Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Memorial Day

Actually, it's the day after Memorial Day. But I've been thinking about the war in Iraq and how disturbing this whole deal is. In honor of the recent holiday, I recommend C-Span's American Perspecitves episode from Walter Reed Hospital. This is an .rm file, so I guess you need RealPlayer to watch. Here's their blurb on the show:
A special C-SPAN program features conversations with three Army soldiers and a Marine about their personal experiences in Iraq and at Walter Reed Medical Center. Additional conversations take place with the Commander of Walter Reed and a we take a look at physical and occupational therapy for injured soldiers. Almost four thousand patients from Operation Iraqi Freedom have been treated at Walter Reed since the war began.


Some of the images in this program are a bit disturbing, but it's not nearly as disturbing as the fact that this country is in an all-out war with no end in sight and everyone just acts like nothing's happening. Now that's disturbing.

Friday, May 27, 2005

And now for something a bit more low-brow...

The Phallic Logo Awards.

Brought to me courtesy Between Thought and Expression - a GREAT music blog.

Hillary is in the air...

Can you smell it? Spring is springing into summer. It's 80 degrees here in Philadelphia. Memorial Day Weekend is beginning and the sun is shining. And less than 6 months into term 2 of Bush 2, I'm thinking about the next Presidential election. Seems I'm not the only one.

So here's my round-up. Start with The Nation's Hillary article. Greg Sargent does a nice job of putting the moderate, junior Seantor from NY into perspective. Doesn't necassarily help me decide if I want her to be the nominee in '08 - but still a good article.

Then go visit dailyKos for some poll results showing that Ms. Clinton's got somehting more than a chance to get elected if she is the nominee. I also recommend the Kossacks' discussion, which shows how the liberals and progressives are going back and forth and back and forth on Hillary.

And we end with Arianna Huffington's post which takes Clinton to task for having no ability articulate her ideas on foreign policy. Complete with sarcasm and a litmus test. That's tough!

For bonus potins you can read the New Yorker's long profile on McCain, which apparently has the media darling beating Hillary in a hypothetical head-to-head (not available online).

Trial Prep

Although I'm not the one going to Monroe County for the week (next week), I'm doing my share to pitch in. Even in the simplest trial, there are a large number of issues to keep in your head. For a complicated medical negligence case, there are literally dozens of research items, logistical considerations, missing witnesses, last minute records, directions to the Courthouse... The list goes on and on. It's exhausting (and I'm not even the trial attorney!), but somehow satisfying. Sinking my teeth into the research and getting the answers (and getting them quickly!) is what its all about right now. So back to work.

There's no doubt I'm in the right business.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

So sweet, so fake

In much the same way Emily is interested in the 'American Idol', I have this bizarre fascination with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes - particularly because she is so much taller than him. So, as I come clean about this lewd interest, I invite you to delve into Tina Brown's analysis from the style section of today's Washington Post.

C'mon, I mean, I know I shouldn't be doing this but 'Saddam-style underpants' in Risky Business - now that's funny!

Richard Cohen (again)

If you look at this blog regularly, you probably know how I love Richard Cohen's pieces in the Washington Post. Today's rumination on stem cells and the so-called 'culture of life' is another good one. I don't know how long the Post keeps these things available, so check it out soon.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Sun Destroyers - ready to move up

After a few open-mic-nights at The Fire on Girard Ave., Sun Destroyers are CLEARLY ready for a full set. There's plenty of material and plenty of gumption. Gabe's songwriting continues to baffle and delight. Joe is just getting better and better. I LOVE playing bass and lust after super-expensive-exotic bottom end (not going to happen).

The Fire is a perfect place for us to play our first set. The venue just goes with Gabe's raw energy and direct expression. Plus, we know how to get there and where to park and stuff like that. Unfortunately, despite our otherwise professional demeanor, we don't have a tape. Gotta have a tape... and maybe some stickers too... Yeah, I'd like some stickers. Which, of course, means we gotta think of a logo. Oh sure, I'll get right on that...!

So, the next step is a tape (and stickers!) and we'll try to get something good on mini-disc at our next visit to RPM. We're thinkin' Barbarian Apeman and one other song - that one in 'C' that's been around awhile but it's so f#%&n' good. If we can get that sounding OK, we'll start handing it around and see if we can play late some weeknight, at The Fire or wherever.

