Monday, July 31, 2006

It's gettin' Hot in Here!

On Wednesday, August 2, 2006 Boston will be 100 degrees Fahrenheit with 100% humidity.

Were I a Judeo-Christian-Islamic sort of a person, I would reckon that Governor Romney upset the Almighty in some way.

The Phantom Gourmet

I have quite a few guilty pleasures. Soap operas are one. Those marginal musical movies from the 80s such as "Beat Street" is another.

A third would be the television show, "The Phantom Gourmet." The show is hosted by Dan Andelman and was created by his brother Dave Andelman. The shows consists largely of restaurant critiques made by a critic known only as "The Phantom Gourmet." The brothers insist that neither of them are the purple outfitted caped foodie in disguise. The hook for the show is that the Phantom dines in the establishments that he/she rates as a regular Joe or Jane Diner so that he/she can have the same honest, dining experience as you would.

In addition to restaurant reviews, there are also segments that feature recipes of items that you might find on the menu in many of the restaurants profiled. The recipes are supplied by Newbury College. They also have guests on the show-owners, chefs, bakers, pizzamakers-you name it.

Each show has a theme. Last week's was 'Fast Food.' My fourth guilty pleasure. I was surprised to know that the Phantom felt that Wendy's trumped McDonalds and Burger King. I was also surprised that the Phantom liked Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits. The Phantom stated that this chain needed to expand in Massachusetts.

The Phantom seemed to forget that at least, under its previous owners, Popeye's did have restaurants across the Northeast coast. There was a restaurant in Porter Square in Cambridge and one at Roxbury Crossing in the 1980s. In fact, my mother bought a chicken meal from Popeye's to celebrate the Chicago Bears in the Superbowl in 1986. Both closed and it seemed that the restaurant chain retreated closer to the Mason-Dixon line.

I second the call for another Greater Boston area Popeye's though I must admit that except for the biscuits, which were always popular, the other items on the Popeye's menu can leave a lot to be desired. Depending on the fancy and the skills of the staff and depending on the restaurant, the quality varies from place to place.

In any event, while I like food, I am completely not a foodie. However, I tune in to this show almost religiously because...it's a good show.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Women are not represented in large numbers in leadership roles in the corporate world.

Diversity Inc. published an article informing the nation that women are not represented in large numbers in leadership roles in the corporate world. They ascribe this disparity to the fact that women tend to be tracked over the course of their career into positions in departments that are largely administrative and human resource-oriented as opposed to sales, which has more of an impact on the bottom.

I almost filed this under the "bleedin' obvious." On second reflection, while this should come to no surprise to anyone who has paid attention to workplace trends, it still seems to be something that continues to happen. I recognized this when I worked in retail and noticed that those that were in charge were men and those who did the grunt work were women. While more women are taking on leadership roles in the corporate world, there are so many that get tracked into positions where they have very little influence and are usually the casualties of any cutbacks that happen. At one company that I worked at, which was women owned by the way, I was surprised at how when a male was hired in a leadership role, it was perceived as a move that will correct the company's plummeting fortunes-even though that male may have come from the outside whereas the women who were equally qualified were congratulated on maintaining morale than for their ability to generate revenue.

I am glad that Diversity Inc. is keeping an eye on this issue. I will be even more glad when they report that they do not need to mention this anymore because it is a non-issue.

Elfquest

I make no secret of the fact that I am a big fan of Elfquest. Ever since I picked up the hardcover graphic novel collection of the stories from the Forbidden Forest and the Blue Mountain period, I had been a fan. I was even coverted to the cause of wolves. When I recall the comics I collected over the years, after GI Joe, Elfquest was the only non-manga title I had.

The elves and I enjoyed a good 20 years together. I was with them when they found the Palace, lost some good people like Skot and One-Eye and even saw the littlest ones (Ember and Suntop-excuse me, Sunstream) grow up and come into their own (Ember becomes a chieftess of a band of elves in her own right and gets a soulmate while Sunstream not only becomes an avatar for the Palace, but gets his own soulmate and becomes a father).

