Friday Fives
1. What was your biggest accomplishment this year?
Getting a job and ending my unemployment.
2. What was your biggest disappointment?
Getting a job and ending my unemployment.
3. What do you hope the new year brings?
Getting a better job and not going into unemployment.
4. Will you be making any New Year's resolutions? If yes, what will they be?
Lose some weight and make exercise a regular part of my day.
5. What are your plans for New Year's Eve?
Slim Cessna and his Auto Club will be playing his annual New Year's Eve show at the Bluebird. I will be there, right up front with the gang.
via Friday Fives.
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Always Time For A Fine Wine
While we are steeped up to our necks in the holidays and the party season is upon us, I paused and noted that most of my friends have all turned to drinking wine. Ah, wine, the nectar of the gods. Current diet and gourmand wisdom is that wine is lower in calories and will not make you as fat as beer.
Sigh. I do I love my beer.
But I also love my wine.
I have been known to keep a box of Franzia Chianti around the house for sipping on.
"Heavens, No!" the crowd roars, "Not Franzia! Not wine in a box!"
Well, yes it is true. And Chianti is Chianti, is Chianti. I can pay $60.00 for a bottle of Chianti, but why?
Well, I have decided that if wine is the spirit of this spirited season, I should learn more about it.
The Periodic Table of Wine is a good place to start. A nice chart that guides you through the grapes and varietals of wine.
I don't know the prudence of buying wine online, but Wine.com is a good reference site for reviews and information on wine, serving suggestions, tips tricks and all that. There is also some good educational information at The Wine Spectator's online site. Wine Searcher is a nifty search engine that helps you select a wine. I haven't played with it much, but my wine drinking friends might enjoy it. The good folks at The Food Network have a nice wine basics archive and a food/wine pairings section to help serve the right wine with the right food.
And if your budget won't allow a Mouton Rothschild then you can always turn to Bum Wines a clever, funny and perhaps frightening review of the low end "fortified" wines : MD20/20, Thunderbird and Night Train, to name just a few.
These suggestions just might get me past my love of Franzia Chianti in a box. But then again, maybe not.
And because we have been taught for many years that "(everyone sing) The More You Know"
For further reading:
Wine Blog
Ken's Wine Blog
Cheap Wine Blog
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Foto Fun
Here is a quick link to a weekly eyeball bender photo contest. The gist is that you submit answers to what object the photo is taken off. A few fun minutes of fun each week. Have a great holiday.
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From The Courts
These are two interesting court cases worth watching:
Guantanamo Bay, detainees being held in Cuba, have won an appellate decision to be charged in a court and given access to lawyers and the American legal system.
On Thursday, a different court, this time, The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in New York to give "the government 30 days to send suspected 'dirty bomber' Jose Padilla to the civilian justice system, or else release him outright," the Wall Street Journal reports. The court said Padilla's treatment "violated a 1971 law enacted specifically to help avoid situations similar to the World War II internment of Japanese-Americans." via The Daily Briefing.
These decisions strike strong blows to the strong arm tactics of Rumsfeld and company in Washington and critics say the decision will weaken our ability to fight terror around the world. However I can only believe that the only way we can wield any kind of justice is to do so out in the open, in front of everyone. Justice mustn't be administered in private. And holding the "enemy combatants" in Cuba without a trial or access to attorneys isn't justice.
From the Ninth Circuit Court ruling: ""We simply cannot accept the government's position that the executive branch possesses the unchecked authority to imprison indefinitely any persons, foreign citizens included . . . without permitting such prisoners recourse of any kind to any judicial forum,"Judge Steven Reinhardt said in the ruling, joined by one other judge.
Many legal experts expect the Guantanamo Bay decision to be overruled by a broader Supreme Court ruling expected in the summer of 2004. The Ninth Circuit court of appeals is much more liberal in its interpretation of the law than other appellate courts and many legal watchers expect this decision will be overturned by a more conservative bench.
Excerpts from both Detention decisions, via the New York Times
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The Seven Words
It's close to official. Congress has before it a law to punish those who use those infamous seven words on television. At least according to the Library of Congress. I haven't checked to see if this bill has passed.
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Friday Fives
1. List your five favorite beverages.
Denver Pale Ale, Bombay Gin and Tonic, Ice Tea, Coca Cola, and a life long devotion to seek out the perfect cup of coffee.
2. List your five favorite websites.
Fark; Metafilter; altercation at msnbc/Slate; Top 10 Conservative Idiots; Harper's Weekly Review And the sites listed on the right hand side of this page.
