Oh Hanukkat, oh Hanukkat!

New York Daily Photo: Lost and Found

On the last night of Chanukah, which I meant to put my menorah back up for and forgot, I logged on to read a few of the blogs I follow — skim rather, when there's barely any time — and this photo popped off my "Blogs I'm Following" on my Dashboard.

Photo ©BRIAN DUBÉ

If you love New York, this blogger is a can't miss. As stated on his blog:

"PUBLISHING SCHEDULE: NEW POSTINGS ARE MADE WEEKDAYS. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PERUSE THE 1000+ POSTINGS SINCE THE START OF THIS SITE ON MARCH 17, 2006 - SEE THE ARCHIVES ON THE RIGHT SIDEBAR - OR SEARCH FOR A TOPIC OF INTEREST USING THE SEARCH TOOL."

You can get lost in the images and stories. Take a look when you have some free time.

I remembered I really couldn't put the menorah back up anyway. Harry had broken a bulb the first night, and to top things off, one of the holders on the very end was wobbly. It's plastic. You can't go with much more with a toddler. Ah, the story; I wanted to post it here for the lazy:



I will never know for sure why this ceramic cat was perched so carefully on a sidewalk curbstone. Many may ask, why do I care? Initially its bright colors made it jump out on a bleak winter day, so unexpected. However, what really piqued my interest was that its placement there was so obviously deliberate - there had to be some original intention. Was it an artistic statement, a discarded possession or some act of rebellion? And since this occurred in New York City, such an occurrence also had a huge element of vulnerability - an object will only remain like this for a short time and to witness it is a privilege with a very small window of opportunity. See my posting here - Small Gestures.
Am I making too much of such a small thing? Perhaps, but the devil is in the details and often, things like this can say a lot and also take one in unknown directions. I have an idea as to why this was there and it an idea one I want to believe.
When I was in Paris once, strolling with a friend, we noticed a glove on a window ledge. And in the same way as this cat, it was obviously placed there deliberately - it was hard to imagine it could have gotten there by accident. We also had the sense that it was intentionally undisturbed. These things were so curious that we indulged in conversation about it for some time and concluded that this glove was lost and was left there for its original owner to be found.
Speaking to others, we subsequently learned that we were correct and that this was a common practice in Paris. In all likelihood, the owner of an item will pass the same way again and find his or her lost personal belonging. We were so elated to learn that this small act of humanity had become common practice. How wonderful to learn of a variant on lost and found that required both the honesty and thoughtfulness of many by the thousands of passersby who participate in this act. 

Perhaps this explains the mystery behind the cat. For me, however, there is a greater gift than finding a lost possession. Like many New Yorkers who have become untrusting and cynical through years of living here, I have lost faith in the goodness of people. But I found it again in these acts of kindness ...

Related Posting: Small Gestures.

Happy Hanukkah and a Merry Christmas!

Photograph of the Empire State Building last night by Digiart2001 on Flickr

To celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah, you may have noticed that the Empire State Building's lights have been split: Two sides are blue and white (for Hanukkah) while the other two are red and green (for Christmas). The lights remain split through January 6, 2009.

©2008 Gothamist LLC.

I love that image of the Empire State Building. I love the unity it represents. I don't remember it ever being split like this before. Some people are not happy about it and find it to be "cheesey." I personally like it. Why not? It's colorful. Why be a Grinch.

To all my friends, everywhere, have a Happy Holiday.

Happy Holidays from All of Us, and Jack.

Especially from Jack, even though he doesn't know it's Chanukah. He's a cat.

(This is where the old ChipIn widget resided on my blog for years. ChipIn does not exist any longer.)

Our cat, Jack, is doing very well. He could've died, and most people would've chosen to put him to sleep because the options to keep him alive — and to just get him through his hospital stay with an unknown medical complication — were going to be very costly and possibly for naught.

We decided that it wasn't his time to go. After two days of fluids and trying different antibiotics, Jack's fever went down, and he started eating, eating food I brought him, of course, because he was not going to touch the food they had no matter how hungry he was! When I visited him on the second day, he was so weak, he didn't get up in the cage to say hello. The next evening, he not only got up, he tried to jump into my arms to come home. He rolled over onto his back and wanted his belly rubbed...for 5 minutes. He was not ready to die. He still had a fever, but he was improving. They still couldn't find the reason for the multiple problems, but he was beginning to stabilize, so I gave the go ahead for him to stay in hospitalization and be treated. They began a new treatment a couple of days later that was for FIV cats, and they continued the antibiotic that seemed to work on the infection that must've been what tried to take him down. Within a few more days, we were able to come pick Jack up and bring him home.