Elfquest has really been going places lately. For a few years, DC comics have published new and older tales, which has gotten them exposure to more audiences. In addition to having a website, they have online forums and have set about digitizing their back issues of the 'Quest.' They also have moved on the whole 'Elfquest movie' thing, which I may or may not ever see. There are very few film/animated adaptations I will ever see, much less highly recommend. 'The Last Unicorn' is an example of the few that live in this category. I trust the Pinis and their decision making skills, even when I was not thrilled about DC comics partnership though I saw the big picture.

Besides cool, quality storytelling, Elfquest is notable because it is drawn by a woman, Wendy Pini, which in the US was something of a rarity when this title debuted. She also contributed to the story. Lest anyone think that this story much be so sugary that it is diabetic because it is drawn by a woman, I direct them to some of the scenes in the war for the Palace against the Trolls. Some of that stuff is still disturbing, though it was necessary to the plot.

Warp (Wendy and Richard Pini) Graphics also is working on other titles such as Wendy's cool futuristic, cyberpunkish take on Edgar Allan Poe's Masque of Red Death.

2008 marks thirty years of Elfquest. I can't wait to see where the next thrity years will bring us.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Real Random

I have the theme song to the "Greatest American Hero" running through my head for no reason at all...

Angela Cartwright

Angela Cartwright is an example of what happens when child actors do not implode. She has become a successful mom and artist who embraces her past in a healthy, non-Norma Desmond way. One of the pleasures of the blogosphere is in reading her blog, which is beautiful, personal, and funny. She includes photos of her artwork, which can also be found at her website-http://www.angela-cartwright.com/.

One of the more interesting entries has been her chronicling how she and her family fared during the blackouts that have recently happened in California.

Angela Cartwright's blog:
http://acartwrightstudio.blogspot.com/

Another Template Update

Every so often, I decide to update the template to a colour that is more seasonal or that I feel like wanting to look at for a long period of time.

Don't get me wrong-I liked the previous template but I felt that something green was in order. The formatting also saves me having to figure out how to reformat the various links that I have collected and updated.

I have spent time checking out all of the links I have here. In a few cases, I have deleted those that are no longer valid. Others are providing me with topics to blog about. Still others have led me to more resources that I have worked hard to include here.

As we are rolling into Lammas, it seemed to me as good a time as any to take stock of the blog and how it looks and how I want to develop it. I know that I definitely want to complete some of those entries that currently live in "draft" form!

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

New Owner for the Apprentice Blog.com

I discovered while cruising through the various links that I have on this blog, that one of my favorites has a new owner. That's right. The Apprenticeblog.com is up and running again. There was a period of time during the 5th season where it was simply not being updated. So I actually spent more at the official blog, where Donald Trump essentially published the "tips" that he provides each episode.

Well, the original owner put it up for auction on ebay and the current owner purchased it. He seems like a nice fellow and is seeking to maintain the site.

I liked this particular blog because there was real analysis of each episode but it also cateered to the armchair critic in all of us.

I look forward to visiting the site in September when the Apprentice debuts in LA. (As in Los Angeles, I shudder to think what Mark Burnett would do with the show in Louisiana.)

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Survey finds that Japanese workers are exhausted

Kjeld Duits is a journalist that reports about Japanese culture and politics at his website: http://www.ikjeld.com/

Much of his reporting has been particularly insightful since news about Japanese culture usually sways between love of manga, samurai and geisha to hatred and fear of the "yellow menace that was going to wipe us all out in the 1940s" and "the evil yellow menace that work too hard and are killing us in auto production and the sciences.'

Japan is not perfect by any means. It is also not a country that needs to be fixed necessarily by conforming to American culture. So, I appreciate Kjeld for reporting on the good, the bad and the ugly of this nation.

