GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

The good news follows, below. The bad news? I have a cold, you might even call it a Summer cold, given the weather. How one can have such nasal production is an amazement . . . as I go through box after box of tissues. And my breathing sounds like I have Asthma, wheeze, wheeze. The cold came on like gangbusters, with early symptoms just visiting Monday. Then last night deciding to not to visit, but to move in full time.

So I woke up this morning wondering if I had died, or was this just a bad joke being played on me by the evil powers that be? Add in the mega-allergies that are afflicting those of us in The Metropolitan Area this year (eyes itch, hurt, and are tearing, ears itch, sinus problems), and I am a mess.

On top of all this, thereís work to do. My work is divided, roughly about 50:50, between computer activities and phone calls. My voice is almost gone, and when I do speak I sound like a cross between Lurch and Froggy. So much for getting the phone work done. The computer work is also suffering, since I have to cough, blow my nose, and either get some more water or tea, or run to the bathroom due to all the water and tea Iíve been consuming.

And, of course, one does need to concentrate on business documents and such. Concentration is not a strong point when breathing is difficult, coughing is constant, and, oh yeah, the headache that just wonít quit.

I cancelled plans to play Scrabble with a friend tonight (better put, against the most challenging opponent Iíve ever faced), and feel like I might not even be able to stay awake for the telecast of the Yankee game starting at 10:00 tonight. They are in Anaheim, and I am in Hell.

I need chicken soup.

The Blog isnít Sick, just Ignored

It has been slim pickings over here for a week. Again, Iíve been leaving comments on blogs all over the place, but have had to really work to muster the strength and discipline required to post anything worthy of your eyes and/or your attention in this space. Ideas are abundant, topics are everywhere. Time and inclination are the culprits. This post comes as a result of being too blah from the cold to get much serious work done

BUY ME SOME PEANUTS AND CRUNCHënMUNCH???

The vendor/concessionaire with the contract at Yankee Stadium is daring the Baseball Gods to strike the Yankees with some sort of lightning bolt. At least when they are at home. Yes, rather than sell Cracker Jacks [1], that disgusting, sticky,smelly concoction of popcorn, caramel/corn syrup, peanuts and who knows what else(?), they've switched to some generic version of the stuff [2]. It is called Crunch'n'Munch, which sounds like some perverse sexual thing people with a sweat fetish might want to do at the gym.

Try to sing Take Me Out To The Ball Game [3] during the 7th Inning Stretch, substituting "Crunch'n'Munch" for Cracker Jacks. It just doesn't work.

Maybe instead, they should switch to this version of the song [4], as interpreted by the late, great Frank Zappa [5].

MANY HAPPY RETURNS

A number of my favorite bloggers are back. Back from periods of not posting, or just back after a rest of some sort.

RageBoy [6] is back, and that's cause for celebration. RB was sorely missed, and it is good to see him back in the saddle. That's the saddle, not Seattle. Or Cialis, for which I receive about 35 Spam e-mails a day. But back to RageBoy and his recently much-updated blog [6], after about a month of inactivity. This is good stuff, and you can actually show your support for RB's entertaining writing once you get there.

So go over to RB's blog, read it, and then buy a book [7] or a record [8] or something while you're there. As you will see, it goes [9] to a worthy [10] cause [11]. Like it says at the very top of the blog [6], Keep RageBoy Raging!

Mike Golby [12] is back, and posting up a storm. The official Blogosphere Dylan librettist is writing, writing, writing! He was away for a while, and I had meant to leave a comment post telling Mike that he seemed to get a whole lot more out of that Anniversary Party movie [13] than I did. But I just never got around to it. Now it seems like too long ago to post it . . . at least over there. So, Mike can read it here!

Nor did I get a chance to tell him that his blogospheric analysis of Mulholland Drive [14] is absolutely spot-on. If, like most people, you found yourself scratching your head after that movie, wondering just what the deal really was, then read Mike Golby's take on it. If you are at all familiar with the Blogosphere, the insights will be that much keener. He even mentions the above-mentioned RageBoy [6] in his Mulholland Drive essay.

Mike Golby is a must-read. Of course, everyone on that Dean's List blogroll column to the right is a must read.

My UK blogging buddy Keith Povall [15] is back, and is blogging [16] with a vengeance. If it isn't a complaint about something that drives him nuts, then it is one of those "what sort of ____ are you" on-line tests. And we always love to read about Keith's kitchen cooking and other such dining adventures!

TWO GOOD REASONS TO VOTE FOR KERRY

You can see them both here [17] and here [18]. The 23rd letter's twins [19] may be a couple of wild ones [20], but the JKF of this century [21] had a daughter who knows how to dress [22] for Cannes.

I'll take a first daughter with some fashion chutzpah over two spoiled, hard-drinking Texas party girls, anyday!

MORE TO FOLLOW

More tomorrow, when maybe I will be able to breathe again, and not have to stop every two seconds to cough, blow my nose, wheeze, take another aspirin, and drink some more water or tea.