Jack is doing well now, and last night I even caught him playing with cat toys. To think that Jack was a feral who used to run the moment he saw any human, and now he's a family cat who wants someone to pets him and a warm bed all the time. In fact, Jack doesn't just want a warm bed, he must lean on you when he sleeps. He's adorable, but sometimes I feel guilty if I want to change position in the middle of the night!

I thank all my dear friends who helped with part of my huge hospitalization bill. None of you know how much I greatly appreciate your help during such a difficult time — not just with Jack, but with all the family matters.

Every dollar adds up, so to my friends, please keep passing on my Chipin Widget.

Thank you, and Happy Holidays!

All the best,

Suzanne
(and Scott, Harry, spookie, Morris, Stella Blu and Jack)

Happy Hanukkah!

Giganto Snowflakes! Will We Get Them Again?

On the 16th, around midday, it began snowing. Then it REALLY began snowing.

The snowflakes were huge. No, there were HUGE! GIANT. ENORMOUS!

These were ping pong ball sized flakes, and falling fast. It was awesome. My son was amazed and loved it. We looked out of every window in out house to get every view possible. Too bad it didn't last long. It was really something to see. Those snowflakes were so big that they could take an eye out. 

It's supposed to snow tomorrow. We're hoping for HUGE, massive, palm-sized snowflakes again. 

Bring it on.

Copyright Infringement and Cyberbullying/Cyberharassment (Aggravated Assault)

The following blog entry, up to the footer and labels, is from The Improper Adoptee. When she "left" MySpace, she began a blog about anti-adoption, but began it with a blog entry in which she mentioned me, and then continued to for months — and still does. She's what's called a cyberbully. Her profile says her location is "everywhere," and from her amazing ability to read my blogs from various states and countries, this must be true ;) I assume that because she has convinced herself that I'm a hacker, she uses "someone" in Canada to copy my blogs, send them to her, and then she writes her delusional ramblings about me. Her Canadian cohort is a close relation to Improper. Too close. Miss Canada even hosts The Improper Adoptee's images for the crazy blogger's Libel-log. Not all, but a few. Interesting. Ah, but I digress. Here's the gross blog entry this woman posted recently about me.

IA needs to learn about routing and hubs. Did she think that my IP would actually lead her to my home?!? Ha ha. Duh.

Showing posts with label spookie/Mittens the Cat/Jaymie/Catty For A Cause/Saviourrnr/and many other names she uses on myspace and in comments. Show all posts

Showing posts with label spookie/Mittens the Cat/Jaymie/Catty For A Cause/Saviourrnr/and many other names she uses on myspace and in comments. Show all posts

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Is spookie On Drugs?

The amount of energy and hatred this person (?) (or demon is more like it) has is ABSOLUTELY not normal and that was mentioned to me in a comment last week and I had been thinking that myself. spookie sure seems like she is on something. Maybe she is a pot head, or she shoots up. Maybe she uses coke. Who knows. She certainly is irrational enough to be on some sort of mind altering substance and that is apparent in everything she writes and in how much she lies. People who are stoned all the time, do not have a conscience, but I doubt if spookie ever had one anyway. She continues to bash Kite Kamp Girl and other innocent people and twist the truth compulsively, writing massive amounts of MANURE everyday with her trash mouth, instead of spending that time with her son. I think it is sad he has a mother who would rather stay online all day engaged in an enraged state of mind, then read him books, play with him or take him to places created for children to grow and develop like museums and parks. And who is spookie anyway? I have a court date set to talk with people who can help me end her tyrannical cyber abuse, so I will find out soon. But it's funny, because when I called the number to the Johnny Agency
http://www.johnnyagency.com
last week to complain about her, that she has listed on her my space "spookiecats" as one of the companies she works for and I left a message after I was directed by one man to another man named John Fletcher, spookie got that message right away. She flaunted that fact too on her blog. I had mentioned on his voice mail that someone named spookie was harassing and terrorizing myself and others on the internet from Valley Stream New York and I gave the IP number. Then someone here in Bloggerland told me that there is a woman named Kim Hartwell who is an employee of the Johnny Agency and is from Valley Stream New York. The person who told me this, found her name and that she stated she lives in Valley Stream on a public site on the internet. And this is constantly on my stat counter, day after day:

