Wednesday's Word(s): Verbal Handcuffs

Verbal Handcuffs

def: When someone won't stop talking (usually about a subject you have no interest in). The talker has verbally forced you to stand there there and listen, even though you have given many clues that you have checked out. Examples: vacant stares, looking at your watch, checking your phone, answering in short one word phrases.

Usage: Todd barely sees CityGirl anymore because she's always held hostage in her office in verbal handcuffs.

Source: Adapted from Urban Dictionary

Spooky Rainy Tuesday Chore Day

We're having something like a monsoon in NYC today... Part of the same wet weather pattern we've experiences all winter long...

It's perfectly ok, as I have soooo much I need to accomplish inside the apartment, and the distraction of lovely Spring days and abundant sunshine is something I don't need today...

TV is another distraction I don't need. So it'll stay OFF.

Clanaad is in the CD player at the moment for this rainy day. (Yes, I still have a CD player... By the time I get around to MP3's, there will be a whole new technology... LOL).

Today is Financial Housecleaning day.... Need to do stuff like: Review and sign off on my tax returns and find a way to fax the signature to the tax prep guy, Pay the tax guy, Carefully review at least one of my free credit bureau reports for suspicious activity, decide if I'm adding anything to an IRA this year, Arrange paperless billing for another coupla accounts, figure out this medical bill I just got for something two years old (that means calling the hospital, and two insurance companies and their endless phone trees and slow customer service departments), and who knows what else I'll unearth as I start to get into all of this...

Lit a coupla scented candles to add to the delightfully eerie feel of the dark wet day...

So many blog posts are backed up in my brain... To misquote the elephant man: "Sometimes I feel my head is so big because it is so full on blog posts"...

Three soft-boiled eggs and a wasa cracker for breakfast...

Will read the New York Times at some point today. Or tomorrow...

Might list a few things on CraigsList to see if I can unload them just for kicks and make a few bucks...

Pullout the stash of Wee Wee pads to give to a neighborhood kid with a chihuahua...

Rejoined the gym the other day after a year's break... They cleaned up their act over there, and I can use the machines to tame my cholesterol... Might even slip over there later to pick up my new key card and get in a workout...

Need to get to my local bank branch and cash out all these ancient US Savings Bonds that are lying around earning no interest anymore... To Kinko's to xerox a few docs, and to the USPS to mail off some of this stuff...

Hopefully there will be a couple lighter spells of precipitation so I can scoot about without getting too too too drenched...

Set the Tone Monday: Smile

"When you give the world a smile, the world will think you're insane and leave you alone".

-- Alec Mapa

Where are the Cancerians?

SPOILER ALERT...

Caprica needs Cancerians...

Cancerians would match up to the Taureans... And those Sicilian references are tiresome, dated, stereotypical and unfortunate...

Cancerians would add sexiness to the series, and a new direction...

Right now, I don't find that I care much for any of these characters... And at this season cliff hanger, I'm pretty much saying "Whatever"... (With BSG, I was on the edge of my seat constantly)

I mean, I knew Sister Clarice would escape the bomb by going to watch the wife jump off the bridge (the writers were obviously gonna victimize that poor mentally frail wife since the get go) Clarice has Zoe on her zip drive and is headed to Geminon to crack the code, so who cares about the red eye?...

OK... Having said all that ... Yes, I will give it another shot for a second season if/when SyFy gets around to it...

I'm doing it for the BSG franchise... I miss those guys...

BSG coulda used some Cancerians also, BTW...

Cancerians rule! (Spoken by a true Cancerian!)

This Supply of Cheerfulness and Optimism

This is a project for Keith especially! Maybe you can write a few words for the welder to record in sandals and socks?

For those of you, who are confused... This is the guy in 1966 from here on my blog:



Eduard Khil, Hil?, Ghil?

I personally love his completely addictive "supply of cheerfulness and optimism"...

I think it's better without lyrics... It speaks for itself... But a mashup of others from around the world vocalizing along would be perfection, too...

Quick! Book this guy on Letterman, Leno (the jerk), or the Daily Show...

And the winner is...?

Endangered Species

You don't see many of these around anymore...

I wasn't even sure what it was til I just Googled around and learned it's a Fire Protection Pump... Of some kind...

This one was alongside a building on West End Avenue on the UWS...

It sez it's "Open". That's a good thing, I guess...