It seems that the Generation X and Y employees in Japan are exhausted and not liking it according to the article to be found here.

Sites that I visit-end of July edition

The African American Environmentalist Association is a blog that I visit from time to time. On a very basic level, it debunks the unspoken conventional wisdom that Blacks are not concerned with environmental issues. I appreciate the effort the author has taken time to provide a blog that is informative and topical.

And though I hate that I feel I need to to say this, but those who are not African American can also get a lot out this blog as well.

You heard it here....

According to AlterNet, the Marines are using MySpace to recruit.

That's right. MySpace.com

The article can be found here: Marines recruiting on MySpace.

You can't say that the Marines don't ignore something that works. MySpace has become, even more than Friendster, the online networking tool of choice, especially among certain demographics-the very demographics that recruiters salivate over. Not only do members become friends of Suzy and Trey, they also add to their friends list record companies, magazines, religious groups, bars, colleges, and social causes. Through blogging, chat and bulletins, like minded friends engage in info sharing and bonding. The perceived safety of this sharing in a place like MySpace, turns this into a marketers' (and recruiters) pot of gold.

The Marines figured out how to recruit using new media and that they have a profile on MySpace, is not something that I find particularly insidious. Again, marketers have already beaten them to the punch with profiles and ads and contests tailored to entice the magical demographic into spending their money (which is often times their parents' money).

My only beef with the recruiters for the Marines-with the armed forces in general-is that they are upfront about what it really means to be a soldier and that you are essentially okay with sacrificing your life whenever it is asked of you. It is not something that you do for 4-6 years and then you get money to go to college. I am not cool with tying service as a soldier with being a "real man" (although that has been around forever).

I am also not cool with what I perceive as the preying upon the poor and the troubled that recruiters engage in. Heck, I welcome them to recruit at Harvard and Stanford and Yale and Berkeley. Why should the poor kids have all the advantages of becoming the pride of their nation and making the noble sacrifice?

I also echo the sentiment that went around in 2003 that those in Congress who support the current war in Iraq, should march their children who are of age down to the armed forces recruitment offices and have them sign up. In case someone comes up with the excuse that they only have daughters, it will please them to know that except for certain combat roles, the military is open to women also.

I would be interested to know what the yield of recuits would be for the Marines from their MySpace site.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Yet another random thought

In my comment to a post about interracial dating, I actually posted the lyrics of "Happiness Is" from "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."

For me, it says all I think needs to be said about the issue.

Monday, July 17, 2006

MySpace humor

Enough said.

http://www.myspacehumor.com/


Tuesday, July 11, 2006

What Tarot Card are you....

This was so interesting that I had to post it twice.



You Are The Devil

You don't represent evil, but you do represent the animalistic side of humans.

You demonstrate what happens when we listen to our first instincts.

At times you tend to be materialistic and hedonistic, giving in to temptation.

Admit it, you're guilty of acting first - and forgetting to think later!



Your fortune:



Right now, you may be having a difficult time as a result of choices you have made.

You need to think about what's important in your life, and discover what chains you down.

It is the time to acknowledge your faults and take steps to overcome them.

It's also the time to let go of any fears or inhibitions that are holding you back.

Wednesday, July 5, 2006

McChronicles: Drive Thru Experience Blog

Again, the McChronicles gives me yet another reason to check it out regularly. They located a blog about McDonalds drive thru experiences but noticed that it was intended to trend towards the negative. They made the observation that "negative" does not always yield "positive" and well, the entry and the comments can be found here:

McChronicles: Drive Thru Experience Blog

What would John Adams have made of this Fourth of July?

