YaYa's interest in Titanic

I hate to disappoint, but either AOL or my computer is acting funny and denying me access to a folder of pictures. So I'll put off the NKOTB post for a day - please, no tears - and keep mum about it until then.

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If you've known me awhile you know Titanic is one of my favorite movies of all time. Lisa and I saw it thirteen times in the theater, beginning on opening night.  I'm not afraid to admit I cried each and every time during certain scenes: the wide angle shot of the 1500 victims screaming in the water, Jack's death, seeing the Statue of Liberty as the Carpathia docks, and Rose's reunion with Jack in death.

I've held off watching the movie for years now because I wanted to preserve that emotional impact. But last week YaYa came up to us and began asking questions about the Titanic - the ship, not the movie. It's not hard to see where the interest came from as we have bookshelves devoted to texts on the White Star liner, including some gorgeous coffee table editions.

We let her take Robert Ballard's Discovery of the Titanic to school for show and tell and Wednesday after school she asked to watch the movie. We had some concerns about the content . There are boobies, as you know, although it isn't in a sexual context and YaYa's been in a locker room before. Obviously there's a lot of death, but we thought we'd play it by ear and perhaps cut off the movie as the ship began to make its final plunge.

In the end she sat spellbound and we let her watch it begriming to end. She asked some good questions, as did LuLu (who did not view the end) and two days later she invited a friend over to watch it again (with that Mom's full approval).

Did it hit me with the same impact? I didn't tear up for the Statue of Liberty, and Jack's death brought barely a trickle, but the reunion scene made me plain ol' bawl like a sissy.

"What the heck is it with you? You didn't cry when . ." Lisa said.

"Yeah, yeah, when the kids were born. Get over it already. I tear up at goofy things. I think that's been established," I said.

The first time I saw it I marveled at Cameron's deft at making us engage with the people on board, turning the dry historical event into something we felt a personal stake in.watching. I recognized that in his desire, his need, to show all of a ship physically divided by class he had to reach for a character on both ends of the spectrum. That combination automatically brings to life either a prince and the pauper or a Lady and the Tramp scenario, and of course he would choose the latter to increase our connection to the characters. He's got the treasure hunter out there as the Average Joe, full of knowledge about the ship but short on emotion for the loss of life so long ago. Future/past/youth/aged - it's got it all.

That said I also winced a little, even in '97, at some of Cameron's script. The class division was far more divisive and stereotypical than need be, painting the wealthy as cold and weak in character while the poor are honorable to the last and just darn good folk. The Picasso crack always stuck out to me like a sore thumb (by poking fun of Picasso we're supposed to think Cal is an idiot. We get it James.) and I still, after all this time, boggle over why Rose tossed the diamond overboard. Why Rose, why?

Upon review DiCaprio did a much better job than I remembered, handling the duty with  finesse and looking much more robust than I recall (in my memory he was a scrawny peach fuzzed kid. Not so.). Kate . . ah, well Kate's occupied a soft spot in my heart for a decade now. When she raised her face to the camera for the first time I literally gasped in the theater. It's odd seeing her use an American accent, but who cares - it's Kate.

At any rate, here's hoping there's another generation of Titanic buffs in the making at our house :)

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I believe I've mentioned my silly/crazy/whino belief that being remembered after death, in almost any positive or neutral capacity, no matter how small, is the equivalent of saying a prayer for that person's soul. 

But you can then understand why I was ecstatic to find the Encyclopedia Titanica. The site has biographies for evey crew member, survivor, and victim of the disaster. It goes so far as to list every passenger who disembarked when it stopped in France, crew members who deserted, failed to appear for duty, or were sent home for illness, and the poor souls who were sent in as substitutes to work the fatal voyage. There are dozens of names there of people who had the faintest brush with the ship and  lived on to be forgotten by history, only to have their names once again called out long after their own passing.

Here's an example from the victim's list.

Mr Mauritz Nils Martin Ådahl, 30, was born 15 June 1881 the son of Elna Ådahl and her husband. Ådahl had worked as a carpenter in Asarum, Blekinge, Sweden but moved to the USA in 1903. His fiancé Emelie came 1906 and they were married on 14 September 1907. A daughter, Vera, was born 1908 and a second child, Georgia, in 1910.

Emelie started to long for home and she returned to Sweden in 1911. Mauritz's father died in May 1911 and because his mother had difficulty in supporting herself Mauritz returned to Sweden that Christmas. A few months later he planned to return to America for a couple of years to earn some money. The family had bought a piece of land in Asarum and he was going to build a house.

Mauritz travelled with John Holm. On their way to Denmark they met Adelia Landergren from Karlshamn. None of them had originally planned to take the Titanic but due to the recent coal strike they were transferred. They boarded as third class passengers in Southampton. Nils held ticket # C 7076 for which the fare was £7 5s.

After the collision they helped Adelia up to the boat deck and shoved her into lifeboat 13, but the men did not follow.

Ådahl's body was later recovered by the MacKay Bennett (#72). On him they found his watch that had stopped at 2.34, 14 minutes after Titanic sunk. He was buried at sea 24 April 1912.

