Things I Love, Things I Hate

For years, there has been a tie to my health and the full moon. It has something to do with the day I was born and the year I was born, but the full story is not clear. This much I know--today is the Blue Moon Day when there are two full moons. And guess what--I feel crappy!

The Blue Moon of 2004

I hope the Diamondbacks make the deal I read about in the paper. They trade Randy Johnson and Steve Finley to the Dodgers for Edwin Jackson, Brad Penny, Jason Weth, the AA pitcher Murphy they got yesterday from the Marlins and some prospects. It’s trading two players late in their career for two young pitching stars.
The clock is ticking…

This was found in a headline on Wonkette:

Media covers itself in absence of news at Democratoc Convention #
BoiFromTroy --

Just a ruse to sell pictures of their "star" analysts (the quote on demand folks).

Internet Media Commentary - Alan Meckler: STOCK IMAGERY CHANGED BY THE INTERNET

A great cause. Everywhere I went the past few days, people were wearing these yellow bracelets. They are back-ordered, but we have a 10-pack on the way.

WearYELLOW LiveSTRONG

I actually wrote about this more than two weeks ago for my clients.

Yahoo! News - Bloggers Type It Like It Is in Boston

Back after a few short days in Orlando which seemed like a year. It is not easy to get to and from Otown from Phoenix.
Just a few random comments:
As noted by my lack of posting, my hotel did not have high speed Internet. Downer. Won’t be back there.
Can’t talk much about the work I did there, but it went very well. At the event, they served the most amazing food including (imagine this) these fork-type skewers that had a layer of grilled shrimp, a layer of cucumber, a layer of grilled scallop, another cucumber and then a chunk of grilled lobster. Sound awesome? I had a dozen.
Orlando is where the Rust Belt goes on vacation. I mean that with no disrespect other than the average person from The Belt is 30-40 pounds overweight. Apparently, fried food still rules below the Mason Dixon Line.
The ride from the hotel to the airport in Orlando is more expensive than in New York.
Why has united shifted so many flights to this "Ted" deal? Ted’s plane of choice is an Airbus, which has no ventilation. There isn’t enough Sudafed in the world to unclog my sinuses.
Lastly, the flight attendant on the last leg of my trip was a dead ringer for Oprah. Not just "looked like her"—I mean DEAD RINGER. She told me she couldn’t go to Chicago anymore because she makes such a scene. Sounds like the basis for a book or TV show.

The good news is I am only about an hour away from Orlando. Other good news is that I have a row to myself on this cramped “Ted” flight (An Airbus 319s). The bad news is that I suspect we’ll encounter thunderstorms close to arrival. And then we’re at Orlando Intl. Airport (abbreviation MCO, for some reason)—a sprawling mess that requires one of those little shuttle trains to get from gate to baggage claim.

The first flight (Phoenix-Chicago) was uneventful. Someone actually had a pet bird on board in a cage. It didn’t look to be a parrot or the usual pet bird (like a talking magpie) rather something along the lines of the quails in our backyard. That’s highly unlikely. At takeoff and landing, the bird howled.

When it comes to network TV, I must live under a rock. “Ted Vision” is showing two programs—“Two and One Half Men” (with Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer) followed by “I’m With Her” (starring Terri Polo of “Sports Night” and “Meet The Parents.”) It’s been 18 years since I professionally reviewed TV, and it looks worse than ever.

In terms of work duty, this is a very light trip. I have one group speaking performance preceded by a lot of logistics (set up, etc…). Probably have dinner with some colleagues afterwards and then I go home on Thursday. I have a really bad seat coming home—26D for the flight, which is a direct with one stop. 26D is the last row of the plane on the aisle. I have never taken a sleeping pill on the airplane. This could be a first.

Off on another business travel adventure tomorrow. This time, Orlando. Not one of my favorite destinations because:

1. It's one of those difficult to get there form here places
2. It's hot and humid right now (the old 90-90 weather)
3. The airport has a bad ground transportation system
4. There is no Major League Baseball

 

The day you announce your IPO terms is not the day you want to get hit.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Google recovers after virus hits

For everyone who told me to "shove it" when I was a reporter...I'd at least be able to buy a new computer. Or maybe an Ipod.

Yahoo! News - Democrats Defend Heinz Kerry's 'Shove It'

The entire future of the Diamondbacks franchise rests on how it deals with Randy Jonhson. They can keep him. Certainly, the team will be better next year than this year. The D-backs have a decent farm system and if they re-sign Richie Sexson (assuming he's healthy), they are a near-playoff team in a weak division. Getting a top-flight manager will help.
If they trade him, it must be to Anaheim. The Angels have great prospects at catcher and third base--two huge needs for Arizona.
My bet is he stays put.

ESPN.com - MLB - MLB RECAP

Around these parts, we’re big Jeremy Piven fans. Today, he’s 39. Piven, whose parents run a well-known acting workshop in Chicago, is known as John Cusack’s buddy in many films (“Grosse Pointe Blank” and “Serendipity” perhaps the two best). In his own right Piven was excellent in “Larry Sanders” and I hear he’s great in a new cable series in which he plays a sleazy Hollywood agent. My favorite Piven line is when he tackles Cusack at a party in “Say Anything” and screams—“Are we full-on buds?”

Excite - Excite Today - Today's Birthdays

Last week at this time, we made our way through the drizzle in Center City Philadelphia to eat at Moriomoto. We’re still talking about it and cannot wait until next year to go back. That is, unless the Phillies make the World Series and we make our way back for that blessed event.

Yikes-- look at this terrible typo on Foxsports.com. Any idea what "&151" means?

For the Dodgers, the acquisition of Finley &151; perhaps for a package that would include Class AAA catcher Koyie Hill &151; could trigger another deal in which they would trade Dave Roberts or Juan Encarnacion for a starting pitcher. But the club envisions Bradley as their center fielder for the next three seasons, and might not be willing to realign its outfield.

Well, it's back to reality for our daughter today. Shortly, we leave to pick her up at the airport as she flies home from three weeks of camp in California. It will be culture shock for her as she is an only child who has spent every waking moment of camp time surrounded by friends. Perhaps she will be gald to come home and have her own space?
Who am I kidding?
Well, we're excited to welcome her home.