8 Minutes On High

New Rule

March 28th, 2010 by Max

Eric Cantor doesn’t get to bitch about the Democrats complaining of violence against them.

People spit on John Lewis.

[Its not funny]

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Blogging at 4 a.m.

March 26th, 2010 by Max

What is it that keeps a person awake at 4 a.m.?

My mind was just rolling through memories of my grade school class. Dunno why. Maybe its because things haven’t worked out quite the way I imagined. Or maybe I’m wondering what they’re doing now.

Susie Weiller. I had a crush on a different girl, pretty much through my whole grade school daze. Now I’m not even sure how to spell her name. Theresa Kuracina I think. Wow. I just remember always being in her thrall. Her mom lived with the nuns. She was therefore favored by the nuns. But as I recall. Rightfully so.

I always considered myself one of the smart kids in the class. I guess that’s what started me down this wayward path. That and Facebook. I met someone in that goddam Facebook from my grade school class who I never really imagined as a big success. Who is now, a big success. Sorry. My bad.

Now don’t get me wrong, world, this isn’t about vanity. I’m fully aware of my flaws, my lack of intelligence. And I’ve known for years that there is something more important than raw processing power, even raw storage capacity, in making someone a success. I just always figured I would be somewhere else in my life when I was looking ahead in those days. There’s a line in the Desiderata about not comparing yourself to others that I didn’t know then. Its good advice.

However I can’t help remembering. I can’t imagine remembering all the kids from my 8th grade class at Blessed Sacrament School, but I wonder what some of them are doing.

Like Theresa Kuracina. Stunned crush. I remember the day, that John Kozell asked her out. It was the first time I’d ever seen anyone ask anyone out on a date. I was crushed, but just a little bit. John was alpha male. No doubt. And a really good guy. Easily the best athlete in the class, I think a year older than I was. Something about a water skiing accident. I remember a story about a cow bone. Supposedly John had a cow bone in his leg. I still can’t remember who told me that. That can’t be true. Can it? Can John Kozell have really had his shattered leg replaced by a cow bone? Could he have had that and still been “the fastest kid in the class”?

What I do know is that when we boys played Hill-Dill (from Hill and Dale I guess) on the school parking lot, John was invariably the last one caught. I was usually the first. I was pretty smart. But I was definitely the runt of the litter in my grade school class. John was the best athlete by far.

But I wasn’t the shortest. Rick Scott was. And Rick was probably the richest. His dad was actually a banker. Rick looked like “Little Ricky”. Rick and I were rivals. Or maybe I just imagined we were. I remember Rick could sing, but sometimes in music class, I would get the solo. I remember being picked to sing the lead in “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho” and being surprised when the nun picked me instead of Rick Scott. Rick was handsome. Rick was rich. I remember our class debate in 1968. I don’t remember who Rick went up against. I do remember that Rick supported Richard Nixon. And he demolished whoever it was he was debating. I remember “Instead of a chicken in every pot my opponent would have a little pot in every chicken”. Great line.

I know its petty, but I’ve always taken a little satisfaction in Rick having supported Nixon. And him having to stand in the front of the line, two places ahead of me, when they lined us up by height.

I never liked my place in line and the nuns were always lining us up. I was either 3rd from the front, by height, or way in the back by alphabet. I always wanted to be in the back of the line with John McKercher and Mike Donovan when they lined us up by height.

Its funny what you remember. I remember John McKercher trying to trip me when I was on crutches after a year and a half of being home in bed. He went from someone I remembered fondly, to not so fondly. Probably was jealous of all the attention I got when I came back to school. John was always the second tallest kid in the class.

Mike Donovan was the tallest. And the smartest. I remember him winning a spaghetti supper from Father Toomey by getting some number of 100′s on his final tests. I think it was four 100′s! Mike was the smartest kid in the class, but Theresa Kuracina was a close second.

Ah Theresa Kuracina. She was merely perfect. I wonder what she was doing now. I wonder if all the boys had a crush on her. I know John Kozell did. I know I did. Of course I had a crush on Sister Janet too. They were both about equally unobtainable in my mind. Equally pure. Equally smart. Equally beautiful.

