Rafa Rules

Well it was a match for the ages down in Australia. Rafa Vs. Roger, the match we all love to see. Many including myself thought that Roger had a slight edge going into this match due to Rafa's marathon match with Verdasco and also that the match was on hard courts which Roger's game is more suited to. What myself and many people might not have thought about was that Rafa has the heart of a lion and is the most fit player on tour and possibly to ever play the game. Five sets taking 5 hours and 14 minutes? The longest match in Australian Open history with Verdasco just a day and a half ago? No problem, five more sets with one of the greatest players of all time? Not a big problem either. Rafa outlasted Federer in a match Roger should and could have won. After going to 5-5 in the first set, Roger lost serve and the set and had his chances to break Rafa many times throughout the match, his first serve abandoned him and at one point he was serving under 40% of first serves in. That is a death sentence in most matches and against Rafa even more so. After losing the first set, Roger stayed cool and turned his game up a notch, taking the second set easily with some spirited tennis 6-3 after winning four games in a row. The third set was epic, involving some of the greatest shot making I have seen in many years if not my whole tennis life and I have been around. I have watched the greats play, from Connors to Mcenroe to Borg and beyond and I have rarely witnessed more superb shot making than this set and match produced. Angles, 15 shot rallies, 18 shot rallies and more, Roger threw everything but the kitchen sink at Rafa in the third set and had his chances to take it many times. He just could not seem to convert the key break chances he needed and he couldn't hold his serve when he needed it, letting Rafa back into the set and finally losing it in the tiebreaker 7-3. He was never in that tiebreak. Rafa seemed to have no nerves and Roger seemed to feel the moment more than Rafa did he had some key double faults in this match something he rarely does. While he tried in vain to flatten out his backhand and stay away from the slice that has hurt him in the past with Rafa, Rafa played the buggy whip top spin forehand that bounced up high to Roger's backhand and Roger didn't seem to have an answer for it. While Rafa was telegraphing his first and second serves, serving 100% of second serves in the same spot in the deuce court at one point, Roger didn't seem to pick up on it or didn't want to run around the backhand and attack Rafa's second serve which is probably his only weakness still. Roger woke up again in the fourth set playing spirited tennis and coming into net more. Breaking Rafa finally to take a lead which he never relinquished. Both players had some easier games on serve both having love service games. By the fifth set however a change seemed to be occurring, maybe Roger thought Rafa would run out of gas but he never seemed to, while Rafa called for the trainer briefly in the third set, for a massage, his legs held up and carried him to the end. This match was a back and forth battle. If Roger had served better and been able to convert his many break chances the match would have been different. It just seemed that Roger was tentative when he needed to be aggressive and Rafa had a will of iron and played the points the same no matter their importance. Could this be the changing of the guard? It was long the opinion of some that Rafa couldn't win on hard courts. That myth has been dispelled and the question now becomes, can Roger beat Rafa on any surface anymore? While it's true that Roger didn't play his best, he did at times play brilliantly, if he had served up in the sixty percent range he probably would have won the match but that's a big if. If Rafa's body can withstand the pounding of the next few years, he might retire Roger, although Roger is always a threat in any tournament and Rafa has to make sure he doesn't over play and destroy his body, but this could be the changing of the guard in Men's tennis. While many believe Roger has a few good years left in him, it is hard to say if Rafa won't be the spoiler to Roger's destiny. Now we await the French open in a couple of months where Rafa reigns supreme going for his fifth straight title. We shall see what the future holds, but for now, Rafa is still number one and there doesn't seem to be anyone but Roger who even has a shot at beating him. Rafa is 3-0 in the last three meetings of the two and is 13-6 career, a stat no one else even comes close to. Roger was attempting to tie Pete Sampras' record of 14 grand slam titles overall, that will have to wait. Maybe Wimbledon this year will be Roger's best bet, the odds of him taking the French open are not good unless some clay court specialist can oust Rafa from the dirt in France and they will be their waiting. We shall see. After the match, Roger seemed crushed by the defeat, and in a show of support and respect, Nadal put his arm around Roger at the trophy ceremony, a true show of respect and admiration. When have we seen the winner consoling the loser after a final? This shows us all what great champions both these men are and what a great rivalry this is. Rafa said to Federer, “Roger, sorry for today. I really know how you feel right now. Remember, you’re a great champion, you’re one of the best in history. You’re going to improve on the 14 of Sampras.” That says it all doesn't it? More soon.