Number of Entries:
Entry Page Time:
Visit Length:
Browser
OS
Resolution 16
6th December 2008 10:09:21 PM
Multiple visits spread over more than one day
Safari 3.2
MacOSX
unknown Returning Visits:
Location:
IP Address:
Entry Page:
Exit Page:
Referring URL: 0
Valley Stream, New York, United States
Optimum Online (cablevision Systems) [Label IP Address]
abolishadoption.blogspot.com/2008/09/spookie-is-breaking-my-space-terms-and.html
abolishadoption.blogspot.com/
www.google.com/search?q=%22Improper adoptee%22 spookie&hl=en&safe=off&pwst=1&filter=0

Valley Stream NY is right outside of West Hempsted NY, where spookie says she lives. All information on the Johnny Agency website is for public view, including the names and phone numbers I got from it too. But personal information about me, which I choose NOT to make public is NOT LEGALLY allowed to be put online. So with that said, is spookie's real name Kim Hartwell? Or does this woman just know her? Or is spookie really a guy named John Fletcher? Or is she related to him? Or is she the snotty man who directs you to Fletcher when you first call this company? I don't know his name yet, but I will find out. There is another woman in this company I am compiling information about too. Whoever spookie is, she needs serious mental health help. I have never met anyone on internet who has gone around to everyone someone else knows and tries to get them to go against and hate that person. That is so immature and low class you would think spookie would be embarrassed. But maybe she is too high to be... spookie is the only one too, who has said boo to me about the people I have listed on my blog who harassed and abused me on my space for months. She has the biggest, loudest, most primadonna, attention whore mouth of any one of them, and is the most mean spirited person on the Internet. Period. But people who watched how things went down on my space know that spookie harrassed, picked on and made fun of me on animal forums when I never said anything to her. The poll on my blog is proof too, that the poem Lisa Marie wrote was there to provoke and hurt Adoptees and BSE Mothers. So again, after I criticized it, I was attacked ruthlessly by 30 people and then spookie joined on in. spookie also denies she started a blog or has written entry's to cut down BSE Mothers:

http://seniormothers.blogspot.com

"What BSE means
by "Guess Who" Guest Blogger
BSE is the name for MAD COW DISEASE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy).
If ever there was a group of MAD COWS,
this is it!!
Big fat, mad, angry, dried up milk, COWS...with saggy drooping udders.
They're UDDERLY pissed off!
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
also Known as 'Mad Cow Disease'
Can you say MOOOO?"

But it is an interesting coincidence, that on spookies other blog "Catotonic Digressions" (and catotonic is right considering her bizarre behavior on the internet, which screams she is schizophrenic and possibly a user to boot)

http://spookiecats.blogspot.com

she has a picture of a child that she claims is herself and right above this picture it says "Guess Who". And that is EXACTLY the name of the poster who wrote the cruel What BSE Means post directly above. (And gee, now that I have pointed that out, since she is SO predictable, she will either delete the "Guess Who" heading, from her stupid blog that no one reads or ever comments on or she will go off on another rampage lying left and right and screaming oh, I have nothing to hide, oh, I didn't do anything, like the hysterical neurotic she is...) When I was getting bashed on that my space forum last year, someone had asked what does BSE mean anyway? since I had made post after post about how BSE Mothers were victimized, and someone, had said it sounds like Mad Cow Disease. I have that thread on a cd, along with all the proof that I was being beat like a pinata by these people and anything nasty I said, I said in return to getting ripped apart which is perfectly normal. What isn't normal however, is the horrific way spookie treats anyone who talks to me, and the temper tantrum she is having because I choose not to write back to her and because I tell the truth about her. And for that, she will be paying very soon....and again if she begins to harass or terrorize you, call the police in your area. Some people already have and the more legal complaints made against her, the less credibility she will have.