3. List your five favorite snack foods.
Popcorn. Sante Fe Gold tortilla chips and salsa, Red Vines, Gummy Bears, Pringles.
4. List your five favorite board and/or card games.
Pinochle, Chess, Domino Train; Scrabble, Risk.
5. List your five favorite computer and/or game system games.
The Age of Empire Series; Empire Earth; Black and White; Hoyle Solitaire/Mahjong; Chessmaster 8000.
via Friday Fives.
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See The Lights
Well, the holidays are here and the lights are on display.
"But Roy?" you ask.
"Where are the best light displays in Denver?"
Well the good people at the Rocky Mountain News were concerned enough to foresee your question.
Here is a beautiful series of maps, easily printable in the Adobe PDF format so you can take in lights and holiday glitter throughout the Denver Metro Area. And here is an addendum of additional sites submitted after the first guide was printed:
And remember, this would be a great time to "Wear Your SunGlasses At Night."
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Steamin' Mad At MADD
It seems that Modern Drunkard has arrived, with this little write up in the Denver Post.
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Lonely In The Far North?
Oh my good Lord! I have no words to describe this. A film from Finland, featuring a farm boy, some sheep, some grease and hijinx. Not safe, perhaps, for work, although it is best watched in the privacy of your home, so that you may reflect and recompose after feeling violated. It is about a 5 minute download or so on dial up and virtually an instant moment of shockery for broadband viewers.
After further research, this is a Dutch commercial for Clearasil. Would someone teach our European friends how to market a product?
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Friday Fives
1. Do you enjoy the cold weather and snow for the holidays?
Generally, yes. I like winter and the severe harshness of the elements, the peaceful calm of a snow storm, the whistle of the wind and, as the song says: "Walking in my Winter Underwear."
2. What is your ideal holiday celebration? How, where, with whom would you celebrate to make things perfect?
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. My dad was 35 year Postal Service veteran and as a result, Christmas to him was all drudge, muck and mire, filled with weeks and weeks of mandatory overtime and stress. This translated into a much bigger deal being made around the house for Thanksgiving rather than Christmas. Although I still dig midnight Christmas Mass services.
3. Do you do have any holiday traditions?
Recently, I have added Champagne Mimosa's to the holiday tradition. But seriously, since my father has passed away and my mother remarried, the family is both adding new traditions and holding on to traditions. Thanksgiving is still a big, big meal with family and Christmas is becoming a catch as catch can affair celebrated in smaller groups. The biggest holiday tradition for me is The Memorial Day weekend/Birthday Affair wherein I try to host a huge meal somewhere surrounded by as many friends as I can rustle up. Plans are percalating for this year's affair.
4. Do you do anything to help the needy?
Each year I send a check of $30.00 or so to the Denver Rescue Mission. And I shop at the thrift stores a lot. That counts, right?
5. What one gift would you like for yourself?
A really, really nice pair of gloves. (Sorry, it was cold out this morning and I am a bit obsessed.)
via Friday Fives.
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Rate Your Drinking Ability
Using this fun flash test, I earned the high honor of a Boris Yeltsin and have probably consumed at least 14,057 drinks in my lifetime. Post your results in the comments.
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Protect Yourself
After few months here in the Nextel Fraud department, coupled with a few months working on Fraud issues for Western Union I have a few tips to offer the world in order to prevent you from identity theft or on line credit card theft:
1. Buy a shredder and shred all of your credit card receipts. Also shred all those offers for a free credit cards that come in the mail.
2. Here is the number for the Federal Trade Commission's ID theft hotline: 1 877-433-4338. A good resource if your Social Security number has been absconded by fraudsters.
3. Call the three major credit bureaus and have them add a Fraud Alert to your credit report. That way, any inquiries on your credit must be authorized by you. The bonus to this is that by doing this, there has been a change to your credit report and you can request a free credit report to review. There is always something pesky hanging around on it.
4. Here are the numbers for the three major credit bureaus: Experian>1-888-397-3742/ Equifax> 1-800-525-6285/ Trans Union> 1-800-680-7289.
5. If during the holiday season you are shopping online, be sure and only allow your credit card to be submitted once and never share your passcode on an online account with anyone. A reputable web retailer will never ask for your passcode. Any solicitations for an online passcode through a telephone or email request are generally Fraudsters farming for information.
6. Here is the FBI website for internet crime: Internet Fraud Complaint Center. This is a one stop link to report a crime related to internet id theft or credit card theft.