Australian Open, Tennis at its best so far

I have just finished watching the longest match in Australian Open History, between Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco, both of Spain. This match was a back and forth affair, with Nadal outlasting Verdasco in the fifth and final set to take the match 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-7 (1), 6-4. The question now becomes how fast can Nadal recover before he has to face his nemesis Roger Federer in the finals in under 44 hours. If anyone can do it Nadal can, but the odds are favoring Federer because of the surface and because Nadal had such a tough contest with not much time to recover. Verdasco played an amazing match, fighting off break points in the final set, but could not seem to outlast Nadal, who's iron will again won him a grueling five setter that lasted five hours and 14 minutes to become the longest match in Australian Open history. Both players are left handed and Verdasco had over 90 winners in the match but it wasn't enough to outlast the sports number one seed and one of its toughest players. Verdasco went down Love 40 serving at 4-5 in the fifth set and handily won the next two points, on the third match point however, he double faulted and both players went to the ground in exhaustion. I can tell you as a tennis player myself, the worst feeling when you lose a match is to double fault on match point. One can almost stomach losing if you go out fighting but to give the match away that way is doubly painful. Nadal seemed spent after the match and tried to be cautiously optimistic about the final. But lets be serious here, this is the best rivalry in sports right now, be it individual or team related. Nadal is in his first hard court final of his career and while he holds the head to head record over Federer, he has never beaten him in a hard court final. This is the last surface that both players have not played on and the world awaits the decision. Federer easily cruised through American Andy Roddick in the semi finals in straight sets, to reach the final and sits on the precipice of tying Pete Sampras' record of 14 grand slam titles with a win Sunday. He has history on his racquet and it is only fitting that the opponent that stands in his way is his nemesis and toughest one at that Rafael Nadal. Federer must still be smarting from his Wimbledon five set loss to Rafa last year and is looking for payback. What a great way to finally get it, not only with a win that beats Rafa, but also ties him with the greatest player of his generation and possibly all time, Pete Sampras. Things look to be swaying towards Federer, he has had two days of rest and time to prepare, while Rafa just played one of the most grueling five setters of his life and has little time to recover. Rafa has age on his side, being only 22, can he pull off yet another miraculous win? We shall see Sunday.
Federer will have a slightly easier time with Rafa's game on the hard courts where he can look to exploit Rafa's second serve a bit more and try to bring him into net with his short slice backhands. A truer bounce and better footing can only help Roger as he tries to figure out how best to exploit a player with few weaknesses. My opinion on this is that Roger will win this match, he has two things in his favor here, one, the surface, Roger enjoys pace and the surface gives him a truer bounce. While this can hurt him especially dealing with Rafa's forehand and all the spin it creates, he can also look to exploit Rafa's second serve which is one of the few chinks in his armor. Roger has all the shots, he can flatten out his forehand and punish Rafa and run him around, he can slice his backhand or hit it with spin and while both are amazingly fit, the match with Verdasco had to have taken something out of Rafa's tank. Roger is fresh and should not have a problem with going five if need be. Rafa never quits however in any match, not since Borg or Connors have I seen a player with such resolve, no matter the score or weather, Nadal has a will of iron and will play to the end of the match regardless of score or opponent. This match will come down to who can take control of the points early and dictate play. If Federer can keep the ball away from Rafa's forehand and move him from side to side, draw him to the net when it suits him and is hitting the ball cleanly I think Federer will win, however, if it becomes a dogfight which it most likely will, Rafa has a chance to hurt Federer if he can run around some backhands, and use his deadly forehand to create angles and wear Roger down. Serve will be important, Federer has been serving impeccably well in his last few matches, Roddick was never in the match with him and he hit many aces using placement instead of brute force. Federer, like Sampras has a perfect ball toss, it never varies and you cannot read where he is going with it. He uses placement and varied pace to confuse opponents. While Sampras just tried to blow you off the court, Federer has all the shots and uses varied pace along with angles to throw you off your game. He has one of the best returns in the business, preferring mostly to block back his backhand to get him into the points. This strategy has given him a 7-0 record against Roddick in grand slams, one of the biggest servers in the game. Roddick never had the answers for Federer. If he cannot improve his backhand and flatten it out to hurt opponents, I fear he will never be able to ascend to the heights and promise of his earlier career. The serve can only get you so far and if the opponent can get it back it nullifies this weapon.