What would the venerable John Adams, who more than anyone was responsible for the Continental Congress' acceptance of the Declaration of Independence and who celebrated the date of Independence (July 4) as much as he could before he died (Oddly enough on July 4), think of:
  • The NASA shuttle launch that took place this past July 4th?
  • Boston's annual "dash for space' closest to the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade?
  • Retail stores being open on July 4?
  • Hot dog eating contests taking place on July 4?
  • Almanzo Wilder's father, James' observation that it was the "shovels and pickaxes that made America"?
  • Enron chief Kenneth Lay's death?
  • President G.W. Bush's trip to visit the troops in an "unnecessary war"?
  • Steve Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith performing with the Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops?
  • the fact that the most popular song that is performed at the Boston Celebration being the 1812 Overture, which had more to do with France and Russia and less to do with the United States?
  • The fact that the number one beer consumed was probably the beer that bears his cousin's name-Sam Adams?
  • The fact that many American school children cannot spell 'Declaration of Independence' much less tell anyone that is listening what it is about beyond, "We hold these to be self evident" and " the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"?
  • The fact that his cousin Sam Adams is known more as a beer than for the work he did to found the country and for the state of Massachusetts?
  • The fact that his wife Abigail would not have been allowed to bring her knitting needles onto the Esplanade? (Not that she would have...)
  • That the USS Constitution-"Old Ironsides", one of the ships that he worked hard to have built based upon his belief that the United States needed a navy, is brought out for a spin around the harbor every July 4?
  • That there are people who spend most of their lives reenacting the events of the "serious times" that he lived through?
  • That he is a cartoon character on "Liberty's kids"?
  • That the United States has so far survived 230 years (thought there would have been a bigger celebration for such a milestone)?
  • That a gill of hard cider cannot be had anywhere on July 4?

Monday, July 3, 2006

Where have all the Quarters gone?

Where have all the Quarters gone?

I ask because on more than one occasion recently have I received change back from a purchase where the cashier went out his or her way to give me anything but quarters.

I used to work as a cashier so I know that if you are running low on quarters, it is perfectly acceptable to substitute six dimes and three nickels for 75 cents. When this happens once on a weekday afternoon (Wednesday), you think nothing of it. When it happens twice on a weekday
afternoon, you notice but go on with your day. However, when it happens four times, you have to wonder if there is a shortage taking place. In two of the instances, I was asked insistently if I had pennies so that I would receive dollar bills in my change rather than change that would have consistently usually of quarters. I said no and was treated as if I was a liar or worse. I also received more change than I ever could have conceived of in my life.

This pattern of "no quarters in my change" has continued for about a week. It seemed as if there was a silent boycott of ol' George. Only at the bank did I find an exception to the rule but the teller made it seem as if she were making an exception to hand me 40 cents that consisted of a dime, a nickel and a quarter.

I am sure there are many theories as to how this situation came about. Some would place the blame squarely on sales and meal tax , which never work out evenly. Others would blame the penny. Pennies are small and annoying to carry around. It seems like a lifetime would go by before you end up in a situation where the total charge is $4.02 and you have the 2 cents on you to pay $4.02 instead of the more likely scenario, where you have either $5.00 or $10.00 and no change.

Still another would place the blame square on coin-op laudromats, coin-op laundry rooms and the hours of the local bank. Laundry is a necessity and unfortunately for those who do not own a home, they must rely on the coin-op. Those who travel to the local laundromat have the convenience of the every present changemaker that is usually located by the soap. Those who don't have to travel find that there is a price to be paid for the convenience of having a laundromat in the apartment building. The price is the weekly or monthly hunt for quarters. Quarters can be obtained at the local bank, assuming that you are able to make it during business hours. If you are not able to, your options are limited. Slowly and surely in some cities, token booth collectors that could once be counted on to provide change are being phased out in favour of rechargeable fare cards. Local stores of course can be selective about whether or not they will give a person change for a dollar without purchase of an item.

Well, I have no answers as to why quarters are looking to be an endangered species. I do know that I better remember how to count change in dimes and nickels and I need to buy a purchase to hold all of the change that it seems I will now accumulate.

Review: The Tale of the Dark Crystal

The Tale of the Dark Crystal by Donna Bass My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews