kinda cool huh?

back in the game

worked my first bengal game since getting back on my feet and noticed this during warm ups...


not present at game time.... none the less pretty sweet....

Candiate X apply directly to the forehead, Candiate X apply directly to the forehead

Political adds are in the news more than ever, mostly because they are getting more and more out of hand. With the Michael J Fox add:



the yet another reason to hate Jeff Suppan add,




this add from Tennessee the candidate its attacking Harold Ford, a black man, who happens to have attend a Playboy hosted 2005 Super Bowl party.



NAACP got real pissed that the chick in that last one was white, cause in the south white woman/black man is still a button for people. My favorite part of this story is Ford’s response; “I like football and I like girls”.

Having suddenly found a new interest in a network TV shows (Heroes and Studio 60 mostly, that’s another entry though) and watching Jeopardy whenever I can I’ve been barraged with OH/KY adds lately as I’m sure most of us have. Jeopardy is the worst because its biggest viewing demographic is the voting demographic, 45-85 year olds. I see adds for 4 different congressional districts two in OH and two in KY, plus countless local races and Ohio ballot initiatives and state office races. I swear there are some breaks that are nothing but political adds. I much rather have Alex Trebek underhanded sexist comments interrupted with commercials for Fixodent and Perpetration H than some these adds. None of our ads are as controversial as the ones above but with two weeks left and supposed closetedly gay gubernatorial candidate, I won’t be surprised.

I really don’t see how any of these adds change people’s minds about how they will cast their vote. This country is so sharply divided because we make up our minds well before any real debate occurs, I know these spots are not real debate but they are all most American get before an election. If people listen to political talk radio they either listen left ward stations or rightward ones. People choose their political allegiance early and very rarely switch. Real shifts in allegiance occur once a generation, if that often. And it take a radical change in thinking by a party to cause that shift, i.e. Democrats running on a civil rights ticket and loosing southern support in the 1960s. I know political scientist want to act like there are masses of swing voters out there and that campaigning makes a difference. And it does but not to change peoples minds, it may only slightly get people out to vote who normally would not. So would it not serve to channel the billions of dollars spent on these adds into campaigns to simply get people to vote.

Oh I know why, because then maybe there would be real reform and progress in our government. And no body wants that on either side of the aisle, so the real tactic hear is to disenfranchise voters in order to maintain the traditional powerbase.

Sorry, Bob I’m going to have to cut you off…

Went up to Detroit again last weekend. We were treated much better this time around mostly because our actual supervisor tagged along. The World Series is a very electric atmosphere buzzing with excitement, pretty exciting despite the lack of blue and orange. This electricity seems to act as a magnetic force on people’s wallets as the tips were flowing both nights. The best tip I got all night was 15 bucks for 24 dollars in beer, that 3 24 oz. cans expertly border to a very low foam to beer ratio by yours truly. The coolest tip I got was from Steve Yzerman, two dollars for a single beer. Adding to my short list of celebrities served which includes him and him (the middle of course). The coolest part about being up there is that our locker room was literally inches from the visiting changing rooms and caddy cornered to the rooms set aside for players wives and kids. So needless to say lots of player traffic right around where we would kill time prior to the gates opening. The Coolest thing was, before game one, seeing Leyland and Larussa having a four way chat with two women who I believe where their wives. My uniwatch astuteness noticed Leyland is one of the few managers that wears cleats as if he may have to pinch run him self for Pudge in the late innings.

Powerlessness and the Backwards K

Powerlessness, that’s the word of the week. It the sentiment I received from my vending supervisor at the beginning of the week regards to they way I was treated by management in Detroit. And it’s the feeling I had all week long as I rode the blue and orange roller coaster. Powerlessness may not even be a word (Parsons? Jake? anybody…). But it certainly sums it all up very well. Its the emotion that brings a rational scientific man to believe a batters success depends solely on the angle in which one is sitting in a chair watching the game as is unfolds 600 plus miles away. It’s the emotion, which had me busting my ass to help co-workers after being cut off from sales myself. Powerlessness is why people turn to god ( I admit I said a prayer or two last night, but only during Shawn Green’s at bats), refusal to admit powerlessness builds social and behavioral disorders (a learned a lot to teach 10 weeks of psych), powerlessness is why people love sports.

