My plan, over the next few days, is to post some photos I took last week during the grand re-0pening of the City of Orange Main Library. As you can imagine the work done by staff was remarkable, finally bringing off what seemed to everyone a mostly successful event. Then again, the dozen or more folks trapped on the elevator (in two seperate incidents on Saturday) may feel quite different.

I wanted to get in a few comments about the past week while I have some free time.

The hardest thing about the new job here at the library (at least until we actually open to the public) is getting back in the habit of working a full day. Doing the Extra-help/On-Call thing at the other libraries was hit or miss generally I’d go in two-three days a week (or on the weekend) and do three to four hours. It’s hard to believe that it has been over six months since I was doing the five-days a week routine.

Another surprise is how easy I’m finding the commute each day. Driving on the 5 Freeway for half an hour is a lot more enjoyable than those 90 minutes or more subway rides back in New York. I listen to Stephanie Miller on KTLK in the AM and switch between one of the all-news stations or “All Things Considered” on the way home.

Oooh! Missing e-mails! How in the world did that happen? Guess the IT folks at the RNC had the day off and nobody thought to contact the Geek Squad to help out.

I can’t say I can work up a lot of sympathy for Don Imus, who I’ve never been a fan of as I’ve said before. Still is it really going to make racism disappear with him gone from drive time? Plus, (and I know I’m going to catch flack for this) how long is it going to be before we see a comedian on Comedy Central making the same comment (while discussing the I-man) and getting huge howls from the audience?

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Kurt Vonnegut this past week. I was introduced to his writing by my friend Gerry, back when we were in junior high school. I loved SIRENS OF TITAN and began reading each of his books as they appeared as quickly as I could. Seems that each obit I hear or read makes the same comment about the comparisons between Vonnegut and Mark Twain, but that’s too easy. Simply put Vonnegut was one of the great American writers of the past century and we are not likely to see someone like him for a very long time. So it goes.

I was never a big Don Imus fan, even before I began listening to Howard Stern (when Howard was doing afternoon drive over at WNNNNNBC). I dimly recall hearing Imus doing his Donkey Kong stuff a couple of decades ago, but didn't find him particularly funny.

Imus, like him or not, makes enough money for MSNBC and WFAN to keep him on the air, despite the comments he made last week. As Randi Rhodes said earlier on her show, they aren't going to 'punish' him until next week, since Imus does a fund raiser this week. If the network was going to do anything serious they would have jumped all over it the day after it happened (or that day, since Imus broadcasts in the A.M.).

He'll be back on the air next month, probably meet with the Rutgers' players, along with the Rev. Al Sharpton (who needs more air time himself), and we can move on to REAL hate-mongers like the talking-heads over at Fox.

Get over it, folks!

Things seem to be going smoothly here for once. Donna is fitting in nicely in her new job in Mission Viejo and actually enjoys her position. Of course, as the practice becomes busier things will become more hectic. I’m spending a few days a week learning the routines at the City of Orange Library, hoping to start working full-time by the end of April.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here seven months already. So much has happened during that time. Still we both agree that we made the right decision in moving here and hope the rest of our first year runs a bit smoother.

Baseball season has begun so they’ll be plenty of stuff on TV and the radio to keep me interested. As I’ve said before there’s baseball and then those other sports of which I have little or no interest. One thing that does bother me a bit is that here in Orange County it appears to be all about either the Dodgers or the Angels, while I’ve always had a fondness for the San Diego Padres. I find it especially odd here in southern OC since we are actually closer to San Diego than LA. I’ll probably have a few more words about baseball in general and the Red Sox, in particular of on Shot’s Shack in the next day or so.

I want to take a moment to express my sympathy to Elayne Riggs at the passing of her father, Alex. While we were married, I did not always agree with Alex, but I do know he loved his daughter and wished only the best for her. In that way he was like all loving fathers in the way they think of their daughters.

I'll always remember the trips to Atlantic City, the rush to grab those particular machines in those early days. You have to know that years ago AC wasn't the 24/7 gambling showcase it is now, competing for high rollers with Las Vegas. Alex, and his wife Goldie, were our guides to Las Vegas when Elayne and I stayed with them for several days. I will not forget driving down the Strip that first night, totally amazed and thrilled to be there.

When I was with Alex, I often felt that I was a high school kid asking to take Elayne to the prom and not an already 30-something adult. Still I do have so many good memories of those years that he shall always remain with me.

Donna and I want to send our condolences to the Wechsler family on this sad occasion.

Goodbye, Alex. Hope you hit the jackpot!

I spent the last few days back in Brooklyn for the funeral of Edna Marilyn Zillini, Donna's mother. She passed away last Wednesday at the age of seventy-four and was buried in Brooklyn's historic Greenlawn Cemetery on Saturday.

Marilyn was survived by two sisters (one older, one younger), five children (Debbie, Donna, Edna, Marilyn & George), eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In addition there were a large number of the extended family of cousins, nieces and nephews present, along with several hundred family friends who viewed the body and extended their sympathies.

If you've ever attended a typical Italian funeral you already know that food was a very important part of the events both Friday and Saturday. I want to thank all the folks who were kind enough to send food, fruit baskets, cheese platters and more cookies & pastries then I ever hope to indulge in again. Special hat tip to "Paulie Provolone" (the family knows who he is) for the amazing spread his catering service provided both days.

Since I started dating Donna in '99 and throughout the past eight years, Marilyn was always kind and respectful. When my own mother passed away a few years ago, Marilyn became "Mom" and a better mother-in-law I could never have wanted. I'm going to miss the yelling up the stairs, "garbage nights" and those indescribable dinners with the entire Zillini clan.

Rest in peace, Mom.

I apologize for not posting the past week, but really have not been in the right frame of mind.

Sadly, Donna's mother has taken a turn for the worse and is not expected to recover. She is resting at home with her family, most of whom have returned to Brooklyn. Donna has been there for about a week and Kristina joined her a few days ago. When the final event occurs Donna will contact me and I'll fly back to New York for the funeral.

I may have some more to say about Edna Zillini, but for now I just want to say that she has never treated me with anything other than respect and affection. I can't say the same for some of the in-laws I've had in the past.

Things continue on the job front, with some good news possible in the next couple of weeks.

Donna has had to fly back to New York due to the illness of her mother. Fingers crossed that Marilyn Zillini makes a complete recovery and is back soon with her children, grandchildren & great-grandchildren.

I may be blogging a bit more frequently over the next few weeks, as the job situation has finally appeared to resolved itself. Again I don't want to jinx things but it seems that Donna and I will both be fully employed by the middle of next month.

Just to quickly catch up on things: Helen DeGeneres did an excellent job at the Oscars the other night. Personally, I didn't doubt she would and there were few surprises. It was, of course, wonderful that Martin Scorsese received his long-overdue statue. I know that the winner is not known before hand, but it did make me wonder that they would be able to have Lucas, Spielberg and Coppola there almost miraculously when it happened.

Countdown with Keith Olbermann continues to be THE best news program on any of the cable networks. Sandwiched between Chris Matthews and Joe Scarborough, Keith is a breath of fresh air. Hell, I even turn on early to see some of Hardball and remain tuned for the beginning of Scarborough Country.

I'll probably get around to saying something over at Shot's Shack, but did want to remind folks that Spring Training, followed by exhibition season is in progress as we speak. For me still the only sport which can get me to view just about any team playing any other team, baseball remains America's Pasttime as far as I'm concerned.

I've been meaning to add some new links both here and over at Shot's Shack, but simply haven't gotten around to it yet. On the otherhand, I just had to put Politico.com up ASAP, since the Prez seemed dumbfounded by it at today's press conference.

I've been making the drive to Anaheim several times a month since getting here in August. At least twice a month I drive up to work at S.C.I.T.'s library. Despite the ride getting to be routine I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.

Just past where the Car Pool lane turns off for Gene Autry Freeway and past the exit to Disneyland Drive you glimpse over on your right the tip of the Matterhorn. Having grown up watching the old Disney shows the fact that I'm so close to the Magic Kingdom is kind of special.

There's just something cool about having these huge palm trees on either side of you and then seeing the Matterhorn rising up around the bend.

