Classic horror movies

Not very holiday like - it is a week for classic horror films - first we had Rosemary's Baby on Tuesday and tonight it is The Shining - creepy

I will have to balance it off with Frosty or Rudolph this weekend.

TV and the Soft Eshoo Bill (Brent Bozell III)

I was reading Yahoo Opinion and saw this op ed from Brent Bozell. He writes about the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM) which was passed Tuesday on a voice vote that urged that TV commercials be no louder than the shows in which they appear.

I remember my dad always asking if the commercials were louder than the original show and I guess they were!! Not that I think this is a pressing need for Congress (the subject of the Op Ed) but I think there is a niche market here for someone to develop some sort of utility that lessens the ads. I don't need Billy Mays screaming at me.

Bozell's column is linked below - a good read.

TV and the Soft Eshoo Bill
(Brent Bozell III): "Brent Bozell III - Lest any citizen think the U.S. Congress is absorbed only in the weightiest matters like nationalizing the health care system, the House just passed another piece of legislation — a bill urging that TV commercials be no louder than the shows in which they appear."

ABBA, Genesis among new rock hall inductees (AP)

FYI - Genesis was a favorite band of mine and am happy to see them get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I saw them as recently as 2007 during their reunion tour and was really impressed that the old guys still had it.

ABBA, Genesis among new rock hall inductees
(AP): "AP - The 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA is dancing its way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with Genesis, Jimmy Cliff, The Hollies and The Stooges."

Child's Christmas artwork deemed 'violent' -- SOUNDOFF

Interesting note about what is deemed violent. Is Christianity something that the educational elite seem to be something that requires a psych eval?

This is a disturbing trend on one that I have written about before. What is the Christmas season all about? Isn't it based on Jesus Christ (i.e. "the reason for the season"?). As cliche as that might sound to some, it goes without saying that this holiday is based on religious beliefs and that those religious beliefs are being squeezed out of our day to day lives (focus in on consumerism and buying gifts with no thought as to the day itself).

This is horrible.

Child's Christmas artwork deemed 'violent' -- SOUNDOFF: "An eight year old elementary school student in Taunton was sent home from school and required to undergo a psychological evaluation after drawing a stick figure picture of Jesus on the cross.The second grader at Maxham Elementary school was told by this teacher that the drawing was violent. This was after the class was asked to sketch something that reminded them of Christmas."

Jets approaching last 3 games as 'do-or-die' (AP)

Sorry to say this as I love the Jets - but they were in a similar situation last year (i.e. do or die). The real trick is not to get into these situations in the first place.

It is tough to be a fan...

Jets approaching last 3 games as 'do-or-die' (AP): "Things are still looking up for the New York Jets. After a convincing 26-3 victory over Tampa Bay on Sunday and a few other teams losing, the Jets (7-6) are in the middle of the AFC playoff mix. They've won three straight games, the defense has been dominant and they might even get injured quarterback Mark Sanchez back this week."

John Stossel's show starts tomorrow on Fox Business

I am a big fan of John Stossel and am happy to see him moving to Fox Business to do a show focused on free markets and liberty. To that end, he has a good column on WND that outlines his first show (or his first two shows).

My first show on Fox Business

Ban on texting while driving proposed for Boston

So this makes sense to me - a lot more than House working on banning novelty lighters.

Has anyone ever tried this? What reason could you possibly have to text while driving? Isn't it bad enough we have our faces in our computers, IPhones, Blackberrys, Cell phones etc while we are walking?

I think this is a case where people are just too stupid not to do something sensible - or too selfish.

Ban on texting while driving proposed for Boston

House continues to work on the tough issues

So once again, the local lawmakers are taking on a very pressing need with their valuable time? I guess these sorts of things are what are keeping them from taking furloughs although they are asking their staff to take them.

This is (in my opinion) silly and a waste of taxpayer money.

House votes to ban sale of novelty lighters: "Massachusetts lawmakers are backing a proposed ban on the sale of novelty cigarette lighters which could appeal to children. The House on Monday gave initial approval to the bill, which would bar novelty lighters from being manufactured, sold or given away in Massachusetts.
"

Losing Weight

I have tried a slew of things to try and drop weight so having a blog online that in effect holds me accountable is something I thought I would try.

I am 6′6″ and weighed in today and 285.5. According to an online BMI calculator, that puts me in the obese category (with a BMI of 33). Wow!