Posted by The Improper Adoptee at 8:55 AM 2 comments

I have that thread on a cd, along with all the proof that I was being beat like a pinata by these people and anything nasty I said, I said in return to getting ripped apart which is perfectly normal." Imagination Improper" must be the CD title. There was never a thread about what BSE means. I'd remember that. In fact, I asked about what BSE means in an adooption forum after The Improper Adoptee kept using the term against me, and no one could answer; no one knew. I had to Google it and I eventually found out and went back to the adoption group and posted what it stood for. This was not too long ago, so IA can make up any nutter stories she wants to. She might've posted the post she talks about. Did she had access? How would I know! Maybe she suggested it to the blogger(s). Again, I know nothing about the blog she refers to with Mad Cow Disease on it. I found out at the same time many others did — when Improper Adoptee decided to try to connect me to it in a negative way. FAIL.

As for my photo "Guess Who," she should remove it as soon as possible. It's copyrighted. If it's not removed, I will send in an Infringement Notification for Google Blogger, as per the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. My PHOTOS are copyrighted. After all, I did go to college for arts and the media, and I learned all about copyrighting long ago, and I expressed this to her many times, very clearly — I will not play around with copyright infringement and my images. I told her to remove all the images, and she refused to comply. I sent her notices to remove copyrighted images and even made no mention of nothing else. She ignored them. She knows they're © and she chooses to violate the copyright.

This woman has a sickness, a mental disease, but it's no excuse for abusing anyone online. She's aware of what she is doing. She has others she harasses, but for now, it's me that she has as her main target. Online harassment by cyber bullying women is not as uncommon as one would think. See Insanities on the Internets!: Signs The Improper Adoptee is a Serial Bully on my blog for keeping track of her stalking and harassment and you'll see a little deeper into what the mind of The Improper Adoptee is like.

Funny Faces in the 70's (and some old memories)

Guess who! Yep, this is me back in the 70's. I can still remember sneaking out of my room to hide behind the couch to watch TV shows my parents were watching, or to hear them playing board games in the kitchen with friends. I wondered if they knew I was sneaking out of my room often, so I asked the other day, and my mom said, "no, I only caught you a few times." Ha ha! I watched one series that was after my bedtime, I just can't recall the name of it. I can't believe no one heard me breathing behind the couch, or saw my head poking out of the side. 

I climbed trees, even if they were a few stories high, and I played baseball and wiffleball. (I was tougher than some of the boys on the block.) I had metal clamp-on roller skates and a fiberglass skateboard made by BUNGER. Whoops, no, the fiberglass board replaced my wooden skateboard I had at this age. I eventually smashed the nose of the wooden deck in a slight crash ;) My parents taught me to swim when I was very young, so by the age you see me here, I was able to dive off the high board and I was on the swim team for a while. Every summer we spent at the beach; here on Long Island and at least 3 to 4 weeks in Florida. When we were in Florida, my grandparents were with us, too. My grandfather had a plane, a Navion, and sometimes he flew some of down. My son is named after him. I'd flew in that plane from 6 months old on. My grandfather taught me to scuba dive, too. I've been face to face with barracudas right off Hollywood beach in FL. and watched electric eels duck into their homes in the warm waters off Cozumel.

Even danger has never been a stranger. The year a commercial airliner crashed in Virginia from wind shear, we were flying back from Florida and a storm suddenly moved into our path. It was one of the most amazing things to witness — being in the center of open sky with angry dark cloud surrounding you — fighting clouds, thundering and lighting bolts like you can't see from the earth. My face was glued to the window in awe. My grandfather had to land, and we were being guided to a little airport. The entire way down was bumpy and frightening. We'd drop so many feet in seconds, I was holding onto the bottom of my seat, as it that would help! The plane was swaying left and right so drastically, my grandmother was hysterical and my sister was just silent; mortified. We didn't land the first time — wind shear. It hit, and it almost flipped the plane. We headed for a hangar, and my grandfather told us to be as calm as possible. My grandma, a totally non-religious woman, screamed out, "Oh God, God, we're going to die! Harry! Do something!!!" I actually think at that moment, my grandmother probably did ask God to save us. My grandfather's response? "Shut up, Rose, I'm trying to fly the plane!!!" This was not said in a cruel way, but in a moment of stress and a need to concentrate on getting us back into the sky and as far away from the hangar, which was getting closer each second. Seconds before we hit, my grandfather managed to get his plane up and over that hangar, and we were back in the sky, circling the airport again. The tower asked if he'd like to give it another shot, and my grandpa said yes. On the go-ahead, he brought the plane down; it was the most bumpy, frightening landing of all the landings I'd ever experienced. The plane tried to flip to the left, then to the right...it was so close to hitting the ground with a wing. Then we landed.