That's Donna on the right and me on the left, posing with the shovel. This was taken on Feb. 11th of 2006 in front of our place in Brooklyn.

Today it was in the mid-seventies here in Ladera Ranch. Just in case anybody was wondering why we decided to move.

These were the first pictures we took of Babie when we got out new digital camera. They were taken back in Brooklyn, but I figured I'd post them anyway.

For those still wondering, the 'new job' didn't come through. On the other hand, I do have another interview this coming Monday in Newport Beach.

One thing which keeps coming up during interviews is the phrase, "you're in Southern California now." I really haven't figured out what anybody means by this, since I know full well where we are! It does appear to imply that things are different from New York, but then even the two systems I worked for in New York had their differences.

Anybody care to explain?

Belated "Friday Cat Blogging". That's Babie back in Brooklyn. I couldn't resist!

**********
Just a quick update on the job situation, for those keeping track.

I'm currently working for both the City of Mission Viejo Library and the Orange County Public Library system, in a part-time/on-call capacity. It's nice to be back doing something in my field, but having some money coming in is pretty good too. In addition, I'm still working twice a month for the Southern California Institute of Technology, getting their collection organized and cataloged.

Resumes are still going out and I have a third interview with a city library system this coming Monday. I'm going to the keep that location mum since I don't want to jinx it. I've felt close before, but nothing came of those so why say anything.

Depending on when the city inspects and approves the building, Donna may be starting within the next couple of weeks. The contractors screwed up the plumbing in some fashion and things had to be pushed back almost a month.

There were some medical scares back in Brooklyn with some of Donna's family, but we can report that things are improving on that front as well.

Finally, if you haven't been reading Shot's Shack, I just want to mention here also that I plan on attending the San Diego Comic Con International this year. If you have plans on going let me know and maybe we can hook up.

It’s sort of sad, but I suppose predictable, that one of the most vocal voices against the President’s ‘surge’ policy is a Republican. Granted Senator Chuck Hagel may just be positioning himself in the Republican race for the nomination in ’08. However, he is making himself heard over several of the Democratic hopefuls.

One of the interesting things is how in touch Hagel appears in contrast to his fellow Senator Joe Lieberman. Maybe they should switch parties? Oh, right…. Lieberman is an
Independent.

Perhaps a Hagel/Webb ticket might prove interesting.

I probably should wait until I get home from working this evening and actually watch the “State of the Union” to make any comments. However, sight unseen I do want to mention a few things.

I get a kick out of the fact that several websites are posting ‘drinking games’ to play while listening to the President be all bi-partisan and stuff. There have been rumors that he was going to keep his comments re: Iraq short and then go on to other issues, but I think the American people really want to hear him justify his current policy. We all know that he has little support, even within his own party, to get anything on his agenda very far.

I think that the Democratic response this year will get a bit more air-play than it normally does. Let’s see if anybody besides C-SPAN actually carries it?

Something I always enjoy following these things are the ‘applause counts’ that the news anchors always mention. As if those phony moments have anything to do with what is actually presented.

Before I’m asked let me get out in front of one issue. I’m not a big Senator Clinton fan, so don’t expect me to come out in favor of her run. Personally, I don’t dislike her, but feel that she has enough baggage (her & Bill) to keep her from making a successful bid for the Democratic top spot. Randi Rhodes, over on Air America Radio, makes the point that you really shouldn’t expend all your emotion on the primary since then you’ll be disappointed if your particular fave doesn’t get the nomination. It also makes it difficult to then say all those wonderful things about the winning Dem, who you spent the last six to twelve months bashing.

I’ll probably have a few things to say, either tomorrow or the next day, about the actual speech and the response, so stay tuned.

I want to say a few words about Leah Adezio, who is spending her last few hours in a Pennsylvania hospital. If you go over to Elayne's site you'll find much more about Leah. She and Elayne have been friends for years, so my ex-wife can write far more eloquently about Leah's life and accomplishments.

I was fortunate enough to be friends with Leah during the last few years of my marriage to Elayne. She was always fun to be around and a more talented lady you couldn't hope to meet. I can't begin to tell you how many hours I spent in her company before, during and after dozens of conventions and fan get-togethers.

I'm sure over the next few days folks like Elayne, Peter David and others in the blogosphere will have their own tales to tell. My condolences go to her sons, family and the many friends (in & out of fandom) who shall truly miss her. She was one of the good ones!

Donna and I have been battling colds the last couple of weeks, but we both seem to have recovered. Donna may have picked it up initially from Kristina and then passed it along to me, although our symptoms were a bit different. Fortunately, both of us have had out flu shots so it didn't get to be as bad as it could have.

I've also been training at the Mission Viejo library out here, along with the on-call position with Orange County. Over the next few weeks I'll be working in both systems, plus dropping by SCIT to continue cataloging the library collection. Finally, I have an interview coming up this week for another full-time position. I'd like to think that by early February Donna and I will both be situated in permanent positions.

If you're keeping track on the Weather Channel, you'll have noticed that the OC is going through a bit of a cold spell. Actually had to wear jackets the last few days and snow is visible in the highest peaks. Big story is naturally the damage being done to the citrus groves. Appears millions of dollars (if not more) in damage is already being caused by overnight frost on the trees.

On the political front, I wonder what my friends back in Connecticut (who decided to vote for Joe Leiberman, because "he really has been a good Senator") are thinking now. Scary to think he could throw control of the Senate to the Republicans at any time. He will, no doubt, use this to keep any Democratic movement towards stopping the war from gaining ground. I think we can also imagine a McCain/Leiberman ticket in '08 as a distinct possibility.

This past weekend was an embarrassment of riches for the cable news channels. Any one of the three major stories (the deaths of James Brown, and President Gerald Ford, or the execution of Saddam) would have been enough by themselves. CNN, MSNBC & Fox News were falling over themselves trying to cover each one, plus get to other events like the war and New Year’s Eve.

I found it fascinating that all three were often identified by a certain catch-phrase. Brown was "The hardest working man in showbusiness" or "The godfather of soul", Ford was the "Great Healer" or the "accidental President", while Saddam was almost continually referred to as "The Butcher of Baghdad." We can only ponder what the current resident of the Oval Office will be known as to later generations.

Admittedly I’m not a regular viewer of Fox News (big surprise there, huh?) but I have to give them credit for generally doing a respectful job on the Ford funeral & memorial services. Donna and I spent much of the time tuned to CSPAN, which covered the events and appeared to be the folks in charge of the pool feed. It was nice, at times, to not hear the various commentators and simply see and hear what was happening in ‘real time.’ To be fair though, each of the cable networks had some wonderful guests talking about the late President and his brief term in office. CSPAN also allowed folks the opportunity to call in and offer condolences or their own remembrances of the man and the era.

CNN did a good job with those parts of the James Brown services we caught, during a rather hectic weekend. It was good to hear Keith Olbermann, during the Ford services this morning, setting the pace rather than co-host Chris Matthews. I also thought Brian Williams was excellent on MSNBC whenever we were able tune in. Speaking of which, we’ve switched to watching Williams’ nightly NBC newscast over from CBS, where I have trouble taking poor Katie Couric seriously.

Just to jump into the Saddam execution debate for a moment.

If you had asked me even ten years ago about the “Death Penalty” I would have quickly told you that I was against it. While I think it is generally not a deterrent and often little more than something politicians love to debate to gather votes, I sometimes find myself thinking that in some situations it might be the only ‘punishment’ suitable. In the case of Saddam it might have been the right thing to do, but not in the fashion in which it was carried out. I believe that there was truly a rush to judgment in this case, with more than a little push from the current administration. Perhaps, there were things the former dictator and one time U.S. ally knew that certain folks didn’t want to get out. Of course, nobody loves a conspiracy theory more than I do.

Here's Donna's Christmas Village up on the entertainment unit. Actually, there were a few more pieces we couldn't fit, plus the 'skating ring' set.

If you go over to Shot's Shack you'll see a few more Christmas pictures there.

Not only Friday Cat Blogging (tm) but Pug blogging as well.