Check out the site if you have time and an interest. You won't be disappointed. It's fascinating.

 

Rambles

I'm sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings with my post about the Cubs. I'm not retracting it, since I still felt the emotions I wrote about, but in hindsight I might have been a bit more diplomatic, even if it was all in fun.

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In the latest issue of People (Newman cover, NKOTB two-page spread inside) Jon and Kate Gosselin, parents of twins AND sextuplets and stars of Jon and Kate plus Eight, say that they want to adopt another child.

I'm all for kids and the more the merrier, but the eight in their show's title includes at least one little girl who is bitter and jealous of her six newsworthy siblings (aka the YaYa of the bunch). Adding another child to the mix won't diminish those feelings and I think that's something they need to consider.

Or they could tell me and everyone else to F off and do what they want. Fine by me.

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For the record, once again, I am not interested in endorsing anyone for that congressional seat. I don't like Moore and almost anyone's an improvement, but I just wanted to make people aware of an additional option on the ballot.

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Regarding that congressional race, you'll notice one of the 'issues' listed on Sebring's website is term limits for politicians. Generally I'm against term limits. I don't want to go into the rationale here, as it can get longwinded, but an easy answer is: you want them out, vote them out.

Rather, my point is to bring up my continued exasperation with the arguement that our political forefather were men who took up the yoke of leadership as an obligation to their country and then discarded it, as 'proper', to go back to a 'normal' life.

What crap. Washington, for all the fanfare over his self-determined two term limit, was a leader in the employ of either Great Britain or the Colonies/US during a huge chunk of his life. John Quincy Adams served as President and then had a lengthly career in the House. Lincoln spent much of his adult life either in office or in the quest to be in office. Face facts: most of the great figures in our nation's history have devoted their lives to one office or another. 

I don't thinkthere's anything wrong with that, in and of itself. Even if you disagree, at the very least stop using those figures as a misguided ideal when pitching term limits.

End of rant.

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I was just watching a show on HGTV, Property Virgins I think, and the featured young couple was dismayed when their lender refused to give them a loan without an additional downpayment on the $500,000 home they wanted. They promptly got a loan on their terms from another lender. The male half of the couple made a point of bragging about the new lender and how 'experience in this business really pays off'.

Ladies and gentlemen, while this couple may be financially solvent to their dying day, may I present to you a perfect example of how the mortgage crisis came to pass .You're 24-25 and want to buy a half million dollar home. You don't qualify under the terms you were hoping to get. Instead of backing off and considering the wisdom of stretching your finances, you go and find a yahoo who will hand the money out without concern for your ability to pay.

The pot calling the kettle black, I know. Back in 2006 there was no reason in the world for someone to hand over house keys to me, not while I was still in the midst of repairing some credit miscues.

The bubble worked in my favor, and I acknowledge that fact. I wouldn't go back in time and tell them 'no thanks', but I can still point out the foolishness of the lenders that pulled the trigger.

And apparently they were fools - they went under six months ago.

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Why did Ty Pennington become so popular? I've been watching old Trading Spaces episodes and in every one in which he appears he's gruff, behind schedule, and taking shortcuts on his projects. I know he's considered 'cute' - he's not - but is that really enough to have overcome his faults?

I guess so, eh?

But what if they *don't* win it all?

I had a great time in Chicago at the New Kids concert, and you can expect a post about that soon enough. But what capped off the beautiful day was that I got back to the hotel room in time to watch the last inning and a half of the Cubs/Dodgers game. Man, when Soriano failed to check his swing and the Dodgers took the series I yelled 'yes!' and pumped my fist.

There is nothing sweeter than to end a day knowing the Cubs will suffer (at least) 101 years of futility - especially when you celebrate it in their own backyard ;)

Ah, but wait! My Yankees didn't even make the playoffs. (count the rings) and the Brewers lost their playoff series too (yeah, but in four games, not three, and expectations were lower)

Life is good. :)

That is all.

The $700 Billion Bailout

           

Today I watched in dismay as the House passed the Troubled Asset Relief Program bill aka the $700 billion bailout of our financial institutions.

I understand the rationale behind the move, even if I  articulate it poorly. The correction of the housing market has generated a host of bad loans and foreclosures, creating instability among financial institutions. This leads to large corporations wisely moving their funds out of banks and into Treasury bills, which of course are backed by the government. But this leaves banks with fewer capital reserves, which means they have less money to loan out.  That leads to less of an income stream for them which only further increases their instability and feeds the cycle. Stay with me now - the lack of funds means that banks have to be extra careful about who gets a loan and in what amount, thus freezing out many average Joes and healthy companies, freezing growth in the economy. Just to put a cherry on top, all this has shaken investors and screwed up the stock market.

Whew.

I still oppose the bill, for all the good that does now (or yesterday for that matter). Believe it or not this is the first time I stand in complete opposition to Dubya - and just as a poke in the eye, it's also the first time many Americans seem to agree with the guy.

