Tragedy in Texas

Greeting from Dallas. My friend from high school, Chris, lost his step-sister a week ago today. She died of a freak brain aneurysm while 9 months pregnant. It seems her last gift to the world was this beautiful baby boy, Hudson. I didn't know Lindsey that well, but I wish I had.

I was the only one of our friends that could make it down to Texas in time. The flight was a little expensive, but one of us needed to be there and this time it was me. The memorial service was yesterday at the Dallas Arboretum and it was obvious by the attendance that Linds left a lot of sad people missing her very much. I've been awed by the family that has come together. I use family here in the most open way, both blood, marriage, and corporate.

Now, as her husband Chad is left to care for his son, miracles are happening. Gifts pour in every day. Food is brought by Lindsey's co-workers every night with no end in sight. The family and friends noticed that the house next to theirs was for sale. So today, they decided to buy it. All of them. To share it, and allow them to have a place to stay when they all came to visit Chad and Hudson. They did this because as one man today said, "It's the right thing to do."

I only hope that I can be the person that so many people have been this past weekend. It has been awe inspiring and has taught me that friends are family and they should be loved very much. To all my friends, I am very appreciative and blessed. I love you all.

Save a Brewery!

There is a great brewery down in Abita Springs, LA called Abita. They currently producing 45,000 barrels of beer. And it is most delicious. My favorite beer of theirs is Turbodog. A rich smokey, chocolate tasting brew.....(Sorry I lost myself right there.) It won Stuff Magazine's Beer of the Year 2005.

Anyway, Abita had a 30% market share in New Orleans before Katrina. And now, with most of the population gone, they are hurting. So I am writing this to implore you to drink some Abita. You can find distributors on their website. Most good beer stores will have it.

I am about to commence my "Abita a Day" campaign. I am doing my part to help this fine group of men and women stay afloat. My liver is also an obligatory participant. They have many varieties. I would ask you all to drink. Not for me, and not for America. Drink for a few people down in Southeastern Louisiana who had a dream one day in 1986.

How can you not love this

There are many photos that my brother Ross was kind enough to send me....but I will share a few so that people can see the wonder that was Hong Kong. And by wonder, I mean booze fest...
At the bottom of the pictures, you'll find me with two lovely flight attendants from Qantas, who happened to be there for work.

Back on Terra Firma....

So I'm back in the good old U.S of A. After like 55 hours on an airplane, I am back in my house. And very sleepy. There are some amazing pictures yet to come, but for now you must all be patient. The big guy might need another nap.

A little foggy...

So today we took a ferry out to Lantau Island. There we got on this wild bus ride on these winding roads at incredibly steep grades. Our destination was the Po Lin Monastery. Here you may see the Tian Tan Buddha. This is the largest, seated, uncovered, buddha in the world. If you take any one of those descriptors away, you have like a buddha that's 10th on any list. So here is what the Buddha is supposed to look like.



And here's what it looked like today......




We all had a great time. Needless to say we couldn't see crap. All in all, a fun but cloudy day.

Greetings from Hong Kong. I'll try and post some photos. Last night I added Hong Kong to the list of countries I've gotten drunk in. Good times. Good times.

Update: Here is the link for some of the photos. Check them out.

Doppler 7 Million!!!

I am sure you are all busy, but I thought you should see this little gem. It's from a local public station in Southeastern Ohio. They have a cute little news broadcast in the evening. And there's this guy named Louis who does the weather. Maybe he's doing this for community service? Anyway, he's pretty amazing. I am sharing this as my gift to you on Monday.

Enjoy

He sounds a little like Ray Romano, who's been drugged and told he has to do a weathercast or else his entire family will be killed.

Kiss the Blarney Stone

Happy St. Patricks Day! As I sit here in my green sweater about to go down to my local watering hole, I wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday. On this day, everyone is Irish. Even orthodox Jews. So raise a glass lads and lasses and drink one for the old country, regardless of what country you actually came from

On a wonderful side note, this is a state Holiday in Massachusetts. It seemed the Irish Catholic politicians at the State House didn't want to be at work, and wanted to be drinking with their constituents. So they looked into it and it turns out that something else happened on March 17th. Evacuation Day. We can't have a secular holiday like St. Patty's Day off, so instead I will be pouring a little out for the Continental Army very shortly.