That's Chops, Marissa's dog checking me out; Wilber, Kristina's gift guard-cat; and Babie (who shares the apartment with Donna and me) with her new catnip mouse (a Christmas gift from her Dad).

These were all taken on Christmas day.

I was sorry to learn of the passing of former President Gerald Ford when I woke up this morning. Even though I certainly didn't agree with all of his decisions, I honestly believe that he made them with only the best interests of the country, as he saw them, in mind. The pardon of Nixon obviously will always the major thing for which he will be remembered.

Donna and I send our deepest sympathy to his wife and family on this sad occasion.

Just a quick note this beautiful morn to wish one and all a very, Happy Holiday & Merry Christmas!

Hope you get to spend the day with family and/or friends, doing whatever your heart desires. Mind the 'nog and don't get behind the reins of your sleigh if you've had a bit too much Christmas Cheer!

It's hard to believe that in a month I'll be celebrating four years of doing this blog. In the next few weeks I plan on trying to make a few changes in its appearance and content. I also hope to get back to posting on a more regular basis, even if only a few lines several days a week. I've been told by several folks that they keep track of me (and Donna, of course) via the blog. I'm a notoriously bad correspondent!

I may also change a couple of things at Shot's Shack, but only in regards to the links. Several are outdated and haven't changed since I originally linked to them. I may even add one or two.

Since I don't post as frequently as before, I sometimes feel that talking about a certain political or social event is a waste of time. Generally, a couple of days have already passed since it was in the news or I've already seen a dozen other bloggers saying pretty much what I would (although in a much more intelligent and knowledgeable manner).

That being said, I believe that we may be seeing some radical changes taking place in Iraq in the New Year. I don't know exactly what, but the events of the last few months seem to be leading up to something major. I would not rule out a coup or at least a major change in the Iraqi government, as it is now configured. I have to admit that I don't know how an increase of American troops into the country would effect things, for better or worse. I also have to state that I don't know how I feel about that.

You could make the case that putting more troops into Baghdad, even temporarily, might aid in keep those already there safer. However, what then?

I don't know that an rapid withdrawal is the best answer, since it would cause a horrible situation for any coalition troops or Iraqi citizens who worked with/for our forces left behind. Those of a certain age will well remember the footage of the our final days in Vietnam, with troops and civilians all trying to get on the last few planes & helicopters.

That being said, I think that it's time to gradually begin redeploying both American and allied units. Certain areas in Iraq are beyond the ability of our troops to keep secure. Week-long sweeps, followed by withdrawal have proven ineffective as various factions simply move back in. It might be that all we can do is to ensure that the citizens of Baghdad remain safe in their homes from attack. Perhaps, if we can do that things will settle down long enough to allow a further decrease in all non-Iraqi military.

Better minds than mine are working on all this, so I think these will be my final comments on the situation until after the new Congress begins meeting in January.

I've made a few changes to links over on the Left. Don't have anything against those particular folks or organizations but it was getting pretty long. As I haven't had much time lately to keep up with as many blogs I felt cutting down on the links wouldn't hurt anyone. The political blogs are easy to locate either from links from those I kept up or from searching on topics in which you're interested.

For those who may be interested in what I have to say, over at Shot's Shack you can find my latest (and possibly last) book review for the Joe Bob Briggs folks. I explain the reasons over there as well. Plus I've removed the Joe Bob link from here and moved it to Shot's Shack, since that's more popular culture oriented than this one.

By the way, my first day training with Orange County Public Library was pretty easy. The folks there couldn't be nicer, Brian & Roxanne especially. I'll let you know how things progress.

No interviews scheduled yet this week, but I'm having my fingerprints taken this Wednesday as part of the background check for both Orange County & Mission Viejo. I'll also start my training with OCPL next Monday, so that's a positive sign. Also, both the City of Carlsbad & Long Beach have informed me that I've gotten through the first phase and will be considered for full-time positions. Fingers remained crossed, if a bit numb.

One strange thing was that OCPL has you to take an 'oath' when you're hired. You have to swear (or affirm) that you'll uphold the Constitution against the usual suspects. It was like joining the Navy again and something I've never had to do for a civilian job before.

Once again, the fires you've read about are northeast of us and we're in no danger. On the other hand both rattlesnakes and cougars have been sighted in the Ladera Ranch area. Sadly, a coyote was struck and killed by a car about a half mile from here. Personally, all Donna and I have spotted have been the occasional rabbit in the early evenings out back.

Donna and I had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving with Marisa's family up north of here. In fact, rather near the areas now being threatened by the fires. We'll be returning the favor come Christmas with Donna doing the cooking honors at Kristina & Marisa's place.

Sorry, for not being a more regular poster lately. Once I have a job and more regular hours, I'm going to make an attempt to get here at least every few days. Speaking of which, I want to apologize for not keeping up on my blog scanning either. The only ones I seem to get to are by Elayne Riggs and Mark Evanier, plus Tony Isabella sends me his TOTs a few days early.

In case you're wondering, the seismic activity has been increasing the past few weeks. There have even been a couple of 4.0 events here in SoCal, but nothing to shake us out of bed yet. :-)

Seismo says:"Keep a flashlight in your nightstand."

Donna and I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

It's a bit overcast, but will be in the 70s here today. We're having dinner with Kristina, Michael and Merissa at Merissa's parents. That will be about a two hour drive north of here, but should be a nice day overall.

I'll try to fill you in on everything tomorrow.

How could I NOT post something about O.J. Simpson today? I'm sure you've all heard about the up-coming television interview and book, "I didn't kill her, but IF I did this is how I did it." (or something like that)

What advise, if any, is the guy being given that he would agree to take part in something like this? It can't be simply a matter of money, since O.J. seems to be leading a pretty damn nice lifestyle despite 80% of the American public thinking he murdered two people. Does he really miss the attention and public focus this much?

I think the folks at Harper-Collins should be ashamed of themselves, but as they are owned by Robert Murdoch's corporation, I doubt they had much real say in the matter. While I don't think I'll be watching the actual interview, I'm sure that I'll read & hear more than enough from other sources to be able to get the main points.

Lastly, I can't believe that anyone, least of all The Juice, thinks that this will change the way anybody feels about him. If anything, I suspect, it would push some of those on the fence over to the "GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY" side.

A few photos from the Veteran's Day tribute

Donna & I attended in Mission Viejo, this past Saturday.

The American Heroes group produces large poster size memorials of U.S. troops killed in Iraq & Afghanistan. Copies are given to family members and the larger posters are displayed in schools, institutions and in public memorials such as this. It was quite moving as you can imagine.

I'll experiment with the "new" Blogger tomorrow, but wanted to just post quickly.

Happy Veteran's Day to my fellow vets! Whatever the period in which you served, you have our respect and eternal thanks for what you have done. For those still in uniform you have our appreciation for a sometimes thankless job, often far from family and loved ones. May you return home soon!

Donna and I attended a local salute to the men & women who have served in uniform earlier. I intend to post some photos tomorrow.

Boy, on top of the great victory of so many Dems yesterday, we get the surprise departure of Rumsfeld. Appeared that some reporters were (rightfully or not) upset that G.W. lied to them (according to how you view his statements last week) about Donald Rumsfeld remaining in his position. I watched both the Presidential news conference this morning and the later presentation of Bob Gates as the Sec. of Defense nominee. Pretty damn interesting television!

I actually spent a good part of last night (until around 11:15PM) and much of today, switching around from CNN to MSNBC, CSPAN, local stations and even for laughs Fox News. Absolutely fascinating stuff all over the place. Great seeing the talking heads switching gears as the results began coming in and even this morning when the announcement was made.

Interesting that while Da Arnold easily retained his office he had no 'coattails' to speak off when it came to state-wide offices. Except for the position of Insurance Commissioner, which went to a Republican (beating a Dem accused of taking large amounts of cash from the insurance industry), Democrats won most of the high-profile spots. Senator Feinstein easily won re-election and former governor Jerry Brown was elected to the Attorney General post.

Back in New York it really wasn't a surprise to see Hillary Clinton easily get re-elected, despite her being hated by some pretty powerful folks. It's on to '08!