This is a plan designed to provide an after-the-fact safety net for investors on Wall Street.  On principle this is wrong. Investing involves both risk and reward, and with the price of fortune comes the chance of losing it all.  No one was volunteering to return  the profits that were created in the boom years that fueled this mess, and it's unreasonable to suddenly change the rules and ask for a do-over. That isn't 'tough love', it's a reasoned and long standing practice. 

Regardless, it is unjustifiable to make the American taxpayer pay for the risks taken by investors, and it is not necessary for the government to do so to stabilize the economy. It's also a dangerous precedent. Even if it's succesful does the government now have the authority to step in and adjust the market when it sees fit? Saying 'yes' once to Washington usually forfeits your right to even be asked the next time, and it wouldn't surprise me if this is the start of the fabled slippery slope.

But what exactly is the government going to do? The bill gives the Treasury unparalleled ability to spend money  without oversight. Quoting section 8 (how's that for a sweet coincidence?) of the proposal: 'Decisions by the Secretary . . . are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.'

I know we're four weeks away from electing a Socialist President, but doesn't that just appall you? This is America is it not? Since when can a government body - especially one that just oversaw the creation of the mess it's going to 'fix - declare absolute, unquestioned authority?

Is the Treasury going to pay (low) market price for the assets, or as Warren Buffet fears  will it fall back on artificially high hold-to-maturity prices? Why doesn't the government just agree to back some of these assets to inspire investors to purchase them? Where is the concrete aid for distressed homeowners (should you believe it wise to do)? Why doesn't . .. oh. Well, it doesn't matter.

Because the government, a single arm of the government, now has the power to decide what to do and we have no say.

I'm also suspicious of how quickly this bill was forced down our throats. Oh, it failed once - less than a week ago - and now we've greeted a  24% increase in our national budget with literal applause.

The pork that lubricated the passing of this bill is just mind blowing. Tax breaks for wool research, for litigants of the ages-old Exxon Valdez spill, for the District of Columbia, for film and television productions, auto race tracks, it just goes on and on. If this bill was so important for the safety and security of our country - which I deny - it should have passed as is, without sweetening the deal.

The cost of this deal is numbing to the senses, an all-out assault on the pocketbooks of the taxpayer and future generation that, again,  represents a 24% increase in the federal budget. And all pushed through in a climate of fear and panic, with no one in power acting with anything resembling calm or rational thought, and everyone perfectly happy to reward incompetent watchdogs with even more responsibility. My God.

In the words of New York University economist Nouriel Rouubini "it is pathetic that Congress did not consult any [economists] that have presented  . . alternative plans that were more fair and efficient. This is a case of privatising the gains and socializing the losses; a bail out and socialism for the rich, the well-connected and Wall Street. And it is a scandal that even Congressional Democrats have fallen for this treasury scam . . . .'

Amen.

Tags: blogplugs

Dan Sebring for WI 4th Congressional Seat

One thing I hate about my hometown (and state) is that far too often Democrats run unopposed for office. The Socialist Party ran Milwaukee until the late '40's and the Dems have had it since, and financially and politically I suppose it makes sense to avoid attacking the weight of that Machine. There are a scores of reasons why this practice is bad for democracy - disenfranchisement of the opposition, stagnant thought, no incentive for change, etc.

Well, golly gee, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI 4th District) is running unopposed for re-election this year. Unopposed until recently, that is, when my friend Tre told me a mutual acquaintance is now in the mix.

Dan Sebring is a mechanic that I've used a few times. Tre knows him far better than I do, but in our few dealings he's come across as intelligent, personable, and honest. He's been in business forever, and judging by what he charges he's making a good living at it. :)

Here's a link to his website where you can read more about him and his stance on some issues. [I disagree with a few, but what's new.]  I don't 'officially' endorse him (as if the world gives a rat's as* about who I pick) but I think he'd work hard and push for what's right for Wisconsin.

And frankly, anyone's better than Moore, a Representative who's biggest talent seems to be doing nothing and hiding in the shadows.

Remember, he's a write in candidate, as he didn't realize Moore was unopposed until after the primary season. So if you do think he's your candidate of choice,

' write in Dan Sebring for Congress in the 4th Congressional District. 
Don't know what district you're in? 
If your ballot says "Gwen Moore" under "Congress" write in Dan Sebring!'

Tags: Dan Sebring, Congress, Moore

Cleaning House: The Season

I wish I'd never written the following post. I never finished the book it yaks about and barely worked on it after a week or two of writing the post. Why? Largely because my then-new promotion wiped out my free time. In truth I'll probably never finish it, which means 70,000 words are permanently gathering dust on my bookshelf.

Yet another failure to piss and moan about. Thank God I'm so sexy that it balances the scales.

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(May 13th, 2005)

The way it began . . .

Back when I was a senior in high school a character popped into my head.

He was Polish naturally, and large and devilishly handsome like his creator.

One teensy difference between us: he made Babe Ruth and Willie Mays look like chumps on the baseball diamond, and I throw like a girl.

In time - and we’re talking more than a decade here - a whole roster of players came to surround him. I knew who his teammates were, where they were born, their career stats, and how they eventually made their way to the Great Diamond in the Sky.

About three years ago I decided it had simmered enough. It was time to get it on paper and out of my head.