I have no idea what it has been replaced by or what it does really...

Do you?

Meet My Friend Phillip Huber

Find more videos like this on Puppet Hub

Phillip Huber is a remarkable artist, and a dear friend.

The Friday Before

It's Friday lunch break...

Only 3 more hours til Spring Break...

I'm soooo ready for these next eleven days...

Nothing planned...

Living a day at a time...

Getting up when I want...

Going where I want.

Not going anywhere I don't want...

Sounds perfect, don't it??

This Week's Conversation Starters...

The current work week is intense, and hectic... The Spring Break looms...

Health grades could hit the top eateries in the gut... Only 30% expect an A.

Christian Scientists are seeking a truce with modern medicine. Had they done that years ago, Jim Henson might still be alive.

Google did the right thing in China. Yahoo did not! Boo Yahoo! Yay Google!

John McCain has got to go. "There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year", sez he. Take your marbles and go back to the old f*rts home in Arizona, you sour grape smelling old fool.

IMHO... Tiger Woods suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Sex Addiction is just one of his symptoms...

Joe Biden needs to wash his own mouth out with soap... Can't he find a substitute word for the F-word? Fracking, maybe? Now instead of this being Obama's New Deal, it's his "Big F&%$ing Deal!". Joe, you should know about open mikes and lip reading by now. Jeezus!

Hurry up and wait... Manhattan isn't built for speed and Wednesdays are the worst...

In a switch, Manhattan lost people, says Census.

Wednesday's Word: F9

F9, verb

def: To go through relationships rapidly, to be promiscuous.

Derives from the trendy ChatRoulette.com, where the F9 key on the computer keyboard immediately terminates a chat and brings another 1:1 chat-partner up on the screen.

Dude 1: "I was thinking of trying to start a relationship with Thor."

Dude 1: "Not gonna happen. He F9s dudes daily."

Adapted from: Urban Dictionary

Site of the Week: Manhattan Milk

ManhattanMilk.com delivers organic, grass fed milk (and butter, cheese, and yogurt) from Maple Hill Creamery to homes in NYC (Manhattan and Brooklyn) for a $5 delivery charge and a $15 minimum order...

Milk is unhomogenized, so you have the joy of having the cream rise to the top...

Glass bottles, too... 

It's like a mid 20th century milk man service in the 21st century!

Set the Tone Monday: Fly

"Once you stop taking yourself so seriously and let go of the gravity of all you do, you can learn to fly". 

~LOLG

Changing Times

One of three of the last remaining outdoor Bell Telephone style phone booths...

This one on West End Ave in the 60's...

Where will Superman change his garb?

And how will Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) descend down to CONTROL headquarters...?

Yes to Health Care Reform

For me, the stress filled workweek is just ending... For the US Congress, the stress filled work weekend is just beginning...

Let me say this... YES, YES, YES to Health Care Reform... Now! This weekend!!

Computations are completed and we will save trillions over the next two decades, and despite Republican fear mongering (the only thing they do well) the nation will see that the sky isn't falling...

Personally I was for a robust Public Option. I also liked the idea of expanding Medicare... This bill has none of that.... But it's a start....

Let's get it done!!

All those voting against, or planning some new technicalities to try and derail or slow this process down??  The day of reckoning is near... It's called Election Day...

Yes, yes, yes to Health Care reform!!! The bill is headed to a vote on Sunday...

That's what I have to say about all of that...

Thursday Conversation Starters

I'm especially busy and stressed these last few days...

And I don't see any lightening of the load til the end of next week, and the start of the coveted Spring Break...

Lots in the news in recent days to think and converse about... if I had the time... or remaining energy...

Administration is seeking converts to a new education plan. Randi checks in the new plan that's decidedly skewed against teachers.

Betty White, 88, lands a new TV role. God bless her! Love her!

How privacy can vanish online, a bit at a time. Makes ya think... Scary stuff!

City Restaurants required to post cleanliness grades. I'm glad I don't own a restaurant, and I wanna see how corrupt this new process becomes.

Beekeeping is soon to be allowed in the city. Why not?? Ferrets should be legalized too, as far as I'm concerned.

City Center to finally begin long awaited renovations. Looks like they came up with a sensible schedule to allow for continued events and performances during the projected year of renovations. Smart.

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2010

Happy St Patrick's Day to all you lads and lasses...