Most of the Propositions went down to defeat, but some transportation related ones supported by the Governor and many Dems passed.

On the job front, I appear to have got an "On-Call Librarian" spot here in Orange County and should start training in a week or so. Another interview, for a similar position, seemed to go pretty well also.

Feel real good about today's interview, but we won't know for at least another week. I have two more scheduled this week. On the plus side, Donna will be starting her new job on the 20th.

Since everybody else in the blogosphere has made some prediction I might as well get in my two cents.

I expect the Democrats to be the majority in the House, but by not as much as we'd like to see. It will be difficult, should the GOP members vote as a bloc, to begin any serious investigations on just what has been going on in the Defense Dept. and the White House for the past six years. Also, you know that his Smugness and Master Dick will do all they can to obstruct any type of oversight into their actions.

Sadly, I don't believe the Dems will have quite enough seats to regain the Senate, although it will cut down on the clout of some GOP members. Given some moderates still among the Republicans I think that changes could be brought about unless the split is such that Master Dick has the deciding vote.

Here at Chez Chaput we'll be splitting our votes among Democrats, Greens and the Peace & Freedom Party. Actually, I'm the one going for Third Parties in those cases where I have decided to vote against any incumbent. We're also voting for some of the Propositions & Measure, against others. I won't bore you with which tonight.

Unless things look especially nasty early tomorrow evening (remember the three hour difference) from New York, I don't expect to have any comments until Wednesday. I just know that some of you will actually be interested. :-)

You would think that being 'between jobs' I'd have much more time to blog, but I'm finding that looking for work seems to be taking up a lot of my time.

Had one interview this past Monday, but I'm not sure how it went. I think I'm too old in some cases or come across as too Nu Yawk in others, if you know what I mean. I have three interviews scheduled for next week, both at public and academic libraries. Two are for part-time/on-call positions but I'd like to think that those would be a foot-in-the-door to full-time.

Still waiting to hear from several other places, where I've done phone interviews. Yet another place has informed me that my resume has been passed along to the Hiring Manager, so I'll take that as a positive note. Should I even get an interview at this last place I'd feel that I was moving to a whole different level in my career. I'd like to think of it as a "dream job", but that might put a jinx on the thing. Trust me, I'll let you know if I do get called in and you'll never believe it in a million years!

Quick political comments....

Senator Kerry, please get a professional joke writer next time, okay?

To paraphrase one of those 'man on the street' comments in today's paper: "Kerry's not running for anything, so who cares?"

In all my years in Brooklyn & in Connecticut suburbs I've never the number of election signs endorsing one candidate or ballot measure as I do here in The OC. If you see one sign in a yard, you'll easily see a half dozen in the next one. Surprisingly I have only spotted a couple of bumperstickers on cars, but have seen several people standing on corners twirling banners with the names of candidates.

Speaking of which, the concept of 'spinners' is new to me. Apparently, businesses (geneally real estate agents it seems) hire folks to stand at intersections twirling large signs advertising a sale or 'open house.' You even see them listed as a job in the Classified section of the local papers. Most seem to be young men or teenage boys, but I have spotted a few females. Occasionally they'll where a silly hat or something to further get your attention and I even saw one Santa Claus the other day.

Have I mentioned how much I love California?

If you check out the Comments section in my post of yesterday (10/25) you'll find a link sent by Blue Gazelle to photos of the Riverside County fire. The local paper had some also, along with a map of the affected area, but the pictures at the link pretty much tell the tale.

The smell of smoke is even stronger today, Michael says he can even smell it up in Laguena Niguel. Besides the four dead firefighters a 'civilian' has also been killed, making the arsonist into a killer as well. The FBI, along with state & local police are investigating the situation with a $100, 000 reward being offered for the capture and conviction of this low-life (or perhaps more than one).

Maybe I've been listening to my old friend S.H.Otis too much lately, but I said to Donna that I think they should turn the arsonist over to the firefighters BEFORE placing her/him under arrest.

Speaking of S.H., he's really pushing a NO on Prop 86.

In case any of you were wondering, the Twin Pines fires in SoCal are more than fifty miles northeast of us here in Ladera Ranch. Still the sky is murky and you can smell smoke if you go outside. Apparently, according to the Dallas Raines (the weatherman on Channel 7) wind conditions are blowing the smoke this way towards the ocean. Sadly, four firemen have already lost their lives the first day of this fire, which is the result of arson.

Although I was familiar with the Santa Anna winds, I had never heard of the 'red flag warnings' which go along with it. It's been very dry of late and the winds can easily spread any sparks, whipping them into something dangerous.

On the job front, I've heard bad news from one job and am waiting to hear about at least three others. I have one interview with a public library scheduled for next Monday and another the following week. Between the two I hope to be hearing from two different colleges, plus I'm doing another stint at Southern California Institute of Technology next week.

Oh, and remember that we've NEVER been about "Stay the Course" no matter what you may have heard!

Just quickly checking in to let you folks now how things are going. Sadly, not much has changed since last time. Neither of us has a full-time job yet, but we both have done interviews and are waiting to hear back. We're also both sending out resumes via e-mail and fax to just about any place which might be interested.

I went to a Job Fair in Irvine yesterday which was pretty much of a waste of time, plus it cost me six bucks to park my car after being told it was free. Won't be going to a job fair held by these particular folks again!

The only quick political note I have is that I am totally confused by the various ballot initiatives out here. Hard to get all the Propositions & Measures straight, let alone sifting through all the pros & cons. I think I'm voting YES on 86 and NO on 87, but that might only be until the next round of ads. If I have it right I'm voting for Big Tobacco on one and against Big Oil on the other. I know I'm agreeing with Bill Clinton and Al Gore, so whatever side they are on that's who'll get my vote. I'm kind of a Democratic whore on that, I guess.

I'm really not sure what to think about extending Measure M, so if you can help me out on that I'd appreciate it. It is supposed to continue the taxes which are used to improve the highways out here, of which I'm becoming a real fan. Wider and faster!!!

By the way, Seismo says we should have a "preparation party" to ensure we're ready for earthquakes. Hard to argue with a dog dressed like an Australian soldier (or whatever he is supposed to be).

That's if for now, mates!

Began working a part-time job yesterday at a vocational college in Anaheim. They needed someone on staff with an MLS and I was lucky enough to have posted my resume with an agency only a day or so before.

Had an interview in Newport Beach today and also got a call from Ontario for a follow-up to my initial one last week. Tomorrow we'll see how I do with a telephone interview with a local college. Things do seem to be looking up.

Donna and I had a nice meal with Michael, Kristina and Marisa last evening in Newport Beach. (That's the two of them on a recent cruise to Mexico.) Went to the Melting Pot to celebrate Kristina's b-day with fondue. I can't recall the last time I had fondue, but remember my first wife, Betsy, loved it so we used to go to a place in Boulder when we lived there.

It's been years since I've subscribed to a newspaper, or even picked one up on a daily basis (not counting the freebies like AM New York). Working at the library I had access to the four major NYC papers plus lots of local & weekly ones as well. We have been buying the Sunday OC Register since moving out here to check out the Classifieds for jobs, so when the paper offered a special discount if you got the Saturday & Sunday papers delivered so we decided to take advantage.

I have to admit that I generally only skim the editorials and Op/Ed stuff, since I'm about 180 degrees politically from were the paper stands on most issues. Out here the NY Times would look like the Village Voice. It is good to keep up on the local and statewide events going down and also to read some articles on national & international stories which tend to be missed by the television news shows.

I'm finding it very interesting to try and get a grasp on the measures & propositions coming up for votes next month, there appear to be a dozen or so. Naturally, the ones getting the most air time have to do with Props 86 & 87, which deal with a higher tobacco tax and pushes for alternative energy vs Big Oil, respectively. the OC Register has let me know about some other things, such as Prop 89 on campaign reform and Prop 90 which deals with Eminent Domain. You would think you could guess how I'm siding on all these, but you might be surprised.

Oh, before I forget!