I have tried all sorts of diets and in truth most of it has worked. I did atkins in 2005 and dropped almost 40 lbs. I felt great and the best thing about that diet is that it made me a little lighter so I could work out and feel a little more confident. Sadly, I threw away everything smart that I learned on that diet and went back to my old ways.

I also did South Beach and like Atkins it worked. But the real challenge is to change your lifestyle which is something I have not done.

Since having kids (2 young ones) more crappy food has been around then I have been exposed to before (Devil Dogs, snack cakes) and to be honest, I don’t even like them, I grab them because it is convenient.

Finally I don’t have time to work out. Or rather, I don’t make time to work out. That is the god honest truth. I used to be in decent shape with martial arts, weight lifting, etc. and now I have let myself go. No excuse – just stating the fact.

So I will use this journal to continue to hold myself accountable. I don’t need pancakes for breakfast or to over eat when we go out to eat. I will track what I eat and see if I can get my ass moving a little better. It will be slow going but maybe reading this blog will re-motivate me.

Breakfast

1. Wrap (60 calories) + 2 eggs+ small amount of mozz cheese – 340 calories?
2. Snack (1030) – TLC Granola Bar (140 calories)

Child porn cases take toll on investigators - washingtonpost.com

Forward from fellow blogger - it is a shame that we actually need people to do this.

Child porn cases take toll on investigators - washingtonpost.com

WBZ NEWSRADIO 1030 - MA 'Merry Christmas' sign ordered taken down

No - this isn't anything regarding a war on Christmas but it is something I see as really silly (like the Holiday Ban in a school in the same town).

What is going on in in these towns? The story notes that "people complained" about the sign and had to be taken down as "a new town common policy only allows displays to stay up for one day, no matter what they are."

I am waiting to see if AIDS Awareness signs or other signs (Martin Luther King Day Observance activities) suffer the same fate.

By the way - that is a stupid law.

WBZ NEWSRADIO 1030 - MA 'Merry Christmas' sign ordered taken down

Aunt Jemima Cartoon Angers Supporters of Ohio Lawmaker - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Can you imagine if the Wall Street Journal (or Fox News) did this? I am sure there would be charges of racism.

Aunt Jemima Cartoon Angers Supporters of Ohio Lawmaker - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Black Friday Brings Shopping Madness Locally - Nashville News Story - WSMV Nashville

This is probably an easy post but give me a break. What the hell is the problem with these people that there would be an injury to a fellow shopped because she was trampled by other shoppers. What kind of society are we in that this is somehow tolerated? What are these people thinking that they would act in such a manner to get into Toys R Us before the rest of the dopes who went out to shop at midnight on Thanksgiving.

Question - is the store going to be held liable for the injuries that were inflicted?


Black Friday Brings Shopping Madness Locally - Nashville News Story - WSMV Nashville

Aintitcool Reviews LOVELY BONES

Checking out the entertainment news - and saw that Peter Jackson has a new movie out based on the book The Lovely Bones - story below

Harry says that LOVELY BONES is a lovely brutal film! -- Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

My wife read this book, even after I had warned her that this doesn't sound entertaining - it is a story of a girl who is raped and murdered and she goes to "heaven" and watches her family struggle with the aftermath of her murder. The book also follows the murderer and his "trials". Does this sound like something you want to read?

Needless to say, my wife finished the book in tears (referring to it as 'horrible'). This is not to say to say the writing was horrible or anything like that - it is just a horrid topic...

It makes me think of the movie American Beauty that came out in 1999 as it was the critics darling (won 5 oscars!). After watching it (on DVD) I remarked to my wife (girlfriend then) that it was one of the most depressing movies I had ever seen. There was nothing redeeming about the movie at all and for all its talk of being "so realistic" and showing the viewer the dark side of suburbia all it did was make we want the two hours of my life back (along with giving the viewer various cliches - the Nazi is actually gay!! - how original...). The Lovely Bones strikes me like that and I have no interest in seeing something like that.

BEWARE! Holiday Foods That Could Kill

Live everyone else, I am looking to drop a few lbs now that I have turned 40. Easier said than done and I have started working out more and watching what I eat. What a better way to start Thanksgiving!!

In any event, in my inbox today I got this story from ediets.com about Holiday Foods that can kill. How could I not read an article like that?

I didn't know Chocolate is toxic (and could be fatal) for dogs and cats...hey I didn't know. Check out the rest of the deadly holiday foods at ediets.com at the link below (and watch out!!!)

