly over when they saw all their dreams for you coming true.

That's all I have time for now. My family needs me.

Be nice.

Peace

Awake for 40 hours...

2005-02-14T07:06:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: profanity below:

Not that I planned to be awake for 40 hours straight, but that's what happens when some miscontent with too much ability and not enough motivation creates a variant of a computer virus and lets it lose on the internet. When you look at the lost hours associated with this kind of crap, you have to think that the resources to catch these idiots need to be enhanced and the penalties made so severe as to actually discourage anyone from even thinking about doing it for more than 10 seconds!

I'm not talking about loss of productivity, although that is important to our economy. No, I'm talking about the time my colleagues and I lost with our families because we had to be in work all frigging weekend to fix the damage caused by this latest virus.

Kids grow up so quickly, spouses hardly have any time together as it is, and then some asshole comes along and because he's pissed at the world, or his mother didn't hug him enough or some other bullshit "I'm a victim, the world owes me something" craptastic excuse he spends his time fucking things up for the rest of us who don't owe him shit! I've had it with this crap. All this low self esteem bs has finally pushed me to the edge. You know what, people? It's time to get the fuck over it! grow up, take responsibility for your own life and stop blaming everyone else for every bad thing that happens to you or anytime something doesn't go your way. We all have our issues and we've all had things to get through in our lives. The rest of us are out here living our lives and enjoying things as best we can. It's high time you joined the party or quit the whole fucking scene. If you're that miserable, buy a one-way ticket to Amsterdam, sit around eating hash brownies all day and live on the streets. At least you'll be leaving the rest of us in peace.

I know this was a bit stronger than some of my usual posts, but I'm not about to apologize for it. Grow up, get with the program and stop screwing things up for everyone else.

Be nice

Peace

I hate mimes.

2005-02-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

I generally don't hate much, but for some reason mimes just piss me off. Although the use of Marcel Marceau speaking the word no in Mel Brooks' Silent Movie was mildly entertaining, I still hate mimes.

That's all for now.

Be nice

Peace

2005-02-09T11:13:00.000-05:00

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

A new Republican Revolution is coming...

2005-02-09T08:51:00.000-05:00

Never did I think the day would come that I'd be missing Newt Gingrich. But that day has indeed come. Back in the days of the "Contract with America", I may have scoffed at the idealism and pandering nature of its content, but at least the underlying ideas were sound.

Here's what Republicans in the 90's were about.

Reducing the size and scope of Federal Government.
Eliminating unfunded mandates.
Eliminating the budget deficit.
Returning rights to the States.
A policy that moved us away from overt nation building.

How in the heck did we get to where we are today???

2.3 trillion dollar budget presented to Congress compared to 1.8 trillion in the final full year of the Clinton administration.
412 billion dollar deficit compared to 86 billion dollar surplus in the final full year of the Clinton administration.
Enormous budget deficits.
BIGGER Federal Government.

And these numbers don't even include the cost of the wars we are involved in. They are off budget items that don't get included in the proposed figures and new spending for war efforts will come along as supplemental spending bills that will further balloon the deficit.

Huge cuts are being proposed in many domestic programs to allow President Bush to make good on a promise he should never have made to reduce the deficit by half by 2009. These cuts will likely be rebuked by members of Congress to protect their constituents' local interests, thereby keeping the budget huge and the deficit reductions unrealized.

Here's the good news. Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind) is leading the charge to restore the party to its vision and goals of restoring the balances of federalism with the states, limiting the scope and influence of the Federal government and bringing spending back under control. A recent meeting in Baltimore of 50 influential Republicans discussed these and other key issues to restore our country to a fiscally sane path.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm still fairly liberal on social issues, but have always been in favor of fiscal conservatism. You don't spend what you don't have and if you need more money you find ways to make us more productive and increase revenues by means other than raising taxes.

It's not necessarily a bad thing to need more money than you have. In fact, its this very predicament that drives many people to come up with new and innovative methods of increasing productivity, enhanacing cash flow and increasing overall revenues.