As I was tossing back and forth not sleeping, thinking about things long ago and wondering why I remember what I remember, my mind went back to Susie Weiller and just how stupid a young boy can be.

One of the strange things that I remember was square dancing with Susie Weiller. Suzie was the shortest girl in the class. Cute as a button, poor Suzie always stood at the front of the line of girls when the nuns lined us up. She always stood next to Rick Scott.

The nuns figured, I guess, that we should start being interested in the opposite sex in 8th grade and slow dancing was out of the question, so they had us square dance. At that time I would never have told anyone that my father was a square dance caller. I’m proud of it now, but this was 1968, Rick Scott was talking about Nixon and I was listening to Rock and Roll!

But that day, or those days, I don’t even remember how many times we went square dancing in the basement of the church, that day when we got to touch the girls, as long as we didn’t get too close, what I remember was Susie Weiller hooking elbows with me in the square dance. Susie tilted her head back and laughed with delight as we spun. I’ll never forget the sound of her laughter.

As I sit here alone at 4 a.m. 40 years later, I don’t remember when it first dawned on me that there was another girl in the world besides Theresa Kuracina, but I remember it was Susie Weiller.

Posted in Arts, Changes in the World In My Lifetime, Fun, Mustang, Politics, Social Commentaries | 3 Comments »

My New York – outside

March 25th, 2010 by Max

Posted in Arts, My New York, Photos | No Comments »

At the risk of invoking Godwin’s law

March 24th, 2010 by Max

Who does this sound like:

[snip] never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.

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My New York – water

March 23rd, 2010 by Max

One of the things I love about New York, and one thing that just brought me down when I lived in a red clay state, was the availability, or lack thereof, of water.

New York is green yes. And the red buds this time of year are amazing, but the availability of blue trails through the hills. Resting lakes both frozen and revived of clear cold water, alive, yes teaming with life and as well as color actually make me feel good just being around them.

Its just another reason that I love New York.

Posted in Arts, My New York, Photos, Social Commentaries | 2 Comments »

My NY Beautiful Houses

March 22nd, 2010 by Max

More of the old and the refurbished.

Posted in Arts, My New York, Photos | No Comments »

More beautiful houses

March 21st, 2010 by Max

Posted in Arts, My New York, Photos | No Comments »

My New York big stone barn

March 20th, 2010 by Max

Not sure what this building is ...

I love it … but I don’t know what it is.

Posted in Arts, My New York | No Comments »

Is it a Merlin?

March 19th, 2010 by Max

I think its a Kestrel

He wouldn’t let me get any closer.

Posted in Arts, My New York, Photos | No Comments »

More, more bird picts

March 19th, 2010 by Max

Posted in Arts, My New York, Photos, Science | No Comments »

Its worth noting … about the Health Care Bill

March 19th, 2010 by Max

Its worth noting that with all the criticism that I personally have leveled against the Democratic Party for all of their pathos in governance … not including Joe Lieberman who is just plain awful.

The Republicans have set out to systematically obstruct at every turn never really trying to be the loyal opposition.

From the beginning the Republicans have simply lied and lied and lied in this process.

They lied about “death panels”.

They lied about the finances. We know now this bill will reduce the national debt by 1.3 trillion dollars.

And they are continuing to lie about this bill providing any federal money for abortion.

And as my friend “Doc” says … they say they don’t know what is in it, then they tell you what is wrong with it.

More lies.

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My NY Beautiful Houses

March 19th, 2010 by Max

I don't think this is what John Mellencamp was talking about

Posted in My New York, Photos | 2 Comments »

Dad and I take a ride

March 18th, 2010 by Max

In the years since his friend Joe passed on, Dear Ole Dad hasn’t had a bunch of sunny afternoon rides around the beautiful New York State countryside.

Today me and my pop got in the car, went up to Cooperstown (my town) and down to Cannonsville to take in the feel of spring and enjoy some conversation and a ride.

