Great blog entry link

Best blog entry I've read in awhile. Figures it would come from a pro. Nora Ephron, the writer of "When Harry Met Sally" wrote these reflective words in the Huffington Post yesterday. I refer to this link because it was a flawless read. Funny, evocative, wry and harmonious. And applicable to all us journalers.

Go Sawks

RED SOX WIN!!!!!

It's all tied up. My stomach is in a knot. I'm jumping the gun. There are still many, too many, games to go. I was so anxious I lapsed into Spanish during the middle innings.

incommunicado

Anxiety all week. 2.5 weeks now. Emerging. Productive. Un-self-destructive.

For all the marbles

YANKEES vs. RED SOX

DAMMIT

NOT AGAIN

WHY GOD, WHY DO YOU STRETCH US SO FAR?

GO SAWKS

Way 2 Young at Heart

HB 2 Me

God smiles upon the Jersey Shore

First of all, you know its going to be a good party when you're on the beach, the sun is out, it's an open bar and you have nothing but a roll of $20s in your pocket. Your girlfriend is the hottest chick on the coast, friends are high-fiving you and every person with a camera is snapping a rock star picture of you.

Then, the party turns out better than everyone expected because God kept the rain away and shined the sun rays our way. We owned the Jersey Shore for a few hours like only a gang of us could, seizing control of the beach club, reclinining in lounges and draining the bar of vodka and beer.

She and I slipped away while everyone watched, took Rumson Road home and stole 3 hours of relaxed passion at the expense of issuing cordial farewells for the day. It was so worth it. We ended the afternoon laying naked, unsheeted in bed, stroking one another and whispering kisses. I honestly don’t know how love like this will last. It is so washed through every cell in my body. It can’t possibly be this good.

Edge of the continent

Earth and sky agreed today to skim the clouds for some sun, so Joe and Shannon's celebration of weddinghood could take place on the Jersey Shore. My date was beautiful and the beach was full of Lanmarkians, i.e. advertising/fishing/surfing experts. A wonderful day of smiles and positive karma all around. Joe and Shannon were introduced as the Smashing Pumpkins played "Today", and everyone loved every second of it. My date and I bolted early because our time together is hard to find and when we find it, it is precious. I am in love and I am vulnerable now to heart-splitting heart break and surrender to her want. But I still have a few tricks up my sleeve and her ringer fucked up big time by running my plates. He thrust her into my arms that much more, and is one fuck up away from losing his pension. Go ahead, dork, fuck with a family that includes a federal prosecuter. The dumb ass is not the type who would think twice before putting a name on a list. Who will be there for him if I inquire about being singled out in the security line? Guess who's job it is to trace listers to listees? Anyway, I was saying that today was a crisp, clean summer day in New Jersey. Wish y'all were here. Half-a-day in heaven at a beach wedding and half-a-day in bed, sweating.

7 Things, via Ann

7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die:

1) Sleep on the beach under a full moon in Kirabati
2) Fuck with a shark’s mind
3.) Live on the Baja Penninsula
4.) Be a great dad
5.) Sleep 8 hours a night for a month in a row without pharma help
6.) Space walk
7.} Hit a home run over the Green Monster

7 Things I Can Do:

1.) Be there for CG
2.) Be there for Ann and Nancy, two of my best friends
3.) Play the drums way funkier than a white boy should
4.) Night swim (in the ocean, naked - done it too many times to count)
5.) Fuck with Lefty’s mind (my cat)
6.) Scour a hit scene and scatter misleading evidence
7.) Influence reality on an international scale

7 Things I Can't Do:

1.) Serve
2.) Erase my conscience
3.) Rap
4.) Wrap
5.) Change a diaper
6.) Drink tequila without pretending I’m from Mehico
7.) Not be a spaz while in love

7 Things That Attract Me To The Opposite Sex:

1.) Vagina
2.) Butt
3.) Eyes
4.) Sense of humor
5.) Patience
6.) Timing
7.) Persistence
 
7 Things I say most often:
1.) Whatever
2.) Holy fucking shit
3.) Get the fuck out of my way bastard
4.) Get the fuck out of my way, bitch
5.) Are you fucking kidding me?
6.) Fuck off
7.) Extra large, cream and sugar

7 Celebrity Crushes:

1.) The chick in Black Eyed Peas
2.) Katerina Witt
3.) Mia Hamm
4.) Courtney Love
5.) Kim Deal
6.) Karen O
7.) Juliana Hatfield
 
  

7 people I would like to do this: (other than Ann, who sent this to me)

CG
CG’s friend Jennifer (Just met her a few weeks ago - a total trip)
Nancy (The Yankee saint who saved a Red Sox fan)
Slabby (Marc - the ultimate bud)
Mike (College roommate who I miss)
Dave (Keeps me out of trouble by showing up exactly when I’m about to get into trouble, best friend)
Bob (The funniest man alive)

Jock I(t)sh

First day of tennis in 10 years. Backhand: Good. Forehand: OK. Serve: Whiff.

I was totally decked out in Nike Court wear. Gay, but as it turned out, functional. My sweat evaporated quickly through the magical wicking polyester and my skates were hoppin. My racquet even had signifigant pop after 10 years of unused strings. Lior was impressed. He couldn't even tell that I smoked. Yet.