One of the good things about Google is their doodles remind you of holidays that you may well overlook...

In NYC, and Hell's Kitchen it means drunken reveler's in every bar all day long...

But I'm wearing the green in honor of me Irish mum...

Otherwise, this is isn't really among my favorite holidays...

Wednesday's Word: Shopped

Shopped

def, as Photoshopped; manipulated with an image editor...

Usage: "This photo of Joan Rivers looks shopped. It's gotta be... Some of the pixels are whacked, and I've seen quite a few shops in my time. Plus, I've seen Joan Rivers in person..."

Adapted from source: Urban Dictionary

Site of the Week: Find A Grave

This site has been around for a few years now...

And I'd forgotten all about it...

Find a Grave is still as addictive as ever...

Reminds me, I still haven't ever been uptown to Grant's Tomb...

Add that to my list...

Set the Tone Monday: Be kind

"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind". ~ Henry James

Thanks to Scott.

Bumpy Daylight Savings Sunday

Happy Daylight Savings Sunday!

Bumpy techies: T-Mobile or Microsoft/Danger (I'm sure they'll blame each other) still haven't realized that the time needs to be adjusted for Daylight Savings Time on the SideKick mobile device today... I wonder how many disgruntled customers were late for church cuz of that!? You'd think SOMEbody over there would think ahead enough to make sure these things are set up properly? They ALL should be completely ashamed of themselves.... I mean: Really!!!

I never have enough time to read. There's a stack of books I'm eyeballing. But haven't had a chance to crack em. I do keep up with the New York Times though... That's something...

We're still in the midst of yet ANOTHER winter Nor'Easter in NYC... It's much too warm for snow this time, but this one woulda made for a great blizzard... Glad I'm not trying to rely on airports in the N.E. today! I'm sure there are a lot of bumpy rides...

Noticed that the visitor count I quoted in another ramblings post a while back must be wrong... The current attendance figure of visitors to this blog as of now is: 243,882.

Happy 80th Birthday to Allelu Kurten!

Have abandoned South Beach Diet phase one... was completely buzzing on it this time... Starving from the carbs was making me loopy and wired. Was unable to sleep well, and didn't like the pepped up stressy feeling at all... So am going for a kinder, gentler route: so am adding small amounts of carbs: i.e. whole wheats, oatmeal, and brown rice back in... Will continue to adjust calorie counts and restrict fats... So, we'll see how that goes...

Listening to Andrew Bird on the Bose Wave.

May be meeting an out-of-town fellow Sci-Fi loving blogger bud later today for the very first time... We're in text communication now trying to coordinate...

Firefox 3.6 has some noticeable changes... Like when I invent a new word (!)... The squiggly red misspell line is much darker and more pronounced... Shockingmundo!

Two more weeks to Spring Break... Fasten your seat-belts... It may very well be a bumpy ride!

Clocky Time

It's 2am on Sunday...

Do you know where your wristwatch is??

... As you need to Spring your clocks forward...

Time to locate all those manuals with reset instructions...

Another Bizarro Interlude With Eduard Ghil

Another musical treasure to perk up your weekend... And an extremely rainy one here in the Northeast US as yet another winter Nor'Easter strikes New York. This time, it's too warm to snow.... (Damnit)

This is the same guy that I showcased last weekend... A little research shows his name to be: Eduard Ghil. Or Eduard Hil. Or Khil?

As Keith said last weekend: Bizarro!

But delightfully so!!

TGIFF

TGIFF

That's the usual meaning, with a "Fracking" thrown in before the final F...

It's been that kind of a week...

Fracking A!

Evil Pinocchio Thursday

Wednesday's Word: Adorbs

1. Adorbs

A way of abbreviating "adorable".

"They look adorbs together!"

Adapted from Urban Dictionary

Eye of the Mind: Fountain Gallery

The latest exhibition at Hell's Kitchen's Fountain Gallery features photography... I caught it last weekend...

EYE of the MIND
March 3 - April 14, 2010 (Text and photos from FountainGalleryNYC.com)

“Aren’t all artists crazy?” How many times have we heard or said these words, after uncomprehendingly searching for meaning that is not immediately obvious in any artwork or art show? We often ask attendants or curators, "What did the artist mean by that, or what was s/he trying to say?" Artists themselves are not always eloquent in expressing their creative ideas or even in describing their artistic processes. So why do we differentiate between artists who have this innate need to create, and artists with mental illness who may have the same need?