We stopped in Oneonta to enjoy some Brook’s Barbeque http://www.brooksbbq.com/ which is renown in these parts as the best place to eat for miles and miles.

An outside observer would have been amused as I sat there driving with my laryngitis like cold and cough and yelled my half of the conversation. Dad of course, couldn’t hear.

Despite the comedy, I managed to show him a couple of eagles (I saw 5) and some beautiful New York countryside. Much of which he’s seen before 65 years ago when he was driving truck all round the state before the interstate highways were built.

I’m so glad we went.

Posted in Arts, My New York, Photos, Social Commentaries | No Comments »

My NY Beautiful Houses

March 18th, 2010 by Max

Cooperstown

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Spaghetti Supper

March 18th, 2010 by Max

I saw another one today. These signs are appearing all over up here. I bet this is happening all over the country.

I can’t tell you how many I’ve seen…

So and so has the “lymphoma cancer” and we’re having a “Spaghetti Supper” to raise money to help with some of the bills.

Someone had an eye issue. Here’s a jar. Put in what you can.

Three people one one placard had sick kids. Need surgery. Need chemo. Need treatment. “We’re holding a benefit at the American Legion”.

Over and over and over again I see signs, I see giant empty pickle jars with slots cut into the tops and a couple inches of coins and a few dollars, a picture of someone in a desperate situation taped on the outside. There’s almost always one by the cash register at the cafeteria at work.

“Joe’s kid. Give what you can”.

I’m sick of them. SICK of them. And I’m pissed. The people where I live and work are constantly putting dollars in mayonnaise jars and holding spaghetti dinners and coming no where near providing enough money to make a dent in the bills cancer patients and ALS patients and other patients are incurring.

I want National Socialized Medicine. Just like my Dad wanted before he went nuts, found religion, and stopped voting! “I’m voting for a higher power” he said.

I said “Until he shows up, vote for the Democrat!”

Now we’ve got them and they’re damned disappointing.

I’m sick of good hard working, middle class, employed people pretending that a spaghetti supper can do anything near what National Health Insurance can do.

And I’m sick of watching the limp ass cowardly damned Democrats run away from their best issue.

It makes me sick.

Posted in Politics, Social Commentaries | No Comments »

Demon Pass

March 16th, 2010 by Max

Lawrence O’Donnell on today’s “Morning Joe” said that the strategy which the Democrats will take to repair and pass this health care bill is to “Deem” it has passed and then pass the repairs. The repairs involve take backs of all the giveaways like that awful gift to the people of Nebraska that Ben Nelson was given.

O’Donnell said this has never been done before and wouldn’t likely pass. It would be, he said “like having runners on first and second and hitting into a triple play!” It could happen, but its almost impossible.

The “Deem and Pass” strategy is this. The Congress (The house I think first) will “deem” that the health care bill has passed, then they’ll fix it, then they’ll pass the fix.

But they can’t really because they need to pass the fixes to a law and it isn’t a law until it passes.

I predict that this process will be called Demon Pass.

All this is parliamentary mumbo jumbo procedural stuff because they don’t have 60 votes, because Ted Kennedy died.

I think this bill should die too.

Yes it gives 30 million more people health care – but a National One Payer system would do that too!

This bill also allows the health insurance monopolies to continue to have one of two Anti-Trust exemptions (nice for baseball – absurd for insurance companies). It also mandates that 30 million more people will have to have health care. Have to pay for health care, puts more people on Medicaid, which is what is killing state governments right now and takes away from Medicare which is the only thing that works half way well in all this.

This is a big win for the insurance companies on top of a big win for the insurance companies, on top of a win for Republican obstructionists who are going to campaign against this bill whether it passes or not.

Lets do it again.

Lets make a small, simple One Payer Plan (you down with OPP?) and get it right.

Let’s have someone in Congress show a little courage and vote, the way that Marjorie Margolis voted before she lost her job in 1993, because she courageously voted the deciding vote for a bill that balanced the economy and put surpluses in the budget. Bill Clinton’s 1993 budget bill.