 

I promise, my next entry on this subject will or will not be about fuzzy balls.

OK, I won’t stop the blog. Ann, in her infinite wisdom, convinced me to maintain it. But I don’t know yet where to take it from here. I have progressed so far from when I started it. I just have to reshape it. To be continued. These were the words that convinced me to keep it. I hope she doesn't mind..."please don't change or stop your journal, it is an expression of you. Good, bad, scary, funny etc and i love it. leave it alone."

 

"Scary" and "funny" are the words are why this stupid spot in j-land still exists. Love you all.

Flatline

I think this blog is dead. I think I must start yet another one. One more inclusional of all those I love, without condition. Including Her, Ann, Nancy, Dave, Marc, BoSoxBlues and on and on right down to the arm sawers. They're cool, too. Twisted and isolated, but cool.

Operation iPod

 

To follow up American Refugees with chili fries might seem a tad non sequiturish. Trust me. Today's chili fries were a small part of a bethrothment that will ultimately rearrange the very definition of love.

American Refugees

I challenge you to answer what you have done to help reverse this situation.

Location

The earth is a violent, living sphere

 

Misfortune

Or been the victom of a disaster?

 

Cast Off

Have you ever been abandoned?

Katrina - via AP wire/iTunes

Ok friends. Time to pony up. This is not television. This is not disaster p*rn. This is you but for the grace of god. - PK

 

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- At the front of the line, the weary refugees waded through ankle-deep water, grabbed a bottle of water from state troopers and happily hopped on buses that would deliver them from the horrendous conditions of the Superdome.

At the back end of the line, people jammed against police barricades in the rain. Refugees passed out and had to be lifted hand-over-hand overhead to medics. Pets were not allowed on the bus, and when a police officer confiscated a little boy's dog, the child cried until he vomited. "Snowball, Snowball," he cried.

The devastation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with those struggling in the aftermath of this disaster. As victims of this natural disaster are attempting to recover, American Red Cross volunteers have been deployed to the hardest hit areas of Katrina's destruction, supplying hundreds of thousands of victims left homeless with critical necessities. By making a financial gift to Hurricane2005 Relief, the Red Cross can provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. We urge you to contribute to this worthy cause.

Katrina - Via Boing Boing

Email attributed to NOLA rescue worker; economics of disaster

Ned Sublette passes along an email attributed to a rescue worker in New Orleans. Ned says:

The poorest 20% (you can argue with the number -- 10%? 18%? no one knows) of the city was left behind to drown. This was the plan. Forget the sanctimonious bullshit about the bullheaded people who wouldn't leave. The evacuation plan was strictly laissez-faire. It depended on privately owned vehicles, and on having ready cash to fund an evacuation. The planners knew full well that the poor, who in new orleans are overwhelmingly black, wouldn't be able to get out. The resources -- meaning, the political will -- weren't there to get them out.

White per capita income in Orleans parish, 2000 census: $31,971. Black per capita: $11,332. Median *household* income in B.W. Cooper (Calliope) Housing Projects, 2000: $13,263.

The email attributed to a rescue worker reads:

There are dead animals floating in the water, pets left behind. Surely people thought they would be back to collect the pets. Not so. The rescuers smell like gas when they come back in; there's gas in all of the water that consumes the area. Fires are burning all over the place. Our teams are tired and they are thirsty and they are hungry. And they have a place to sleep and water to drink and food to eat. I can only imagine how the people without these "luxuries" are feeling right now.

Each night will be a race against time. When night falls, people can't get picked up from roofs, the rescuers can't chop into people's roofs to check the attics for anyone alive or for anyone dead (sadly, there are dead). At night we can't see power lines we can't see obstacles, we can't see any of the things that will bring down a helicopter or pose a danger to boats rescuers.

One of the teams came in today after having been out for hours at a time. One particular rescuer went straight to a corner and collapsed into tears. I went directly to him and just held his hand. What else could I do? I said nothing. He said it all. They lowered him 26 times and he pulled 26 people to safety. He wants to be back out there but there are mandatory rest periods. His tears are tears of frustration.

Entire teams are working on nothing but evacuating the hospitals. All four of the major hospitals are beginning to flood. Critical patients have to get out or surely they will be lost. Generators cannot run forever; that's just the way it is. There are limited facilities to take those that are rescued and those that need to be evacuated. Anything that leaves by air leaves by helicopter. There are no runways for planes that aren't under water. Only one drivable way in and out.

Water everywhere and more keeps coming. Until they can do something about the three levees that are broken, more water will come and more water will kill. The water poses major health threats. Anyone with even a small open cut is prone to infection. Anyone who touches this water and touches his eyes, nose or mouth without find a way to "clean" himself first will be sick with stomach problems before long. It's bad and it's getting worse. It's not going to be anything better than devastating for days or weeks at best.

I wish I could tell you that I'll check in again soon. I can't. I don't know when my next message will get out. We'll be leaving where we are within just an hour or so.

Image of flood victim in New Orleans from nola.com shows "rainbow effect" of fuel and oily contaminants on flood water surface. (Thanks, Melissa)

posted by Xeni Jardin at 08:37:31 PM http://boingboing.net/| Other blogs commenting on this post