For old times sake...

How about I bless this blog with this post over a decade after I abandoned it. Indeed, the last post to this blog was in 2002. Here I am today and doing well. A lot has changed in the last 11 years; more than I ever imagined back in 2002. But one thing I've learned through it all is that it's not what happens to you but how your respond and react to what happens that determines your well being. And of course, the value to be derived in life will not be when you have reached a certain destination, but while on the journey itself. Keep the faith fellow travelers and may the winds always be at your back.

Learning to fly

Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a windswept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction holding me fast, how
Can I escape this irresistible grasp?

Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted Just an earth-bound misfit, I

Ice is forming on the tips of my wings
Unheeded warnings, I thought I thought of everything
No navigator to guide my way home
Unladened, empty and turned to stone

A soul in tension that's learning to fly
Condition grounded but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I



From Pink floyd, a momentary lapse of reason EMI, 1987

Sopranos

Family Values

What's wrong with the Lakers?

This has not been a fun season for the Los Angeles Lakers. Showtime and four-peat have been replaced with complacency, finger-pointing, dreadful execution, poor shooting, a string of opponents who don't give a hoot about them and very few wins.

Oh Holy Fright

The New York Post has this story.

Seems that Right after Cardinal Egan finished the Christmas homily, in which he urged parishioners to pray for peace and "love those who are hurting," Wesner Fequiere, a 39-year-old homeless man who was clearly hurting, entered the Cathedral and shouted that he was a believer and wanted to say a prayer.

Security guards and ushers, in an expression of love and the holiday spirit, tackled the man and dragged him outside. Once outside, he broke free again, ran back into the church and approached the altar before being tackled once more. This time, he was dragged from the Cathedral in handcuffs as he announced, "I'm not crazy; I'm homeless… I am the son of God."

He explained to police officers that he was homeless, hungry and just wanted to go someplace where he could take a shower and relax for a bit, so they took him to Bellevue.

What was Cardinal Egan’s response to all this? He told his gathered flock that "these things happen in New York," and ended the service by urging them once again "to come to the assistance of those who are alone, abandoned and in need."

Life imitates Watt

"I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent."--Interior Secretary James Watt, 1983 (the comment led to his resignation)

Homeless collect $5,000 Christmas present for NYC cop

A New York City cop who refused to arrest a homeless man for taking refuge in a parking garage has become a hero to the homeless community for his stand even though his superiors were less enthused. Officer Eduardo del La Cruz was charged with insubordination for refusing a direct order and suspended for 30 days without pay, just as the Christmas season was approaching. To demonstrate their gratitude for the officer, homeless across the city collected whatever money they could scrape together from welfare checks and selling cans to help him and his family of five through the holidays.

I commented on the original story a few weeks ago (I'm feeling too lazy to go search for it in the archives) in which I applauded this officer for standing up for what he believed was the right thing to do. I'm glad to see that the NYC homeless polulation has responded in kind.

Kwanzaa

Today marks the beginning of the African-inspired holiday Kwanzaa, a weeklong event that gives black people an opportunity to celebrate where they came from and strengthen their communities. Those unfamiliar with the celebration, which runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, think it’s a religious holiday meant to replace Christmas, but it was never intended to replace the Christian holiday.

Kwanzaa, whose name is derived from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanzaa,” which means “first fruits,” was founded in 1966 by activist Maulana Karenga, a professor at California State University at Long Beach. The celebration encourages African Americans to embrace their roots and focus on seven principles to improve their lives and communities.

Another War

...And still no proof says Ted Rall

Does the U.S. really possess proof, as it claims, that Saddam is up to no good? Or does it merely suspect--in other words, have a gut feeling--that Iraqi scientists are cooking up smallpox bombs hundreds of feet beneath the desert?

A war in Iraq is easy:
the problem will be the peace

Times Online has this story.

The momentum for war is now so great that it cannot be stopped, short of a miracle. Of course, Saddam Hussein or President Bush could decide to climb down completely. .

Saddam could announce: “Here’s the anthrax, and over there is the mustard gas, and, by the way, we keep our nuclear material in the cellar of the palace. For myself, I have bought an economy class ticket to Zimbabwe, where my old friend Mr Mugabe has agreed to put me up for a year or two.” Or President Bush could state that the UN weapons inspectors had failed to find any prohibited material, and that the United States had therefore cooled over any further action in the Middle East.