Start over. Start big. Have some courage. Lose your jobs you Democrats – in the course of serving the people!

Listen to Lawrence O’Donnell. He knows of which he speaks.

Posted in Politics | 6 Comments »

Yes, more eagle pictures

March 16th, 2010 by Max

I just bought a new lens. It works good. But my friend John tells me his EF lens is functionally as long of a focal length at 155 as my EF-S lens is at 250.

I shoulda listened better. Still. Some of these pictures are ok.

Not great. But a picture that looks like an eagle just the same.

Posted in Arts, My New York, Photos | 2 Comments »

Cooking

March 13th, 2010 by Max

Listening to Countless Screaming Argonauts podcast http://www.csapodcast.blogspot.com/   talking about “Julie and Julia”.

I’m like, “how can you make a movie about someone blogging about cooking”? I mean, really?

Well, just to prove that the Obama economy is in fact revving up, I’ve done my share lately. [< - Non sequitor?] New rear tires. New mattress and box spring. New camera lens.

I even bought myself a crotch pot! Today, as I’m still thinking how boring it must be to make a movie about someone reading a cookbook, I buy myself a blender. [Ah. He's bringing it back around!] Gonna get some of those colorful fruits Dr Oz is talking about. Need my vitamins. I’ll throw them in the blender … mmm strawberries … mmm mangos. What a wonderful thing are mangos! Mmm apples and blackberries, kiwis (remind me to tell you a story sometime!) and bananas.

Who needs anything more. Just whip ‘em up. Fresh fruit juice. Mmm.

I throw in my strawberries. Throw in my mango. Whip it. Whip it good!

Its too thick!

Add some apples and kiwis. Still too thick. Add some bananas. Better. Still too thick and bitter, kinda acidy too. Still I add some orange juice to liquid it up. I wasn’t going to give in and add the orange juice, but it just sat there in my cup like a soufflé’.

Hey! I can say soufflé’!~ So in with the OJ. [Insert your own OJ joke here] In with the orange juice. Guess what. Still too acidy. Hey I thought this was going to be easy!

So, I do what I do. I add champagne. That’s better. Mimosa I hear. Well … it looks like a tequila sunrise!

Crock pot soup and fruit mimosa - now that's healthy livin'

Posted in Arts, Fun | 2 Comments »

Kirsten Gillibrand on “Morning Joe”

March 11th, 2010 by Max

Ok. So sue me. I do watch Morning Joe. And to his credit. Joe Scarborough has loosened up just a bit. Not quite a complete Republican hack. He still takes up too much of the air time. He still interrupts too much and he still talks about himself too much – but he seems to have come way around from his days as a complete “toe the line” talking points guy of the Newt Gingrich era.

So there, this morning, first time on is Senator Gillibrand. My Senator. Formerly my CongressWoman.

This show, as was “Imus In The Morning” previously (believe it or not) is an important focal point for politicians.
Senator Gillibrand is running. I wanted to hear what she had to say.

Asking questions were Joe and Mika, and Andrew Ross Sorkin and what’s his name from Boston. And they grilled her. She was up to the challenge. Defending the reconciliation health care bill, as a benefit for New Yorkers. Staying on point about jobs. Defending her consistent point about gays in the military – why should we deny people who are capable of defending us or make them lie?

She also defended her gay marriage position and her “broadening” of her posistion on guns. This latter issue she handled masterfully. Actually all of her answers showed an adeptness, and agility of mind and speaking the becomes the smartest most agile politicians.

In short she acquitted herself expertly and did her self a world of good in the public eye.

Posted in My New York, Politics | No Comments »

Hockey Fights

March 9th, 2010 by Max

I was thinking the other day, after the US vs Canada Olympic game, which all tell me was a classic, The three best games that I know off, that one, the US Miracle on Ice, and my NY Islanders game in the 1987 playoffs that I watched for 5 periods and I came in – in the third, all had one thing in common. No fights!

I think the most enjoyable hockey games; the best games; don’t have fighting in them.

Posted in Sports | 3 Comments »