My grandfather got a standing ovation when we walked into the little waiting area at that small airport. People shook his hand, congratulated him and told him how brave he was. And he was. 

I sure can't complain; between my Dad and my Grandpa, I got to do almost everything. Who could ask for anything more! 

Wow, what a tangent I went on! Back to the funny faces pictures!

Thanks Dad! One of hundreds of fun and silly days we can remember :)

All images ©2008 Suzanne/spookie Not to be Used Without Permission.

A PostSecret Tearjerker.

I logged onto Post Secret, not expecting this postcard.

My father has lung cancer, stage 4. It spread to his brain, and now to his liver and hip. The brain tumor has been shrunk to almost a non-existent spec, but the lung tumor is fighting the treatments. The cancer in the liver and hip was just found, so treatment on both has just begun. If he didn't have the treatments, he'd still be functioning fine. He was built, strong and very active until the cancer gave that subtle hint that sent him to the doctor. He'd been swimming laps and noticed a numbness in his arm this summer, and that is how it was discovered. Had his arm not felt tingly and numb in areas, the cancer would not have been found until it engulfed his entire body. Cancer, an evil disease.

My son can't wait for his grandpa to come home this evening. He's been in the hospital all week. The new chemo had a side effect that made his fall, so they had to keep him for observation and tests. This not only distressed us, the adults, but made my son very agitated.

I have a friend who lost her father over the Christmas holiday in 2006, when my son was born. He has lung cancer. I'm relieved that my father will be here for the holidays, and for my son's birthday. I cannot imagine losing a loved one on a special day, or having a special day or event marked by a tragedy. My sister's birthday was a reminder of Sept. 11th for a long time.

I'm glad my Dad is coming home, and will be able to spend the holidays with his family, and know he's loved.

-----Email Message-----
Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 2:59 AM
Subject: Brain Cancer

My mother has brain cancer. She was diagnosed during the holiday season last year. They told her she probably had two months to live. My mother is sitting in the room next to me, and will be here for the holidays this year.

I don't believe in god, but I am praying for a miracle for your father. My mom got one.

Images©PostSecret.com

He's Hot, He's Sexy, He's UnDead — He's Coming Back!

Moonlight. The TV show that even my mother got hooked on 10 minutes into the very first episode. MY MOTHER. We'd call each other to say, "Moonlight, on in 5 minutes," unless I was at their house with my son, then I'd send my little dollboy home with daddy and watch Moonlight with my Mom and let my son and daddy have some alone time together. (and me a break, a much needed break usually, ha ha) Not only did we enjoy the show for the drama, the adventure, the romance—but for the characters. They weren't the usual dull idiots with no depth that you get in some vampire shows. That's my opinion. 

With all the CSI's on television, did they have to cancel the one show that was actually NOT related to detectives, police and investigations? Yep, they did. 

But alas, Sci-Fi channel has announced that beginning January 23, 2009, they are bringing Moonlight back. Cross your crosses that it'll do so well that Sci-Fi will decide to go ahead with Season Two. 

For those that didn't know, this show was originally titled "Twilight." It was renamed when CBS picked up the show.

Alex O'Loughlin became a national spokesman for the American Red Cross after fans coordinated blood drives.



If you can't wait to see this sexy vampire on SCI-FI, you can watch full episodes online @ CBS.com. WATCH ONLINE


CAST

Alex O’Loughlin as Mick St. John
Jason Dohring as Josef Kostan
Sophia Myles as Beth Turner
Shannyn Sossamon as Coraline
Brian J. White as Lt. Carl Davis
Jacob Vargas as Guillermo






