It is going to be a final for the ages as two of the sports greats go at each other in the years first grand slam. This open has been hot with temperatures of over 140 degrees being recorded. Serena Williams' match ended controversially when in the middle of the match when she was in trouble, the roof was closed when it looked like she might dwindle in the scorching heat. This cooling down of the temperature from well over 100 to the eighties might have saved Serena from going down in the match.
Keys to the final, for Nadal we will have to see how he recovers in the short time he has, the odds are that the roof will be open for the final, the heat will only hurt Nadal as the match progresses. While he is known for his legendary fitness the semi-final match had to have taken a lot out of him, he will have to try to end some points early and maybe even try to come to net on some good approaches to try and get some cheap points. He doesn't want long baseline rallies with Roger. He will have to serve amazingly well and hold serve consistently. Roger gives you few chances to break him and he will have to take advantage of every break chance to have a chance to win. Many of their previous matches have gone to tiebreakers. Rafa will have to look for his chances to break and seize on every one if he has a chance to win. Roger only needs one break a set to have a good shot at winning that set. He is very difficult to break and can ace opponents at will. Rafa will have to try to run around some backhands and go for broke on his forehand at times. Rafa likes to play far behind the baseline, the problem is, this is hard court not clay, by playing so far back and not taking the ball earlier, he gives Federer, one of the best movers in the game time to recover and get back into the court, this hurts him. Roger plays closer to the baseline, giving his opponent less time to recover which hurts Nadal. Look for Roger to try to hit the short slice backhand to Rafa's backhand side to draw him into net where Rafa is less comfortable and then lob or pass him. While Rafa can create amazing angles off the forehand his backhand is less of a weapon, look for Roger to try to exploit this weakness by slicing a lot of backhands to Rafa's backhand side, then look to hurt him with a penetrating approach shot. The keys for Federer will be serve, he has to hold and look for his chances on Rafa's serve which will come. Instead of simply blocking back his backhand return he should look to flatten out his backhand and try to hurt Rafa from the outset. He might try to run around some backhands too which his speed enables him to do and really put Rafa on the defensive in points. Look for Roger to try to hit some drop shots also. Rafa plays far back behind the baseline and Federer has one of the best drop shots in the game he disguises it amazingly well and since he slices a lot it is a great disguise for the shot, look for him to wear Rafa down early and keep him off balance with this shot. Roger has to serve steadily and big, creating angles with his serve and he needs a high first service percentage throughout. Many of these players matches have been decided by a key break in each set. Rafa cannot afford to lose the first set. If he can win it and put pressure on Roger early it will help him psychologically. If Roger wins the first set it will be a long day for Rafa, knowing he will have to go four or maybe five sets with Roger in the heat will be a big weight on his shoulders. If anyone can hold that weight however, it's Rafa who never gives up no matter the score. The key will be, can Rafa recover in such a short time frame. Brad Gilbert after interviewing him said he seemed slumped over and exhausted, who wouldn't be after an epic battle such as that? He might have some blisters on his hands which will not heal up in time for the final, this will also be a factor, the pain and discomfort they bring will only hamper Nadal in this match. His game in general is hard on the body, only 22, he already has suffered from knee problems and the extreme torque of his forehand grip puts extreme pressure on the elbow and shoulder. How long can Rafa go on and will he have enough left in the tank to defeat his nemesis and one of the greatest to ever play the game? Time will tell. It's going down Sunday night and we shall see.

Generalized Ranting

I am trying to be a better blogger and blog more. This is difficult for me because the New York winter so far, has been kind of a bitch. I know we don't have it as bad as some people, especially some places I have seen where the high temperature might be 5 degrees or so. I just don't dig winter and never have. I don't like to ski, I hate the cold and down where I live near the Hudson River, it's windy and that cold bitter New York City wind just bites through you like your jacket is some meaningless garment that is just for show and won't have a chance to keep you warm. I am finding going back to school to be harder and harder. While I am more mature than I was at a younger age, I just don't have the mental faculties to do this it seems like. I get tired faster, lose interest quicker and generally just want the experience to be over. Not to mention that the student loans I have taken out are growing and I will only have 6 months to find a job before I have to start paying them off. All these things can keep one up at night, thank god I seem to be able to zone this shit out and just keep going.
On a different note, the city has been going through a huge building phase, again. Buildings are popping up all over the place and not just in Manhattan. Mayor Bloomberg who people seem to like (who I can't stand by the way) has allowed every builder to just come right on in and put up a structure any damn place. There have been several highly publicized crane collapses as well because many of these construction companies literally have no clue what they are doing or they hire unskilled labor to save money. Thus, people die, well hey they have to make a buck right? Bloomberg in my mind has been one of our worst Mayors. We have a huge deficit now, I thought this guy was a businessman, where's the savings? Any schmuck could spend us into a deficit we don't need a billionaire to do it for us. He is also running for a third term, something that voters voted down two different times and the mayor just overlooked. He makes the point that we need him, the city is going through trying times and needs a good leader. That's true,it's just not him we need. I am hoping he doesn't get voted back in. The people of New York sometimes do the right thing. But, with the influx of outsiders moving here and claiming to be New Yorkers, I am scared that these suckers won't see through the veil of crap hanging over their eyes to the real Bloomberg. We shall see.
Another thing, I can't stand Donald Trump, not that I ever liked him to be honest, he just built this hulking monstrosity of a building in Soho, which by the way isn't zoned for high rise buildings, this hulking bastard of a building totally has blocked mine and everyone living downtown's view of the Empire State building. Thanks Donald, when is enough enough you greedy bastard!
The winters in the city are long and many people go into hibernation mode. I know I do, I just don't like being outside in the cold, this can lead to laziness, overall bad thoughts and just a not good feeling. I would go see a movie but at almost 11 dollars for admission and another ten for proper movie junk food, this can be a daunting prospect. There aren't many movies I want to see, of the older ones that are out on video, Max Payne was horrible, this contrived piece of shit went to DVD so fast it made my head spin and after renting it I can see why. I was totally let down by Batman also, I don't see what the fuss was about and to be honest I thought Heath Ledger's performance was ok but nothing to get awards for. The death of the two face character made no sense, of course they will be making more of this series which in my opinion they should put to bed. I really want to see Wolverine, this movie has a lot of hype and no trailer that I have seen yet. This is how they should do movies, make you wait and the suspense will get you in the theater.I also want to see the wrestler, Mickey Rourke is one of my favorite actors and I am glad he's back and doing well. We all can come back and recreate ourselves and no one in Hollywood is ever totally out of the business although it is possible if you do enough drugs. Right on Mickey. I think Benjamin Button looks like a crappy movie, I don't see the allure of a guy born 90 years old and aging backwards, it just creeps me out picturing a 90 year old guy breast feeding, Brad Pitt I hear is ok in this film but his acting talent is marginal at best, sure the camera loves him but it's what is behind the eyes that matters and he doesn't have the ability to give the viewer emotional content with a look. Very few actors do anymore. I have recently been getting into the Japanese splatter films, Japanese horror movies put ours in the United States to shame, try renting some, they come up with truly demented and original plots that we cannot even come close to. I am not talking about Ringu either but just try to look some of the horror stuff up, truly brilliant. I mean how many times can you watch Saw with the same stupid ass plots, given the first one was good I will admit that, but after that come on, how many times can you put people into devilish devices and keep the viewers interest? They are even remaking Friday the 13th again! I mean weren't there six of them? Are these movie execs that desperate? I guess if we as a people keep seeing this shit they will keep producing it. More to come soon, depending on what gets on my nerves or bugs me and there's always something. Peace and hair grease to all.

Getting old, does it suck???

Well I am back again, I just turned 39, yes it's true unfortunately and I started thinking about when we cross that line between being young and cool and when we just get old. I am not sure that this line is the same for every person. We all must get old, we have no choice in the matter really, time yields for no man or woman, I forgot who said that but they were so right. I think with age comes wisdom, and a general dislike for some things that you thought were ok in your younger years. I think a key indicator of when you have crossed that imaginary line is when music at high volumes isn't so great anymore. When going out on the dance floor for an hour leads to hip and lower back pain. When the four or five drinks and several shots you normally could drink and wake up the next day pain free have a much bigger effect. When the hangover lasts for two days instead of half of one. I don't feel too old, I have worked out most of my adult life and when I see pictures of other men my age I think I am stacking up pretty well. I don't have a paunch, have my hair still, not too many wrinkles if any and almost no Grey hair. I know it could be much worse. It just seems that as you age you have to work that much harder. You can't eat everything in site like you could in your twenties and early thirties. You can't drink until all hours (well you can but you will pay dearly for it). It is amusing to note however that sometimes younger women find you more attractive when your a bit older, this isn't always true however so don't get all excited older men. There doesn't seem to be this line that after you cross it age wise you are just old. It is a feeling you get inside, and the longer you feel young and act young the younger you are. I am going back to school now and am surrounded by kids that are mostly 21 and under. I relate to them pretty well, one of my classmates thought I was 27 and I told her I loved her for that. Sometimes you can't help but show your age physically but hey, with the age of plastic surgery, laser this and that, a gym membership and taking care of yourself you might just be able to stem the tide, look at Joan Rivers and Cher, not a wrinkle on either of their faces and Cher has a better body than some women half her age. How bad do you want it? Go and fight for that youth, you too can achieve it if you want it bad enough and or have a deep enough wallet. I don't think getting old sucks. You go through your life and build a wealth of experiences, you only grow more interesting hopefully and intelligent with age, that is at least if you learn the lessons life teaches you and are always trying to improve. Getting old doesn't suck, that is my opinion on the matter, maybe 40 will suck, I am not looking forward to it, but I have a year left and I will have my degree and maybe my forties will be my renaissance, that golden period where you save up enough to afford the American dream or some such thing. I always have admired the men and women that age with grace, we should all try to emulate them. Your only as old as you feel right? Isn't that the saying that gets people through the Grey hairs, arthritis, memory loss, senior moments and other ailments both big and small. Getting old, maybe it doesn't suck but I am sure that if given the antidote 9 out of 10 people would take it in a minute. Happy New Year to everyone, see you in 2009 where hopefully things will be better than they were in 2008. Hey at least Bush is out of office, how bad can things be from here on out. Peace and love.

General Rant could be about anything

Ok here I am again, Thanksgiving is around the corner, well it's here basically. My little nephew is staying with me for a while. I now realize why I have never had the inclination to have a spawn of my own. I love the little guy don't get me wrong, but spending even the smallest amount of time with him is an exhausting task. My best friend has four kids and I don't know how he survives it. He keeps asking me to come out and visit him, but whenever the thought of having his kids yelling, screaming and jumping on me or whatever else is around, I cringe and a deep sense of horror overtakes me. I just don't see the positive of having a kid. I like my freedom too much, kids have germs, they are carriers of God knows what kind of pestilence. They put their hands on everything and spread the germs all over, they destroy all that is holy in this world. I am obviously joking but I am also part serious as well, you decide how much. My little nephew is fond of taking off all his clothes and playing what he lovingly refers to as "penis guitar". I hope later in life he doesn't also feel this need, while cute, it is also deeply disturbing on many levels. Why do we feel the need to procreate? Isn't the world overpopulated as it is? Aren't there little babies all over the world in need of adoption? Go to China sometime, it's a business there. There's thousands of them waiting for you to take them in and show them a good life. We are selfish aren't we? We have to have our own spawn and pass on all of our genetic malfunctions to them. It is as if we need to see how fucked up they will turn out, so we pop them out one after another. I often see the fathers with the kids and they don't look especially happy to me. My own father wasn't around much, I always felt he looked at