The problem, as I saw it, was simple: it had all been done before.

All baseball stories boil down to two simple scenarios: The Bad News Bears, where a down and out team of limited ability sucks it up and wins it all: and the Crafty Veteran, where an old, battered player with a reverence for the game must pass the torch to a talented youngster ignorant of the game's beauty.

Some stories use these plots but craft a wonderful tale atop them, and I knew I’d resort to a bit of it along the way.

But my lead character wasn’t old and decrepit, he was in his prime and a force of nature. And the team wasn’t horrible, it was a recent World Champion with a roster that inspired awe in its fans.

So I had another idea. What if you said “screw this” and went 180 degrees from the norm?

What if you had a team that not only won, but won big?

A team that not only won the Championship, but every game along the way - all 162.

Impossible, of course. No team has ever won more than 116, and anyone that cracks the century mark will be the odds on favorite to win the World Series.

But this was fiction, and what better way to give a Bronx cheer to the established formula?

Besides, the team in the story is my hometown Milwaukee Brewers. I have fond memories of ‘Team Streak’, the 1987 version that won 13 in a row and also featured Paul Molitor’s incredible hitting streak. If any team should play host to the streak of all streaks, it should be my Brewers.

Going down that road was risky. Not only did it strain the believability of the story, it risked alienating readers who had no inclination to root for Goliath as he crushed David.

Making it work meant relying on a whole new set of rules, including the needfor strong personal conflicts between some of the main characters.

But that’s a story for another day.

Work on the actual text of the novel began on July 23, 2003, with a targeted completion date of December 1st.

With the exception of two weeks where work interfered, I progressed pretty steadily through September.

By the 28th of that month I had 61,406 words on paper.

And then nothing.

I hit a snag where I felt like I’d lost my focus, throwing down every thought in my head rather than catering to the demands of a reader.

Remember, these folks were in my head a long time. I could fill a phone book with what I know about a single character. I was overwhelming the plot with useless little details.

Then the 2004 election, a move, my wife’s pregnancy, and personal issues delayed me even more.

I also failed because - primarily - I lacked the discipline to finish the gig.

In November of ’04 I created Slapinions, and the rigors of having to come up with 600 words every few days  - words that were good enough to be read by strangers - helped restore my confidence.

Time to try again

Cleaning House: The Game According to [Dan]

For the record, that part about updating the thesis yearly was horse-hockey. I haven't amended that thing since 1998. I intended it to be the truth, it just never worked out. A shame too, as a chain of batting cages in Florida offered to sell the thesis based on this page. That too never worked out.

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	The Game According to [Dan]
	Baseball - Why I Love it I grew up with a diehard baseball fan as a father, which may explain why I didn't care much for the game until I stumbled across the great Twins/Braves World Series back in 1991. Since then, I have to agree with my Dad; it's a game that gets under your skin and never lets go. I was fortunate enough to have a SABR member as my major advisor in college, and under his direction spent my senior year working on a history of hitting instruction in the 20th century. Not exactly Pulitzer material, but a nice insight into baseball's past and present. In case anyone is wondering, the Milwaukee Brewers are my favorite team (their record notwithstanding), followed closely by the Yankees. The Sultan of Swat, aka George Herman Ruth, remains my favorite player; and, in my opinion, the greatest player of the last century. If I Never Get Back by Daryl Brock and The Rookie by Dan Jenkins are the best examples of baseball fiction I know of; Prophet of the Sandlots by Winegardner is by far my favorite non-fiction work on the game.
	Hitting - The Most Difficult Act in Pro Sports? Hitting a baseball may not be the hardest act in professional sports, but it's certainly in the top three. In its simplest form, you have to hit a round ball with a round bat - squarely. Throw in the fact that the ball is coming at you with varying speed and motion from only 6o'6" away. Mix in wind, air density, turf, and the 9 guys getting paid to take away your hit even if you DO make contact. In short, that's why they pay well for failing 7 times out of 10.
	Hitting Instruction Hitting tips have always appealed to both publishers and advertisers. Hitting tips have sold soap, sports equipment, even Pizza Hut pizza (remember the Griffey pamphlet that came with your order?)While early manuals bordered on the mundane - get a good ball to hit, swing hard, don't read it's bad for the eyes (unless, of course, you were reading that players book) - Ted Williams' 'Science of Hitting' took the opposite course, breaking down the act of hitting into detailed components. While Williams' work is justified in being called a classic of hitting instruction, it opened the door for the heavy handed, highly detailed manuals that seem better suited to graduate students than the youth that are learning the game. If you're interested in learning more about the history of hitting instruction, contact me at x@aol.com. The 60 page thesis I wrote is updated yearly, and is (I think) a valuable insight into the game I love. I'm also on the lookout for any and all instruction manuals, so if you have one to spare drop me a note.
	Great Links My Books Page Milwaukee Brewers My Wife's Page
	My Favorite Products

Cleaning House: [Dan] Recommends . .

I should mention that the reason I'm copying other other sites here is that AOL has promised to move the blog to another platform, allegedly in its entirety, whereas the Hometown pages will be left to wither.

