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October 29, 2004

Do you like your senior photos? Like most, I find mine slightly embarrassing now but my god. These poor folks. Definitely pee on yourself kind of laughs.

09:59 PM | Comment (1)

October 26, 2004

Apple's worst-kept secret new product finally bows. iPod Photo brings color to the 10,000 songs on your pocket. The extra quarter inch in thickness required for the color screen will keep it out of my pocket though. Doesn't make sense since I just traded down from my 30GB 3G iPod to a 20GB 4G model primarily for the slimmer form factor.

02:07 PM | Comment (2)

Am I the only one who sees every new reality series as a new low? Film Fakers apparently aims for yucks by preying on some of the most desperate people on the planet. Out of work actors. Maybe it hits too close to home because I'm frequently on the hiring side of casting and have seen all too often that overeager, I-will-do-anything attitude.

Then again, maybe I just have a knee-jerk reaction to unscripted entertainment, as the self-conscious progenitors of the genre are wont to say, because I still cling to my identity as a writer.

08:57 AM | Comment (1)

October 21, 2004

If you're one of my New York friends who still holds out hope that one day soon Rich and I will come to our senses and move back to Manhattan, you might as well stop reading right now.

We've had some nice visits with friends and family. The Connecticut weekend in particular will be memorable. And that's what the trip was supposed to be all about. But there's something that's been bugging me since our arrival in the city from the wilds of NJ yesterday. Manhattan definitely doesn't feel like home.

That's a decided change from past visits when I quickly assumed the New Yorker attitude and feel into the rhythm easily. This time though while my pace quickened and I deftly dodged traffic to cross against the lights, the old thrill just hasn’t hit me. There’s plenty here still that seems familiar and comfortable. The crowds certainly. The smell of the subway. The scene along Eighth Ave in Chelsea.

But there are a disturbing number of signs that we’ll never be able to live here again. The cost of living for one seems eye popping, even to this jaded former resident. Casual window shopping at real estate offices makes me realize that a comparable place to our condo would be in the 1.5 million range at least. But most shocking was what I found downtown tonight: a new Olive Garden, Best Buy and Home Depot within just two blocks of each other.

It’s freakish I tell you. And I for one will have no part of it.

08:26 PM | Comment (3)

October 20, 2004

So we're doing the annual family and friends thing on the east coast. Much fun at the Dia Beacon for example. But one very odd sighting. Dozens and dozens of vehicles sporting ribbon decals. Either the yellow or stars and stripes varieties. I find it very curious. I mean, I know it's because of that damned song and the whole jump on the bandwagon patriotism thing. But still it's seems odd. Probably because I haven't noticed any back home. Of course having written that, we'll land on Friday and see two dozens on 380 before we get into the city.

07:43 PM | Comment (3)

October 09, 2004

Do you care that I haven't been posting? Blame the comment spammers. Seems whenever I've had the time lately to think about this page, it's been in the context of zapping comments on poker and rx refills. Without MT-Blacklist I'd be pulling out my hair but still.

On a slightly more amusing note, I stumbled down to Starbucks this AM for my caffeine dosing. (Neglected to wash the coffee contraption last night but as the parenthesis indicate that's another story.) Ran smack into a knot of a dozen or so high school type kids apparently waiting for frapps. Fortunately, they'd all paid already so I went straight for the cash register, eager to get my fix and get out of there. The two staff folks though were frantic at the blenders and espresso machine. Didn't even glance my way. Or towards the big drip coffee thingy, which was unfortunate since the handle on one side had been left in the down position and coffee was flowing out as fast as it dripped in at the top. Even through my sleep haze, I immediately realized that was odd. It took a couple of "excuse me" calls to get the woman at the blender to even notice me much less my gesticulating finger. But she finally snapped and closed the valve. I know pointing out the free flowing coffee isn't that big of a deal but still I would have expected at least a thank you while she rung up my full-priced grande drip.

10:41 AM | Comment (3)