Getting ready for Halloween

The kids have been trying to weasel out a visit to the Halloween store for costumes  since about August. We finally gave in on Sunday and I was surprised that my daughter wanted to be Hermione Granger (from Harry Potter). It was so interesting because she has never seen any of the Harry Potter films and has not read any of the books (she is only 8). How does she decide to be a character like that?

My son was a little easier - Jango Fett, the feared Bounty Hunter from Attack of the Clones. I think it was more because the costume came with a blaster but that is me. After I purchased it he decided he didn't want the costume because he couldn't see out of the mask. Back to square one.

What ever happened to throwing a sheet over your body and being a ghost? I spent $65 on costumes!

How about those Jets?

As a transplanted New Yorker in Boston, MA, I have remained a NY Jets fan (but have no real problem with the Patriots). Glad to see them up to 3-0 with a 24-17 victory over the Titans.

My kids dreams (3rd Grade and 1st Grade)

I thought this was great. The kids were asked to write up one question or wish that they had.

My daughter (3rd Grade) - her question was - "why is the snow white"? And her wish was that more animals had homes.

My son (1st grade) - his wish was more artists in schools.

I think I will wait till they are older to throw this data out at them.

What will they think up next?

My daughter (3rd grade) has developed an obsession (too strong) with what she calls take apart erasers that are available at places like costume/holiday shops like iParty. I have found them on the web (link is here) and they appear to be another little bit of junk coming from Japan (not that everything from Japan is junk).

My question is how this obsession develops and actually takes over any specific grade at school and becomes a 'menace' to decent parents' wallets everywhere. Who thought that plastic erasers from Japan would be the next 'thing'.

Color me confused.

Bagels on a Saturday

Why is it, when your daughter asks you to run out and get a bagel for her you do it? So it looks like I am heading out to the local bagel store to get 2 bagels with 'melted butter'.

Anyone else what anything?

Strikingly good coffee

My wife picked me up a cup of coffee from Starbucks today that used the new Clover system (you can see the press release at the Starbucks website). She brought me a home a great cup of Sumatra and I gotta say that was a good cup of coffee. It is a little more expensive than the usual cup of coffee (on the order of .50 for a large). I did get a chuckle when my wife told me she asked the clerk about purchasing one and was told they were $23,000!

Yikes.

Flashforward on ABC

Just got done watching Flashforward on ABC. As a huge Lost fan I was pretty excited with this shows premise and was looking forward to the premiere. By in large I was really happy with what I saw and am happy that TV is at least entertaining and trying to tell a good story. I thought everyone sort of jumped to the conclusion that they had all time traveled a bit easy but hey - I don't want to be a nit.

Looking forward to seeing where the series goes (seeing as how the show has set itself up for a flashforward so early (6 months)). The characters were mildly intriguing and I hope that they continue the development.

Certainly better than the Heroes premiere. What has happened to that show? The first season was exhilarating and it has slowly but surely gone downhill. It is ok to have good and evil and have them in constant combat. That is the state of life.

I have high hopes for Flashforward and wonder if it can keep my interest until Lost returns next year.

Coffee Intensity

So my wife just brought me a cup of coffee from Starbucks that is made with an electronic coffee press (the famous Clover brewing system). She chose a nice Sumatra blend and I will tell you it wasn't that bad (very bold and very intense). More pricey then their regular blend but not too bad. I am beaming!

Not sure how long this has been in service but I checked the Starbucks website and saw a press release was at least a year old! So I guess I could have been enjoying this goodness for awhile. Dang!

Kayne West is a disgrace

So we all know that during Taylor Swift's win at the 13 Sept 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, some moron called Kayne West grabbed the microphone and stated that Beyonce should have won, leaving Taylor Swift (a 19 year old country singer/star) looking stunned and speechless. I have to wonder what Swift was doing there in the first place since MTV hardly plays videos anymore (and usually focuses on hip hop and asinine reality shows). The President has called West a "Jackass" - he is half right (the "ass") part. I would add hole to that but that is me. Here is some punk that decides to diminish someone's moment of triumph for personal and selfish reasons. What does that reveal about our culture that this jackass is celebrated so much. What do his actions reveal about his personality and conduct?

But no worries - he has apologized on his blog...wow! What a great gesture. West was on Jay Leno's new show on Monday and said:

"So many celebrities, they never take the time off," he said. "I've never taken the time off to really — you know, just music after music and tour after tour. I'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else's hurt. My dream of what awards shows are supposed to be, 'cause, and I don't try to justify it because I was just in the wrong. That's period. But I need to, after this, take some time off and just analyze how I'm going to make it through the rest of this life, how I'm going to improve."

It is also interesting to note that MTV hasn't seen fit to condemn West's actions - and why should they - controversy is great for the stupid show.

West also told Leno that he wanted to apologize to Swift "in person". How about you give Taylor Swift a call instead of using a "blog". Or better yet, since you have been so successfully in your career to this date, why don't you man up, find Taylor Swift and speak to her in person and apologize for your mean, selfish act and vow never to do something like it again and stop talking to everyone else about how sorry you are.

Outspoken Roman

OK - Racism = disagreement

A lot has been made of Republican Rep. Joe Wilson's decision to yell "You lie" at the President during the joint session to Congress this week regarding the potential health care coverage of illegal immigrants. Sure it was a breach of decorum that all the pundits want to remind the American People of. But was it racism?

Fox News has a story entitled "Black Publishers Cry Racism Over Wilson Outburst, Join Boycott of South Carolina" found here. The money quote from the story states that the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Chairman Danny J. Bakewell Sr. said. "Rep. Wilson's remarks were racist, disrespectful, and a disingenuous violation -- not only of President Obama -- but to the institution of the presidency and only solidified our position and the importance in not spending black dollars where black people are not respected."

You have got to be kidding me. Do Obama's supporters really believe this is racist? Has that word gotten to be so overused that it has lost all meaning? The NNPA should be ashamed of itself for slurring Rep Wilson with such a label. This is another insidious attempt by the left and by race baiters to use the specter of racism to squelch legitimate debate and the Republicans should not support any sort of censure movement against Rep. Wilson. He has apologized and it should be left at that. Can you imagine if a black Representative had done that to President Bush and some right wing group charged the Representative with racism? Can you imagine the left's caterwauling and shouts of righteous indignation?

Tks to Rush Limbaugh I was reminded of how the Democrats booed President Bush during his 2005 State of the Union address. Here is a link to the RealClearPolitics story and video. You can audibly here the boos and heckles from the Dems. What about this breach of protocol?

BTW - I have read a number of Main Stream Media outlets who rile against the Internet and the mis information that is out there but I think the ABC/CBS/NBC world actually don't like the competition. For example I looked at the ABC News Site and found a story entitled "Heckling of President Is Rare in American History". President Bush is mentioned only in passing and the specific example discussed above is not mentioned at all. Props to CBS News for at least covering the 2005 heckling.

As for the NNPA - I thought dissent was patriotic?

Outspoken Roman