The Sunday OC Register has a great column that I never would have seen in New York. Called "Seismo-Watch" it looks at the seismic activity of the preceeding week. There's a map showing all the 'events' and a 'local activity' scoreboard. I really get a kick out of the column's mascot, which is a dog in a ranger outfit called (ready for it?), Seismo. This week Seismo says: "Shake the earthquake blues and be prepared!" Apparently, we're going through a lull right now with only minor events, but writer/geologist Charles P. Watson reminds us that the last time a similar lull occured it ended with the Northridge Quake of '94. Cool, huh?

Back to the election...

I wasn't familiar at all with Phil Angelides, who is the Democrat running against Da Arnold for Governor. Sadly, he really isn't making a great show of it and most folks think that Schwarzenegger will be re-elected. Hard to believe given the Governor's low poll numbers a few months ago. Seems that Angelides & the Dems are trying to paint Schwarzenegger with the "Bush" brush, but it isn't really working. As disliked as the President may be, the current Governor has enough distance in his many of his positions so you can't mistake one for the other, despite the Dems worst ads. Personally, I think the anti-Angelides ads the Republicans have been running which use the Rove-ish 'flip-flop' thing on poor Phil appear to be more effective.

The only person I know I'm going to vote for, rather than against, this time out is Jerry Brown. The former California Governor and Presidential candidate is running for Attorney General. The worst his enemies seem to be able to come up with is that Brown is anti-Death Penalty. Considering my own warbling feelings on the issue, it won't prevent me from giving my vote to Linda Ronstadt's former beau.

I'll probably have some more political ramblings before Election Day, so stay tuned.

Like to keep you all updated on the work search out here. I've had two interviews here this past week. One a kind of 'walk-in', where I handed my resume to a the librarian who is hiring 'substitute/part-time' librarians in this section of Orange County. The other, this morning, was with the city of Ontario, which seemed to go pretty well. Fingers crossed!

I've got at least two more interviews scheduled for the next few weeks and have been sending out resumes like mad all over the place. Also, my resume posted on the ALA site actually got me a call from Tacoma, WA which I found kind of funny. I was actually stationed there for a few months in early 1970 while part of the commissioning detail for the USS Shreveport.

The weather here has been beautiful the last couple of days, cool in the evenings and short sleeve during the day. The Saddleback Range looks like it may have some snow on the very top peaks, at least from where we view it.

We are heading out to a Chili Cookoff tomorrow, which supports some animal shelter & rescue groups in the area. I'm really curious to see, smell & taste some of the entries, as I'm a big chili lover. Now that I know that this event is held I'm tempted to see if I might sign up to compete next year. I make a dynamite chili, which is actually a slightly different version of a recipe I was given years ago by Babs Prisco. I still call it Bab's Chili in my recipe file.

I was going to get into some political stuff, but decided at the last minute that other blogs and the talking-heads on TV have pretty much drained the life from the Mark Foley story. Heck, even Court TV is getting into the act so you know things are bad! To be honest, it doesn't seem that Foley broke any existing laws or actually had physical contact with underage boys, but the whole thing is pretty sleazy. The GOP isn't doing themselves any favors by attempting to shift the blame unto the Dems by saying it is all political. The House GOP leadership brought this on by not acting appropriately months (if not years ago).

Hey, kids! Remember me?

It's been a hectic week here in Ladera Ranch. I've been attending workshops on resume writing, interviewing, networking and all types of things which supposedly should get me hired. Or at least beyond the HR door! I already have a couple of interviews scheduled, so let's all hope that things will work out and soon. I "graduated" on Friday and will be volunteering with Experience Unlimited a few hours each week until I get hired. It's a great program, sponsored by the state of California and held at various "One Stop Centers" here in The OC.

The weather out here continues to be nice, but that shouldn't surprise anybody familiar with California. We only had one rainy day here the past month, and that was only early in the morning. The last couple of days have been a tad chillier and I actually used the heater to clear the rear windows.

Had a great time last Sunday, when my old Navy buddy Jeff and his fiance, Sue, came down to visit. I haven't seen Jeff since we served on the Waddell together in the mid-70's. Boy, did he look older! :-)

I was happy to find the Los Angeles 'progressive' station KTLK on the AM dial, since I was missing my daily Air America fix. I'm now a big fan of Stephanie Miller and her morning crew. It was a surprise to hear Ed Schultz the first time, since I thought I had tuned into Rush by accident. Initially the speech pattern and voices are very similar, so it took me a couple of minutes to realize it was safe to listen.

If I get a few more free minutes this weekend I'm going to post some comments about the new TV season and such over on Shot's Shack. All the new and returning shows have debuted yet, but I do have some thoughts about what I've seen so far.

Later!

Not a whole heck of a lot to add since last time. Still sending out resumes and contacting various places for employment. Fingers crossed that something will turn up soon.

Donna and I both passed out California driver's exam this past week. Not a surprise for Donna, who used to live here, but I was delighted to only miss three questions out of the 36 on the test. You could get six wrong, so I guess I did a bit better than some other folks with whom I'll be sharing the roads.

Speaking of which, we also got our second car. We bought an extra car from Donna's younger sister & her husband, so we now have the Vue and an SL2 (both Saturns). This is actually the fifth Saturn we've owned, two of which we traded in and the other I drowned. (If I haven't told that story in a while, let me know!)

Believe it or not, I actually had to put on long pants for the first time (not counting for interviews) yesterday, as it was a bit chilly. I've been living in t-shirts & shorts since we moved out here and I've gotten a bit spoiled by that.

I don't think I mentioned this last time out, but I've gotten back in touch with an old shipmate of mine from my second Navy hitch. Jeff K. tracked me down via the 'net and after speaking on the phone a few times we've made plans to actually get together next weekend. I can't wait! Jeff and I were very close when we served on the USS Waddell together in San Diego during the mid-70s. Sadly we lost track of each other, briefly connecting in the '80s but then not staying in touch. Hope this time things work out differently, as we have twenty plus years of ex-wife stories to swap. :-)

Couldn't let the anniversary of the WTC tragedy go unmarked, but I'm not going to use it to be all political. We'll see if the President can keep his word and not turn his Oval Office speech into a campaign soapbox.

It doesn't seem like five years have passed since I got a phone call from Donna, who was at work, telling me that a plane had hit the first tower. By the time we got the television in the UNH library going we witnessed the second plane hitting. Only a couple of hours later I was at home watching with the rest of the world and waiting for Donna to get home from work, as she stayed (since she had heard from her family in NY and they were all well).

Are we safer today than we were back then? Not by much in my book, but I'm not an expert by any means. Although I do wonder how you get to be a 'terrorism' expert? It must pay pretty well since there are so many of them on television. Hell, I've got my military background and a Masters degree! Shouldn't that get me a few minutes on Fox?

Still now news on the job front, but I'm still sending out resumes (both via the Post Office & electronically) so something will eventually turn up, I'm sure. Going to be heading over to the Job Center here in Orange County to chat with one of the Veteran's reps, just so see if that gets anything moving. Might be time for one of those career shifts away from the library field, although I really would hate to do that at this late stage. I have sent out a couple of resumes to places looking for managerial types without an MLS to play things safe.

Also, waiting to get the second car out here in a couple of days, which will let Donna and I get around seperately should something turn up for either of us.

I'll keep you posted and will try to drop by here at least once a week if I can.

Nothing really to report on the job front, although I've been sending out lots of resumes. I have one interview this afternoon in Laguna Niguel, about which I'm nervous. I'll try to tell you how that goes as soon as I know.

We just got out internet hook up yesterday, so I hope to be posting a bit more often. It will also be nice to check on e-mail and the classifieds without going down the hall to the 'library.'

It is kind of cool to be sitting here at the computer looking out over the patio and viewing the arroyo. Early in the morning, before the fog burns off you can't even see across (about a mile) to the other homes facing us. At night you can only see a few house lights burning and nothing in between. It's easy to imagine at those times what this area must have been like a hundred years ago, with only ranches and open range. The arroyo narrows here, but looking south you can see miles of open & uninhabited country (not counting the power lines & repair roads, of course).

Donna and I have been busy unpacking and putting stuff away, so there are only a few boxes left. We hope to have fewer with the entertainment unit put together and the computer desk set up. Still have some boxes of books (not counting my four long comic boxes in the closet), so we will probably get a small bookcase for the living room.

That's it for now, but I'm going to try to post some stuff over on Shot's Shack later, just so folks skimming that will have something new.

Hey! Did you miss me?

The past week has been pretty hectic as you can imagine, so blogging has pretty much dropped from my activity list. Once we get our own computer up and running I’ll try to get back to posting on a regular basis. I’m typing this on the apartment complex computer in the “library”. I also had to put together an updated resume and a couple of sample flyers for a five-minute presentation I had to give at an interview. I suppose I should be happy to have this at my disposal to begin with.

While our car was shipped ahead, and Kristina even met us at the airport with it, our furniture and most of our belongings still won’t be out here for at least a week. I don’t even want to get into that, since we are pretty upset. Fortunately, we had planned on buying a lot of stuff once we got here to begin with, but still our bed, computer, television sets and the majority of our clothing, etc. are just now making their way cross country.

The three of us (me, Donna & Babie) survived our flight out on Jet Blue. The tranquilizers we gave Babie worked just fine and the Benedryl the vet recommended also helped her with the flight. I wish I had been that calm and got to sleep the entire flight. Donna also slept, while I drank coffee and watched several episodes of BAND OF BROTHERS on the History Channel.

I’ll let you know more about how things went when I get a chance. Right now I want to check out some job sites, but I just wanted to let you know that we’re doing okay.

Here's a picture of Terramore Aquatic Park, which is near us in Ladera Ranch. I know it's mostly for kids, but I think Donna and I may check it out during our first week.

It's hard to believe that in just two days I'm going to have to consider myself a Californian and not a New Yorker.

I'm leaving work in a couple of hours and don't really know when I'll get a chance to post anything. It may well be more than a week before we get our furniture (including the computer). I'll try to blog from the library or from Kristina's laptop (unless the battery blows up!), but until then I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy doing this. Hope we won't lose touch and you'll keep Donna & I in your thoughts.

I'm sure not going to miss the commute on the MTA everyday, that's for damn sure!

I have to admit that I was one of those folks who were convinced that it was the parents of JonBenet Ramsey who were responsible for her death. Guess many of us folks over on the True Crime group were way off on that one, huh?

Sadly, Mrs. Ramsey died before the murder of her daughter was officially solved, still under a cloud of suspicion. Fortunately, the rest of the Ramsey family can now have some closure.

If you're trying to contact me try using the Comment option here. The folks at Verizon were simply supposed to cancel out DSL account and switch it to 'dial-up' so we could maintain our accounts until we got to California. Apparently they totally closed our account causing us to not only not have e-mail but also lose stuff saved in the files. Fortunately, Donna printed out a lot of the material (including our Jet Blue flight passes) or we really would have been in trouble.

To be honest, Donna hasn't been happy with Verizon since we got it, but we kept it because we also had out regular and cell phones with the company. In Ladera Ranch, we will gladly switch over to Cox.

Color us as dissatisfied Verizon customers!

I've been meaning to add a link to Thom Hartman's site for a couple of months now and finally got around to it. I enjoy listening to his Air America program on Saturday mornings on my way to work and have also liked those times he has filled in for other AA hosts. I especially enjoy when Thom has on spokespeople from conservative and right-wing organizations, usually poking holes through their arguements but allowing them to explain where they are coming from. It allows you to hear "the other side" which in itself makes his show a must.

Hartman is probably one of the most educated and well-read of the AA hosts and fully expect that he'll be the one stepping into Al Franken's shoes, should Al actually run for office in '08.

A few more shots of Heritage Park, from the 'official' website. The pics we took were pretty similar but it give you a nice idea of where the new Chez Chaput will be located.

It really is hard to believe that a week from today will be my last day here at QPL.

I wish I had remembered to bring a camera along on Tuesday night. Donna and I finally had a chance to get together with two of my former supervisors and friends. Sue Raboy & Mady Kiner were the Branch Manager and Assistant Branch Manager at my very first branch in Brooklyn, Sunset Park. I can't begin to tell you all the stories and memories we shared at dinner.

Along with Mady & Sue was Arnold, Mady's husband, all three of whom were among those who attended my wedding to the current Mrs. Riggs.

It really is hard to believe that I've known the three of them for twenty years at this point.

For those comics fans reading this who may wonder. Yes, Sue is indeed related to the late Mac Raboy, artist on Flash Gordon, Captain Marvel, Jr and plenty of other stuff.

Here's a photo from the 'active adult community' where we'll be living shortly. Hard to believe that in only a little over two weeks, Donna and I actually be there.

When we were in California a few weeks ago we saw a lot of places from Long Beach to West Hollywood and places in between. For a while it seemed we were going to be taking a place a few miles away, but financially this place worked out.

If I get a chance I'll try to post a few shots we took, but I wanted to give you an idea.

According to the latest from CNN-- "Israeli forces are operating in Baalbeck area, northeast Lebanon -- about 50 miles from Lebanese capital, Beirut, and near border with Syria."

The whole situation is becoming uglier each day and there doesn't appear to be a resolution in sight. The Administration dragged its feet for way too long, thanks to the neo-Cons and their ties to certain groups.

At least that and Fidel's health issues have driven the Iraq civil war (and let's face it, it really has become that!) from the front page & evening news. G.W. & Co. can be thankful for that at least.

Good also to see the NYC tabloids find Mel and Christie much bigger news.

CALIFORNIA DREAMING is indeed becoming a reality here at Chez Chaput. I have given my 'official' notice to Queens Public Library and we have started packing up.

As things stand now Donna and I hope to be in SoCal by August 21 the latest. We already have an apartment (found during our trip out there the other week) which takes pets, so Babie is coming along for the ride. I may post some photos of the surrounding area in the next week, since we took a bunch while looking at different places.

Wanted you folks to be among the first to know.

I may be jumping the gun here, as I haven't really officially announced this, but it looks like Donna and I will be moving soon. Not everything is in place but staying here in NY doesn't seem to be our best (or only) option.

I'll probably have more to say early next week, so I'll see you then unless something comes up worth blogging about.

Apparently G.W. took note of my blog post earlier and has changed his mind. Seems that Condi will be racking up some more frequent flyer miles and will have to curtail her shopping for Prada this weekend.

The comedy duo of Bush & Blair are doing boffo with their tag-team act and are taking it on the road, it seems.

Spotted this earlier this morning:

"BEIRUT (Reuters) - Intense Israeli bombardment killed 13 people in Lebanon on Friday, while U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she would return to the region only when the time was right for a lasting solution to the crisis."

And exactly at point would that be? Maybe after most of Beirut has been leveled and the entire infrastructure of the country destroyed?

I'm very sorry to report that the position I was hoping for in Los Angeles didn't come through. I received the call last evening and it pretty much put a damper on the evening as you can imagine. Sometimes these things just don't work out.

Donna and I are discussing our future here in New York. No quick decisions but we're leaning towards a move to the coast just the same. I'll keep you updated.

The expression "No news is good news" may or may not be generally true, but in my case not so much. Unfortunately, we don't have a definitive answer re the new job in California, so Donna & I continue to keep our fingers crossed. I hope that those of you wishing us well will do like wise.

I do want to thank Dr. Chang, Dawn, and the other members of the Braille Institute staff for allowing me to take up their time last Tuesday. They are very busy and being there for several hours, I'm sure, cut into the work they do. I really do hope to count myself as one of them in the near future.

On the other hand, Donna and I did do some apartment hunting while in the OC. While not thrilled by some of the places we saw initially, we found a couple of places in the Ladera Ranch area that really looked like places to settle down. I'm tempted to post some pics, but don't want to jinx anything.

I'll keep you all posted as the week progresses.

I expect all of you to do your best in preventing WWIII breaking out while I'm in California. I'll happily deal with the fires, earthquakes and mudslides if you'll keep atomic warfare from ruining my vacation.

Since I may not be able to post for the next week I wanted to share the Los Angeles skyline with you. Got no clue when this may have been taken, but it certainly must have been an unbelievably clear day, huh?

With any luck I'll have some news to report when I get back.

