Nobody 713

Sunday, September 30, 2007
Nobody # 713

Nobody Asked Me But:

“Hope feeds, expectations kill.” – jt

I am not usually in favor of epidemics, physical or psychological, but the one called Tattoo Remorse has not come a moment too soon. Would that we could inoculate our youth, our athletes and our trendy adults and eliminate this scourge.<<<

Did Columbia’s president, Lee C. Bollinger invite Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (pronounced like “I’m a dinner jacket”) to a personal debate? If not, his introduction of Iran’s leader was crass and opportunistic. It showed neither class nor courtesy.

Columbia was under no obligation to invite this evil man. I have mixed feelings about whether or not it was a good idea.* But having done so they were obliged to treat him as a guest.

I had no problem whatsoever with the tough questions thrown at Ahmadinejad. Once he accepted his invitation, they went with the territory. But Bollinger’s self-serving attempt to have it both ways, promote free speech but cover my ass, begs the question of how he ever got the job of president of a great university.

*Pro: It gave him the opportunity to parade his idiocy before an audience.
Con: Being the leader of a country does not automatically entitle a villian/buffoon to the podium.<<<

Here’s Greg Gutfeld of “fair and balanced” Fox News: “So the foul-smelling fruitbat Ahmadinejad spoke at that crack house known as Columbia University today.”<<<

Note: I scooped Maureen Dowd. My reaction to the Columbia incident was written before hers. I’m not saying she stole from me, but……………<<<

It is a rare occurrence for me, but I am not immune. Every once in a while I see something, perhaps a never-used-anymore baseball glove in the garage and I’ll think, “ain’t it funny how time slips away.”<<<

A second look at Senator Craig – and at myself: I was in such a rush to judgment that I condemned the wrong man. I think that the Larry Craig who is a moral hypocrite is despicable and has no business conducting the nation’s business. But the Larry Craig who was arrested by the sex patrol is more a figure of pity than a deviant. As George Will wrote, “If deviancy can be defined down to signaling an interest in sex, then deviancy is what goes on in 10,000 bars every Saturday night in our country."

I do not want public restrooms to be sexual hangouts, but I don’t want them to be sex traps either.<<<

And did you know that the nickname for C. L. Otter, Idaho’s Republican governor, who will appoint Craig’s replacement is “Butch?”<<<

From CNN: Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, caused a stir at a Senate hearing this week when he repeated his view that killing is immoral and should not be condoned by the military.

What’s that, he said gay sex, not killing? What kind of pervert is he anyway?<<<

LITERATURE – MY BEST OF THE STILL-YOUNG CENTURY

Fiction – “The Plot against America” – Phillip Roth. Non-fiction – “The Year of Living Dangerously” - Joan Didion.
New author – Ronnie Airth.

Thankfully, I am never too old to be delighted. And delighted I was last week when I heard this song during the Bob Dylan show on XM. His Theme Time show that day was hellos and good-byes, and he played this song sung by Groucho Marx in “Animal Crackers” in 1930. So, without further adieu, here is “Hello, I Must Be Going.”

Groucho
Hello, I must be going
I cannot stay I came to say
I must be going
I'm glad I came But just the same
I must be going... Ta-Ta!
Margaret Dumont
For my sake you must stay;
If you should go away,
You'll spoil this party I am throwing
Groucho:
I'll stay a week or two
I'll stay the summer through But
I am telling you
I must be going.<<<

In Phoenix, Bitter Smith, is fighting to overturn that city’s ordinance that makes it illegal to text message while driving. No, I’m not sure if that’s what made her bitter.<<<

DID YOU KNOW: T

hat 82 billionaires did not make the cut for the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans?

Before the Bush presidency and its “save the wealthy” tax plan, a net worth of $258,332 would have earned you place number 397.<<<

And did you know that of the 21 budgets submitted by Republican presidents since 1980, 19 were unbalanced?

Or that of our $1T National debt –– 1/2 was incurred during Bush presidencies?<<<

IT’S WORKING! IT’S WORKING!

24 die in Iraq peace meeting blast. Without the “Surge,” it would have been 28.<<<

DODGER TALK

It is total wishful thinking on the part of the team’s veterans to believe that the team would have won the pennant had they played more. When they did play during the team’s two prolonged slumps, they left as many or more men on base as the young players.

But they are right to dislike and disapprove of what they see as disrespect shown by the kids to the veterans and the Game.

And finally, is there anyone, player, manager, front office who has talked to these “kids” about maturity and the Game?<<<

Also on baseball: Is the 20-game winner an endangered species?<<<

POST-SEASON BASEBALL (You can take these picks to the bank)

American League
Red Sox over Angels
Indians over Yankees
Indians over Red Sox

National League
Diamondbacks over Cubs
Phillies over Padres

Phillies over Diamondbacks

World Series Indians over Phillies

Note: If Mets win the East then Mets over Padres and Diamondback’s over Mets. If either Colorado or the Phillies are the wild card, I pick them to make the World Series. No matter who wins in the NL, the Indians win the WS.

MY BASEBALL AWARDS

National League

MVP – Matt Holliday - Rockies
Runner-up – Chase Utley – Phillies

Cy Young – Jake Peavy – Padres
Runner-up – Brandon Webb – Diamondbacks

American League

MVP – Alex Rodriguez
Runner-up – Magglio Ordonez - Tigers

Cy Young:

Josh Beckett – Red Sox
Runner-up C - C. Sabathia - Indians

DID YOU KNOW: Except for Ruth Bader Ginsberg, every Supreme Court Justice who has been appointed since Nixon chose Lewis Powell in 1971 has been more conservative than the Justice he or she replaced?<<<

Christian conservatives are trying to take the Republican Party away from the Republicans and make a religious organization out of it. - Barry Goldwater<<<

Anna Quindlen, in Newsweek, opines that Rudy the G, if elected president in 08, would be bad for the country but good for party – the latter because he would lessen the hold of the “Leviticus Lobby.”

She goes on to wonder when Republicans stopped being about public policy and started being about moral judgment.<<<

Color the elephant – This picture shows the Republican elephant. The color chart below is graded from white to black based on skin color. Fill in by the numbers to see the percentage make-up within the party of each group.<<<

Bill (I’m not racist) O’Reilly gets a surprise:

He went to a black restaurant last week with Al Sharpton and there "wasn't any kind of craziness at all. "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, M.F.-er, I want more iced tea."<<<
BACK TO HAWAII

I’ll start with pictures of my favorite Starbucks.

This was not the miracle of Lourdes, but it was close. I spilled some water and looked down – low and behold it stained my shirt with an exact image of Mickey Mouse.<<<

Signs of the times

When I sit in a beach chair or lie in a hammock, I don’t get up as gracefully as I once did. And to tell the truth I wasn’t all that grateful when I was once.<<<

Signs of the times – Part II

Overheard in Waikiki: Mother to young son – “We are all fucked up over dinner.”<<<

"I feel strongly that there ought to be fair justice."—George Bush, Sept. 20, 2007

Nobody Clouds Over Waikiki

Nobody 712

Sunday, September 23, 2007
Nobody # 712

Nobody Asked Me But:

Role Reversal by Judith Viorst

Our children with a touch of pique,
Complain we’re out four nights a week,
And pressingly suggest we do more resting.
They offer us some dull advice
About the virtues of brown rice
And other foods we don’t think worth ingesting.

They’re urging us to sign up for
Some nice safe undemanding tour
In lieu of a far jauntier vacation,
And watch us disapprovingly
Drink every drop of our Chablis
Untroubled by their pleas of moderation.

They warn us we are sure to slip
And give ourselves a fractured hip
Unless when climbing stairs, we grip the railing.
They tell us to slow down, relax,
Lift nothing that will strain our backs,
And take a pill for everything that’s ailing.

We don’t ail all that much. In fact,
We see ourselves as quite intact,
Despite some losses physical and mental.
So though we know no harm is meant,
We’ve come to mightily resent
Our children’s tendency to act parental.

No, my kids aren’t this way. I just like this poem.<<<

THE SPORTS PAGE

FOOTBALL

I would be remiss not to mention the results from UCLA’s game at Utah. So, I’ll be remiss.<<<

I would also be remiss not to mention that the Bruins beat Washington last night, 44-31. We watched from the press box at the Rose Bowl, and it was great fun. I will write more about it next week when the pictures are uploaded and ready.<<<

Still on football:

After a Saturday loss, UA coach Mike Stoops announced that he suspended four players indefinitely following an incident the previous Thursday. This begs two questions:

First, if the incident deserved discipline, why was it not imposed before the game?

Second, would Stoops have taken the same action if the Wildcats had won the game?

Just win, baby, morality is for losers.<<<

The best running back I ever saw was Hugh McElheny, who played for the University of Washington, the 49ers and the Detroit Lions. (Legend has it that he took a pay cut when he moved from college to pro.) The others in my top five in no particular order are: Barry Sanders, Gale Sayers, Jim Brown and Glen Davis.

BASEBALL

Stick a fork in the Dodgers. They’re way past done. Next year, good-bye to the griping veterans – except for pitchers, and hello to the kids.

Congratulations to Curtis Granderson from another of my “season’s over” teams, the Tigers. Granderson made history last week when he stole his 20th base of the season and became just the 3rd player in Major League history to record 20 homers, 20 triples, 20 doubles and 20 steals in a single season. Frank "Wildfire" Schulte did it in 1911, as did Willie Mays in 1957.<<<

BASKETBALL Top 2009 basketball recruit Jrue Holiday, on why he chose UCLA: - "I think it's simple what we all see: two straight Final Fours and a coach that gets you to play defense."<<<

VOLLEYBALL

We went to Pauley Thursday night and watched the Lady Bruins defeat Arizona 3 games to 1. While there we learned that UCLA is stepping up its recruitment of this two-sport athlete. (see pictures. And yes, that's Emily)<<<

When you reach a certain age, every routine doctor’s appointment is an application for apprehension. Or perhaps this is true at any age and merely worsens with time’s passing, as one begins to sense more clearly that the number of horseshoes and four-leaf clovers available is finite.

I had a doctor’s appointment last Wednesday. It was one regularly scheduled and routine, but the night before I was a bit anxious. That’s when I opened Phillip Roth’s new novel “Exit Ghost.” One page one I learned that Roth’s long-time character, Nathan Zuckerman, was struggling with the after-effects of prostate cancer. Great! By page two I wanted to close the book and relegate it to a back shelf in my library. But I am a stubborn SOB. So I read on. And in some strange way the words comforted me.

Why? I’m not sure. But I think it had something to do with the printed word, like reality, being less scary than imagination. I felt the same way when reading about death in Joan Didion’s “The Year of Magical Thinking.”

Oh, and it turned out that I left my appointment healthier than I went in. My BP is great, I have lost a few pounds and my blood sugar, while slightly high, was not the problem I had thought it to be and requires no drastic change in my eating habits.<<<

From The Japan Times: Peter Singer, who is a professor of bioethics at Princeton University, says that we should legalize performance-enhancing drugs in sports. He argues that (1) they would level a field that is genetically uneven, and (2) there is a fine line between legal enhancement drugs (caffeine) and illegal (steroids).