PREMISE

Mick St. John is a captivating, charming- and immortal- private investigator from Los Angeles who defies the traditional blood-sucking norms of his vampire tendencies by using his wit and powerful supernatural abilities to help the living. In a life-altering twist of fate, Mick was “bitten” 60 years ago by his new bride, the seductive Coraline. Forever 30 years of age, Mick’s as handsome and charismatic as the day he was “turned,” and he eschews others of his kind who view humans only as a source of nourishment. With only a handful of like-minded confidantes for company, including the eternally young, wealthy and mischievous Josef, a hedge fund trader who relishes his uniqueness, Mick fills his infinite days protecting the living. But one night years ago, a single act of kindness changed Mick when he saved a young girl’s life, making him want to be a better vampire. Now their paths cross again and Mick develops a distinctive bond with Beth Turner who has grown into a beautiful, ambitious Internet investigative reporter. Reconnecting with her unleashes feelings Mick knows he can’t pursue without exposing the part of him that would make him a monster in Beth’s eyes. As Mick lives between two realities, fighting his adversaries among the undead and falling in love, he discovers the mysteries and pleasures that a valuable life has to offer.

BACKGROUND

Rod Holcomb (who directed the pilot), Joel Silver, Ron Koslow, Trevor Munson and Gerard Bocaccio are executive producers.
Premise and Background © 2008 Moonlight-Detective.com

Dear Stalker, They're Not All Unhappy.

And now a little bit about where this image, this postcard came from.

From:
A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book (Hardcover)
by Frank Warren (Author)
Discover all of the PostSecret titles by Frank Warren.

Holiday Appeal

(A brief message from Frank; founder of PostSecret.)

I understand that you do not expect to see my words here so I will be as brief as possible.

PostSecret needs your help. Unless a significant number of the four PostSecret books sell this season, I will need to accept some of the advertising offers I have previously rejected.

In the four year history of this website, I have not had to make a direct appeal like this before, but I am desperate to keep paid ads off this website, I hope you feel the same way.

Please consider buying the four PostSecret books for yourself or as gifts. They are all available in hardcover from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders or your favorite Independent bookshop.

(Sorry for the interruption.)




PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people
mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard.

Classic Sesame Street, Because the New Sesame Street Just Doesn't Cut It.

Today my son wanted to play with my computer. He has his own eMac, but he really wanted the 23" cinema screen and MY desk, MY mouse, MY everything. We'd already made pancakes together, played a few learning games and he played "spill the salt and pepper in a pile so mommy has to use the Dyson." (he loves the Dyson, but is afraid of all other vacuums!) It's freezing outside, so we're sort of trapped indoors. We could walk around a mall, but no. I am not a mall person. He and I have both had bad head colds for weeks, so I caved and let him sit on my lap and "use my computer," meaning I went onto Youtube and looked up some original Sesame Street clips. It's amazing how the new show does nothing for him, but the old songs and learning clips made him want to clap and dance in my lap. I had to play "The Ladybug's Picnic" quite a few times! I'm so glad I bought the DVD's "Sesame Street Old School" a while ago, because I think he'll enjoy them on those long days we're stuck inside and he's not in the mood to read his library of books (and I'm not kidding about "library" — he has well over 100, plus all of mine and my brother and sisters) or play with anything. I even enjoy watching them. Who doesn't? You had to have been a grump to not like those old classic shows. I'm relieved he's not a TV addict toddler. Those shows they have for little kids are really annoying, and not very educational. I just hope he never watches and then likes Thomas the Tank. That show is absolutely frightening! The worst 3D rendering and facial expressions, and people with NO hands! But I digress. Check out some old school Semame Street animations and see why today's television for kids sucks.

Help Wanted: FCC Chair

What the Public Wants from a New FCC
December 5th, 2008 by mtady

In case there was any question about what the American public wants from a new Federal Communications Commission, it’s clear now.

More than 9,000 people and counting have voted on the top three qualifications they most want in President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for FCC chair. Obama is expected to announce his pick for the office at any moment.

Outnumbering eight other choices by a wide margin, voters said that enforcing Net Neutrality, breaking up media conglomerates, and stopping propaganda, fake news and radio payola should be the top three priorities of any candidate for the FCC position.



The poll is part of a national campaign to pressure Obama to hold true to his campaign promises to make media in America more open, diverse and democratic. This week, Free Press placed a “help wanted” ad on behalf of the American people in four influential Washington publications to remind the incoming administration that the new chair must put the needs of Main Street before Wall Street.

The ads appeared in the classified sections of the Washington Post, Washington Times, Politico, The Hill, Craigslist and Ars Technica.

