The "he" being Alec Baldwin.
The highlight of his career, in my opinion, was "Glengarry Glen Ross." Unfortunately, similar to the ventriloquist dummy, Willy, in "Twilight Zone," his character has taken over his entire persona.
The phone call to his daughter was real. How it got onto the Internet is another story but there's no denying it's real. And, it's horrid. I'm not saying parents can't yell at their kids, but it's the ugly name-calling that got to me. Too personal for my blood.
Who's the adult here? He was carrying on like, well, a 12-year-old!
Now he's going around saying that he's sorry and the comments were really meant for Kim Basinger. M'kay. Still, how about exercising a little self-control here? If I was his kid, I would never take a phone call from him again! Hell, I'd be hiding under my bed right now.
I really feel sorry for his daughter. Not only is she caught between these two looney tunes but the whole affair has been made public.
And now Baldwion wants to leave "30 Rock." Personally, I think he should stay. That kid's gonna need money for major therapy.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
"Desert" with the Dean
You can't make this shit up. Some of you know that I was graduated from Syracuse University which is well-known for its Newhouse School of Public Communications. So, I was a bit surprised when I received this Hold the Date email today:
THE SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
NORTHERN NEW JERSEY
ALUMNI CLUB
SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The SUNNJAC Speaker Series
“Desert With The Dean”
With Special Guest
Susan Donovan, SU Dean of Admissions
7:30 PM – 9 PM
Orange Lawn Tennis Club
South Orange, NJ
Well, maybe I'm jumping to conclusions here. Maybe the dean is going to regale us all with slides of his recent trip to Death Valley. Or maybe it's an invitation to run away with the dean, "desert with the dean," get it?
No thanks, I'm already taken. By a man who knows the difference between "dessert" and "desert."
THE SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
NORTHERN NEW JERSEY
ALUMNI CLUB
SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The SUNNJAC Speaker Series
“Desert With The Dean”
With Special Guest
Susan Donovan, SU Dean of Admissions
7:30 PM – 9 PM
Orange Lawn Tennis Club
South Orange, NJ
Well, maybe I'm jumping to conclusions here. Maybe the dean is going to regale us all with slides of his recent trip to Death Valley. Or maybe it's an invitation to run away with the dean, "desert with the dean," get it?
No thanks, I'm already taken. By a man who knows the difference between "dessert" and "desert."
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Good News, The Bad News
The Good News:
I now weigh less than what I weighed in college.
I am starting to see some definition in my abs.
I feel pretty good.
The Bad News:
The weather has not been cooperating, so my race times are off.
A lot of my clothes are too big.
I still have boobage. (WHAT is up with that? Even with all the weight and body fat I've lost, they are still the same size...argh!)
I have no idea what my body fat is now but my guess is that's it's probably between 15% and 16%. The last time I was measured was about a month ago and it was 16% and some change. I should probably go and have it done again.
I am getting to the gym 2-3 times a week but I am certainly not getting out to run as much as I did this time last year because of the damn weather. Yes, I stil do races on the weekend but my times are lagging about a minute behind. A 10K race was cancelled this past weekend in Branch Brook Park. We were all set to do it and then a friend of ours called. Bummer. What's a little rain, right? Heck, four members of my running club did the Boston Marathon in a nor'easter; who am I to complain?
I am eating the same amount, more or less. I say more or less because my boyfriend is now on a special diet (temporarily) where he can't have sugar, dairy or wheat. If you think that's easy, think again. I could give up the sugar, no problem, MAYBE dairy, but wheat is in EVERYTHING! The only grainy thing he's really allowed to have right now is couscous, which is pretty tasty actually.
The reason for the diet: TK was diagnosed as not having enough acid in his stomach to digest his food properly. This, according to the fancy-schmancy NY specialist, is why he's been suffering with stomach pain, shakiness, brain fog, fatigue...a while litany of ailments. This syndrome (don't laugh, it's called "dumping syndrome" because all of the undigested food is "dumped" into the small intestine) can be due to years and years of bad eating habits. I always yelled at him for eating a lot of sugar and white flour products. He never took me seriously. But now the doctor is saying the same thing.