BEWARE! Holiday Foods That Could Kill

Chelmsford school's holiday item ban remains in effect

Last week I wrote about this ban in a local Chelmsford school (basically the school was banning on holiday items from their annual holiday gift shop which I thought was at a minimum counter intuitive.

Well reading Boston's Fox news I see that the ban is still in effect.

Chelmsford school's holiday item ban remains in effect

The story notes that "The ban covers all religious items, including items featuring Santa, candy canes, stockings and anything red and green."

Santa is a religious item?? Oh no - not stockings!!! They are also banning things red and green. The school should be ashamed of itself for this silliness but that would make it red...and then it would have to ban itself from its own gift sale..? I digress...

The parents should not support this Holiday Gift shop nor cave into what appears to be political correctness gone awry.

‘Idol’ Runner-Up Sexes Up American Music Awards | NewsBusters.org

I can't stand American Idol anymore (I stopped watching it after Carrie Underwood who seemed to be a class act). When I read this crap I wonder why we call these people American "Idols" when they showcase crap like this. If you haven't seen it or heard about it, I am not going to give it the benefit of explaining it. Needless to say, American Idol is really proud of the press it is getting today.

Thanks for Newsbusters for the story.

‘Idol’ Runner-Up Sexes Up American Music Awards | NewsBusters.org

Belichick vindicated: Patriots defence contains Jets offence in 31-14 win (The Canadian Press)

Let's have the spears now...the Jets lost the to the Patriots today 31-14. It is never easy being a Jets fan and being one is Massachusetts is even harder. Dark days indeed.

Congrats to the Patriots.

Belichick vindicated: Patriots defence contains Jets offence in 31-14 win (The Canadian Press): "FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The defence Bill Belichick didn't want to put on the field a week ago kept the offence of the New York Jets off it Sunday."

A&E News - A&E Presents "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty"

The state of current reality TV is not depressing enough I guess. In reading in my wife's newest People Magazine i see an advertisement for a new reality series starting the Jacksons that warns the reader "You only think you know them". I think to myself this has got to be some strange joke but lo and behold - it isn't (A&E story about the new series is below). It is bad enough that the family has tried to squeeze every last drop of fame from Michael - and then we get the story that Joe Jackson (the father) wants a stipend from Michael's estate seeing as how he was left out of the will (and was spending $150000 a month).

Face it - the rest of the family (except for Janet) just didn't make the cut. Spare us the drama of chronicling "... the personal and professional lives of Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon as they prepare for a Jackson Five reunion, while also coming to terms with Michael's tragic loss." (from the A&E website).

Can I get an amen!!

A&E News - A&E Presents "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty"

WBZ NEWSRADIO 1030 - MA House orders staff - not member - furloughs

A continuing problem with politicians especially here in Ma. Can you believe the chutzpah of these guys (yes - not all of them are male - it is an expression). They order their staff to take unpaid time off but they do not (their salaries are mandated by constitutional amendment)? In my opinion, if this state is having so many financial problems why don't the House members volunteer some of their salary and take the furloughs as well?

In my opinion, this is typical of politicians who always look to for other people to sacrifice for the greater good. Taxes are paid by someone else, balanced budget restraints are for someone else, unpaid off is for someone else to do.

Maybe it is time for someone else to work in the House??

WBZ NEWSRADIO 1030 - MA House orders staff - not member - furloughs

Postal Service to Resume Santa Letter Program - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

I blogged recently about the Postal Service dropping the Santa Letters program.

Well I am glad to report that it looks like saner heads have prevailed. Tks to Fox News for the updated story.

Postal Service to Resume Santa Letter Program - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Final Verdict - Uneven ‘Prisoner’ gets caught in plot loops - The Boston Globe

As I blogged about recently, I was looking forward to AMC's reworking of "The Prisoner", based on the old tv series. Being a Lost fan, I heard that the old show was one of the influences of Lost.

All I can say is wow - this was a tough show to watch. Very choppy editing and little character development and a hard story to follow really made the 6 hours of the series painful to watch. As the Boston Globe puts it:

"...the AMC remake is numbingly paced, heavy-handed, aimless, and humorless. Worst of all, there’s not a single character in the cold, visually cliched world created by director Nick Hurran who evokes sympathy or enduring interest."

That about sums it up. I wanted to like this...I just didn't.