Free Press will be delivering the results of the poll to Obama’s FCC transition team soon, but it’s not too late to cast your vote. Already done it? Get others to vote too by spreading the word. We now have a widget available that you can embed in a blog post or on the side bar of your Web site. And be sure to keep posting your nominations for the new FCC chair in the comment thread below.

One Nation, Online

December 3rd, 2008 by mtady

Fourteen-year-old Lily Huerta wants to be a veterinarian. Or maybe a doctor. Or even a lawyer. She says she’ll decide later, when she’s older.

But right now, Lily is struggling just to do her homework. She doesn’t have Internet access at home, and can only use the Internet for small chunks of time at a local community center – the All People’s Christian Center in Los Angeles.

“A lot of kids get a good grade because of the research they do on the Internet,” Lily told me during a recent trip to L.A. as part of the America OffLine project. “For me, I might get a lower grade because I don’t have Internet access at home. So I can’t get the good grades that I want to achieve and make my parents proud of me.”

Tired of rushing research projects, Lily desperately wants Internet access at home. Unfortunately, her family can’t afford the cost of a high-speed Internet connection, and Lily is now among the millions of people across the country who are being left out of an increasingly digital world.

This Saturday, Lily will be talking about her digital struggles as one of the featured speakers at a public town hall meeting in L.A. sponsored by InternetforEveryone.org. The initiative is bringing together public interest organizations from the ACLU to Common Cause and industry groups from Facebook to Skype to push the incoming Obama administration to get high-speed Internet to every home and business in America. The meeting will be the first of several held across the country to bring people together to talk about how to address America’s digital challenges.

Right now, the United States lacks a national broadband plan, and the country has fallen to 22nd in the world in terms of high-speed Internet adoption. With a new administration in Washington, we have the opportunity to restore America’s global leadership in the information economy.

High-speed Internet is one of the most transformative technologies in human history. In little more than a decade, broadband access has completely changed how we do business, engage with our government, teach our children, and interact with the rest of the world.

Having a connection to a fast and affordable Internet is no longer a luxury – it’s a public necessity.

In Lily’s world, not having access means she’s missing out on an entire social world.

“I can’t chat on the Internet with my friends and sometimes they have big news –‘Oh yeah, we’re having a party. Do you want to come?’ But when the party passes, they’ll say, ‘You didn’t get the e-mail?’ Yeah, e-mail. I don’t really have Internet at my house.”

And although Lily has basic computer skills, she says not using a computer on a daily basis makes navigating the Net difficult.

“[Teachers] might teach you something, but if you don’t have a computer or Internet at home, you won’t be able to practice it and get better at it and remember how to do it.”

Lily says she lives in a dangerous neighborhood, where gangs and violence are prevalent. Her mother, Julia Huerta, doesn’t want Lily on the streets at night, hopping from the library to friends’ houses to use the Internet. Having a connection at home would ease her worry, she said – and help with her own struggles doing without the Internet.

Julia works at the Center’s after-school program for 4th and 5th graders. Like Lily, she finds herself rushing to use the Center’s overburdened computer lab to look up activities for her kids.

“If I had Internet at home, I could do my work at home and be ready [before arriving at the Center],” Julia said.

Getting one nation online is not going to be an easy task – and it’s one of the questions attendees at this Saturday’s meeting will be discussing. Some of the other questions the meeting will focus on are:

• How do we expand consumer choice and lower costs for Internet services?


• How can the Internet be a catalyst for economic growth, jobs and prosperity?


• How do we preserve the Internet’s level playing field so everyone can access the content, applications and services of their choice?


• What roles should be played by the federal government, local governments, private industry and everyday citizens to build a better Internet?

The answers from the L.A. meeting will be combined with feedback from other meetings and a digital forum and delivered to the Obama administration and congressional leaders as a people-powered guide to building a better America.

For her part, Julia thinks the government can help by subsidizing Internet access or lowering prices for computers and connections.

However it’s achieved, Julia knows that Internet access would change her daughter’s life. “I hope my daughter to be the best in the world. She is going to be the best dancer. A good doctor. Whatever she wants.”

How Do You Get Rid of a Lunatic Online Stalker and Cyber-Bully Permanently?