I love this town.

Might be time to get new alarm clock

So this morning, the alarm went off at 6:30 and I woke up and heard my roommate in the shower. Now Jeff likes to use the entire Quabbin Reservoir system to wash, and therefore if I follow right after him the water can be a little cold. So I hit the snooze button, and went back to sleep.

I woke up over an hour later...thank God. I realized I've broken the snooze button. Sure, I've had this alarm clock since high school, but I still bask in my achievement. I am a lazy man. So I'm on the market for a new alarm clock. I enjoyed looking at this page....any suggestions?

Coolest Alarm Clocks Ever

Thunder

So it started raining all of a sudden here, and I can hear the thunder. I love thunder. Mostly, when I'm inside a home that has power and I have a fire going. But I'll take power and a high speed internet connection also.

Issac Hays is quitting South Park. He was the voice of Chef, and I liked him on that show. I love that show. I guess my gallows humor is a product of my former career. And that show pokes fun at everyone. Did you know that Issac was a Scientologist? Me neither.

Sorry this is a boring post. Lemme give you a great website to make up for my ramblings. I give you the soon to be taken over by CNET (a good thing), Chowhound. If you like food, as I do, check this site out. Great knowledgeable people.

A great day...

Yesterday, I went to a place called Dave and Buster's in Providence with two friends. Basically it's an arcade with beers. I strongly recommend that if there's one around you, and you want to revisit childhood (with alcohol) that you go.

Good times. We even won enough tickets to buy more than an eraser and a pencil. I had to stop Chuck from wasting our tickets on the hand blender.

A Dream Deferred

So asides from being a police officer, I always wanted to work at an airport. Yeah, I know it's dirty and subject to climate change, but it always tugged at the heartstrings. So I was surfing the Web, and found a Jet Blue job in provisioning at Logan. This is basically the guy who restocks the plane with drinks and food. But...you get to drive the carts and stuff, which is what I've always wanted to do. And...it was part time.

I thought I had found the perfect second job. So I applied and I got called. I was so excited...only to find out that they need you available at all times because there is no set schedule. I'm not sure the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts would like me calling in to go push airplanes back from the gate.

I'm crushed. I was so excited to lug bags around. I am a freak I know.

This makes me angry...

So maybe you've heard of Fred Phelps. He's the pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church, out of Kansas. A church who's congregation is mostly all related. Yeah.... He's gotten some press for protesting schools that allow gay kids to dance at prom. And perhaps now, he's sunk to the lowest level man can find.

He and his "congregation" is going to funerals of soldiers coming back from the Gulf. And this psycho is protesting them because they're fighting for a country that allows homosexuals. If you look closely at the photo, you can see the sign, "God hates your tears." ... ... ... I hope you all just took a minute to think about these words. Sometimes I question a God who lets kids get shot on the street, but refuses to drop a comet on this asshat's head.

There is a silver lining. Whenever people like this come out from under their rocks, they generally find good, kind people to send them back from whence they came. This group is called The Patriot Guard Riders. And these bikers travel from funeral to funeral, en masse, to drown out these yahoos and show the families that their child did not die in vain.

Whatever you're take on the war....no one can deny the sacrifice these kids are making. So hats off to these bikers. And can someone please run these people over....before their inbreeding goes too far?

NYC....

So I have returned from New York, NY this evening. And there are a few things that I really miss about that place...

First, I miss the bagels. Sure, there are bagels here in Boston, but they suck. They need to be crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. Also, any deli in NYC will sell you a bagel that is better than 99% of the places up here. Bruegger's is crap. You can tell Mr. Bruegger I said so. Note: I have it on good authority that Arlington, MA has some good bagels. A reliable "healthy" source

Second, I like the fact that the way I take my coffee (milk and 2 sugars) is termed "regular" in New York. Up here, regular is 2 sugars and cream. So I have to yell "Milk and Sugar" when I go through the drive through. And often times the call taker in India can't hear right, so I get milk and no sugar. Boo...