I think I might have reposted this here before, or at the very least cannibalized it once upon a time. None-the-less:

	[Dan] Recommends . . .
	Why should I read your picks? Well, you don't HAVE to. I'm not a professional critic, and I don't have an English degree on my wall. I do however, have a lifetime fascination with books. In elementary school the teacher would get the Troll Book Club order, hand one or two books to other students, then pass the rest of the box to me. That being said, I don't think the books on my list will ever appear on Oprah's Book Club. Not that they aren't well written or even literary, but I tend to favor books in the mystery genre. I also like books that touch on my love of history. Neither category tends to thrill the daytime audience. You'll also notice there's only one female on my list. I don't intentionally seek out male writers, and I've read great books written by women. Either I have an unconscious sexist agenda, or it's all a big coincidence. You decide :).
	My Picks - FICTION ROBERT B PARKER - From the first time I read Parker, I was hooked. While I read everything he writes, the Spenser novels remain his calling card. EARLY AUTUMN is arguably my favorite book of all time, and aside from the ever-annoying Susan, you really can't go wrong with a Spenser novel. If Parker has a weakness, its that all his protagonists are Spenser clones. Sunny Randall, Jesse Stone, Wyatt Earp - put them in Boston with an annoying girlfriend and you've got Spenser. LAWRENCE BLOCK - One of my favorite authors, which is ironic, since I can't stand the Burglar series that made him a fortune, or the Evan Tanner books that taught him his trade. Even so, the Scudder novels, with one or two exceptions, are works of art. EIGHT MILLION WAYS TO DIE is one of the best. His non-fiction 'how to write' books are also a joy to read. BERNARD CORNWELL - a late addition to my favorite list. The Sharpe series expertly blend the Napoleonic era with adventure fiction and the Superman myth. Plus they're just darn good fun to read. The scene in 'Eagle' where Sharpe, fearing court-martial, is instead promoted put a grin on my face for days. The Archer series is shaping up in much the same vein. Drawbacks to his writing? Aside from Sharpe's amazing ability to score with a beautiful lady during every battle, nada. LOUIS LAMOUR - Perhaps the least respected author on this list, Lamour is none-the-less a legend in the western genre, and with good reason. If there' a God in Heaven, the Sackett novels should stay in print forever. Likewise, his autobiographical EDUCATION OF A WANDERING MAN was great; forget the critics that said otherwise. Lamour did write over 100 books in a career that began in his '40's, so expect some repitious descriptions here and there. HERMAN WOUK - A literary giant (IMHO) best known for his least literary works, THE WINDS OF WAR.and WAR AND REMEMBRANCE. I love both of the Wind books, but THE CAINE MUTINY, a superb novel in all respects, is my favorite. MARIO PUZO - Read the first line of Wouk's bio, but substitute 'THE GODFATHER' for 'Winds'. I love his career making novel of the mob - in fact, its the only book I've ever re-read, and with pleasure - but his talent was best seen in lesser known works. THE FORTUNATE PILGRIM is literary to its core (and sometimes to its fault). THE DARK ARENA, a dark gothic tale of post-war Germany, is excellent - although I think he snuck in an unhappy ending just to be 'highbrow'. DICK FRANCIS - After her death, the former jockey admitted his wife played a large role in writing his mysteries. If that's true, then I've got more than one female among my favorite authors. Each book is set within the world of horse racing, and very few feature the same hero. Francis has his good and bad books, but most are worth their weight in gold. FIELD OF THIRTEEN, LONGSHOT, and DRIVING FORCE are my favorites. LAWRENCE SANDERS - Forget the awful (and popular) Archie McNally series. I love the late Sanders for his "Deadly Sin" books. The original was the best - the well crafted page-turner, THE FIRST DEADLY SIN. BEVERLY CLEARLY - Yes, she's a children's author. HENRY AND RIBSY was the first book of length I ever read, way back in first grade, and I gobbled up her Henry Huggins and Ramona series. I'll be sure to pass on her books to my own children. MICHAEL CONNELLY - Prone to forced plots and absurd twists, he's still a great mystery read - in fact, you don't realize how crazy it was until after you've finished and recommended it. BLOOD WORK is among his best, although the movie was only so-so. ROBERT CRAIS - His Elvis Cole mysteries are Spenser rip-offs for a younger audience, but they are well written and almost - almost - as good as a RB Parker book. LA REQUIEM is the best so far. TERRY GOODKIND - Hey, I hate the fantasy genre. Hate it, hate it, hate it -but I love Goodkind. His SWORD OF TRUTH series is great, although he could stand to lay off some of the intense sado-machistic scenes. If that last part didn't scare ya (and it shouldn't) then try picking up one of the series. They're all pretty good. ROBERT JORDAN - Yeah, yeah. I still dislike the fantasy genre, but a friend hooked me on Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Each one is as thick as a phone book, and they really need to be read in order to be appreciated. But yeah, they're pretty darn good. JOHN SANDFORD - The PREY novels are excellent and feature the self-assured, violent but moral characters that I'm drawn to. Check out EYES OF PREY, in my opinion the best of the bunch. ED MCBAIN - The pseudonym of Evan Hunter, McBain's 87th Precinct novels are universally recognized as the original - and best - police procedurals out there. He was the print inspiration for shows like NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues. Almost all of the 50+ books are great, but I favor WIDOWS and ICE. (under Hunter's byline, my favorite is The Moment she was Gone. Excellent!) RUDYARD KIPLING - CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS is a sentimental favorite, as is his oft-quoted poem IF. SOLDIERS THREE ain't half bad either :) STEVEN PRESSFIELD - Before you run out and buy everything with his name on it, let me say that I've only read one of his books, but it was outstanding! GATES OF FIRE is a novel about the Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartan warriors held off the Persian army until they died to the last man. It was a battle that arguably saved Western civilization, and the novel does it great justice. Minette Walters - Finally, a female author that ranks as one of my faves! As an Englishwoman Walters not only embraces, but accepts as par for the course a highly socialized welfare state. This is rather hard for an American to swallow, so be prepared. A strong sense of social responsiblity pervades her work. So far, my favorite is THE SHAPE OF SNAKES. ROBERT HEINLEIN - The master of science fiction. His posthumous GRUMBLES FROM THE GRAVE is a great look into the life of a writer, and STARSHIP TROOPERS is a compact novel that didn't deserve the bad movie it inspired.
	NON-FICTION AND MISC. BRUCE CATTON - The man knew the Civil War inside and out, and his writing made you want to read everything he had to say about it. As the subject of his books sometimes overlapped a repeat reader will see some repetition, but overall, a master of his art. Pick up MR. LINCOLN'S ARMY or GRANT MOVES SOUTH to start.
	My Favorite Reading Links Baseball - My Hitting Thesis My Wife's NKOTB Page Sports

 

Cleaning House: 'NKOTB Footage'

AOL is shutting down not only the journals but all of the member websites that have been created over the years through AOL Hometown. Both my wife and I have a few of these one-page wonders floating around, and rather than lose them to history I'm going to copy them here (if/when possible). Feel free to ignore any further posting with 'Cleaning House' in the title, unless you're curious.

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NKOTB FOOTAGE
	ABOUT US We are huge fans of New Kids on The Block, Joe McIntyre, and Jordan Knight. We have a large collection of video tapes available to fellow fans. We dub on a double deck vcr with new vhs tapes for quality recordings. Let us know what you have to offer - we respond to all legitimate email! We are also interested in buying rare NKOTB footage, music, and memorabilia. In particular, anyone with footage of NKOTB's Face the Music tour,Joe's June 20th 2001 Madison (Wisconsin) performance, or the mysterious NKOTB coin, PLEASE WRITE US!!!! For any questions, please contact us at: X @aol.com or nkotbaddicts@aol.com
	NKOTB GROUP FOOTAGE The following is a breakdown of what we have available: #1 NKOTB's 1990 "Magic Summer" concert out of Petersburg, F.L. This is very clear, very well taped, and in its entirety. Shows all the magic tricks. Crowd noise was muffled so you can hearthem very well over the crowd. #2 - Japanese "No More Games" concert in entirety with NKOTB'S Sony and Honda commercials. Their arrival and all interviews are included on this tape. Good quality. #3 - New York and Rhode Island American Pay Per View Specials. Includes pre-concert footage. NY good quality, RI excellent. #4 - NKOTB foreign footage from 1994 overseas tour. Includes the videos to "Dirty Dawg", "Never Let You Go". Footage from Spain, Britain, Italy, Israel...and more. Lots of heated discussions w/ the press over their "image change" and such. Great rare stuff! Poor visual quality, great audio. Worth while, really! ***If you're interested in something you don't see listed here, such as television appearances from back in the day, please let me know as I may have it amongst many mixed tapes. HOWEVER, keep in mind mix tapes take a lot of time and effort to make, so contact us for trade/cost details**** *** UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE (such as when our baby actually learns to sleep at night!) we won't be accepting any request for mix videos - we don't have the time!**** Some of those include: Oprah Winfrey Shows, Arsenios, Mickey Mouse Clubs, Regis and Kathy Lee, Leeza, Good Morning America, America's Most Wanted, Entertainment Tonight, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Connie Chung, Soul Train, Rosie 'O Donnell, Queen Latifah, Politically Incorrect,TRL, Friday Night Videos, The Apollo, or whatever else you can think of!
	JOE/ JORDAN FOOTAGE #1 - Joe McIntyre Press kit (videotape) from the Fantasticks Includes sound bites, songs, trailers, film clips. The best you're gonna get short of the film.... #2 - Joe McIntyre takes over Australia, 1999. Performances of "I Cried", "Stay The Same". Interviews, and television appearances, including a judge on "Hey Hey It's Saturday". Also, a home video of a rare mall performance of "Stay The Same" and one other... #3 - The coveted JOE MCINTYRE New Year's Eve 2000 Boston Concert. Celebrate Joe's birthday and New Year's Eve 2000 overand over and over. Excellent copy, concert in entirety. This is the 11 pm show. He performs all his hits, "Right Stuff", "Please Don't Go Girl", "Wild Nights" (w/ sister Carol), and dedicated a Frank tune to his (now ex) fiance, Nina, whom he points out in the audience. #4 Jordan takes Korea by storm. 1999. Performs "I Could Never Take the Place Of Your Man", "Close My Eyes". Also on piano, by the Sylistics, "You Make Me Feel Brand New", and NKOTB's "If You Go Away. This tape includes many television appearances Jordan made in Korea, also chats/fields online questions from Korean fans. Great footage. #5- Donnie footage tape. Interviews for a few of his movies. In concert w/ Marky Mark. His tv appearances, like Politically Incorrect. This is a very very long tape, with lots of great stuff. #6 Meet Joe Mac pay per view - a concert performed in Boston and aired on pay per view in November 2001. Features Joe BARE-CHESTED and later in a KILT! Yum!
	NKOTB LINKS The Ultimate NKOTB link list...250 links!! Joe McIntyre Jordan Knight
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Lump's 1st Swim Class