me as an annoyance, this might have something to do with why I find myself with no desire to procreate. Maybe I don't want to pass on my bad father gene to a new spawn of my own. So the question becomes why do we do it? Is it more a man or woman's urge to reproduce? Isn't this the genetic code all humans have? It is how we have survived this long isn't it? What would the toy industry do without a new batch of kids every year to sustain it. My nephew has enough toys to sustain a small village of kids. It's just insane, but this is America and we have plenty don't we? If I was a woman, there would be no way I would want to carry a child, imagine how it must be and feel to watch in horror as your stomach stretches almost to bursting in an Alien like movie nightmare, and to feel the baby creature kicking around in your belly. I am sure some women love this but to me, the thought is abhorrent. Not to mention how it ruins your body, although I will say, my sister is in great shape, she is one of the lucky ones that doesn't pile on the baby weight and keep it on after child birth. There is no end to the hulking lugubrious fatsos walking around in America today, we are by far the fattest nation in the world, take a trip to the mid west sometime and you shall see. Haven't you watched the biggest loser? Where hulking monstrosities of human beings come to compete in who can lose the most weight. Haven't we as a nation possibly reached the end of our rope? Are we in decline? Maybe our time is over and the rest of the world is laughing at us. Sure we can make a great plane and bomb the shit out of you if you fuck around with us, but are we the Greeks? Are we the home and birth of knowledge, the arts, the next Dionysus? I don't see it coming anytime soon. What I do see is Johnny Cracker in his trailer park with three kids with dirt under their fingernails. I do see the level of intelligence of our youth declining. I see all the glut of our society, the Mcdonald's fed kids with a beer belly at age 12, hopped up on violent video games and inhaling junk food at alarming rates. Maybe the experiment has gone awry? The great America we once envisioned has become something else, it has morphed into a nightmare of the corporation. The founding fathers never envisioned that the corporations would grow into the all powerful commodities they are now. We are all consumers whether we want to be or not. I can understand why people in the 60's wanted to drop out, but is it even possible to drop out in modern day America? There must be some communes left, but even then you have to buy something don't you? If you get a headache you need an aspirin unless you know the proper tree bark to consume which I am sure no one in this country does anymore. Mainly because we destroyed the American Indians culture that could have taught us this. Well this is food for thought isn't it? We must consume, we are using up more resources than the Earth has to give us, we are declining in the world in terms of education, infant mortality, creativeness, intelligence and we are fighting a war in two countries while people in our own raid food pantries amid the ever worsening financial crisis. Big corporations get bailed out of their debt, while the average "Joe the plumber" (Bad analogy I know) gets the shaft. We can hope that President Obama will change things but lets be realistic here, how much can one man do? I think we look to Obama as a messiah but he is just a man and beholden to the same power structure as past presidents. The military industrial complex, big business, the corporate elite etc. etc. To think otherwise is fantasy. Well are you sufficiently filled with dread? Doesn't this feel like that moment in Oliver Stones"The Doors" When all seems to be falling apart, Jim Morrison is watching the Vietnam war on T.V. and basically sees the writing on the wall? Pollution, global warming, war, drought, hunger, pestilence, disease,orphaned children, animal species going extinct? The polar bears drowning and on and on and exclaims "I think I'm having a nervous breakdown. Where does it end people? When will it end? If the signs are true then maybe the guy on the train with the sign that the end is near might not be wrong next time. Well I didn't intend for this to be a total bummer but hey you have to be real right? No need to sugarcoat it, we are fucked people and we don't really have anyone to blame but ourselves. It went down on our watch. Think about that when your eating your store bought free range turkey this Thanksgiving and try to give thanks for something positive going on in your life and this world while you still can. Peace to all and happy turkey day.

An update to the "Sign Guys" Plight and other interesting characters of the city

I want to first give anyone who might be reading my blog (if anyone is I don't know) an update about the sign guy of city hall park as I am calling him. I just saw him again the other day before the city got cold. He was still out there by city hall park with his sign and his story, I guess he hasn't found a job still. This is disheartening to think about, he seems like a nice guy and I would hire him if I had a job to offer which unfortunately I don't. I have to give him credit however for his passion, I guess going bankrupt will do that to a person, or at least being poor will.