Well, the contractors are working on the A/C here at the library. It's really nice in the Adult room, but sadly the Children's Room was around 85 degrees at 9:30am. The unit hasn't worked properly since the branched re-opened in March. Earlier in the year, folks downstairs had to wear sweaters it was so cold, as there was no heat. Fingers crossed that they'll get the unit working properly by later today.

When I worked in Brooklyn the branch would be closed if the temperature went above or below a certain set mark. Here in Queens The Powers That Be have decided that employees can sit in the heat or cold, comforted by the possiblity that Administration may shell out a few extra dollars as Compenstation Pay. I doubt the folks at Central would sit in the conditions the branch staff works in each and every day.

Well, I'm sure the guillotine is being readied back in Paris. I actually watched a soccer game (not all of it since there was also a Mets game on at the same time) for the first time in years. I was really sorry to see French lose by only a penalty kick after a very good record.

Not much of a fan of this sport, as I've mentioned before, but had my reasons for rooting this time around.

The worst part is that here in Dyker Heights & Bensonhurst, as you can imagine, the locals are going crazy. Car horns, fireworks and drunks hanging out sunroofs and car window waving the red, white & green.

Hard to believe that this time next week Donna and I will be in California with The Child and her friends.

Interesting to discover the news of the death of Ken Lay this morning. While I have little sympathy for the man, considering what his actions did to the pensions and savings of hundreds (if not thousands) of working folk, I do feel badly for his family. I'm sure that the coming days will be hard enough without the bad jokes and other comments sure to be directed at Mr. Lay.

Speaking of which, The White House has announced that the President still doesn't know Mr. Lay, despite photographs and video reputed to exist.

I know my might catch flack for this, but I'd like to give the folks folks reading my two blogs an early crack at comics & fanzines I'm clearing from my collection. I may be moving in the next few months, but even if we remain in Brooklyn I think it's time to weed out stuff I no longer want/need.

There's about ten comicbook long-boxes of stuff I'm getting rid of one way or the other.

The fanzines/magazines include stuff from the 1970s, i.e. a couple of issues of RBCC, GUTS, OMNIVERSE and others. I also have some copies of Comic Book Profiles, Amazing Heroes, etc. There are also some zines (pro & fan) on "B" movies & serials. Some of these are yellowing with a bit of water damage on a few.

The comics are mostly in Very Good or better condition, but that's according to my standards. Most are DC & Marvels from the 1980s-'90s, when I was collecting heavily. Many individual mini-series, and cross-over tie-ins. There are also a few 'underground/adult comics','anthropomorpics' and 'independents', including some 'ash cans'.

If you are interested in either or both lists I'll send them along as an attachment via e-mail.

Write me at: sachaput50@yahoo.com

"It was twenty years ago today...."

Well, it was actually twenty years ago yesterday, but things were pretty hectic at work and I didn't have a chance to post. Still I didn't want a very important date in my life to go unnoticed.

On June 30, 1986 I was hired as a Librarian Trainee by the Brooklyn Public Library. After spending most of the day at Grand Army Plaza filling out forms and getting a brief indoctrination, I found myself at the Sunset Park branch of the library meeting Susan Raboy & Made Kiner, who would shepherd me through my first six months.

I can't begin to tell you the things that have happened over those twenty years. Good and bad, but leading me to where I am today for better or worse. :-)

Hats off to Ms. Raboy & Kiner for the friendship and guidance through everything that has happened.

Haven't had much to say about politics or other socially important issues of late, so I thought I'd mention a few things which I've noted recently.

Nice to see the Supreme Court show a bit of backbone, despite the packing of GOP faves. I'm sure those same Republican talking heads who spoke highly about the Justice's decision on the Texas redistricting, will now jump on them for not backing His Smugness on the Gitmo trials.

Do we really need to see Britney Spears all prego on the cover of a magazine? Of course, I felt the same way years ago about Demi Moore on showing all at Vanity Fair, so I'm probably in the minority.

Seems the Congress has snuck themselves another 'cost of living' raise, while denying again an increase in the Federal minimum wage. Meanwhile the Iraq War continues and the same Chicken Hawks get closer to an amendment banning flag burning. We'd all be much safer believe me, knowing you anarchists were finally put in your place!

Not sure if I'll be around for the November elections here in NY, but I'm probably going to vote for anybody who runs against Hillary in the Democratic primary. I'd like to see a 'real' Democrat stand up to her. Come the election, if I'm still eligible, I'll probably vote for HC just to ensure somebody with a Democratic label sitting in both NY seats.

I know any comments I make regarding Israel would just get me in trouble, so I'll only say that things seem to be getting worse there for all concerned.

Shots of the Unicorn Bar and the ice cream machine setup at the "adult" pool area of the Carnival Legend. Donna, Pete and I spent a number of hours in and out of the pool & hottub enjoying some relaxation time. This is also the vantage point from where Pete & I watched the initial hours of the search for the man who jumped overboard. Our stateroom was exactly one deck down from this point.

This will only mean something to two people who read this blog. I had to explain it to one of them.

Yesterday, we were driving the Gowanis to pickup Donna's ex Michael, at LaGuardia Airport. I happened to look up at a bright red billboard and saw the following:

"I pooted!"

Nothing else on the sign.

The plane is part of the Coast Guard search for the man who jumped overboard. The sailing boat, privately owned we assume, also took part and sailed in the search for most of Saturday.

Thihs web pic showing the Legend leaving St. Thomas will give you an idea of from where the man jumped. His cabin was about mid-ships one deck over the lifeboats (which you'll see on either side of the mid-ship balcony cabins.

Our cabin was at the top deck, rear just one in from the right side as shown.

Shots from our pier in St. Thomas, including one of the U.S. Coast Guard craft which escorted us in and out.

Neither Donna or myself remember seeing these craft present on our past cruises, but the last time we were in St. Thomas our cabin was pier side so we might not have seen them.

I regret not taking my camera along to Megans Bay, since both the beach there and the journey back & forth were amazing. The beaches are on the other side of the island from downtown and the piers, so you have to travel through the hills which provide some beautiful, if sometimes nerve wracking photo ops.

A couple of shots of Megans Bay I was able to find on the 'net. Believe me, this does not do the place justice. I easily compare Megans Bay to the beaches in the Bahamas any day.

Our Cruise, part 3

Donna and I have both been to St. Thomas several times in the past. The last time was while aboard the Celebrity Summit, the notorious cruise on which both us ended up with medical bills approaching a thousand dollars. Of the five ports the ship hit we were only able to get off on two, with St. Thomas (the last port) being the only one in which we spent several hours shopping and having lunch. As Donna’s knee was bothering her due to the incident in the tour bus the day before, she decided to spend the day relaxing aboard.

Pete, who had never been on a cruise, was excited at the prospect of heading to one of the local beaches. We had checked out several of the ‘shore excursions’ offered by Carnival, but most included shopping and site-seeing, neither of which interested either of us. The whole point was to spend several hours at a beach, relaxing and not being on the ship’s schedule. Also, the official tours started at around $39 per person with nothing included, except the admission to the beach.

Getting off the ship around 9:30am we found a number of open-air trucks with bench seats. The price chart listed Megan’s Bay, which we had been told was nice, at $10 per person so we decided to take our chances. It was the right choice!

Megan’s Bay is considered one of the most beautiful beaches on the island and it is obvious why. Sandy beaches, under palm trees with picnic tables and a small snack bar & gift shop. It costs $3 person to get in for the day and Pete sprung for another $6 a piece to get a couple of beach chairs. The water in St. Thomas is clear and warm, with small fish swimming right between your legs as you wade in. No jet skis are allowed in the area, and the only motorboats belong to area residents. Only small sail boats, paddle-boats and rafts are available for rental, so you can float and swim with little concern.

We remained for almost three hours, only suffering minor sunburn on our backs and feet. Real Men don’t ask each other to put sun screen on each other, after all!

Oddly it was only $8 each to return to the ship, and the drive back took you along the hills where Pete was able to take some nice photos. I hadn’t taken my camera along, so you’ll have to take my word for how beautiful things were, unless I can find some shots of Megan’s Bay on line. We got back to the ship in time to grab some burgers by the pool and take showers before heading out to dinner later.