I'd like to get rid of her without having to waste hours of my time filing paperwork and sitting in the precinct telling my story repeatedly. She's the stereotypical online stalker and cyber-harasser, bullying me by posting libel and defamatory blogs, comments and posts anyplace she can aside from her blog as well. She needs to be deleted from the net and society. She needs a reservation at her local spa and resport for the mentally ill.

Any suggestions are welcome! I already have quite a handful, but the more, the better. She leaves nut job comments on my blogs, and she used to harass me on MySpace. She just called one of my freelance contacts last week. He called me and asked who the "the lunatic" was that left a message on his answering machine. She's lost her marbles and doesn't know where to find them. She's already broken a telephony law. Since she is mentally ill, I don't think jail is the right place for her.

Again, suggestion, comments and any insight into stopping her abuse and getting her help, without putting her into jail.

Zeros+Ones Returns to Sirius

Brought to you from Liquid Todd:

Zeros+Ones Returns

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Tonight at 10pm EST I’m back on the air with my Zeros+Ones show on Alt Nation (Sirius 21/XM 47). I’ve got a great show tonight with a lot of kickass remixes and even a breakbeat or two. The show will air every Saturday night from 10pm-Mid EST with a repeat airing Wednesday nights 2am-4am. Dig it!

Obama and the Cigs: WHO CARES.

December 7, 2008

Will Obama Set Off White House Smoke Detectors?

During today's Meet the Press, Tom Brokaw noted President-elect Obama's recent admission that he slipped up a few times during the campaign and returned to his smoking habit. He then asked Obama if this would be a problem, considering the White House's no-smoking policy. "I have, but what I said was that at times I have fallen off the wagon." Brokaw then interjected, "But wait, that means you haven't stopped." To which Obama replied, "Fair enough. Well then, what I would say is that I have done a terrific job under the circumstances of making myself healthier and you will not see any violations of these in the White House." Could we be looking at the "no new taxes" promise that will haunt him in 2012? In 2007, a Fox News story revealed what they called "Obama's dirty little secret" and asked viewers, "Would you vote for a smoker for president?"

The REAL Question: Do we actually give a flying fuck? I know I don't. With all the "violations" we've put up with for all these years, I think a cig now and then, with all the pressure Mr. Obama has taking over this mess he's been left, is pretty petty stuff compared to the outrageous lies and scams we've been dished. At least he is trying to not smoke, and he is being public about it. We've had many presidents in the past who smoked; back then smoking was not considered dangerous, but manly. If I were in his shoes, taking over the mess that's being left for his to clean up, I'd be doing a lot more than smoking the occasional cigarette. I'd be scoring some hardcore goodies, you understand? ;) Give the man a break.

Another New York City Icon to Close

December 2, 2008

Love Saves the Day, Colorful East Village Icon, to Close!

East Village kitsch mecca Love Saves the Day (MySpace) will close next month after more than four decades in the neighborhood, Vanishing New York reports. Originally opened in 1966 on 77 7th Street, the day glo-painted shop moved down the block to its current location at Second Avenue and 7th Street in 1983, just in time for a cameo in Desperately Seeking Susan, in which it's immortalized as the boutique where Madonna traded in her leather pyramid jacket for rhinestone studded boots.

The cluttered store was always packed with eclectic items ranging from funky threads to Star Wars paraphernalia to obscure pop culture ephemera. According to the Villager, the landlords tried to triple the rent in 2005, but owner Leslie Herson and her husband were able to negotiate a new three-year lease. Now it's 2008, and with rents declining, you'd think they'd have a better chance of hanging on. Of course, there's probably also a shrinking market for their inessential oddities.

Perhaps another factor, according to Racked, is that Leslie passed away over the summer. Her husband still maintains an LSD in New Hope, Pennsylvania (home of Ween), but that's small consolation when one contemplates the corner of Second and 7th without Love Saves the Day. No matter what depressing chain store comes in its place, it's now clear that we've officially become the old grouch droning on about how things used to be so much better in the old days. But they really were!

Photo courtesy S.D.

Story courtesy of The Gothamist


Love Saves The Day
(taken by me)

Insanities on the Internets!: She Thrives on Cruelty and Lies, and Doesn't Know When to STOP.

Insanities on the Internets!: She Thrives on Cruelty and Lies, and Doesn't Know When to STOP.

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Catatonic Digressions

November was Lung Cancer Awareness Month

I didn't know each type of cancer had it's own "month for awareness." How depressing.