Neither of these things is going to happen. If President Bush was now to flinch, which he will not do, the consequences would be disastrous, not only to his Administration and to the United States, but to world peace and to the Middle East. If he retreated at this point, he might just as well resign as President, and his authority would be destroyed.

Even worse would be the effect in the Middle East itself. Saddam Hussein would emerge as the leader who had twice survived an American assault. The Arab world, probably the whole Islamic world, would be convinced that his methods were successful. Apart from other consequences, there would be an immediate threat to other Arab regimes as well as to Israel.

On Racial Profiling

That insidious practice by which some police routinely stop African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, Arab-Americans and others simply because of their race, ethnicity or national origin should be an issue of concern.

President Bush pledged to end racial profiling nearly two years ago during his first address to a joint session of Congress. Attorney General John Ashcroft has acknowledged the damage caused by racial profiling and called for an end to the practice. It is time for the administration to move this effort forward.

In the last Congress, a bipartisan group of members sponsored the End Racial Profiling Act. The bill bans racial profiling and requires federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to take steps to eliminate and prevent the practice. This bill should be one of the top agenda items when Congress reconvenes in January, and the administration should follow through on its promise to address this issue.

Merry Christmas

... And Happy Holidays! May your season be filled with good cheers, peace and love.

Citiblog will return in a few days. Be safe.

-The Garrauds

Sign of the times

Still seeking that perfect gift for a special young girl in your life? Well, look no further than page 50 of the FAO Schwarz 2002 holiday catalogue. For a mere $45, you can surprise and delight her with a Lingerie Barbie.

And what a Barbie Babe she is, decked out in her sexy black (or, if you prefer, pink) garters, stockings and obligatory stiletto heels. Even her PR is PG, giving the phrase "sex toy" a whole new level of meaning:

"Barbie exudes a flirtatious attitude in her heavenly merry widow bustier ensemble accented with intricate lace and matching peekaboo peignoir."

Oh darn, reading this too late for holiday gift giving? Not to worry. Mattel plans a February launch for its sixth "limited edition" Lingerie Barbie, promising she'll be "simply sassy in a short pearl-grey satin slip trimmed in black lace" and "thigh-high stockings" that "add a hint of flair." [more]

Schoolbooks are flubbing facts

Ever wonder what your children might be learning when they hit the books? Would you want your kids learning from these books?

"It's a reign of distortion and censorship," said Diane Ravitch, an education historian at New York University and former assistant education secretary in the first Bush administration. "It's an environment in which words and images are routinely banned." And that's just the textbooks.

Homeland Security, back then.

(Walt Handelsman)

More Classic NYC

My favs.

the World’s Fair site at Flushing Meadow . . . the Grill Room at the Four Seasons . . . the Brooklyn Heights Promenade . . .the dozens of fiercely competitive Indian restaurants on East 6th Street . . .jay-walking as a sport ...Turkish baths . . . the fountain at Lincoln Center . . . the pretzel . . . people swearing every year that it’s their last year in the city . . . pigeons . . . staying friends with people only because they have the perfect window view for parades ... deli guys who memorize your order after a while so you never have to ask for your breakfast . . . the lions in front of the New York Public Library . . . unwritten but sacred social rules involving personal space (like, dude, take off your backpack on the subway) . . . graffiti . . . umbrella carnage on every corner after a storm . . . bike messengers . . . cheesecake (yum) . . . brunch . . . pride in showing off the city to friends in from out of town ... New Yorkers of every age, race, and class waiting patiently in four-block-long lines on 9/11/01 just to make an appointment to donate blood (God Bless America). . . famous people everywhere except where the tourists are looking for them ...hearing ten languages spoken in the course of a single block . . . the Apollo ...the opening night of a Broadway show . . . the waterfront . . . haggling with street vendors . . .a whole subway car full of people pretending nothing is happening even when someone just two feet away is screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs . . . the Rockettes . . . the confidence of living in the center of the universe.