Story from the Boston Globe - Uneven ‘Prisoner’ gets caught in plot loops - The Boston Globe

Florida Jury Awards $300 Million in Ex-Smoker's Suit - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Am I a bad person if I don't agree with the outcome of this suit? According to Wikipedia, cigarettes were labeled as early as 1967 with the warning "Caution: Cigarette Smoking May be Hazardous to Your Health (1966-1970)". The story notes that the plantiff started smoking in 1968 since "it made her look older". Shouldn't she have know better? She was 20 when she started smoking?

Something just seems wrong to me on this.

Florida Jury Awards $300 Million in Ex-Smoker's Suit - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

AAA: Thanksgiving travel to go up

Not a fan of traveling on the holiday - reading that it will be more expensive continues to reinforce this.

AAA: Thanksgiving travel to go up: "WASHINGTON - A leading auto organization is projecting a 1.4 percent increase in Thanksgiving travel this year, although fewer people will travel by air due to budget concerns, reduced airline capacity and added charges."

Starting February, LOST Will Air Tuesdays!! -- Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

Just reviewing the myriad sites with all kinds of news and caught this that I thought was good enough to post. Thanks to Aint it Cool News for this. Lost will be airing on Tuesday, not Wednesdays.

Good, bad, indifferent??? Story link below.

Starting February, LOST Will Air Tuesdays!! --
Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

Ho Ho No: Postal Service Drops Santa Letters Program

(Updated) - Postal Service reinstates this service.

Say it isn't so?? No more letters to Santa?

But does he still answer the email? Fox News Story below on Postal Service dropping the Santa Letters program.

Ho Ho No: Postal Service Drops Santa Letters Program: "Thousands of starry-eyed children all over the world are writing letters to the jolly man at the North Pole this holiday season, but they will not likely get a response from Santa Claus or his helpers."

W.A.T.C.H. world against toys causing harm, inc.

The World Against Toys Causing Harm (or W.A.T.C.H.) has released their list of the 10 worst toys for kids this Christmas season. It is no surprise that this group was founded in Massachusetts. Anyway - unfortunately many of these toys look pretty cool...hopefully no one buying for my kids will read this list.

W.A.T.C.H. world against toys causing harm, inc.

LucasArts.com | LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues

The first Lego Wii game featuring Indiana Jones was great and I just found out there was a new game coming out. Of course at basketball when I was talking to some of the kids after the game they knew all about it. I need to get on that internet.

LucasArts.com | LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues

Chelmsford school bans holiday items at gift shop | Byam Elementary School |

Chelmsford school bans holiday items at gift shop | Byam Elementary School |

This is a joke right? A local Chelmsford school has gone so far as banning red and green tissue paper because it looks too "Christmasy". As if that is the the worst thing Chelmsford (and this state) need to worry about.
I like that the school is banning items such as Santa, candy canes, stockings and other items from its "annual holiday gift shop". What holiday would that be?
Merry whatever!!

Underperforming Boston schools may shut down

Continuing the education theme today - another story from the local Boston Fox website.

Underperforming Boston schools may shut down

Question - why wouldn't they be shut down? Certainly there would be better alternatives for the children being affected wouldn't there?

Weight in as promised

So I tipped the scale at 284 today. Ugh - I guess the oreos didn't help.

Teachers union opposes bonus program

Not sure why the unions would be opposed to merit based bonuses for exceptional teachers. I for one would want my kids being educated by teachers who get these bonuses.

Teachers union opposes bonus program: "

BOSTON - The Boston Teachers Union wants to stop hundreds of teachers from pocketing bonuses. The union is opposing a performance-based bonus program started in 2008 and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates and Exxon Mobil foundations.

"

Running update

So am trying to be more healthy and have run a couple of times now. Just got back from a slow as$ run (sorry for the language). Did a couple of miles and did a lot better than the first time I ran on Sunday but still a lot slower than I would like. Why do we abuse our bodies for so long and expect a change overnight - hmmmm

By the way, a friend tipped me onto this site -http://www.logyourrun.com/

I am using it to track my progress - goal for this week is to run two more times by Sunday.

Weigh in tomorrow.

Amazon savings

I know it is going to be a good day when I get emails like the one I just got from Amazon. It is as follows:

Greetings from Amazon.com.

You saved $0.02 with Amazon.com's Pre-order Price Guarantee!

The price of the item(s) decreased after you ordered them, and we gave you the lowest price.