He IS feeling better. In addition to the diet, he has to take a whole host of supplements. They ain't cheap, either. But, like I said, he is feeling better and even did a 5K race for the first time in six weeks this past weekend.
So, even though I don't have to give up wheat, I find myself wanting it less and less. Bread (I only eat whole wheat bread anyway) has become kinda boring. I still like brown rice, though, and oatmeal. Pasta, only once in a blue moon. And, like I said, I am loving the couscous. Hence, the reason for additional weight loss. Whole Foods has lots and lots of wheat-free and gluten-free products so it hasn't really been a problem.
According to some experts, humans were never meant to eat such large quantities of wheat/grain products. We've only been an agrarian people for the last 10,000 years or so, a drop in the bucket of our whole existence. Lots of people have wheat and/or gluten allergies and others, like TK, have systems that just can't tolerate great quantities of them.
So, what's been happening also is that more veggies, fruits and nuts have been replacing the wheat products. Not a bad thing, I suppose.
I now weigh less than what I weighed in college.
I am starting to see some definition in my abs.
I feel pretty good.
The Bad News:
The weather has not been cooperating, so my race times are off.
A lot of my clothes are too big.
I still have boobage. (WHAT is up with that? Even with all the weight and body fat I've lost, they are still the same size...argh!)
I have no idea what my body fat is now but my guess is that's it's probably between 15% and 16%. The last time I was measured was about a month ago and it was 16% and some change. I should probably go and have it done again.
I am getting to the gym 2-3 times a week but I am certainly not getting out to run as much as I did this time last year because of the damn weather. Yes, I stil do races on the weekend but my times are lagging about a minute behind. A 10K race was cancelled this past weekend in Branch Brook Park. We were all set to do it and then a friend of ours called. Bummer. What's a little rain, right? Heck, four members of my running club did the Boston Marathon in a nor'easter; who am I to complain?
I am eating the same amount, more or less. I say more or less because my boyfriend is now on a special diet (temporarily) where he can't have sugar, dairy or wheat. If you think that's easy, think again. I could give up the sugar, no problem, MAYBE dairy, but wheat is in EVERYTHING! The only grainy thing he's really allowed to have right now is couscous, which is pretty tasty actually.
The reason for the diet: TK was diagnosed as not having enough acid in his stomach to digest his food properly. This, according to the fancy-schmancy NY specialist, is why he's been suffering with stomach pain, shakiness, brain fog, fatigue...a while litany of ailments. This syndrome (don't laugh, it's called "dumping syndrome" because all of the undigested food is "dumped" into the small intestine) can be due to years and years of bad eating habits. I always yelled at him for eating a lot of sugar and white flour products. He never took me seriously. But now the doctor is saying the same thing.
He IS feeling better. In addition to the diet, he has to take a whole host of supplements. They ain't cheap, either. But, like I said, he is feeling better and even did a 5K race for the first time in six weeks this past weekend.
So, even though I don't have to give up wheat, I find myself wanting it less and less. Bread (I only eat whole wheat bread anyway) has become kinda boring. I still like brown rice, though, and oatmeal. Pasta, only once in a blue moon. And, like I said, I am loving the couscous. Hence, the reason for additional weight loss. Whole Foods has lots and lots of wheat-free and gluten-free products so it hasn't really been a problem.
According to some experts, humans were never meant to eat such large quantities of wheat/grain products. We've only been an agrarian people for the last 10,000 years or so, a drop in the bucket of our whole existence. Lots of people have wheat and/or gluten allergies and others, like TK, have systems that just can't tolerate great quantities of them.
So, what's been happening also is that more veggies, fruits and nuts have been replacing the wheat products. Not a bad thing, I suppose.
Monday, April 16, 2007
The Monkey Song
"I'm no kin to the monkey, no-no-no/
The monkey's no kin to me, yeah-yeah-yeah/
I don't know much about his ancestors
but mine didn't swing from a tree."
Yes, these are the real lyrics to a catchy little tune, "The Monkey Song," sung by no other than actress Crystal Bernard ("Wings") and her sister, Robin. The song appears on the LP, Dr. Jerry Falwell: Feudin' Fussin' & Frettin' (Fret Not) (Thomas Road Baptist Church) 1972...you can't make this up.