People need to give themselves up to something bigger, to cling to the outcome of something so dearly and then let go of the power to effect that outcome just as adamantly as they clung to it. When giving yourself up to be part of something bigger your able forget about all those things in your life you do have power over. Finally a decisions you don’t have to make. You can let Willie Randolph make it for you. And even if you leave it up to a guy and he doesn’t take his bat off his shoulder, its ok because you can absolve yourself the moment things are over. Yeah your crushed, yeah your angry, but when you wake up the next morning you realize that it had nothing to do with you. It was something greater than you something that meant more to people other than you.

One of the most difficult things about being a Met fan for me is the fact that I don’t see other Met fans every day. And applauding the amazings requires a certain level of commiseration. The powerlessness means nothing with out others whom share it. In 2000, being eliminated was so much rougher. I was surrounded by sports fans yes living in all guy freshman residence hall but they were all understandingly was apathetic toward the series as was most of the rest of country out side of the region between the Raritan Bridge and the Conneticut River. No one was really there with me. And i had to suffer through tales of the SUNY dorms in whihc residents litterally drew down hall ways. Yeah I had my ‘rents but I was down at school and commiseration with you parents just doesn’t count for some reason.

This year was so much different. I saw it her eyes as she walked Asbury when I left for practice last night, she was excited and nervous about game seven. Just like, I knew it in her brother when he referred to the Mets as “we” in Pittsburgh a month ago. Erin is now my commiseration companion and now she really knows what is like to be a Met fan. You can buy a jersey and look really hot in it. You can suffer through some nasty weather (oppressive heat at Shea, and cats and dogs at GABP). You can develop your own in game rituals. But until you suffer through a loss like last night your not a Met fan. Now, baby love, you’re a Met fan. Until last night, your tried veil it as your love for me and his hotness as the motive behind you devotion. But when Carlos watched that curve ball drop right through the strike zone and you were as visibly upset as I, if not more, then I knew you actually cared about all this.

By caring, Erin has given me someone to commiserate with. I can’t Show up, at Shea. I can’t ride with mobs on the seven train (imagine how quite that train was last night). I can’t grab a knish in the 5th inning or some sushi during BP. But I can when, circumstances permit turn on the TV cuddle up with a bowl of ice cream look across the couch and see another Met fan. If Erin had a pre-existing baseball devotion, I would still love her as relentlessly as I do right now. This just makes my own sports experience more meaningful and thusly more enjoyable. Bottom line is I LOVE BASEBALL, but more importantly we love each other and now WE love the Mets.

stuck inside of sixth grade with 7 train blues again

I'm still buzzin from last nights game. I was tired as all get ou yesterday and not looking foward to possibility of being called in today. And 6:05 come around and the phone rings. I'm ina the messiest most unorganized sixth grade classroom today. Everything about today sucks; the lesson plans are awful, the kids are out of controll, i only have comp access right now during lunch; the ancipation of game 7 is the only bright spot and that makes my stomach turn in knots more complicated then the ones we had to make when climbing this at eisner. I know the crowd will be electric and i know that will spur the Mets bats, just hope we can hold off the cardinal bats like last nights first 8 innings.

I believe and so should you.

some else throw a black cat on the field...

Read this then buy this and send it shea care of albert puljos... ASAP

a miracle is out there

i'm offically a uni geek

i got props on paul lukas's blog... i sent in the stuff on kings' helmets.