I don’t buy it. Call me old fashioned, but I think an uneven gene pool is an important factor in our uniqueness. I would use gene therapy to prevent or cure birth defects and sickness. Beyond that I am for letting nature take its course.<<<

Speaking of birth defects, I recently finished an excellent novel, “Silence,” by Thomas Perry, in which the main character has a 21-year-old daughter with Down syndrome. She lives with 3 other “handicapped” people. All have jobs and lives that are proportionally independent. Perry’s treatment of the situation and of the relationship between father and daughter is both touching and a reminder that love can trump “handicap.”<<<

This may surprise you, but I believe in a two-front war – terrorists and gangs. Get out of Iraq and into gang-infested inner cities. Mad dogs have no place on our city streets. Englishmen are OK.<<<

Wanted for serial abuse:

George Bush.

Victim: The American legal system.

Caution: Given the chance, this criminal will strike and strike again.<<<

DID YOU KNOW:

That the anti-Christ is gay? At least according to Rev. Dwight McKissic of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Texas who proclaimed it at the Values Voters Summit.<<<

"Of all the wonders of nature, a tree in summer is perhaps the most remarkable with the possible exception of a moose singing ‘Embraceable You’ in spats.” Woody Allen<<<

Was Voltaire right when he said that – “In politics, the perfect is always the enemy of the good?”

Mostly, but not always. When compromise (“the good”) prolongs an evil such as slavery or segregation, then perfect is the only good.<<<

This time in Hawaii we did not treat the sun with indifference. Shade was our friend, eagerly embraced as often as possible. (except when wet or surf-sitting) Still, I managed to turn red, although a lighter shade than usual, before going brown.<<<

News Item: The Los Angeles City Council is considering a two-year moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in South L.A.

Reaction: I think a healthy life style should be a matter of choice, not legislation.<<<<

Quote: “Great powers should never get involved in the politics of small tribes.” - Lebanese historian Kamal Salibi.

Reaction: Tell it to George.<<<

This comment is from my review of a recently finished book:

“I thought that the ending, while basically satisfactory, was less important than the story. I am not sure that is to my liking. “

I know that sometimes a great story needs only some mark of punctuation to satisfactorily bring it to a close, but most of the time I want closure. How about you?<<<

Just before our Hawaii trip, we went to lunch at The Tam O’Shanter in Glendale. (Before and after pictures below) When we were being seated, our waitress pointed out that our booth was the one always reserved for Walt Disney. This falls into either the category of “pretty cool” or “gee, it doesn’t take much to please jt.”<<<


“Get out! Get out of my America!”

That’s Senator John, McCain, who recently said that MoveOn should be “thrown out of the country.”

Or did he?

After this latest eruption, his “explainers” said that he didn’t really mean it because he had his fingers crossed at the time.<<<

In a recent speech Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that one of the tragic ironies of history is the need to compromise with evil in order to do good.

Reactions:

I wish that this sort of compromise wasn’t so easily chosen,

and

too often our real motive is not doing good but doing well.<<<

DID YOU KNOW:

That the New York Times has stopped charging a yearly fee to access its opinion section? It was worth my $50, but free is better.<<<

I love this review of the Rendezvous Gelateria in London – please note that the unusual spelling of colored is because this is written in English:

“While this gelateria boasts an impressive display of brightly coloured ice creams, sorbets and frozen yoghurts, it causes a meltdown when it comes to pricing. For the not-so-sweet sum of £8.95, customers will receive a cold, possibly-not-Belgian waffle, laden with two scoops of their choice. Although the dessert is the size of a small country, it’s no more appealing than Iraq this time of year. It quickly melts into a sloppy mess you don’t want to admit you paid for thanks to the hot chocolate sauce, probably better served in a mug.”

Nobody 711a Pictures from kauai.

Nobody 711a Pictures from Kauai.

Number 1 is a view of our hotel and beach as seen from our balcony, as is number 2 with a beautiful lady added.

Numbers 3 and 4 are cloud scenes taken close to the hotel.

Number 5 is a beach bum in black and yellow shorts and number 6 is the same beach bum having his birthday dinner with his wife at Roy’s.

Number 7 is the Spouting Horn and number 8 answers the question of why does a Kauai chicken cross the road. (To get to the beach.)

Number 9 is a church to be married in, if one wanted to be married in a church. It is in Hanalei. Number 10, Lumahai Beach, is also in Hanalei and is where Mitzi “washed that man right out of her hair.”

In Number 11, are clouds over Hanalei, which you can see best from the bar at the Princeville Hotel. (Number 12)

Number 13 is an orchid at Plantation Gardens restaurant, and number 14 is the ocean view from the lobby of the Hyatt Regency.

Nobody 711

Sunday, September 16, 2007
Nobody # 711

Nobody Asked Me But:

If I had to describe Hawaii in only one word, I would choose “incredibly perfect.”

The highlight of highlights on our trip was to walk past a store window in Kailua and see this replica on wood (picture) of my first meeting with Barb.

I have so much to tell you. Where do I start?

A great vacation is an accumulation of great experiences, so the best of these seems appropriate. On top and almost even were:

Sitting in a short beach chair on the sand at the Kahala, a book in my hand, the waves breaking over my feet. (And sometimes over my rear as well.)

Sitting on the balcony of our eleventh floor room at the Halekulani with Diamondhead in the short distance and Waikiki spread out at my feet. Having my Sunday SB’s mocha there wasn’t too shabby either.

Close behind these two were:

Our first row seats to watch the UCLA/Hawaii women’s volleyball game. Barb tried to buy tickets ahead of time, but the Bruin athletic department comped them to us. We were in the midst of the player’s parents, which was fun, and the Bruins swept, which was extra fun. We had such a good time that we are planning to see some games here.

(The second volleyball picture is from Nogales, not Hawaii, and that’s future star Emily in the forefront.)

Sunset from the House Without A Key. Yes, Charlie Chan, too, hung out at the Halekulani. The music, the hula, the tree and the sea.

Also very cool:

The hammock at the Sheraton in Kauai – doing nothing, just taking it all in.

Playing smashball in the back pool of the Sheraton.

Hearing the dolphins splash and play at night from our Kahala room.<<<



BEST VIEWS – EVERYWHERE. BUT THE BEST OF THE BEST WERE:

Looking down on Hanalei from Princeville on the plateau above. There was “South Pacific” in all its glory – from the beaches to Bali Hai. (Pointed peak in picture)

The afore-mentioned Diamondhead view.

The surf up close, from one of our two balconies at the Sheraton Kauai. The sand was no more than 10 yards from us.<<<

BEST FOOD – SO MUCH TO EAT SO LITTLE TIME.

Let me start with a tale of two dinners. On my birthday we went to Roy’s, long the favorite restaurant of my world. For dinner I had short ribs and Barb, macadamia-crusted white fish. Add an appetizer, drinks and dessert and a check that with taxes and tip came to $127.

The next day we went to a walk-up, picnic table place called the Shrimp Station. I had sweet chili garlic shrimp and Barb her usual beer-battered shrimp. The bill was $27.

You guessed it. The second dinner was better in every way. In fact, my shrimp was the best dish I had during the entire trip. Every thing at Roy’s was mediocre. My Mai Tai was average, my short ribs, watery, my potatoes cool. Barb liked her mac-crusted Ono, but even that was unexceptional. And her two spears of asparagus were cold. Our traditional dessert, Roy's lave cake was short of ice cream and what was there was 1/3 melted.

Other great tastes: My steak at Chuck’s on Waikiki – served with another incredible view. (sunset picture)

My sausage dressing at Casa di Amici on Kauai.

The rice and beans at another walk-up, this time Mexican, on Kauai.

The malasadas at a stand outside Kauai’s K Mart, (3 for $1.25) and the ones at Leonard’s in Oahu.

The French fries at Kua Aina – so good that we went back two nights later.