Mpomy.com is here!!!!!!

Such an improvement compared to that lousy Comcast site! Mpomy.com will be going through some changes as I try to figure out what I'm doing. The main purpose of all this was to have a plcae to host pictures and music. I will now have room for A LOT more music - so that's good news.

The next project will be dedicated pages for RPG and Sun Destroyers. Don't expect those pages to be too fancy (or even to function properly!) at first. The earliest version of an RPG page is now up and quasi-functional, but I'll be trying to improve that today. The Sun Destroyers page will need some more time because it's a bit more serious. See above for the Sun Destroyers update.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Dorothy's Latest Forbes Article

Check out the latest on fast, cheap fashion in NYC. Read Dorothy's latest.

Monday, May 23, 2005

Mpomy.com is Coming!

With more storage, more music, more cheesy templates, and, most importantly, an easier to remember url. Thanks to our impending move, Comcast is going bye-bye. This will mean new personal email, but we'll sort that out soon. What it really means is MPOMY.COM is coming...

Bianchi Steel


2005 Bianchi Brava

Yeah, I know - bottom of the line, but (a) that doesn't make it cheap (it wasn't!), (b) this sucker is FINE! and (c) it's a Bianchi.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

THE MS 150


As I approach the exciting moment of getting a new bike (whooopeeeee!!) I have to go back and comment on how and why all this money will now be spent. My Mom has been battling Multiple Sclerosis for many years. She's really an extraordinary woman. Emily got the idea to do a 2-day, 150-mile charity ride that would give her a chance to (a) raise money for MS research and (b) show off what a cycling stud she is. Now I've been roped in for the past two years and we even managed to get Joe and Tara joins us last year (as pictured above).

It's a great ride and a great cause. I'll put up more info as the funraising really gets in gear this summer. In the meantime, the ride is in September and goes from Cherry Hill to Ocean City. Check out the National MS Society website for more info.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Two Trials Later

So that's why the light posting. One short trial last week (Mon and Tues) and then another, even shorter one this week (Tues). Both against Allstate. I can say that the good guys won in the first, thanks to an eminently reasonable, Main Line jury in Delaware County - such a lovely crew. Our more recent effort awaits decision (tomorrow) directly from the bench. It's a case that will be decided by the Judge alone - so even now The Honorable G. Thomas Bowen is chewing over the various tidbits of fact and law we served to him yesterday morning. I'm certain that the old sweetheart will do the right thing.

But having dispensed with a few words of admiration for the decision-makers in these matters, I find my mind returning to my adversary. Allstate. The Good Hands People. Although this business should never be personal, I must say that Allstate is abhorrent. There are simply no two ways about it. I feel it would be in poor taste to relate all the inappropriate (not to mention knowingly false) utterances spoken by Allstate's representative outside the tribunal (she was wisely restrained from giving evidence by her learned counsel). It must be mentioned, however that the superiority and arrogance of these people is off the charts. It is only matched by their laziness - which is what invariably led to both of these matters being litigated and finally tried (twice, actually, in the second case).

Yesterday, despite having a fairly good go of it in the Courtroom, I was filled with rage. Today I am just amazed that Allstate can run it's business like that.

Friday, May 06, 2005

Phillies related - "Fog of Paranoia and Denial"

Here's what you need to do - READ BILL CONLIN. Read him today and every day you're lucky enough to see his coumn in the Philadelphia Daily News.

This team is a disgrace and it may be too late for this ownership to do anything about it. Someone needs to pull an Andy Reid on their asses - rewrite the book. Do something different. Stand up and take a chance.

I do not believe that the answer is boycott. I never have. Yes, it's true that the purchase of tickets lines the pockets of this wretched ownership and they will, therefore, never be encouraged to make a change.

Others say we should hope the team gets worse so that even this dimwitted, nearsighted, ownership will make a change. Well, I simply will not root against the Phillies. Period.

But I will yell and scream and tell everyone I know that this can not and should not go on. If we stop paying attention and stop going to the games - that breeds apathy. Apathy is as good as approval to this lot. They figure, "if no one's complaining too loudly, then everything must be going OK, right?" WRONG!

So please raise a voice in whatever way you know how. Read Conlin and help lift this fog of denial and paranoia.