Yesterday, while Lisa had the other three at dance class, I was honored to take Lump for her first ever swim class.

It was very cold and windy outside, but the pool was as warm as bath water. It's the same pool that I talked about on Saturday. Keep in mind the pictures are much darker than it actually looked in the room.

As a matter of fact, it was the same teacher we had on Saturday. That worked out great. She seemed quite pleased that we were 'repeat' customers and was very friendly to the Lump. She even used her twice to demonstrate techniques, which I thought was cool.

If you've been to an infant swim class you know the drill. Jumping in the water and splashing, 'The Wheels on the Bus', 'Hokey Pokey' and 'I'm a piece of popcorn' songs, reaching for the rubber ducky, and basic kicking were all on the menu.

Lump did great. Of the four babies who showed up (of six registered) she wasn't the best 'swimmer', but was the only baby not to cry.

It was a good time and a nice bonding experience with the Lump. I look forward to going again next week.

* * * *

Afterwards I headed out to a western suburb to pick up the other three kids. The dance instructor had gone out of her way to schedule all three kids classes on the same day for us, but that's backfired. There's no way to keep Smiley quiet for the two hours he has to wait for his sisters, or any way to keep LuLu occupied for her two one hour waits. [note: Lisa works off tuition by answering phones and running their desk, so she can't watch them every second]

Whenever I pick them up I have trouble corralling them and its so chaotic I'm sure the other parents think 'white trash'. I don't care, but I do worry about Smiley's habit of running out into the parking lot while I'm packing up the other ones.

Anyhow, they're all loving dance class so we'll make do. It works a lot better when I'm there to lend a hand, although I get bitter about the waste of what could have been perfectly good 'alone time' in their absence.

aoljurlAdd, aoljurlAdd_8

Gwen Ifill and the VP Debate

I'm not going to watch the VP debate tomorrow, as I have a more pressing engagement watching paint dry, but I know some folks *cough* Beth *cough* will be glued to their TV.

I knew about this next item since I was catching up on some political sites yesterday, but it's now the headline on the Drudge Report.

Gwen Ifill, the moderator for the debate who in the past has been slammed for showing perceived bias against the GOP, is releasing a book on inauguration day that focuses on African-American politicians who are 'forcing a bold new path to political power'. A large section of the book obviously focuses on Obama and his road to the White House, and in an online video promoting her book, she says she is happy about "taking the story of Barack Obama and extending it."

It probably won't sell as well if the last chapter features a loss to McCain. Given that, should Ifill be placed in a position where she can impact the progress of the campaign itself?

A non-issue? Journalistic neutrality and all is well? In an ideal world I guess. But I don't think anyone with a clear monetary stake in the outcome of a decision should be placed in a spot of that prominence.

Ifill has been accused of bias in the past, and even  Democrats seem to agree with the assessment. Quote: "Ifill told the Associated Press Democrats were delighted with [her answer during a prior VP debate she moderated] because they "thought I was being snippy to Cheney." End quote. (2)

Moreover PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler reported getting many complaints over Ifill's body language and looks of 'disgust' during Palin's nomination speech.

Ok, let's assume they were wrong and as Ifill says she was just doing her job. Fine. I still say the book is a deal breaker. You have to at least maintain the aura of neutrality, and now no matter what the Right will have legitimate cause to question the running of the debate and the questions posed on the stage.

Withdraw and let someone else do the job.

 

1, and link to video:  - http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=76645

Fantasy Football Week 3/NFL Week 4 I'm now 1-2

I've gone ahead and established a slapinions site at blogspot. I'm going to spend the next few days/weeks making it pretty and whatnot. After that, when it's ready to my satisfaction I'm going to unveil the address in a completely dramatic and unnecessary fashion :)

I will say there *seems* to be a decent selection of bells and whistles to choose from over there so in the end this all might be for the best.

* * * *
I lost in my fantasy football league for the second time, largely due to Laveraunes Coles (Jets) ungodly 3 TD performance for the bad guys and Brian Griese's return to form (read: sucky) for me.

SlapJacks 1-2-0

VS.

