No major issues on my way to Korea. The only interesting thing was a baby on my flight that had issues on both ends. Seems like the diapers needed to be changed every hour due to number 2 issues and when we landed in Tokyo the poor girl puked all over the aisle. Fortunately she missed my pants by a few inches. My guess is she won’t ever become a flight attendant.
I feel like a rock star. Everywhere I go people seem to want to stare at me. Maybe it’s the hair.
Ariel and I are spending the holidays in Korea this year. Ariel got a head start by leaving for Tokyo a week ago to hang with a friend. We’ll meet up in Seoul on the 23rd. I have a short layover in Tokyo and Ariel I might get to bump into each other in transit. Depends on the terminal set up since we are flying different airlines.
I almost was not able to leave the country because my passport was being processed when the MTA decided to strike. Not a problem for me since I ride my bike pretty much every day, but a problem for those who worked at the passport office. It’s long story and I’ll tell it sometime down the road.
Don’t know what kind of computer access I’ll have in Korea but if I get the chance I might try to post every now and again. Happy New Year!
Every major news outlet seems to place great importance on end of the year lists. Since, in my own mind at least, I am a member of the media, it would be an injustice if I too did not publish some kind of list. Plus, I don’t think I have ever had a list on my blog before.
For my first list ever? Drum roll please . . . the books I read this year. Yeah, not too exciting I know, but it at least makes me sound intellectual.
Actually, I am pretty proud of the fact that I think the number of books I read is greater than the number of movies I saw this year. Gotta love the New York City Public library. So, here you go, feel free to suggest books you think I should put on my list for next year. The list is in no particular order. Amazon links for those interested in more info and short comments follow each book.
Through first hand accounts, Motley Crue gives you the chance to feel like a drug addicted rock star without the actual mass death to brain and liver cells and repeated attempts at rehab.
Sorry, don’t see why this book is so renound. Seemed pretty predictable and not too enthralling to me. Have not thought of it again since reading it until this entry.
Unlike Gatsby, this book was not a disappointment. I cared about the characters and thought about the story for days afterward.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
An interesting fictional story that mixes in history, sociology, psychology, philosphy, and religion.
A classmate of Bono that always thought he would be an international rock superstar juxtaposes his struggles with Bono’s success.
Has anyone not read this book?
PJ O’Rourke leans heavily to the right, but even lefties will enjoy his wit, humor, and logic. He wrote the book below as well.
See above comment.
People do the craziest things on planes, Elliott documents them.
I actually read this before The Da Vinci Code and thought it was better.
Okay, so I got on a Dan Brown roll. I’m sure I’ll read Digital Fortress before too long.
Great author, a little long winded.
I’ve enjoyed Rick Reilly’s columns in Sports Illustrated for years, this book was just as entertaining.
Eric Schlosser rocks. Read everything he writes, especially Fast Food Nation.
Any book that rips the mainstream media garners my interest, this is a good one.
The Best American Travel Writing
My college buddy Rolf the travel writer inspires me to read travel related stories. Always nice to keep the wander lust in tact.
Jon Stewart is dead on. Watch his clips on Comedy Central’s web site, you won’t regret it.
Been reading Clancy for years, but I think I would rather re-read all the Jack Ryan originals than go with the new stuff.
Thought it would be good form to read a book related to my job.
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
David Sedaris is a great story teller.
Same author as above. If you have ever lived in New York City, his chapters on life here will make you laugh out loud. For example, this comes from his experience as a mover in NYC. He spends a great deal of time talking about how hard it is to get an apartment in the city for a decent price and then he and his co-worker have this exchange with a dude who caught his girlfriend sleeping with another guy and decided to move out . . . they are in the back of a moving truck when the conversation takes place.
Author: “Then she what?” Richie or I would scream.
Jilted Boyfriend: “Fucked her ex-boyfriend on this sofa I had bought for our anniversary?”
Author: “On the what?”
Jilted Boyfriend: “The sofa I’m sitting on. She fucked her ex-boyfriend on this sofa.”
Author: “How many times?” We’d ask.
Jilted Boyfriend: “Huh?”
Author: “I said, how many times?”
Jilted Boyfriend: “Just once that I know of. But isn’t that enough?”
Author: “It depends. How much was your rent?”
I know it’s a little late for this year, but I have some advice for those who market Elmo for the next holiday season. I was inspired when I was standing on a subway platform and saw this:
Yep, that’s right, a Subway Elmo. Think of the possibilities. Elmo can teach kids about electrical fires, garbage on the tracks causing delays, the penalties for jumping a turnstile, random groping, and more! Elmo can come packaged with other subway friends as well to help with the story telling. Marketers could include a giant cockroach and a rat. Think of the fun and life lessons the kids could learn.
I’m pretty sure Elmo dolls talk, right? Just think of what he could be programmed to say:
“Hey, if you want to get into the car, it’s best to let people out first you idiot!”
“In the subway you breathe thousands of other people’s germs every day? Fun!”
“Grab that pole and you never know what substance or body fluid you may encounter!”
“I see someone who is drunk and looks ready to puke. Let’s move to the next car!”
“Hey, whose hand is that!”
And one last one in light of recent events, “Can you say walk out kids!”
All I ask for is 10% of gross sales.
My first year in NYC I was a mass transit guy. Once I tried bike commuting, I was hooked. Since I started riding my bike to work in April of this year, I have only taken the subway to work about five times. Bike commuting rocks. I highly recommend it for anyone for whom it is feasible. Commuting at my old job in Oregon five days a week would have meant 200 mile weeks. That might have been a little much.
I had a goal of hitting 3,000 miles for the year and I’m going to fall short at around 2,300. What does this look like? I graphed it out and you can see by clicking here. This compulsion to graph comes partly from my job and partly from all my years tracking my running miles.
Want a New Year’s resolution? Buy a bike!
This is a total shot in the dark, but the Internet makes it possible so here goes. Blue and I went for a ride on Sunday and found a bike pannier bag on the West Side greenway near 125th. We found a receipt with the name Josh Rosenblum on it. No address or other identifiable information was present.
Fortunately the bag did not seem to have vital or expensive contents such as a wallet, camera, Ipod, etc. That is at least when we found it. Josh obviously is a serious cyclist though because some of the contents were of a technical variety.
So anyway, maybe someone will do a search on the name Josh Rosenblum and find this entry. If anyone knows this person, feel free to leave a comment . . . Blue has the bag and would love to return it. We were greatly tempted to indulge in one particular item but showed restraint. Josh will know what I’m talking about.
It was a balmy 14 degrees this morning. Saw this coffee slick and thought it looked pretty “cool.”
After two years and way too many all-nighters, Ariel is finishing her fashion design degree! Graduating students will display their final portfolios at F.I.T. this week. If you are in the area, drop by and sign her guest book.
Where: Library 1st floor, D bldg lobby, etc. (27th an 7th in Manhattan)
When: Dec 13 – Dec 16 (Tue. – Fri.)
There will be an opening ceremony on Monday Dec 12th at 7pm.
It was a snow day for me today. I’m not talking about a missing work kind of snow day. I’m saying it was the first day in almost a year that the weather prevented me from riding my bike to work. This person also did not take their bike to work today, but for other obvious reasons.