Blook: Tony Pierce

I received my copy of Tony Pierce's book in the mail yesterday. I have copy number 74/125 , signed by the author and delivered via priority mail in a plain brown wrapper (Just kidding about the plain brown wrapper).

"Blook" is a compilation of the west coast power blogger's weblog entries from the past year. If you haven't yet experienced the busblog, check it out.

The first thing that impressed me was the front cover's unique imagery (busblog style), superimposed with the classy title that appears in a burst of light as if to suggest a bold and uncensored perspective. That, I agree is apropos, since "Blook" certainly delivers what it promises.

First, Tony gives special thanks to his readers, as well as the book's title creator Jeff jarvis. He then takes the reader directly to the first entry:

"Hi blog that I treat like crap. I love you. I'm making a hot meal for my hot girl tonight. I'm pretty excited, shouldn't I be? Some say you jinx it by being excited. I think Jinxing is a bunch of phooey, for if you have the ability to jinx something, you should also be able to unjinx it. I think this girl is killer."

Empowered with unadorned directness, wit and imaginative points of view, Tony pierce's "Blook" is a hit. The 111 page compilation has a down to earth and credible style that entices the reader to dig deeper. You gotta love it!

Classic New York

You already know it's the greatest city in the world. From stilettos to power lunches, let us remind you why... You don't have to look hard to catch a glimpse of classic New York. Just do what the tourists do: Look up. But tourists, being tourists, see only the landmarks. What really makes this city constant over time is not so much the bricks and mortar but what's inscribed in the city's DNA: the people, the institutions, the ways of life that may evolve over time but remain unmistakably New York.

The skyline . . . neurosis . . . “Stand clear of the closing doors” . . . Shakespeare in the Park . . . the penthouse . . . pickles . . . very wealthy small children . . . the docents at the Met . . . seltzer . . . parties where everyone’s wearing black . . . “Page Six” . . . getting bus-slushed . . . the fine distinction among bodegas, delis, and corner stores . . . the knish . . . at 5 p.m., Town Cars lined up two deep in front of corporate buildings . . . Art Deco . . . standing under the Washington Square Park arch with its decrepit statue of George Washington and gazing up Fifth Avenue . . .

“I’m on the list” . . . the beat cop . . . famous people at the newsstand early in the morning so they can be the first to read their reviews . . . apartment envy . . . Ed Koch . . . spending the day sitting in the Cloisters’ medieval garden . . . illegally tapping fire hydrants . . . [more]

Slate: How Reaganomics became Rubinomics

The bizarre Republican swoon for deficit spending.

You and I as individuals can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but for only a limited period of time. Why, then, should we think that collectively, as a nation, we are not bound by that same limitation?"

—Ronald Reagan's first inaugural address, 1981


"Glenn Hubbard, chairman of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers … derides the 'current fixation' with budget deficits, and labels as 'nonsense' and 'Rubinomics,' the view espoused by former Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin that higher deficits lead to lower growth."

—The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 17

How in the world did this happen? Once upon a time, federal government deficits were denounced by St. Ronald as a focus of evil barely less threatening than communism itself. Now that concern is mocked by a Republican White House as the nonsensical "fixation" of a previous Democratic administration. In recent weeks the term "Rubinomics" has spread through the press like a rash—promoted by people who apparently believe that the best way to discredit anything is to associate it with Bill Clinton. They are not deterred by the inconvenient fact that the economy did rather well under Clinton and Rubin—better than under either of the Bushes or Reagan himself. Even more astonishing is that the Republican propaganda machine is trying to stamp "Clinton" all over one of the cornerstones of Reaganism. [more]

Send in the clones

The Daily News has this report

The chief scientist of a group that believes humans were spawned by space aliens is claiming an American in her care will deliver the world's first cloned baby within days. Dr. Brigitte Boisselier - a member of The Raelians, a Canada-based sect that advocates building an embassy for extraterrestrials - says the clone is a girl.

Boisselier's announcement is the latest from a string of scientists racing to produce the first copycat human. Last month, Italian fertility doctor Severino Antinori promised a cloned baby boy will be born in January.

But skeptics argue the cloning claims smell about as bad as a dirty diaper.

Maybe our friend Leah in Canada can tell us if she's ever heard of this Dr. Brigitte Boisselier.