 

Team Brady 2-1-0

 

				Points
Pos	Player	Opp	Status	Projected	Actual
QB	Brian Griese (TB - QB)	GB	W, 30-21	11.04	3.97
WR	Braylon Edwards (Cle - WR)	@Cin	W, 20-12	9.69	10.20
WR	Hines Ward (Pit - WR)	Bal	W, 23-20	10.79	5.70
WR	Santana Moss (Was - WR)	@Dal	W, 26-24	8.68	14.50
RB	Jamal Lewis (Cle - RB)	@Cin	W, 20-12	17.17	17.40
RB	Fred Taylor (Jac - RB)	Hou	W, 30-27	13.22	4.60
TE	Alge Crumpler (Ten - TE)	Min	W, 30-17	4.40	0.00
K	Mason Crosby (GB - K)	@TB	L, 30-21	8.53	3.00
DEF	San Diego (SD - DEF)	@Oak	W, 28-18	14.20	19.00
Total				97.72	78.37

 

				Points
Pos	Player	Opp	Status	Projected	Actual
QB	Aaron Rodgers (GB - QB)	@TB	L, 30-21	14.03	10.30
WR	Chris Chambers (SD - WR)	@Oak	W, 28-18	7.66	4.20
WR	Eddie Royal (Den - WR)	@KC	L, 33-19	8.76	8.40
WR	Laveranues Coles (NYJ - WR)	Ari	W, 56-35	9.06	34.50
RB	Reggie Bush (NO - RB)	SF	W, 31-17	15.04	3.80
RB	Michael Turner (Atl - RB)	@Car	L, 24-9	11.27	5.50
TE	Zach Miller (Oak - TE)	SD	L, 28-18	3.23	17.50
K	Ryan Longwell (Min - K)	@Ten	L, 30-17	7.91	6.00
DEF	Atlanta (Atl - DEF)	@Car	L, 24-9	10.12	3.00
Total				87.08	93.20

 

What's worse my consistently low point total has dropped me to the bottom of the pack in my ten team league. Things HAVE to improve. At least Cleveland managed to score for me . . but of course now they're on bye ;)

* * * *

It's sickening how many supposed Packer 'fans' have cheered Rodgers injury and used Favre's wupping of Cardinals to resume the same ol' blame game.

Either you're a Packer fan or you're a Favre fan. If you're the latter, shaddup and move to NY or Mississippi and save my ears. Favre  is a great QB but he won't find many teams as pathetic/apathetic as Arizona was this past week. Heck, the readers of this blog could've teamed up for a TD pass or two against them.

My Slapinion: Rodgers will play this week even if his shoulder falls off. Politically, it's his only chance for survival in this Favre obsessed state.

Tags: blogspot, blogplugs, Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, NFL, Fantasy Football, Brian Griese, Laveraunes Coles

Uncle Karol

In September 1939, on a quiet farm in Western Poland, my Great Uncle Karol was busy tending his cows when he saw a cloud of dust on the horizon. A few minutes later he happily ran into his house, bursting with excitement.

"Marta, come quick!," he said. "Those German boys are coming early for Oktoberfest this year! Maybe they vill bring sum beer!"

If I truly had a Great Uncle Karol - and I wouldn't put it past my gene pool - then he was no more a fool than I was this morning. It serves me right for seeing a banner ad from AOL and posting about how it may be (golly gee!) the long awaited 'save' function for our journals. Poof! - it turns out AOL Journals is going under.

Dear AOL Journals user,

We're sorry to inform you that on Oct. 31, 2008, AOL® Journals will be shut down permanently. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

It is very important that you save your Journals content before the shutdown. We're working on a way to easily move your Journal to another blogging service -- you can expect an email within the next week with more details about how to do it. We want the transition to go as smoothly as possible for you, so you'll have two choices. You can either save your information manually and find another place to blog on your own, or let us handle the migration for you and automatically transfer your Journal to a different blogging service.

In the meantime, please bookmark the People Connection Blog, where you can find out more about AOL Journals. You can also subscribe to the People Connection Blog RSS feed to stay informed about any changes. We'll be updating the People Connection Blog often, so please check it regularly.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we make this transition. We look forward to getting your blog settled into its new home.

Sincerely,

The AOL Journals Team

 

What crap. What absolute boondoggle. I'll let you in on a little secret. For months I have been sooo excited to reach my 4th anniversary here in early November and have tried like mad to have it coincide with my 1000th Journal entry (counting this one I'm at 954). It is irrational how hurt I am to learn that will not be allowed to happen.

 

What's worse, for three years I remained skeptical about this whole 'JLand' community, never reaching out, never joining in except on rare occasions. That's all changed in the last year, and I can't fathom not having a steady stable of Journals to read each night.

 

I will set up another blog somewhere else - I can't not spew words - and AOL has promised to porter over all content, including pictures and video. With due respect, I'm not going to rely on that. This journal includes four years worth of memories, of events, of relationships. That's too important to be trusted to AOL alone, so a webmaster friend of mine is calling tonight to come up with a backup solution.

 

Meanwhile I'm going to pretend everything is hunky-dory and leave the tears to October 31st. :)

Tags: screw AOL, blogplugs, the end of the line