Month: November 2007

Comments

I’ve been blogging 2.5 years and yet I haven’t had a formal comments policy. Noticing that Jaquandor (yes, him again) wrote one up some time ago, I thought it’d be a good idea to do likewise.

1. I encourage comments about the topic at hand. In fact, I would enjoy receiving more. Indeed, I’ve left it so you don’t have to do word verification when commenting. You don’t have to even have a Blogger account, since you can just click on the anonymous button. (And if you DO want to identify yourself, just sign it.)

2. As we all are, I’m imperfect. If I’ve made an error of fact, or have a link that doesn’t work, please let mer know ASAP, in the comments section or via e-mail, posted in the sidebar.

3. I expect that, from time to time, readers will have a strong negative reaction to something I’ve written in this blog. I’m good with that. Leave a comment to that effect.

4. But there’s a certain level of social decorum that I expect. I would refer to it as as “common sense” except that it isn’t as common as I would have thought.

a. No flamewars. If you start attacking others, or me, in a way that I feel is inappropriate, I will delete the post. Except for spam, and one incredibly racist comment, I’ve never done it before. I don’t like doing so. But I will.

b. If you want to attack me and tell me that I’m stupid and only an idiot would believe that GWB should be impeached, fine, but such comments will require a name and an e-mail address. Anonymous attack comments will be deleted as soon as I learn of their existence.

c. Every comment left here is also forwarded to my Gmail address, so don’t think that leaving a nasty comment on a post that’s buried deep in my archives will escape my notice. Since many people seem to come to this blog via search engines, that happens quite often.

d. Any other comments that I deem inappropriate – and I have VERY liberal standards – will be deleted. Also spam, unless it’s REALLY entertaining.

“Hey, Roger, don’t you believe in the First Amendment?” Indeed, I do. I support your right to start your own blog and have your own rules.

e. Please limit comments to the topic of the post at hand. If there’s something else you really want to call to my attention, e-mail me. I check it often.

ROG

ROG

Bike Stuff

I’m still riding my bike. My rules are that there must be a wind chill of 20 degrees F or more, that it be dry, and if it has snowed, that the road be thoroughly plowed. Actually, I like when it snows six inches or more on Albany, because alternate side parking goes into effect, and the city actually plows the roads to the curb, more or less. Whereas a three-inch snow can turn to snow and slush on the right side of the road, where I try to ride.

When I wrote my last bike post, I neglected one important thing one should do: have a bell. I think I forgot it because I no longer have one; it seems to have “walked”. In lieu of a bell, I find that it is important to be able to yell with some volume and intensity. What you yell is important. I used to yell, “hey!”, but I don’t think the long A carries as well as I would like. So I’ve opted for “yo!”, a term I use almost at no other time, but seems to have the effect of stopping moving cars, even with their windows up. Probably better than my bell, I think. This might get drivers’ attention as well.
ROG

ROG

Lloyd Price Ain’t got Nothin’ On Me

Your Brain is Yellow

Of all the brain types, yours is the most intellectual.
You crave mental stimulation, and your thoughts tend to very complex.
Your thoughts tend to be innovative and cutting edge, though many people don’t understand them.

You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about science, architecture, and communication.
You Are Rain

You can be warm and sexy. Or cold and unwelcoming.
Either way, you slowly bring out the beauty around you.

You are best known for: your touch

Your dominant state: changing
You Have A Type B+ Personality

You’re a pro at going with the flow
You love to kick back and take in everything life has to offer
A total joy to be around, people crave your stability.

While you’re totally laid back, you can have bouts of hyperactivity.
Get into a project you love, and you won’t stop until it’s done
You’re passionate – just selective about your passions

10 Worst Pennant Race Collapses: The Mets weren’t #1

Hyphenated Words: A Guide

You’ve probably heard that, starting a week from today, the writers and management are going to start talking about ending the writers’ strike. Here’s hoping for a quick resolution. Meanwhile, check United Hollywood for some entertaining and sometimes thought-proviking videos and discussions.
ROG

ROG

The Real Forrest Gump

I’ve been always been rather so-so about the movie Forrest Gump. It was a technological marvel, yet it often felt at arm’s length away emotionally. I guess I never bought Sally Field as his mother either, especially after having seen her and Tom Hanks as contemporaries in the movie about comedy, Punchline.

I don’t know what I was looking up when I discovered that there was a guy named Sammy L. Davis, no relationship to the late entertainer, and that his military heroism that took place 40 years ago today was, in part, the inspiration for the movie character.

He doesn’t look at all liker Tom Hanks.
***
This was on Evanier’s page a while ago, but I do so love this video about waterboarding with a Beach Boys beat.
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I’ve decided that Nancy Grace’s very existence is a test of my Christian faith. I hate Nancy Grace. OK, I don’t hate her exactly, but her brand of “journalismm” where she pronounces people guilty before all the facts are in offends my sensibilities; she’s often parodied for a reason. She also has an annoying voice.

So when she, at the age of 48, gave birth to twins this month prematurely, and developed blood clots in the lungs, I had to fight, with all my strength, getting a feeling of schadenfreude. So, I (choke) wish Nancy Grace well so she can go annoy me again.
***
CNN distorting a story big time:

ROG

ROG

"The Place That God Forgot"

That’s the pet name that one of my best friends has for our old hometown of Binghamton, NY. I think it’s a bit harsh, but I do know where she’s coming from.

My sister Leslie flew from San Diego to Albany on August 10, and my mother from Charlotte, NC to Albany on August 12. One doesn’t fly into Binghamton from hardly anywhere; it cheaper to fly into Albany or Syracuse or New York City, then rent a car or take a bus.

Leslie, my mom and I drove down to Binghamton that weekend for my sister’s XXth high school reunion; my mom and I saw friends. I was hanging out with another one of my friends from grade school when three very drunk people approached us about going somewhere on foot at 7 pm; there just isn’t very much to do in downtown Binghamton most evenings, though there are pockets of improvements.

Binghamton is an odd place. Where I grew up in the 1960s, in the First Ward, the housing stock is much the same, and therefore deteriorating or vacant, mixed with these incongruous pockets of yuppie houses with Beemers in front.

But it’s my hometown. More specifically, it’s my mom’s hometown, and she gets joy visiting our old church, her old friends. We’ve done that trip three or four years n a row now. Binghamton’s only 150 miles from Albany, but it feels like a half a lifetime away; for my mom’s sake, it’s worth the trip.

Happy 80th birthday, Mom.
ROG

ROG
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