There's also another cute little ditty titled, "The Ecumenical Movement" on the same LP.
You don't have to purchase the album, however, to enjoy them. Just go to www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/03-2.html and you can listen to a strange song every day of the year, including one by Louis Farrakhan called "Is She Is, Or Is She Ain't?" about falling for a transvestite, and William Shatner singing "Rocket Man."
Don't say I didn't warn ya.
The monkey's no kin to me, yeah-yeah-yeah/
I don't know much about his ancestors
but mine didn't swing from a tree."
Yes, these are the real lyrics to a catchy little tune, "The Monkey Song," sung by no other than actress Crystal Bernard ("Wings") and her sister, Robin. The song appears on the LP, Dr. Jerry Falwell: Feudin' Fussin' & Frettin' (Fret Not) (Thomas Road Baptist Church) 1972...you can't make this up.
There's also another cute little ditty titled, "The Ecumenical Movement" on the same LP.
You don't have to purchase the album, however, to enjoy them. Just go to www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/03-2.html and you can listen to a strange song every day of the year, including one by Louis Farrakhan called "Is She Is, Or Is She Ain't?" about falling for a transvestite, and William Shatner singing "Rocket Man."
Don't say I didn't warn ya.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
My Final Words on the Imus Debacle
OK, so he's been fired from MSNBC and now CBS Radio. Yes, and even though I think Imus is a drug-addled animated corpse, I think the firing was excessive. That being said, I stand by the advertisers who wanted to take their business elsewhere after Imus' remarks about the Rutgers Lady Knights.
My 2 cents:
I defend the First Amendment with my life and I abhor censorship, all kinds of censorship, including Tipper Gore's desire to rate music CDs. However...LISTEN UP, KIDDIES...just because you have the right to say it, doesn't mean there won't be any consequences. If you make inflammatory remarks about blacks, Jews, women, Catholics, Zoroastrians, whomever, someone somewhere is going to get pissed off. DEAL WITH IT!
Pissed off can mean many things: letters to the editor, letters to the station manager, protests in the street, advertisers pulling dollars, politicians getting their collective panties in a wad, you name it. (And yes, grandstanding by Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, whom I think are as equally reprehensible as Imus. But that's another blog posting on another day.)
So, why are people surprised at the backlash? If Imus is allowed to call a bunch of college girls whom he has never met "nappy-headed ho's", I--and lots of folks--have the right to get pissed off. And, if I am CEO of Proctor & Gamble, I have the right to pull my ads if I don't agree with the content of the show. Period. This is not fascism, people. It's my right. I'm not saying shut the guy down, I'm just saying that I'm not going to spend my ad dollars on his show.
Let's say the CEO of some big corporation was an animal-loving vegan. He or she is not going to be spending advertising dollars on a broadcaster who advocates wearing fur or hunting animals. And, that is his or her right. I have friends who won't frequent certain establishments because the corporate office of said establishment gives money to Pro Life causes. I could give countless other examples but I think you get the drift.
Yeah, I think Imus is an ass. He's narrowminded, not funny and he hasn't had an original idea since the Eisenhower administration. But should he have been fired? Absolutely not. Fined, yes. Reprimanded, yes. Hit in the wallet by advertisers, yes.
But people should be allowed to hang themselves with their own rope.
One more thing and then I promise that, unlike Imus, I will shut up about this. Lots of people have been saying, "But he gives so much to charity, to sick kids, blah-blah-blah!" That may be and that is admirable but it doesn't give you the right to be a prick. A poster on Gawker said it best: "I gave money to UNICEF in the 7th Grade. Does that give me the right call you a fag?"
My 2 cents:
I defend the First Amendment with my life and I abhor censorship, all kinds of censorship, including Tipper Gore's desire to rate music CDs. However...LISTEN UP, KIDDIES...just because you have the right to say it, doesn't mean there won't be any consequences. If you make inflammatory remarks about blacks, Jews, women, Catholics, Zoroastrians, whomever, someone somewhere is going to get pissed off. DEAL WITH IT!
Pissed off can mean many things: letters to the editor, letters to the station manager, protests in the street, advertisers pulling dollars, politicians getting their collective panties in a wad, you name it. (And yes, grandstanding by Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, whom I think are as equally reprehensible as Imus. But that's another blog posting on another day.)
So, why are people surprised at the backlash? If Imus is allowed to call a bunch of college girls whom he has never met "nappy-headed ho's", I--and lots of folks--have the right to get pissed off. And, if I am CEO of Proctor & Gamble, I have the right to pull my ads if I don't agree with the content of the show. Period. This is not fascism, people. It's my right. I'm not saying shut the guy down, I'm just saying that I'm not going to spend my ad dollars on his show.
Let's say the CEO of some big corporation was an animal-loving vegan. He or she is not going to be spending advertising dollars on a broadcaster who advocates wearing fur or hunting animals. And, that is his or her right. I have friends who won't frequent certain establishments because the corporate office of said establishment gives money to Pro Life causes. I could give countless other examples but I think you get the drift.
Yeah, I think Imus is an ass. He's narrowminded, not funny and he hasn't had an original idea since the Eisenhower administration. But should he have been fired? Absolutely not. Fined, yes. Reprimanded, yes. Hit in the wallet by advertisers, yes.
But people should be allowed to hang themselves with their own rope.
One more thing and then I promise that, unlike Imus, I will shut up about this. Lots of people have been saying, "But he gives so much to charity, to sick kids, blah-blah-blah!" That may be and that is admirable but it doesn't give you the right to be a prick. A poster on Gawker said it best: "I gave money to UNICEF in the 7th Grade. Does that give me the right call you a fag?"
Friday, April 06, 2007
Am I Supposed to Feel Sorry for Them?
Well, I don't. Too bad. Actions have consequences, amigos. Trolls belong under a bridge. I especially like Javier Diaz' quote, which I've highlighted.
Miami Sex Offenders Live Under a Bridge
By JOHN PAIN, Associated Press Writer
April 6, 2007
MIAMI - Five convicted sex offenders are living under a noisy highway bridge with the state's grudging approval because an ordinance intended to keep predators away from children made it nearly impossible for them to find housing.
Some of them sleep on cardboard raised slightly off the ground to avoid the rats. One of the men beds down on a pallet with a blanket and pillow. Some have been there for several weeks.
"You just pray to God every night, so if you fall asleep for a minute or two, you know, nothing happens to you," said 30-year-old Javier Diaz, who arrived this week. He was sentenced in 2005 to three years' probation for lewd and lascivious conduct involving a girl under 16.
The conditions are a consequence of laws passed here and elsewhere around the country to bar sex offenders from living near schools, parks and other places children gather. Miami-Dade County's 2005 ordinance _ adopted partly in reaction to the case of a convicted sex offender who raped a 9-year-old Florida girl and buried her alive _ says sex offenders must live at least 2,500 feet from schools.
"They've often said that some of the laws will force people to live under a bridge," said Charles Onley, a research associate at the federally funded Center for Sex Offender Management. "This is probably the first story that I've seen that confirms that."
The five men under the Julia Tuttle Causeway are the only known sex offenders authorized to live outdoors in Florida, said state Corrections Department spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger.
"This is not an ideal situation for anybody, but at this point we don't have any other options," she said. "We're still looking. The offenders are still actively searching for residences."
But she conceded a point that many experts have made: This "is a problem that is going to have to be addressed. If we drive these offenders so far underground or we can't supervise them because they become so transient, it's not making us safer."
County Commissioner Jose Diaz said he had no qualms about the ordinance he created.
"My main concern is the victims, the children that are the innocent ones that these predators attack and ruin their lives," Diaz said. "No one really told them to do this crime."
The men must stay at the bridge between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. because a parole officer checks on them nearly every night, Plessinger said.
They have fishing poles to catch food, cook with small stoves, use battery-powered TVs and radios and keep their belongings in plastic bags. Javier Diaz has trouble charging the GPS tracking device he is required to wear; there are no power outlets nearby.
The whoosh of cars passing overhead echoes loudly under the causeway, which runs over Biscayne Bay, connecting Miami and Miami Beach.
About 100 feet away are the bay's blue-green waters, where a family with young children played in the water this week. In the near distance, luxury condominiums rise from the coastline.
Javier Diaz said he and the other men fear for their lives, especially because of "crazy people who might try to come harm sex offenders."
No shit, Sherlock! But what about the kids you molested? Did they not fear for their lives, too?"
The five committed such crimes as sexual battery, molestation, abuse and grand theft. Many of the offenses were against children. The state moved the men under the bridge from their previous home _ a lot next to a center for sexually abused children and close to a day care center _ after they were unable to find affordable housing that did not violate the sex-offender ordinance.
Twenty-two states and hundreds of municipalities have sex offender residency restrictions, according to a California Research Bureau report from last August.
Miami Sex Offenders Live Under a Bridge
By JOHN PAIN, Associated Press Writer
April 6, 2007
MIAMI - Five convicted sex offenders are living under a noisy highway bridge with the state's grudging approval because an ordinance intended to keep predators away from children made it nearly impossible for them to find housing.
Some of them sleep on cardboard raised slightly off the ground to avoid the rats. One of the men beds down on a pallet with a blanket and pillow. Some have been there for several weeks.
"You just pray to God every night, so if you fall asleep for a minute or two, you know, nothing happens to you," said 30-year-old Javier Diaz, who arrived this week. He was sentenced in 2005 to three years' probation for lewd and lascivious conduct involving a girl under 16.
The conditions are a consequence of laws passed here and elsewhere around the country to bar sex offenders from living near schools, parks and other places children gather. Miami-Dade County's 2005 ordinance _ adopted partly in reaction to the case of a convicted sex offender who raped a 9-year-old Florida girl and buried her alive _ says sex offenders must live at least 2,500 feet from schools.
"They've often said that some of the laws will force people to live under a bridge," said Charles Onley, a research associate at the federally funded Center for Sex Offender Management. "This is probably the first story that I've seen that confirms that."
The five men under the Julia Tuttle Causeway are the only known sex offenders authorized to live outdoors in Florida, said state Corrections Department spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger.
"This is not an ideal situation for anybody, but at this point we don't have any other options," she said. "We're still looking. The offenders are still actively searching for residences."
But she conceded a point that many experts have made: This "is a problem that is going to have to be addressed. If we drive these offenders so far underground or we can't supervise them because they become so transient, it's not making us safer."
County Commissioner Jose Diaz said he had no qualms about the ordinance he created.
"My main concern is the victims, the children that are the innocent ones that these predators attack and ruin their lives," Diaz said. "No one really told them to do this crime."
The men must stay at the bridge between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. because a parole officer checks on them nearly every night, Plessinger said.
They have fishing poles to catch food, cook with small stoves, use battery-powered TVs and radios and keep their belongings in plastic bags. Javier Diaz has trouble charging the GPS tracking device he is required to wear; there are no power outlets nearby.
The whoosh of cars passing overhead echoes loudly under the causeway, which runs over Biscayne Bay, connecting Miami and Miami Beach.
About 100 feet away are the bay's blue-green waters, where a family with young children played in the water this week. In the near distance, luxury condominiums rise from the coastline.
Javier Diaz said he and the other men fear for their lives, especially because of "crazy people who might try to come harm sex offenders."
No shit, Sherlock! But what about the kids you molested? Did they not fear for their lives, too?"
The five committed such crimes as sexual battery, molestation, abuse and grand theft. Many of the offenses were against children. The state moved the men under the bridge from their previous home _ a lot next to a center for sexually abused children and close to a day care center _ after they were unable to find affordable housing that did not violate the sex-offender ordinance.
Twenty-two states and hundreds of municipalities have sex offender residency restrictions, according to a California Research Bureau report from last August.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Laurie Anderson or Biofeedback?
I recently downloaded Laurie Anderson's "O Superman" onto my iPod and I've never had a song have such a sedative effect on me. That's not necessarily a bad thing but when I even THINK about this song, I go into mellow mode. I actually use it as a sleep aid on the bus.
I think I'm onto something.
I think I'm onto something.
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