The following title(s) decreased in price:

xxxxxxxx (what I bought was irrelevant)

Price on order date: $9.00
Price charged at shipping: $8.98
Lowest price before release date: $8.98
Quantity: 1
Total Savings: $0.02

$0.02 is your total savings under our Pre-order Price Guarantee.

Alright!!!! Every little bit helps

Out for a run

Went out to work off the Jets loss. Had an ok run but it felt good to exercise after a day of working around the house.

Also trying out new iPhone app for blogging.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Scobee kicks 21-yard field goal as time expires to give Jags 24-22 win over Jets (The Canadian Press)

Crap - Jets drop one to the Jags and also drop to 3rd in the AFC East. It is tough some times to be a Jets fan.

Scobee kicks 21-yard field goal as time expires to give Jags 24-22 win over Jets (The Canadian Press): "The Jacksonville Jaguars boosted their playoff chances with a big road win and sent the New York Jets to another devastating loss."

Complete coverage of NY Jets vs. Jacksonville Jaguars | New York Jets - - NJ.com

Complete coverage of NY Jets vs. Jacksonville Jaguars | New York Jets - - NJ.com

Update - Jets lose to Jacksonville (24-22). What does this mean for their playoff hopes as the Jets Coach (Rex Ryan) stated "If the Jets (4-4) had any prayer of making the playoffs this season, they needed to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars".

I guess it is going to be another disappointing year for us Jets fans.

Star Wars in Concert | Anthony Daniels | Star Wars C-3PO | Star Wars |

Star Wars in Concert | Anthony Daniels | Star Wars C-3PO | Star Wars |

The family checked out Star Wars in concert yesterday afternoon in Boston. Absolutely superb as the concert with a live orchestra played music to snippets from all the movies as the story was narrated by C-3PO himself Anthony Daniels. I was so impressed with it a did a quick Google and found this story from the local Fox station interviewing Anthony Daniels about the show.

After hearing he was on twitter I sent Anthony Daniels a quick tweet to thank him again for the show. There were two standing ovations and as I tweeted, he especially looked quite overcome and I for one, thought it was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

AMC » The Prisoner

So as a huge Lost Fan, I am looking forward to AMC's The Prisoner Miniseries tonight. Link follows. I am worried about having unrealistic expectations but with Lost not returning to 2010, hopefully this miniseries will help.

AMC » The Prisoner: "Official site for AMC's The Prisoner miniseries. Sneak peeks, cast interviews and making-of videos; plus episode & character guides, contests, and talk forums."

Skip The Hand Shake Now Has A Wristband

Tks to Tech Crunch - it looks like there is a movement to make the handshake go the way of the Dodo. I guess it is more sanitary.

Link below.

Skip The Hand Shake Now Has A Wristband: "

No Righteous Cause is complete without a colored wristband. That’s why I’m so excited that the no-hand shake movement (yes, movement) now has an official blue wristband for people who want to show that they support the effort. Get a ten pack of them here for $20.

Here’s who has (sort of, not really) pledged their support for the No Handshake cause to date:

• OpenCandy, Bessemer Venture Partners


• Some German city
  
  


• CNN, Dalai Lama And The Obamas


• One in three Canadians


• Brad Feld and Boston Globe


• NEW – The New Yorker, via this cartoon

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

"

Bon Jovi Hair Retrospective

Bon Jovi Hair Retrospective: "THEN/NOW: To celebrate the release of 'The Circle,' we follow the boys back through thousands of cans of Final Net

I know it is probably not "cool" to be a fan on Bon Jovi but they remain one of the best concerts I have seen (the Have A Nice Day Tour in Boston). They have a new album coming out that is a return to rock (moving away from their last album that was country 'influenced') and the first single (We Weren't Born To Follow) is definitely a good 'arena rock' album.

Court rules natural gas a dangerous weapon

Court rules natural gas a dangerous weapon: "The Massachusetts Appeals Court has upheld the conviction of a man who tampered with a natural gas line inside his estranged wife's home, finding that gas can be considered a dangerous weapon. "

From the desk of the blatantly obvious...I like the defense position that the conviction "should be overturned because (the defendant) did not seal the house or stop the people inside from leaving"

Ok - in any event the Court got it right.

Geocaching T-Shirt

We have recently gotten very into Geocaching (we have found about 30 caches) so far. Don't know what I am talking about? See http://www.geocaching.com/ for more info.