On another note, New York city is filled with all kinds of people, there are characters the like of which you can't find in too many other places. Many of these characters for some reason are found in the subway's. I unfortunately got caught on the train the other day (a local mind you)with an angry black man. It was obvious he was either off his meds or never took any but he needed them. He was ranting and raving about history and something or other, it didn't really make any sense. I don't really mind if someone is ranting and raving if at least their argument makes sense. I often see the religious nuts as I refer to them, preaching on the train, it is always about Jesus which I find interesting. I never really see a Muslim guy going into his monologue, or a Hindu guy going nuts about his religion. It always is a Jesus guy. I guess Christianity somehow instills more passion in some. This man was very angry and people were getting scared of him, I wasn't personally but I wished he would have at least had some kind of decipherable message. I rarely see a Jewish guy going nuts like this but I have, Jews are usually too caught up in other pursuits and don't want to push their religious ideas on others oy we are just too busy and could care less if you join the tribe or not. Moving on, I used to briefly see an interesting character I fondly named "Pail head" for the obvious reason that he wore a big plastic bucket or pail on his head, I guess bucket head would have applied but pail head has a nice ring to it. The pail was one of those big plastic pails, completely covered with tin foil, maybe to keep the harmful messages or rays out? Who knows, but he was a character, he didn't talk or say much as I remember but then he simply vanished and was never seen again. I hope he got some help, he obviously needed it. The subway is a weird place, it is that place where we all have to come together, people of all sizes, shapes, races and ages. It can be so packed you can't move or you might be the only one in the car. I often like to ride on the back car of the trains and be by myself. I can't stand having someone sit next to me, well unless its a cute lady then I don't mind. The seats just aren't big enough, I have kind of broad shoulders and I just don't fit. If an ample woman sits next to me its tough. Sometimes you get into battles for seat room, you decide your in a shitty mood, which happens often to people here, you don't want to move so you keep your legs where they are and if the person wants to sit down well they have to fit. Its amazing how people will force themselves into a space that they know they won't fit into. I think they do this to make you move which is when the battle starts because I usually won't. I liken this to walking down a crowded city street and not moving out of anyone's way. Try it sometime see how many people you crash into. Women have an advantage here, they have the handbag or purse to use as a weapon. I do this from time to time if I am in a particularly shitty mood and just don't give a shit. Some people will move others don't look or like most tourists, walk around without looking. In New York you have to look down first, so you don't step in shit, you have to look left and right when crossing, because bikers, cars, trucks and god knows what else is coming at you, you have to look up because well their is some cool things you see when you do. You basically have to have eyes all around so no wonder tourists come here and are overwhelmed. Sorry I digressed again as I do. So if your not from the city ride the subway you will definitely see some interesting people, you might see a few characters and hopefully not pail head or some Jesus obsessed guy talking about judgment day or some such. I find it funny that all these people who think the end of the world is coming are always wrong, maybe one of them will get it right someday, but where will the satisfaction be? It will all be over and he won't get to gloat. I have never seen a Mormon on the train going on and on, or a Sikh. I think someone should do a study as to why. Well, I will give a re-cap on sign guy in a bit, I will try to write more, I am going back to school and have been slammed with work lately but things are winding down thank goodness. Soon it will be the Christmas season with commercial after commercial begging you to buy this and that and the other thing. Being Jewish I am absolved of this and I don't do Hanukkah gifts. My spell check said I misspelled Hanukkah, what kind of Jew am I? I will rant a little more soon, that is if anyone out there is even reading. Peace and hair grease to all and to all a good night.

Our historic election what can we make of it?

I don't like to speak about politics, we each have our own ideas and this country has been so torn asunder by the partisanship of our nation. However these are historic times and I think it is an interesting time to be alive. All the pundits have weighed in on why Senator and now president elect Obama won the election. I happened to vote for him also and everyone I know did. However to look at this election, one wonders why it was even as close as it was. Millions and millions of people voted for John Mccain. A man who is a bonfaide hero true but nonetheless dangerous because of his antiquated ideologies. Someone that picked a less than qualified running mate to be his vice president. I recently watched how CNN gave Sarah Palin a generous amount of airtime and I was angered by it. Does the republican party somehow think she will run again in 2012 for the presidency? I like many people don't understand why she was chosen. Was it simply because she is a female and mildly appealing to the republican base? I thought that choosing someone to lead our nation should be about choosing the most qualified applicant from among the vast pool of candidates. Is Sarah Palin the most qualified? Obviously not, it is also obvious that the republicans have lost their way, that is if they ever were on the track at all. Their party mantra has always been, smaller government and tax cuts, they were supposed to shrink government, but in fact they grew it by leaps and bounds. President Bush has not done one thing that I can point to that is positive. Republicans have been caught in scandal after scandal yet why do so many