7. Contact your billers and request a passcode to be placed on your account that must be verified before any information can be changed or released.
8. If your Health insurer or any other biller uses your social security number as its billing account number, call them and ask to have that changed to a generic account number that can not be harvested by Fraud information farmers.
All of the above steps, except for the purchase of a $30.00 shredder, are free and easy to implement and will offer you significant protection from identity theft.
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Friday Fives
1. What's your favorite piece of clothing that you currently own?
My "Desert Storm" suede combat tanker boots. Buckles, tan, suede, boots. They have it all. I must get them resoled someday and sport them with pride once again.
2. What piece of clothing do you most want to acquire?
A really nice, big, well fitting London Fog tan rain coat, like the kind Bogart always wears in the movies. Either that or paper hats and name tags for the office.
3. What piece of clothing can you not bring yourself to get rid of? Why?
My "United Airlines Ramp Service" Employee shirt that I bought as a joke at a thrift shop. It is really, really comfortable.
4. What piece of clothing do you look your best in?
Turtlenecks. Olive green, burgandy or black turtlenecks. They make me look dreamy.
5. What has been your biggest fashion accident?
Black socks? No, really. In high school, there was this outfit in the men's fashion section of the Speigel catalog - A white cardigan sweater, a red shirt and baby blue pants. All from Izod. I just had to have it. I ordered it, wore it to school and honestly looked dorkier than Mr. Rogers at a high school rodeo dance. A bad choice - about ten years older than 1981 fashion should have been - and way to expensive. It may be part of the reason I tend to avoid real fashionable looks and expensive clothes to this day.
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A New Voice In The Wilderness
I was recently turned on to the writing of Matt Taibbi, a writer for NYPRESS.COM and The Nation after this post from my favorite economics primer. Stuffed on Thanksgiving is a well written, snarky piece calling the journalism establishment to task for its "aw shucks/gushing " lauding of President Bush's surpise Thanksgiving trip to Iraq. Teddy at It's The Economy Stupid equates his writing to Hunter Thompson - and there is certainly an honesty in his voice that is reminiscent of HST, without the drug references. Give him a read. I am going to start looking for more of his work.
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Fighting Off The Cold
I have spent the last five days battling a contentious head cold. I haven't had a cold in a long time, owed partly to the magical science of Zicam. And this fall, with the abundant pollen and dust in the air, my sinuses have been on allergy over drive. I guess they finally gave in and let me have it full force with a magnificent head cold.
A few thoughts:
Turner Classic Movies is a real treasure when you are fighting fever and a cold. Did you know that every movie star was in the film "A Bridge Too Far."
Tenacious D's new DVD is a great find to watch while fighting a cold as well. Mindless, juvenile dick jokes set to music. Beware, your roommate will probably not like it.
Sick time is a good time to groom fingernails and toenails. However, do not do it in your bed.
Last count: There are at least 5 different colors of phlegm that can be produced by the body.
The cat has no idea what "Stop, I am sick!" means. Toes under the covers are not off limits to a cat, who, i am sure, now refers to me as a pansy to his cat friends because of my recent convalescence.
Are there any real studies on the effects of power doses of Sudafed on a person's mental state? I swear I am experiencing hallucinations, mostly concerning leftover Thanksgiving pie.
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They Put The Map Back
I have been following the Colorado Congressional Redistricting issue because of a few pesky issues. The GOP controlled state legislature took steps this spring to redraw the boundaries of Colorado's seven Congressional districts and paid particular attention to the large western slope district 3, held by retiring Congressman Scott McInnis as well as the newly created district 7, held by freshman Congressman Bob Beauprez. Beauprez won the district seat by only 121 votes against Democrat Mike Feeley. Under the new map, the legislature had gerry mandered Feeley out of the district. That is right. He hadn't moved from his home and was the former challenger but under the proposed plan, he wouldn't even live in the district. In the district 3 map, the legislature has revisited the pesky problem of balancing GOP strongholds, like Grand Junction with Democratic strong holds like Pueblo. As a result, Pueblo has been chopped up into three different districts in the proposed plan, making the largely Hispanic, largely blue collar and largely Democratic urban block of the third district no longer important.
So it was great news when the Colorado Supreme Court tossed out the shenanigans of the legislature and reminded the governing body of the rules that the state uses to play the once-a-decade redistricting game.
Keep your eyes on this issue as mirror issues are now playing out in Texas and Pennsylvania.
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