The cookies from Famous Amos – yes, Amos is still baking them for his store in Kailua on Oahu. Also, the always-delicious coconut-chocolate chip ones from Popo’s.

And I cannot forget the chocolate-chip scones with clotted cream served at the high tea at the Kalaha. (Palm trees and ocean) With these go a story. When we checked in at the hotel, our room was not available. The party occupying it had decided to stay longer. So the management offered to upgrade us to a room by the dolphin lagoon, which had not yet been cleaned. To make our wait sweeter, the hotel comped us the high tea of our choice. This is how we came to sample the scones as part of $45 worth of drinks and goodies, along with another wonderful view, and all for free.

The scones were so good that Barb ordered them twice from room service. They were super every time but, alas, no clotted cream.

Before leaving the twin subjects of bargains and food, I must tell you of another example of my wife’s wisdom and tenacity. Just before we left, she learned that the Kahala was offering an incentive to those who, unlike us, were late-comers to their package. Barb thought that we should not be penalized for early reservations, so she successfully negotiated the addition of free daily breakfasts ($29.95 per person, per day), and a $200 food credit.

One last food item, this one an oddity. At the Kahala’s beach restaurant they list both their cheeseburger (B) and their crab salad sandwich (J) with a fried egg. This was a bit too adventurous for Barb and I, so we had them hold the egg – no not that way.<<<

THE BREAST OF HANALEI

Hanalei was not only the beautiful setting for “South Pacific,” it was the “hippie” haven of the 60s and early 70s, and their influence still prevails. If you do not believe me, I will have Barb take a picture of me in the tie-died tank that I purchased there.

All of this is a lead-in for the following incident. In a small Hanalei boutique, I found two shirts that I wanted to try on. As I walked toward the dressing room a young woman walked out with her blouse unbuttoned to the waist. She was braless and totally exposed. After several minutes, (I think it was 30-40) I averted my eyes only to have her turn to me and, with no effort to cover up, offer the dressing room.

I accepted, thinking that I could escape this disgusting scene, but when I came out she hadn’t changed one tit, excuse me, I meant one bit.

Oh, and the shirts didn’t fit.<<<

MY DREAM HOUSE

One afternoon as we took a short ride from our hotel in Kauai to take some pictures of the Spouting Horn, - ocean water shooting upward with a trumpet like sound through a hole in the rocks - we drove past Gloria’s B&B where we stayed several trips ago. Much to our surprise it was for sale. This could be my dream house (picture ) except that I am about 4 and 1/2 million short of the $4.5M asking price.<<<

Did you know: That chickens own the roads of Kauai?

That the Hawaiian Islands are the world’s most isolated spot?

That Maine is the only state with a one-syllable name? (Nothing to do with Hawaii but interesting)<<<

COMING AND GOING – OUR FLIGHTS

With some trepidation, we checked out the new service from the Van Nuys Fly-Away where, for $5, you can turn over your bags to an agent and not see again until your reach your destination. Much to our delight and surprise our bags arrived with the plane. We will certainly do it again.

However, on our return flight we discovered that First Class, like the Old Grey mare, ain’t what it used to be. We had enough United miles to upgrade, and we did have much more leg room, but the champagne was weak, the Mai Tai bad enough to send back and the cabernet and cold chicken no better than fair. But the mixed nuts, served in a war metal cup were great, and the plane made it. So what’s to complain about?<<<

A LITTLE POLITICS – VERY LITTLE

I know that the Sen. Larry E. Craig affair is old news, - so no cheap shots here, but I still say here is something queer about the whole thing.<<<


Headline: Poll: Bush approval holds at 36 – that’s people, not %.

Isn’t it nice that Petraeus (In the picture with President Clinton) wants and Bush agrees to bring 2 or 3 troops home this year?

And if the “surge” is working even a little, and I am not sure it is, doesn’t that make our President a failure for not implementing it earlier? Certainly many people urged him to.<<<