A friend of mine sent this to me as a joke but in some perverse way, it is actually kind of true.

I just won the Irish Lottery

I just got this email...I think it is legit

Irish National Lottery

Your email have been lucky to have been selected among 50 Recipient of £891,934.00 pounds sterlings. each by Irish National Lottery Board.

For further inquiry,please Contact our claim desk with your Details: names,Address,Tel,Age,Occupation,Country immediately.

Claim Department:FOREIGN TRANSFER MANAGER - Contact Mr. Sean James Email:irsboard-sj@msn.com

Your`s Sincerely,
Mrs.Linda Owen.

I am so lucky - yeah right.

Local gas prices rise for 4th time in month

Local gas prices rise for 4th time in month: "Give another penny to the gasoline pump. Prices in our area are up another cent, according to the last survey by AAA of Southern New England. On average, self-serve regular now costs $2.64 a gallon. It's the fourth increase in as many weeks."

Uh oh - this looks like it is going to be a tough winter.

I want to believe that the new XFILES movie doesn't stink

So I was able to see the new X-Files movie over the weekend (love the free movie channel preview) and found it confusing and by far inferior to many of the TV shows that were based on the "monster of the week" rather than the X-Files mythology with the Government and Aliens trying to colonize the Earth. This movie took so many illogical jumps (yes I know it is a movie) that I find even my credulity tested.

I did record Frost/Nixon so I have higher expectations for that. With regards to the X-Files movie, it is time to wrap that up - the ship has sailed.

Back from Disney

So long story short, we took the kids to Disney World and had a great time. In fact I wished we had stayed longer. Best rides were the Tower of Terror, the Aerosmith Roller Coaster and the Expedition Everest. Most of the kids were a little "scary" for my son (he preferred the Star Wars ride at Hollywood Studios) and the one regret was that we didn't bring a good camera.

Here is video (not of us) of the Everest ride from Animal Kingdom



Recommend staying on the resort and being aware that many of the rides are not really for small kids. The funny thing is that my kids also aren't too fond of cartoon characters...hmmm

Just finished Dan Brown's new book

So I got"The Lost Symbol" at Barnes and Noble and just completed it this morning (mostly due to the crappy nights sleep that I had since my kids were not able to sleep unless they were in our bed). I really enjoyed "The DaVinci Code" and since I wasn't Catholic, didn't take it as offensively as others did. In fact, I recall I read a book in the early 90's whose premise was that Christ didn't sacrifice himself willingly but instead was forced to be buried in the tomb which I thought was at least an intriguing premise. But I digress.

The Lost Symbol isn't a bad book. I think that it will suffer from comparisons to The DaVinci Code and people expecting the same shocks as his previous book will be somewhat disappointed. I also predict this book will do for Noetic Sciences as Jurassic Park did for Chaos Theory. In other words, this will become the newest discussion topic for a bit as it will generate a lot of interest.

I as hoping for a more focused book on the potential conspiracy theories involving the Founding Fathers but the focus of the book wasn't really on that at all, instead deals with specific myths and legends about the Freemasons. Having seen a lot of this on the History Channel, the content included in the book was somewhat more "real" in a sense that I was familiar with some of it more than I was with The DaVinci Code.

All in all, a good read. Above average I would say with some cheap gotchas that I won't ruin here. I am sure this will be a good seller for Brown and will make its way to Hollywood as well.

More on Halloween

Coming home from a long day at work, I noticed that there are even more Halloween decorations up! And it is only the 1st day of October. It is hard to be a downer when the kids run out and scream that they have been working on this all day and isn't it great. J also announced he got his costume (Jango Fett). It is better I guess because it is a whole body suit. He even wears the mask. Good times indeed.

J also had his first Tiger Scout meeting. How depressing that no one knew the Scout Promise.

But back to the Halloween thing - Yeah it is great to be home.

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.

Trip to Nauset

Just got back from a good weekend at the cape. Although the last day (today) was the best day of the lot, with 4 hours spent in the 64 degree weather of Nauset Light House beach (part of the Cape Cod National Sea Shore). Although cold, we had a great time (me and the little Valkyrie spent a lot of time in the surf while the young viking spent his time digging holes and burying things).

Was happy to see the traffic die down on the way home across the Sagamore Bridge. It looks like leaving at 630 was pretty good as far as fighting the off cape travel. But it is good to be home.