The Legend pulled out early that evening and I was able to get some shots. After dinner, we had some drinks and spent a while in the casino. Pete, who was a favorite of the Casino Hostess by now, decided to stay while Donna & I headed back to relax, and get some room service.

The whole point of the cruise was relaxation so the two of us skipped most of the shows. The three we attended were quite good; being the typical stuff you’d see in a Las Vegas or resort show. If you’ve seen this type of thing you’ll know that they are filled with Broadway and movie musical numbers, generally with three or four ‘featured’ singers along with a dozen or so dancer/performers.

Thursday morning found us at the pier in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Friends had told us that the beaches here were even more beautiful than those in St. Thomas, but as the ship was only going to be in port until 2:00pm we felt that we’d skip those in favor of some last minute souvenir shopping. I’ve got a few pics of the shopping area, which I’ll eventually get around to posting here. Donna and Pete bought some t-shirts for the various kids back home, checked out a couple of the jewelry shops and then headed back for lunch.

While we had a lot of fun during the cruise, it was fairly uneventful, until Friday night/Saturday morning. I wrote about the man jumping overboard to his apparent death last week, so there isn’t much to add. I don’t want to end all this on a down note.

Again, cruising is In My Humble Opinion the best way to relax with little pressure once you get onboard. I’ve heard that some ‘all inclusive’ resorts are comparable, but I haven’t tried one yet so that remains to be seen.

Our Cruise, part2

Our first port of call was San Juan, P.R Which due to it taking about two and a half days to arrive there from NYC, we didn’t get in until after 2:00pm on Tuesday. To be honest, Carnival was conducting a survey of passengers to decide just what they would do with San Juan. If the port should be the second port, allowing passengers longer in the port, or to skip it make it the last port, where they would be there in the mornings.

The way things work now many of the museums and landmarks are getting ready to close by the time some tours arrive. If you want to do shopping, have dinner or visit some of the night spots which open early then the current 2:00pm -11:30pm stay works out fine.

As you’ll see when I finally get around to posting our pics, we took a tour of the Bacardi Distillery, skipping some of the other tourist spots. You certainly get in the right mood, since the folks from Casa Bacardi have open bar or frozen & iced rum drinks as you leave the SJ terminal. I think some folks didn’t make it past there!

With drinks in hand to boarded a mini-bus, which we soon discovered did not have a working air conditioner. Opening windows didn’t provide much relief, but the trip to the distillery was only about twenty minutes and out driver/guide Manual (“Call me Manny!”) was knowledgeable and amusing. I had no idea that Ricky Martin is about the only celebrity in P.R. At least it seemed from the way that Manny pointed out where Ricky stayed, worked out, eat and jogged when he was back on the island.

Naturally, the tour of Casa Bacardi began and ended with the bus pulling in front of the gift shop, which also included an outdoor refreshment stand. While you had to pay for such items as water, soda, chips, etc. you were able to have two more “free” rum drinks using the tickets you received upon boarding the bus. The tour itself was fairly interesting, beginning with a twenty minute film on the history of the Bacardi family (Did you know the bat was chosen as the symbol of the company because a coloney of fruit bats was discovered in the original warehouse the family purchased when they began their business? They were considered a sign of good luck.) and how they came to become one of the largest rum manufacturing companies in the world, and certainly the most famous. Following this you were able to see a replica of the original stills, smell casks filled with rum at various stages of manufacture plus others containing every type and brand the Bacardi’s sold.

The tour ended with all of us getting back on an open-air trolley to be returned to the gift shop. At this point the guys behind the bar had given up even asking for tickets and some folks (I admit to being guilty) helped themselves to several more freebies after hitting the gift shop. I now have two t-shirts, a ball cap and more than enough rum to keep me very happy after work or while at the grill on summer weekends.

Unfortunately, the trip back took a bit longer, going by way of Old San Juan and the A/C hadn’t been repaired. We were also a bit jarred when an automobile pulled ahead of us, causing Manny to brake sharply. Poor Donna hit her knee on the seat in front of her, which caused her some discomfort later. We eventually made it back to the ship, overheated and looking forward to a quick shower before dinner.

It was kind of cool watching us pull out of SJ at a bit after midnight, as you could see the city really lighting up and hear music coming from a number of clubs along the shore. I’d spent some time in P.R. previously, while in the Navy and had a chance to see some of the beautiful countryside. I’d recommend it for folks, but you might want to pick a cooler time of the year, since it was pretty hot & humid in late May.

I’ll get around to St. Thomas & probably Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands either later tonight or tomorrow.

See! I told you the Rove-Meister was going to walk away. Damn you all for slandering the man!

Man, the gang at Al Queda didn't take long to come up with a new #1 guy, did they? Anybody believe like I do that there really is no such person? Nobody had ever heard of him before this, so I think he is an invention that will 'sign' future statements from the group, but never make an appearance. Just spec on my part, of course.

I'll bet the AMA will be taking flack for coming out against its members taking part in torture or executions. Again just a guess.

Our cruise, Part 1

Perhaps the events of Saturday should have given us an idea that all things weren’t going to run smoothly. Of course, you never know in this type of situation.

We were going to set sail aboard the Carnival Legend on June 20th at 4:00pm. Donna and I, along with our friend Pete, had a balcony room confirmed but didn’t know which one it might be. Anyway, Pete’s son Peter gave us a ride to the terminal in Manhattan getting us there around 12:30. At some point during the trip Donna had taken her purse out of her carry-on bag. It was only after Peter had already taken off and we were in the terminal that she realized that the purse, with our Passports and boarding documents were still on the backseat. It’s at moments like that when I’m glad to have a cell phone.

Due to a motorcycle tour and several street festivals, changing the normal traffic patterns, what should have taken only about ten minutes took nearly a half hour. This was even with Pete & I crossing over to meet Peter at 44th St.

Once we had our documents it still took us until after 2:00pm to even begin the boarding process, since the ship had been delayed about two hours coming in that morning. When we finally got aboard we discovered our cabin was at the very stern of the ship on the top deck of those with cabins. You can imagine the view straight down to the propellers, which later would prove quite interesting. (I have some photos which I’ll be posting in a day or so, at least a couple showing the view.)

Pete had never been on a cruise before so he was delighted by the stateroom with its extended balcony. It was already set up with three chairs, a footrest (which doubles as a drink stand) and small table (usually found in the stateroom, but apparently moved outside). Over the eight days of the cruise we used them all quite a bit.

The first day of a cruise is always casual dress in the dining room, since many folks don’t get their luggage until later and you often have to wear whatever you had on when you boarded. If you’ve never cruised before let me tell you that it might pay to have a sweater or light jacket, since the A/C is cranked sometimes.

Pete discovered the casino the first night and soon became a favorite of the Casino Hostess. Within a few days she even sent along a bottle of wine to our table and on our last day gave him a Player’s Club ‘goodie bag’ of stuff. Donna and I have generally won and lost a few hundred dollars during each our cruises and never even saw the Casino Host, so I’m not going to guess how much Pete gambled.

It takes two and a half sailing days to get from New York to our first port, which in this case was San Juan, P.R. I’ll fill you in on our shore trips and the later part of the cruise next time out.

I've been pretty busy around here since getting back and wanted to at least begin telling you about the cruise. I hope to post some photos of the ship and the three of us tomorrow.

Sorry that I haven't had a chance to post pics or talk about our cruise. It's the beginning of the new fiscal year at the library, I'm still sending out resumes and other things have prevented me from sitting down to blog. I really will try to get to it, perhaps later tonight for a bit since I'm working.

On a political note. Can Bush's base be so easily deceived and kept in place by this last minute return to the gay marriage issue? I also hear some talk about the old tired 'flag burning ban', which never fails to stir things up. Have the last few years of Iraq, Katrina and illegal wiretapping really meant so little to these folks?

I've read the Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. ROLLING STONE piece on the 2004 election. It still angers me, but admit that the SALON critique by Farjad Manjoo (both pointed out by Mark Evanier) raises some good points, chiefly that we've all heard much of this before and Kennedy really adds nothing to the debate save his name recognition.