I still strongly feel that George Bush is one of the worst Presidents we've seen in the last 25 years, but I also believe that we can work to effect change in spite of him through our representatives in Washington. Many of us may never have thought we'd be seeking help from the right-wing side of the aisle, but the time has come to align our priorities with many on the right who share our fiscally conservative values and believe that the Federal government should have less influence in our lives, not more!

This great country is far to diverse too allow Washington to force the wishes and beliefs of a true minority of close minded individuals on the whole of the nation. STAND UP PEOPLE. Stand up and be heard. Dont let groups like the Parents Television Council dictate the policy that comes out of Washington to affect all of us! http://www.parentstv.org/

This is one scary group. A recent Freedom of Information Act request revealed that 99.8% of all complaints received by the FCC come from this lone group! Complaints are up from 14,000 in 2002, to nearly 240,000 in 2003. There were only 350 complaints during 2000 and 2001. So, one group of very vocal people are influencing national policy in a very frightening way.

What is wrong with these people that they are so terrified by the sight of a breast or Mickey Rooney's butt! Other civilized nations, many of whom are our allies, don't freak out like this over nudity. They also don't have near the content of violent programming on television and movies that we have. You want to talk about inappropriate content, how about some of the movie promos shown during the Super Bowl. I was diving for the remote to stave off potential nightmares for my 5 year old. There is a ridiculous double standard in this country and it's being supported by this administration and its appointees to "protect" our children from nudity, but that allows incredibly violent programming with nary a peep of objection.

I don't know about you, but I'd much rather my children see a naked body in relevant programming or even humorous commercials than the absurd levels of violent content in today's programs and advertisements.

Nudity is OK people. Our children won't go blind, start having sex too soon or become deviant because they see images of naked people.

They WILL rebel against the type of repressive censorship that is being forced upon them and when they hit teen years... well, you'd better look out because all that repressive BS you've been crushing them with is gonna blow up in your face!

Now I'll take a deeeeep breath and try to wrap this up. I know this has been a long one and may seem to be a senseless rant. If so, I'd kindly ask you to read it through once more and think a bit about some of the points I've tried to raise.

Get Active. Contact your politicians and even those you didn't think you agreed with.

Relax. Spend a little more time with those you love, be that family friends or complete strangers you enjoy meeting on a park bench while feeding pigeons!

And never take a vacation you can afford. This may seem to deviate from the fiscal sanity portion of this blog, but its important to remember that life does indeed move pretty fast and as Ferris Bueller told us, if you don't dtop and look around once in a while, you could miss it! Truer words were never spoken.

Be nice.

Peace

2005-01-28T16:07:00.000-05:00

AUDI-lightful

VORSPRUNG

2005-01-28T15:53:00.000-05:00

Those who know me well, know that I am not generally a walking billboard. I don't buy shirts, pants, hats, etc. with the big Nike swoosh or other bs logos on them. I've long held that companies should be giving the stuff away if I'm going to be doing the advertising for them.

There is however, one exception to this rule. And that my friends is when it comes to my brand loyalty with respect to my car. Call it hypocritical, call it being a corporate shill, call it what you like. I call it promoting a product in which I believe. A great car, well designed and manufactured, that keeps me as safe as possible while affording a boatload of driving enjoyment.

Now I'll grant you, these are not inexpensive cars. But, if researched carefully as any large purchase should be, great deals can be found on pre-owned models that offer all the joy and excitement of a new car at a vastly reduced rate.

For more info than you could imagine about Audis, check out http://www.audiworld.com

Now, I'll take a moment to rant just a bit about HDTV.

The picture is fantastic if you're watching an HDTV broadcast. The picture is far less than thrilling when watching standard broadcast programs. It's kind of like being in a hotel bathroom and looking at your face in one of those 16x lighted mirrors. The image is remarkably clear, but the flaws revealed by such clarity may not be a welcome sight! It's still great and I wouldn't go back to plain old TV if you paid me, but it'll be sooo nice when my local giant conglomerate of a cable company starts carrying more HD programming.