I was at a dance club in Brooklyn until 5AM last night. I'm an old man. I literally was falling asleep . Some girl could have been shaking her scantily clad Dominican ass at me, and all I would have given her was a snort and probably a little drool. I'm more of a "bar" man. I'm going to sleep now. For many moons.

I'm a heathen...it's true

I realize I haven't written in a while. My fans must be starving. (cue crickets)

Sitting here listening to some Kanye West, which is very good by the way. Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. I'm not particularly religious, baptised Protestant, though I lean towards Unitarian Universalism. My friend Steve has a joke....

Q: How do you scare a Unitarian?
A: Burn a question mark on his yard.

But people had Ash on their head, and like every other year I thought that a lot of people has a skin problem. Like psoriasis. I'm a dolt. Obviously yesterday was Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras. And everyone down in the French Quarter got their drink on up until midnight when the streets are literally cleaned and the bars close for the first time in 2 weeks.

I love the fact that in preparation for Lent and their sacrifice to the Lord, they consume as much sinful stuff as they can. I'd go to church if this were the policy. Strippers and kegs during Mass. Techno music during the sermon. I mean that is living like each day is your last. And that is why I'm going straight to hell. I'll just ask Dick Cheney to leave the light on for me.

Man of the Year?

I was listening to Opie and Anthony this afternoon, and heard about this delightful news item. Apparently there is some psycho in Iowa...go figure...that tried to kidnap his wife. When the cops got there, she gave them a copy of an apparent "marriage contract." Once again, The Smoking Gun is there....

Now obviously this guy ate paint as a child and probably has an aunt and a mother who is the same person. But, you gotta hand it to the guy for trying. This is much better than a pre-nup. I love his (GBD)s and the fact that he has spots to initial for her.

She didn't sign obviously....but you gotta wonder if anyone would.

Do you believe this crap...

Good Evening. I was in NYC this past weekend, visiting the folks. It was good. Got to hang with my brother Ross, at the place he bartends at. It was fun. Love seeing the folks....

I've got a problem. I got one of those magnetic ribbons a few weeks ago. Yeah, like the yellow ones that say "Support our Troops" and the like. This one happened to be from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. These are the guys who maintain the wall of police officers killed in the line of duty. It's tucked away in a small square in D.C., near the National Buildings Museum. Yeah, cops get all the respect.

So it looked like this....and someone stole it. Is there a rash of this going on? Are these things worth anything on the black market? It's not political at all....I'm supporting DEAD COPS! So that makes me bitter that I live in a place where you can't even honor the dead. I'll have to get a window sticker. They actually make a bracelet, a la Live Strong, that looks cool and no one can take....unless they pry it from my cold dead hands.

Gotta love the laziness

Okay, so this seems obvious and the only people that read this probably have Netflix already. But if you don't, and if you love movies or have no life, or both, check it out.

I have the 4 out at a time for $24 a month, and it work out to less that $2 a DVD, based on how much I rent. I just rented The Pink Panther Strikes Again, which everyone needs to see. Please rent this movie. Don't support that Steve Martin crap. This is the real deal. It is certainly my favorite Pink Panther movie, and one of my all-time favorite comedies.

If you do Netflix, add me as a friend. I need more friends, both virtual and real.

Brrr...It's cold in here

So the Northeast got dumped with snow today. New York got a foot, and Boston got around 20 inches. Normally, I would love this. However, I had to drive from Poughkeepsie to Boston today....and I had to use the Taconic Parkway. Ordinarilly a terrifying road with deer popping up like those amusement park shooting galleries, but made all the more treacherous with only one lane open.

But have no fear. I'm not sure anyone reads this, so I'm not sure anyone cares. But I'll have you know that the drive was slow, but not too bad. I wish tomorrow was a snow day though.

This is why I'm a city kid

Okay....so I just finished watching High Tension and I nearly crapped my pants. The movie is a true slasher flick that starts in a farmhouse in the French Countryside. Farms at night scare the crap out of me. Night is when all the monsters and escaped mental patients come out.

In the city....there are no monsters. Sure we have kid touchers and drug dealers....but they're real and therefore not going to show up in my closet. Unlike the one-armed guy with an axe. So see the movie. Oh and guys....the main female character engages in a little self-gratification, if you know what I mean. I really hope you do.