6 more wins and getting colder

I know, I know 11 days with out a post… Get off my back

A couple reasons why I’ve haven’t posted in a while. For a stretch I was truck with classroom with out computers or poorly placed ones. With no series of tubes to search and nothing else to do I was forced to read, god forbid. I borrowed a novel from one of my pit kids, I’m half way through it and its really good. I recommend it. I was weary cause it was something this girl was required to read for school but I’m feelin it now. Other reason is that I’ve been busy getting this thing off my foot, rehabbing my ankle and searching for the perfect high top in which to slang suds at PBS. That’s right I’m back in the game of getting folks drunk as the they enjoy sporting events. And I became so just in time for a trip to the COPA for the ALCS as run by the company I work for at GABP. I wont go in to details but the folks in Detroit really did not want use there despite the fact that they need us because the local vendors suck ass, and I took the brunt of that inhospitable attitude and during wound up not getting to work most of game four. At least I got to see Magglio’s shot. (after which I thought about that’s city’s history of celebration gone civil unrest, and wanted to get our bus immediately)

Obviously, I’ve been on a bit of a roller coaster Mets wise especially not being able to watch most of Friday and all of Saturday night’s debacles. But I watched every pitch last night especially the ones the Cardinals bull pen gift wrapped for Carlos^2. So the pond scum are slowly rising to the top. They just need to play their brand of baseball and maybe they will be headed to the COPA themselves. And I hope the Mets will be able to make the Detroit PD’s job a little easier, and perhaps i will make the trip for games 2 and 3 as well. Although with forecasts like this and this maybe the games will never be played.

"we have a boy teacher today"

SIXTH GRADE is a whole different world from where I started in education (12th grade Sociology). Almost like going from this to this. But strangely the kids are no different. They want your help. Just with different problems. I know that’s vague but I think that’s another blog another time...

More importantly, Its fall and I got a game to reflect upon. I forgot how exciting playoff baseball was. The ebb and flow of baseball is gut wrenching and the playoffs. the first big gut wrench was certainly paulie's double play. Solo shots make me made but not when they they knot it up and put you in the lead in a tight playoff games. Mota is sure scary sometimes and Wags like any Met closer will make you sweat. It only one game and the road is long, but if the Mets keep playing with this swagger and that damn jew in right field stops being a dead spot in the order we should be in good shape (I'd knock on wood but I’m teaching a metal trailer ::dueling banjoes intro::)

And Muhammed Hates Duke...

Best T-Shirt EVER!!!


ps: still hungry

the animal crackers taunt me from afar

Well the bulk of the fast is done but the hard part is covertly slinking around the bend. I feel no effects yet. But I know I will by the time the next set of kids rolls through the door. And my schedule today it the worst possible. The teacher has actually asked that I do some real teaching which normally I’d be all for and kind of amped about, its 7th grade math so at least its kind of brainless stuff. Plus I've been asked to do a lunch duty. So I get watch the little 6th grader munch there hot dogs and slurp there chocolate milk that should be fun. The cherry on this fasting Sunday (maybe i should avoid food analogies) is that there is a huge jar of animal crackers on this woman's desk. I hate animal crackers but I know by the end of the day they will look like a rutts hutt ripper or slice of Joey’s.

I share this not to gain sympathy only to vent and keep record of the event. Its a ritual I actually enjoy and find valuable in the end, however, working during it sucks. Hopefully someday I won't have to do so.

crab bisque and other developments

HAPPY OCTOBER... GOOD YONTIF!!!


With a the coldness creeping in... chez lanzoff is looking to expand its repertoire to soups and stews... so the spouse and i spent yesterday acquiring the necessary hardware to embark on such a culinary endeavor. This included the following:

Stock Pot
Emersion Blender
Cook Books


We then came home and I worked on crab bisque which could have been a huge success if I had given it one last stir before plating. It seem the white wine I used settled at the bottom or rose to the top and all ended up in Erin's bowl much to the chagrin of her pallet, which inncidentally srtuggles with the acidity of wine. My bowl was passable put upon tasting Erin's I realized my mistake. I pretty sure learned from the mistake and next time the bisque will be blissful, and sans wine. I feel like soups are the next step in my culinary development. It will take time but I will "make it work"

On other fronts, Fusion got a shaky performance off on Friday night at Amelia's homecoming. Muddy conditions pushed my pit to the track which created this weird sound delay which the kids adjust fairly well to. But there where lots of other problems musically and visually. We got 2 weeks until the next time we see judges and lots of work to do. But tons of, the that dirty word, potential, the question is can we make something of it.

Well its football/dog park time and then off to a big pre-fast meal. A fasting entry will come tomorrow.