Other than that, life is good. Very good. Family is healthy and happy. Job is great. Outdoors are a beautiful winter wonderland and Lewis Black and Jim Short were on XM Comedy this morning back to back! Just the laughs I needed to wade my way through traffic.

Be nice.

Peace

Dear Santa... I would like a big cannon and a laser and...

2004-12-22T10:29:00.000-05:00

Seasons Greetings to all.

Sorry I've been slacking off in my blogging duties. Work has been very busy. Very rewarding, but busy nonetheless.

What to do? What to do when your child asks Santa for a laser and a cannon? :-)

Obviously, export laws restrict certain items from being shipped outside the North Pole area and thus, sad though it may be, Santa will be unable to deliver said items this Christmas. I'm certain he'll find suitable alternatives to bring a smile to the face of a small boy.

I know you're probably asking yourself, "When is he going to tell us more about what he's been up to?". Since you're so insistent, I'll let you in on a few tidbits.

Yoga my friends, Y O G A, yoga. Vinyasa Flow to be more precise. As time is always at a premium these days, I've started my practice at home with a mat and a DVD featuring Seane Corn. (available through http://www.gaiam.com) She is an outstanding teacher and the entire program is filmed unscripted in the first person. You actually feel as though you are in a class with her and she is speaking directly to you. The practice is strenuous and you will likely break a sweat doing it. It is also amazingly relaxing and calming. Who couldn't use something like that these days?

You may also like to try this relaxation technique.
2 scoops Peppermint Stick ice cream
3 shots SKYY vanilla vodka
Blend or shake until smooth.
Pour into chilled martini glass.
Garnish with grated dark chocolate.

If the ice cream is too much for you, you may wish to try one of these.
2 parts SKYY vanilla vodka
1 1/2 parts Apple Pucker
splash of Pineapple juice
Shake and pour into chilled martini glass.

If anyone is interested, besides these homegrown recipes I also have a list of 101 martini recipes from the Inter-Continental hotel in NYC. In fact, I think I'll add it to this blog for your perusal.

Happy Hoildays

One more thing, if you haven't seen Love Actually, see it and remember these words when you do.

I feel it in my fingers,
I feel it in my toes,
Christmas is all around me,
and so the feeling grows

It's written in the wind,
It's everywhere I go,
So if you really love Christmas,
C'mon and let it snow

You know I love Christmas
I always will
My mind's made up
The way that I feel
There's no beginning
There'll be no end
Cuz on Christmas,
You can depend

You gave your presents to me
And I gave mine to you
I need Santa beside me
In everything I do

You know I love Christmas
I always will
My mind's made up
The way that I feel
There's no beginning
There'll be no end
Cuz on Christmas,
You can depend

Cuz on Christmas,
You can depend

It's written in the wind,
It's everywhere I go,
So if you really love me,
C'mon and let it show
C'mon and let it show
So if you really love me
C'mon and let it
If you really love me
C'mon and let it
Now if you really love me
C'mon and let it show

Almost forgot, Paris was wonderful as usual. The lighting of the Christmas lights on Regent Street in London was spectacular. The 5 year old puking on the 3 year old in the terminal at Charles De Gaulle 10 minutes before departure to come home was a bit of a surprise, but we cleaned them up and hopped on board without missing a beat. If you haven't been to Paris and/or London, GO. Don't waste your time saying you'd love to do it or one day when we can afford it! Time goes by much too quickly. In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it!" Wise words indeed.

Peace

1) French Martini
2 oz Grey Goose
Orange Vodka
1/4 oz Lillet
1/4 oz Cointreau
Chill, Serve straight up with a
Garnish Orange Twist in a Cocktail Glass
G
2) 24-Karrot
3.5 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth with a Pickled Carrot

3) Hanky Panky
2.5 oz Stoli Razberi Vodka
1 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
Garnished with Three Fresh Raspberries

4) Catherine Was Great
1.5 oz Stoli Strazberi Vodka
0.5 oz Bacardi Light
0.5 oz Amaretto
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Fill up with Orange Juice

5) The Colombian
1.75 oz Stoli Kafya Vodka
1.75 oz Stoli Vanil Vodka
Three Coffee Beans

6) Stoli Coffee
1.5 oz Stoli Kafya Vodka
1.5 oz Stoli Vanil Vodka
0.5 oz Kahlua

7) Vanil Creamsickle
1.5 oz Stoli Vanil Vodka
1.5 oz Bombay Gin
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Fill up with Orange Juice
Garnish with Cocktail Cherry

8) Cosmopolitan
1.5 oz Stoli Gold
0.5 oz Cointreau, Splash Lime Juice
Fill up with Cranberry Juice
Lime Wedge

9) Limon Blitz
2.5 oz Bacardi Limon
0.5 oz Chambord

10) Citron Drop
2.0 oz Absolut Citron Vodka
0.5 oz Cointreau, Splash Lemon Juice
Splash 7-UP
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

11) Crantini
1.5 oz Bacardi Limon
0.5 oz Dry Vermouth
Fill up with Cranberry Juice
Three Dried Cranberries

12) Tropical Kiss
1.5 oz Bacardi Limon
1.5 oz Stoli Ohranj Vodka
0.5 oz Sweet and Sour
Splash Cranberry Juice
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

13) Purple Rain
2.5 oz Tanqueray Sterling Vodka
0.75 oz Cassis

14) Phil's Side Car
2.5 oz Courvoisier VS
0.75 oz Triple Sec
0.5 oz Sweet & Sour
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

15) Nutty Professor
2.0 oz Stoli Vanil
1.5 oz Almond Liqueur
One Floating Almond

16) Sparkling Pear
2.0 oz Pear Liqueur
Fill up with Sparkling Wine
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

17) The Three Italians
1.5 oz Grappa
1.5 oz Campari
1.5 oz Martini and Rossi Sweet Vermouth

18) Scarlet O'Hara
2.5 oz Southern Comfort
0.5 oz Sweet and Sour
0.5 oz Cranberry Juice
Cocktail Cherry

19) Cajun Queen
3.0 oz Tanqueray Gin
Splash Tabasco Sauce

20) Lady in Red
3.0 oz Absolut Vodka
0.5 oz Grenadine
Lime Wedge

21) Solid Gold
3.0 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

22) Caribbean Queen
2.5 oz Malibu Rum
Fill up with Pineapple Juice

23) Purple Hooter
2.5 oz Ketel One Vodka
0.5 oz Chambord
1.0 oz Sweet and Sour
Splash Lime Juice

24) Gibson Goddess
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
0.5 oz Dry Vermouth
Pearl Onion

25) Cong's Blue Skyy
2.5 oz Skyy Vodka
0.75 oz Blue Curaçao
Lemon Twist

26) Chocolate Blossom
2.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.5 oz Frangelico
0.5 oz Dark Crème de Cacao

27) Peaches and Cream
2.0 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Peach Schnapps
0.5 oz Bailey's Irish Cream

28) Starlight
2.5 oz Stoli Kafya Vodka
0.75 oz Sambuca Romana
Three Coffee Beans

29) Skyy Scraper
3.5 oz Skyy Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

30) Melon Ball
2.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.75 oz Midori
Lemon Twist

31) Fire and Ice
2.5 oz Bacardi Amber
0.75 oz Southern Comfort
Splash Grenadine

32) Hot Tamale
3.0 oz Bacardi Light
0.5 oz Rumplemintz
Splash Tabasco Sauce

33) Dirty Olivia
3.0 oz Bombay Gin
1.0 oz Olive Juice
Three Olives

34) Sushi
3.0 oz Tanqueray Gin
Splash Dry Vermouth
Teaspoon Pickled Ginger

35) Tropitini
1.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.5 oz Bacardi Limon
0.5 oz Blue Curaçao
Splash Dry Vermouth
Fill up with Pineapple Juice

36) Mardi Gras
1.5 oz Bacardi Limon
1.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Southern Comfort
0.5 oz Sweet and Sour
Splash Dry Vermouth
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

37) Snowcone
2.5 oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
0.5 oz Banana Liqueur
0.5 oz Blue Curaçao

38) Mintini
2.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.75 oz White Crème de Menthe

39) Acropolis
2.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Ouzo
Floating Star Anise

40) Smokey
2.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.5 oz J&B Scotch
Splash Sweet Vermouth
Cocktail Cherry

41) Cinnamon Stick
1.5 oz Stoli Zinamon
1.5 oz Stoli Vanil
Cinnamon Stick

42) Garden of Eden
1.5 oz Skyy Vodka
0.75 oz Calvados
Apple Cider

43) Decadence
2.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.75 oz Chambord, Amaretto
Fill up with Apple Cider

44) Jackie O
2.0 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Apricot Brandy
Splash Grenadine
Fill up with Pineapple Juice

45) Michelangelo
2.0 oz Stoli Ohranj Vodka
0.5 oz Campari
Fill up with Orange Juice

46) Kentucky
2.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.75 oz Jack Daniel's
Splash Cherry Juice
Cocktail Cherry

47) Bloody Martina
2.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Fill up with Bloody Mary Mix
Topped with a Tomolive

48) Glamour Sean
2.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Fill up with Champagne
Cocktail Cherry

49) Golden Nugget
2.0 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
1.0 oz Cuervo Gold Tequila
Fill up with Orange Juice

50) Cloudy Skyy
3.0 oz Skyy Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Splash Olive Juice

51) Mystique
2.0 oz Finlandia Vodka
1.0 oz Lillet Blanc
Lemon Twist

52) Skyyhound
2.0 oz Skyy Vodka
Fill up with Grapefruit Juice

53) The Surfer
1.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Malibu Rum
0.5 oz Banana Liqueur
Fill up with Pineapple Juice

54) Fuzzy Wuzzy
2.0 oz Finlandia Vodka
1.0 oz Peach Schnapps
Cocktail Cherry

55) Midnight Run
2.0 oz Stoli Ohranj Vodka
1.0 oz Campari
Splash Orange Juice
Orange Wheel

56) Veggie Garden
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Garnished with Tomolive
Pickled Carrot and Celery Stick

57) Dark Chocolate
2.5 oz Stoli Vanil Vodka
0.5 oz Dark Crème de Cacao

58) The Spaniard
2.0 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
1.0 oz Dry Sherry
Olive or Twist

59) The Aged Italian
3.0 oz Smirnoff Vodka
Splash Balsamic Vinegar
Olive

60) The Mexican
2.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
1.0 oz El Tesoro Tequila
Tomolive

61) Russian Margarita
1.5 oz Stoli Vodka
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Fill up with Sweet and Sour
Served in a Salt-Rimmed Glass

62) Tundra Sunrise
1.5 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
0.5 oz Cuervo 1800 Tequila
0.5 oz Grand Marnier
Splash Grenadine

63) Snickertini
1.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Kahlua
0.5 oz Frangelico
0.5 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
0.5 oz Amaretto

64) Long Island Iced'tini
0.5 oz Absolut Vodka
0.5 oz Tanqueray Gin
0.5 oz Bacardi Light
0.5 oz El Tesoro Tequila
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Splash Lemon Juice
Fill up with Coke

65) Electric Lemonade
1.5 oz Absolut Citron Vodka
0.5 oz Blue Curaçao
1.0 oz Sweet and Sour
Fill up with 7-Up

66) American Pie
1.5 oz Stoli Zinamon Vodka
1.5 oz Stoli Vanil Vodka
0.5 oz Calvados

67) Sundowner
2.0 oz Stoli Razberi
1.0 oz Orange Juice
1.0 oz Cranberry Juice
Splash Grenadine

68) Malted Russian
2.0 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
1.0 oz Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch
Lemon Twist

69) Sangratini
2.0 oz Absolut Citron Vodka
1.0 oz Red Wine
1.0 oz Orange Juice
Splash Lime Juice
Fill up with Club Soda

70) The Mellow Yellow
2.0 oz Beefeater's Gin
1.0 oz Lillet Blanc
Splash Angostura Bitter

71) The Russian
3.0 oz Stoli Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

72) Paisley
2.0 oz Bombay Gin
Splash Dry Vermouth
0.5 oz Dewar's White Label Scotch
Lemon Twist

73) Razmatazz
2.5 oz Stoli Razberi
0.5 oz Chambord
Three Fresh Raspberries

74) The Red-Hot
1.5 oz Absolut Kurant
1.5 oz Stoli Zinamon
Splash Sweet Vermouth

75) Jeanne d'Arc
2.0 oz Absolut Vodka
1.0 oz Rémy Martin VSOP
Fill up with Cranberry Juice

76) Traditional Gimlet
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Rose's Lime Juice

77) Old Rob Roy
2.5 oz J&B Scotch
0.5 oz Sweet Vermouth
Cocktail Cherry

78) Strawberry Gimlet
2.5 oz Stoli Strazberi Vodka
Splash Rose's Lime Juice
Splash Grenadine
Strawberry Garnish

79) Blue Sapphire
2.5 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
0.5 oz Blue Curaçao

80) The Swiss
2.5 oz Kirsch
0.5 oz Sweet Vermouth
Splash Cherry Juice
Cocktail Cherry

81) Flying Dutchman
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

82) The Englishman
3.0 oz Tanqueray Gin
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

83) The Carnivore
3.0 oz Beefeater's Gin
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

84) Sweetie
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Sweet Vermouth
Lemon Twist

85) The Irishman
2.0 oz Bushmill's Irish Whiskey
1.0 oz Bailey's Irish Cream

86) Coral Reef
2.0 oz Absolut Citron Vodka
0.5 oz Alize Red Passion
Splash Orange Juice
Fill up with Champagne

87) Lynchburg Lemon Drop
1.5 oz Jack Daniel's Whiskey
1.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

88) Hank's Comfort Kiss
2.5 oz Southern Comfort
1.0 oz Amaretto
Lime Wedge

89) Jack of Hearts
2.5 oz Jack Daniel's Whiskey
Splash Grenadine
Fill up with Cranberry Juice

90) Frenchy
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
0.75 oz Courvoisier VS
Lemon Twist

91) St Tropez
2.0 oz Finlandia Vodka
1.0 oz Peach Schnapps
Splash Grenadine
Fill up with Orange Juice

92) "007"
3.0 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Two Olives
Shaken, not Stirred !

93) Thom's Orange
2.0 oz Stoli Ohranj Vodka
0.5 oz Cointreau
0.5 oz Grand Marnier
Orange Wheel

94) Lavish Laura
2.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
0.5 oz White Chocolate Liqueur
0.5 oz Triple Sec

95) London Sun
2.0 oz Bombay Gin
1.0 oz Dry Sherry
Splash Angostura Bitter
Lemon Twist

96) Berry Delight
1.0 oz Stoli Strazberi Vodka
1.0 oz Stoli Razberi Vodka
1.0 oz Absolut Kurant
1.0 oz Cranberry Juice
Three Fresh Raspberries

97) Dave's Green Hornet
2.0 oz Courvoisier VS
1.0 oz Green Crème de Menthe

98) Decadent Dream
1.5 oz Bacardi Light
0.5 oz Kahlua
0.5 oz Dark Crème De Cacao

99) Red Passion
3.0 oz Stoli Ohranj Vodka
0.5 oz Alize Red Passion

100) Pepper Mill
2.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
1.0 oz Absolut Peppar Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Tomolive

101) The Top of the Mark
3.5 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Garnished with a Tomolive

From covering the breasts of Justice to sanctioned torture!

2004-11-11T15:38:00.000-05:00

Trip was outstanding. Kids flew wonderfully. Eurostar 1st class carriage is not to be missed. Food service is real food, great food, with several courses and a hot towel at the end!

Farenheit 9/11 1/2 is in the works to help enlighten the 51% of America that perhaps didn't have the knowledge they needed. Although, it was telling the other day speaking with a man in his 60's at lunch who told me he really was undecided until the last minute but chose Bush because he was afraid of changing things in the middle. Don't ever doubt that fear works when trying to convince people of something. Scare the hell out of them and they'll be to afraid to make a reasoned choice.

And now, nutjob and moral crusader John Ashcroft who spent $8,650 of our money to hide the Spirit of Justice and the Majesty of Law statues in the Great Hall at the DOJ because the Spirit statue had one breast exposed, (oh, the humanity! they've only been there since the 1930's!) is being replaced by the White House counsel Alberto Gonzales who wrote a 2002 memo advising the President to deny Geneva convention rights to prisoners in the war on terrorism. After the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal earlier this year, DOJ lawyers responded to Mr. Gonzales that prohibitions against torture of detainees could be loosened without breaking US or international laws! Great replacement we have going here!

It's going to be a rough four years. Good luck everyone. And don't forget to get yourself involved. http://www.democracyforamerica.com

This group rose from the ashes of Howard Dean's campaign and is still actively holding monthly meetups across the country to field and support local candidates, to address important issues and to focus on how best to take back the country in the next two to four years.

From Howard Dean M.D.
"The President successfully turned a discussion about moral values into a discussion about gay marriage and abortion. I think moral values are also about how you treat poor people, how you treat those who are different, how you respect the opinion of others, and what you leave to your children. On those moral values, I think the Republicans lose. We need to talk about these values too."

I couldn't agree more and I know I'm not alone. Please keep the faith, hold your heads high and get out there and fight to get back what's been taken from all of America!

Be nice.

Peace

Sad day for America. Sad day for the world.

2004-11-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

Well, it's happened. The most arrogant, impetuous, and quite possibly most dangerous president this country as ever seen has managed to secure himself another 4 years in office.

Who's to blame for this? Well, I'd have to say the blame falls a bit on all of us. To the sheep who voted for him out of fear and ignorance (this would be the "don't change horses midstream crowd"), to the Democrats who failed to nominate a charismatic as well as competent candidate who was able to connect with the American electorate, and to the people who failed to get out the vote when it was most crucial.

We can try to kid ourselves into thinking it may be different this time. The truth is, it'll probably be worse. Bush will be more arrogant than ever with those who voted against him as well as with the nations of the world that disagree with him and the policies of his administration. He will likely be emboldened by this victory and will happily ignore the fact that 55 million people voted to get rid of him and the failed policies of his cronies.

My advice to all of you is to keep your head down, keep your nose clean and get to work with the Howard Deans of the political world to formulate a plan to salvage this country in four years, because believe me, we are going to need to be saved! We'll lose more men and women in Iraq, we'll sink more money that we don't have into the war, we'll continue to be held hostage by the fear and intimidation of the Bush/Cheney realm and we'll further alienate the rest of the world. We can only hope and pray that we don't have to fight a war on another front, because if we need 800 British troops to cover for us in Baghdad before we can sent troops to Fallujah, we are really in a world of hurt militarily and no amount of spin from Karl Rove will save us.

Be nice.

Peace

So long Bank of America. I won't be missing ya... RED SOX 2004 World Series Champions!!!

2004-10-29T18:38:00.000-04:00

So, old job's officially over. New job starts Monday. Woo-hoo!!!

The Presidential race is tightening and even "The Economist" which backed George W. Bush in 2000 has endorsed John Kerry saying it was a difficult choice but in the end President Bush had been too incompetent to deserve re-election.

In related news, disaffected Republicans have launched an 11th hour grassroots effort to unseat President George W. Bush with an advertising blitz across eight swing states. The initiative has the backing of John Eisenhower, son of the Republican president Dwight D. Eisenhower. The campaign features a copy of Eisenhower's letter, "Why I Will Vote For John Kerry" which first appeared in the Manchester Union Leader.

And in other news, the RED SOX have won the World Series for the first time in 86 years. having grown up within earshot of the Red Sox Triple A farm team and having been fortunate enough to meet the likes of Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, Dwight Evans and even Bill "Spaceman" Lee, this victory had special meaning to me. Although admittedly, it felt very strange to watch the last out of game 4 occur so peacefully. After years of last minute errors, and untold angst, it just didn't feel like the Red Sox to win so assuredly! But, I'll take it just the same!!!

Be nice.

Peace

www.dubyaspeak.com

2004-10-26T09:46:00.000-04:00

The election is a week away. Quite possibly the most important election of many of our lifetimes. Here's my plea to all the reasonable people who for some reason have been unable to decide for whom they should vote.

PLEASE visit http://www.johnkerry.com and spend a few minutes reading what this guy is about. He is well reasoned, articulate, intelligent and caring. There is no doubt in my mind that he will do a phenomenally better job as President of the United States of America than George W. Bush.

We are practically alone in the world. Tony Blair is on his way out of power as a result of following Bush. Sad thing this since he was a wonderful ally to President Clinton and at one time seemed rather well reasoned and driven by his convictions. There are more people across the globe with the ability to do us harm that now have more incentive than ever before.

There was a piece on NPR's All Things Considered this morning with Turkish author Orhan Pamuk discussing his book, SNOW, and describing how it is that poor and disenfranchised people from around the world are concerned about how America and the west view them and how distrustful they become from the sense of being looked down upon. It was a fascinating interview and offered wonderful insight into the hearts and minds of people from non-western cultures.

And if you are still undecided or worse yet, in the Bush camp, take a trip to the site in the title of this post and give a listen. Should be enough to convince you.

Be nice.

Peace

Problem solved. Or am I crazy? :-)

2004-10-24T11:51:00.000-04:00

Well, the conundrum of what to do about the Paris trip is resolved. Executive decision decreed, "Screw it, we'll just take them with us!".

After a litany of international phone calls to Air France (c'est magnifique!), Eurostar, Plaza Paris Vendome and a visit to our local awesomely helpful US Post Office for last minute photos of two boys with the biggest smiles you've ever seen, we are just about set. Last item is a visit to the US Passport Agency for expedited passports for the kids and we're in business.

Oddly enough, I feel a sense of relief over this decision and am seriously looking forward to this trip. If any one had ever told me I'd be excitedly planning to take a 3 and 5 year old to Europe, I'd have thought they were crazed. Yet, here I am more excited than I was about going without them. Go figure. I never cease to be amazed at what being a parent has done to me. ;-)

Be nice.

Peace

2004-10-23T17:58:00.000-04:00

From the April trip. Need to get back to recharge our internal batteries. Hard to explain unless you've wandered the streets of Paris at 1:00 am with nary a care in the world. Everything seems so easy when you're there.

Paris trip in peril.

2004-10-23T17:38:00.000-04:00

Due to unforeseen illness among one of the sitters we had lined up, the Paris trip is in peril. Options are few. Attempt to further take advantage of goodwill of remaining sitters (all are family members), buy a pair of tickets for the kids at a total of $2000. ouch, or bag the trip and eat the loss since it's almost all prepaid.

Puts me into reality mode, where I try to deal with the logic surrounding the issue and convince myself that it makes more sense to lose 2k than to spend 3k more to salvage a relatively short trip anyway. On the other hand, it might be more fun than I think with the kids along.

Anyway, I know most people wish this was all they had for problems. I'm not really complaining. Just trying to sort it through.

Be nice.

Peace

It's a GOOD day!

2004-10-21T16:41:00.000-04:00

Well, here it is, the Red Sox have clinched the pennant, I'm 10 days away from starting a great new job, 14 days from a trip to Paris and as I look out my office window, traffic doesn't look so bad.

Oh yeah, lest I forget, I recently reached the not so ripe age of 40, got not one, not two, but three 1/32 Slot car sets. Wicked fun and more linear feet of track than I have room for!

And finally, John Kerry, although admittedly not my first choice candidate, is holding his own in the polls and I can only hope the Red Sox magic rubs off on him enough to push his electoral vote count to the magical 270.

There you go. First blog, short blog. More to come.

Be nice.

Peace