The aim of this exhibition is to ask the audience to re-examine the creative process and mental illness.

In pairing the work of Fountain Gallery artists with that of established photographers of the 20th century, the viewer is asked to “see with artists’ eyes”; thus the title of this show: Eye of the Mind.

Six Fountain Gallery member-artists whose work is defined by the use of a camera, have been paired with established artists including Weegee, Lee Friedlander, Morton Bartlett, Richard Shaver, Ralph Eugene Meatyard and Hans Bellmer. This pairing is reflected in the juxtaposition of similar visual images, so that the viewer sees what the artists saw as they focused their cameras.

Pictured: Leonard Aschenbrand, Store Front; Tony Cece
On His Own; Bradford Stringfield Female Figure on Wall

Set the Tone Monday: Dr. Seuss

"Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way".

~~ Dr Seuss

Weekend Music Fun

Celebrity Sighting: Mark Linn-Baker

I tweeted that I saw Mark Linn Baker at an UWS coffeeshop one day at lunch...

Some followers tweeted back that they didn't recognize the name...

He was on a 1970's American sitcom, called Perfect Strangers... See the YouTube Clip...

Late-Winter Holding Pattern

* This blog has had 244,978 visitors to date...

* This late-most period of the winter always becomes an auto-pilot kinda thing... Just coasting along into Spring and the Spring Break. I feel myself hunkering down for the haul... A veritable holding pattern. Three more weeks...

* This is *that* point of the year where I start to think about that winter waistline... Climbed on a scale yesterday... 199 is too much... Thinking South Beach Diet phase one, once again... Gonna target that belly fat... Would be a good project while in this holding pattern...

* Ate a pint of Turkey Hill ice cream (ice milk?) last night while watching tv...Have started eating up all the things on hand that won't make the SBD cut for three weeks...

* My blood pressure is 112/80.

* Am enjoying Caprica on SyFy... Though the stereotyping (Taureans look Sicilian!) is bothering me, and I get stuck everytime I see a D104 lollipop mic being used as a prop, since I had one on my CB base station in the mid-1970's... 10-4, good Capricans...

* I like having "projects".

* Looped sounds great. Everyone I know has raved about it...

* I had a nasty intestinal virus on Sunday. It knocked me out. And I slept that whole day... And wasn't quite right for a few days thereafter. Colleagues have missed several days of work from it... Last winter at this time, I was struggling with a nagging bronchitis that I could not shake. In my line of work, I come into extremely close contact with more people in a day, than most people come into contact with during an entire month... So, why does the mayor want to cut our sick days in half?

* There's a tomato shortage in NYC going on right now...

* It's definitely about time they finally let me give blood...

* Republicans admit that they are reactionary idiots... LOL.

* TGIF, people...

Friday's a Comin': Wa-Hoo!

Durelle Alexander, 1936

When You're Hot... You're Not

New York politicians have really been making the headlines lately...

Accidental NY Governor David Paterson is holed up in the Governor's mansion deciding what to do next... Accidental Lt Governor Richard Ravitch waits in the wings... NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo waits in the tall grass...

NY Congressman Charles Rangel stepped down 'temporarily" from the powerful House Ways and Means Chairmanship...

And cutey patootie Harold Ford gave up his bid for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's (formerly Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's) Senate seat with a an editorial yesterday declaring that he woulda beat her... But for the good of the party... blah blah... He shoulda left out the part that he woulda beaten her and taken a high road that he decided a primary race was not in the state's best interest...

All this political showmanship is a clear distraction from a horrible truth...

... New York is in serious fiscal trouble...

What's going on here is rivaling California...

New York is in dire need of a worthy Terminator...

... Stay tuned...

Site of the Week: ServeMeHere

ServeMeHere brings a myriad of services to your home.

Services available in your Hell's Kitchen home include: Foreign language lessons, a notary, psychics, cleaners, and caregivers...

See what's available in your area?... Searchable by zipcode...

Set the Tone Monday: Unpacking

"Neither look forward where there is doubt, nor backward where there is regret. Look inward and ask yourself not if there is anything out in the world that you want and had better grab quickly before nightfall, but whether there is anything inside you that you have not yet unpacked".

- Quentin Crisp