people continue to vote for them? It boggles the mind, especially mine. One wonders if the financial markets hadn't done so poorly, would President elect Obama even be where he is? If he had been unable to raise the record sums of money he did, would he have won? If he had accepted public financing could this all have been possible? It will never be known, but I for one am happy he won. I was watching CNN shortly after the election and one of the announcers said something to the effect of, that they would be watching Senator elect Obama, to make sure he was doing what he promised. I wonder where these people were for the last 8 years when the sitting president, broke every promise he had made, thought himself above the laws of this land. Where were these pundits? Haven't they been watching? I find it interesting that president elect Obama is trying to stay above the fray and not be partisan. Even though republicans have shut democrats out the past eight years. When they were in power they regarded our party as a mere annoyance. They didn't allow our voices to be heard in the halls of power. I remember when they made John Conyers the Democratic senator take his meetings in a basement office when he was investigating the republicans. I remember those partisan exchanges in the senate. I remember Senator Byrd saying wait, lets not rush into the Iraq war, lets think about this. All these queries falling on deaf ears. The agenda was already in place you see. We have a lot to be angry about. Don't you remember "Mission accomplished?" How many young men and women have died since in a senseless war? How many more will die. This wasn't my point however to talk about this, you wonder though, with all this and much more, the many scandals and waste, the deficit ballooning out of control, our stock market in shambles, our debts to China rising and rising. The 700 billion dollar bailout of companies who in many respects, shouldn't have been saved. The same man who worked under Paul Bremer in Iraq handing out our millions to contractors with no accountability, now working on handing out our tax dollars to the greedy wall streeters responsible for wrecking our economy. Yet so many are blind to all this. Americans have short memories. They forget so quickly or just aren't interested. I know this is a blanket statement, we should just move on now and forget what has happened. I am not one of those people. I always felt Bush should have been impeached long ago. I hope they continue to investigate him after he leaves the white house. Executive privelege should only go so far and not that far. They impeached president Clinton for so much less, a dalliance with a woman that was a mistake true, yet this president has done so much worse, so many lives he's destroyed and the lies keep mounting, yet no one seems to want to talk about that. Of course it is a great day, the first African American man has been elected to the white house. But we should be careful not to overlook the fact that we are a divided nation, haven't we been since the civil war ended really? The reality is, that our system of government is broken, we have allowed those corporations that we now villify to usurp power. They give to political parties and expect favors. In the dawn of the corporation in this country, this was illegal. Corporations were kept from the political process for a reason, so they couldn't exert control over our process. Don't forget this is a decision supposedly made by the people and for the people isn't it? Together both parties spent a billion dollars on this campaign. A staggering sum, one can logically assume that both parties took large sums of money from some corporate interest. If we don't in the future force politicians to accept public financing then how can we really say our process is free of outside influence? If we demanded that the networks give each candidate an equal amount of commercial time, there wouldn't be a need to raise these staggering sums of cash to buy air time. Our process could actually be free of outside influence. But you see, the corporations have become too powerful. If we are truly a free market economy then we should allow them to go under if they are broke. That is what a free market economy truly is. You mess up and you pay the price. Yes people get hurt from that, but that is why you take great care to not let this happen. You don't allow greed to motivate you for greater and greater gain. Instead we bail out these companies who now come begging for a handout when times are bad. They tried to label Obama a socialist but aren't we practicing socialist tendencies by nationalizing some of our banks and lending institutions? It is hypocritical. As I watch Sarah Palin on T.V. I realize that this country is morally and ethically bankrupt. That we can even hold this woman up as any type of example to anyone is a joke and an insult to our intelligence. The fact that this woman was even chosen to run a state is not only unbelievable but moreover an insult to the people of this nation. We should seek the best of the best in our higher offices and I hope President elect Obama will stick to this mantra. I think he will. We have suffered too long to take a step back. The job ahead will be hard, just as it was for President Clinton, trying to repair the damage done by the first Bush presidency and that of Reagan. Reagan who is held up as some kind of shining example but who really was a disgrace. Both these presidents bankrupted our nation as well and it took president Clinton 8 years to repair the damage, only to have President Bush come into office in 2000 and destroy his work. To spend and rob us blind through two wars and waste and gluttony. Yes I am angry and you should be too. So we look to the future and wonder if this country will ever wake up and actually see what is going on. Will they realize we are all consumers now under the corporate umbrella? When will they demand that we get these corporations out of our political process? Maybe Abraham Lincoln said it best at the end of the civil war when he wrote "I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."
-- U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864

Doesn't that say it all? Food for thought my friends, how can we ever be truly free again? Don't we all have to consume?