South Of Someplace

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

James Woods on Bernie Sanders

Wow! James Woods really doesn't like Bernie Sanders! That's okay. Let him support Carly Failurina. They deserve each other.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

A Change In The Weather

Two days after bundling up in a jacket, gloves, and sweatpants, I ran this evening in shorts and a sleeveless shirt - and I felt too warm! You've gotta love October.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

New York Minute 20 - Cigarette Break

Two young women stood in front of a restaurant smoking. You can't smoke in New York restaurants, so the patrons go out to the sidewalk when they want to enjoy a cigarette.

One of the women was facing the street. The other was facing the same direction that I was as I walked up the street. Her back was to me, so she didn't see me approaching.

Just as I was passing them, the woman whose back had been turned toward me said very loudly: "But I finally got my PERIOD, so THAT'S a relief!"

"Yeah..." the other woman muttered sheepishly.

I just kept walking.

Cancelled TV Shows

I don't have a lot of time to devote to television. Each year, I pick one or two shows that seem uniquely interesting. I commit to watching those shows and ignoring everything else.

Unfortunately, most of the shows that I enjoy end up getting cancelled in the first or second season.

"Almost Human" was an amazing sci-fi show about androids working side by side with humans in the near future. Cancelled.

Despite all of the bad press that Katherine Heigl receives (and all of the bad karma that she has built up in Hollywood), I thought that her "State of Affairs" show was excellent. Of course, it was promptly cancelled.

I shouldn't be surprised. My tastes have never aligned with those of the masses. The television business is a numbers game. If lots of people aren't watching your favorite show, don't expect it to last very long.

My top pick for the autumn of 2015 is "The Game" starring Wesley Snipes and Phillip Winchester. "The Game" is a crime drama that features amazing action. The show's budget must be fairly high to deliver that kind of "second unit" quality week after week.

Of course, a high budget is a great excuse for cancellation. Why should the studio spend money on expensive special effects when they can attract high ratings with cheap "reality" shows?

I'm enjoying every minute of "The Game" because I realize that it could be cancelled at any time. The ratings haven't been high enough to keep an expensive action show in production.

As they say: "That's show business!"

New York Minute 19 - Amish Sighting

I had a surprise a few weeks ago when I came across a large group of Amish people in Grand Central Terminal. I don't recall ever seeing the Amish in Manhattan before. I imagine that New York City isn't high on their list of places to visit.

And yet, here they were, just passing through, I suppose.

The funny thing was that they weren't on the main concourse waiting to board a train. They were in the food court having lunch at Shake Shack.

Apparently, Shake Shack is Amish approved. Who knew?

Times Have Changed

I noticed evidence of a major cultural shift earlier this week when I was invited to have drinks with some colleagues.

I don't visit bars frequently, so when I do go out, I tend to notice details about the room, the staff, and the other patrons.

This time I noticed how popular tattoos have become with women. If you see a young lady whose outfit shows some skin, that skin probably has a tattoo on it.

I saw tattoos on necks, shoulders, arms, and backs. Some were small, and some covered a large area.

Back in the 1980's when I went out to clubs to see live music with friends, we never encountered women with tattoos. Tattoos were worn by men, and not even by all men.

Ink was a masculine badge of honor for guys who had endured tough situations - serving in the armed forces, spending time in jail or in a counterculture like motorcycle gangs. Most women never would have considered getting a tattoo.

And yet, in 2015, it's unusual to find a young woman who doesn't have ink on her body.

When did we make that leap? When did tattoos become a desirable fashion accessory for professional women, housewives, and ladies with day jobs? When did average, unremarkable people convince themselves that skin ink would make them seem more interesting or alluring?

Friday, October 16, 2015

New York Minute 18 - Splash

If you're in New York during or following a rain shower, you'll learn quickly to avoid puddles, especially large puddles in the streets.

If a passing car drives through a puddle, it's likely that the impact will cause water to spray up onto the sidewalk. Sometimes, it's a lot of water.

New York's streets are dirty, and the water in those puddles is filthy. Getting splashed by cold, dirty puddle water is an extremely uncomfortable experience. The dirt and oil in urban puddle water can stain your clothing beyond repair.

This morning, I put on a clean suit in anticipation of an important meeting with upper management. As I waited to cross the street at an intersection, a passing Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) hit a puddle that was a few feet away from me.

You might be thinking that I should have known better, that I should have stood back away from the street and out of range of potential puddle splash.

In my defense, the puddle was tiny, about ten inches (25 cm) in length, five inches wide, and it had less than a half inch of water in it. I never would have believed that I could have been splashed by such a tiny amount of water.

Unfortunately, the guy must have hit the hole just right. Bam! Water from an inconsequentially small puddle is suddenly all over me, my pants, and my jacket. Yuck!

So, here's a word to the wise about street puddles: avoid the big ones cautiously, but realize that even a small puddle can splash all over your clothing if a motorist hits it at just the right speed and direction.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Bush Body Language

I just noticed something about John Edward Bush. It may explain why his candidacy for President is struggling.

Observe Bush's body language, the tension in the neck and shoulders, the constant grimace on his face, the uncomfortable posture as he bends slightly forward awkwardly from the waist. Bush looks like a man who's waiting in line for an open toilet stall while resisting a desperate urge to empty his colon.

Friday, October 2, 2015

Losing in Overtime to the Ravens

OK, that was a tough loss for the Steelers in overtime to their arch rivals, the Ravens. I didn't enjoy watching the end of the game, but I tried to keep it in perspective on a day when ten people lost their lives to senseless violence. Luckily, our team will regroup, and we'll live to see another win. Some people weren't so lucky.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Stop the Lies, Carly Fiorina

The producer of the Carly Fiorina abortion video has admitted that it wasn't even an abortion. The fetus was stillborn. This must have been a tragic event for some family and most importantly for some grieving woman.

What kind of conscience do Fiorina and this filmmaker have if they're willing to take footage of a personal, natural tragedy and represent it as some fictional ghoulish operation in an effort to forward a political agenda? Is that the kind of leadership that we want for our country, the exploitation of someone's personal tragedy, twisted by layer after layer of lies and distortions for the blatant promotion of a political objective.

Mrs. Fiorina - who also lied about losing a child to illegal drugs - should apologize to women everywhere, especially those women who really have lost a child and whose private tragedies should never, ever be leveraged for votes. Ever. Have some respect, Carly Fiorina. Apologize first, and then make a real effort to shut down the endless stream of lies that keep flowing from your opportunistic mouth.