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Gone to the Dogs - Here's My Vote!
2007-11-12 17:04:00
Just had to respond to Jennifer's post on this topic with my own favorite, the Pekingese. I know some people will complain that hey, they're not "real" dogs because you can't wrestle with them or take them hunting, but they have their own charm, intelligence, and personality. Here's my family's Peke, Lioba: Unfortunately, the last time the Pekingese breed had its day was somewhere around the 1920's or 1930's. Perhaps they are due for a revival. Not to worry, this blog is not going to the dogs; I promise not to post anymore pictures of my dog here, unless I can think of a really good excuse. Technorati Tags: Pekingese, dog, breed
More About: Dogs , Vote

A Proud Day for Lawyers - Part II
2007-11-12 16:47:00
I had posted my SAS post on Pakastani lawyers on Solosez, an email discussion group for lawyers which is sponsored by the American Bar Association. It received a number of replies, but here is the one that I found the most interesting, posted by Farrah Qazi, in response to another post, which demonstrates that the situation is not as simple as it seems: Dear Peter: I'm impressed with your ability to suspend judgment and look beyond the "black and white". You are right that the situation isn't quite as simple as it seems. The former chief justice who was removed from the court was promulgating his political views and ideas from the bench. Imagine if our chief justice did the same. All of the justices seemed united in trying to oust Musharaff from power. So rather than focusing on their caseload, they seemed to be furthering the political agenda of...
More About: Lawyers , Part , Proud

Gone to the Dogs
2007-11-12 02:26:00
Foreign Native blogs about the popularity of Schnauzers and Pugs in the Distrito Federal, which is Mexico's version of New York City, where many of its denizens live in apartments. Morelia's animal guardians, for the most part, live in single-family houses, which means that we get to have larger versions of pack partners. Like everything else, every dog breed has its day, but certain breeds seem more prevalent than others. Sure, there are the Labrador people and the Golden Retriever people, but before the dogs who wear bandanas were the rage, other breeds reigned, and their progeny are still around. A few Chows, Neopolitan Mastiffs, Weimaraners and Akitas, but for the most part, the breed of choice seems to be the Pastor Aleman. Rottweilers had their day, and, before that Dobermans were the the hot dog. Today, there aren't many Dobermans around town. Or they just stay at home. Technorati...
More About: Dogs

Gimme the Chisme
2007-11-08 22:43:00
You may have first heard of him when he was Apple's Chief Evangelist. Or maybe from Fog City Software. Law school dropout Guy Kawasaki, CEO of Garage Technology Ventures, changes jobs more frequently than many people change their underwear. And now he's got a yet another new venture running: Truemors, a vehicle to spread rumors, gossip, news, trivia and everything else under the sun. Truemors has a social networking version to "tell your friends" and a web version to "tell the world." A search for "Mexico" turned up stories revealing that Duane "Dog Chapman isn't going to be extradited to Mexico for kidnapping, flooding in Tabasco has displaced over a half million people, and 119 mummies repose in a Guanajuato museum. None of those stories exactly fall into the rumor category, but they did make for good reading. Look up "sex" and "Hillary Clinton" for more salacious news. Technorati Tags:...
More About: Gimme

A Proud Day for Lawyers
2007-11-07 01:46:00
The front page of the New York Times today had a photograph of a lawyer in Pakistan who was protesting the General Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule hurling a tear gas shell back at the police. A remarkable photograph for any country. When lawyers are throwing tear gas shells you know that the rule of law is gone. In Pakistan lawyers literally have been on the front lines protesting the emergency rule. Lawyers and police are clashing in several areas. Yesterday, they were engaged in an intense battle, standing on the roof of the High Court throwing stones at the police below. Picture lawyers throwing rocks from the roof of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., and you'll realize what an incredible scene this is. Hundreds of lawyers are in custody, including Parvez Hassan, one of Pakistan's most prominent corporate lawyers. Lawyers stormed a courtroom in Punjab, stopping the swearing...
More About: Proud

The Greatest Show On or Off of Earth
2007-11-05 06:18:00
There is an amazing video feed coming from the International Space Station via NASA TV. Direct observations are made of the crew members at work in zero gravity conditions, which is pretty cool. The New York Times blog, The Lede, describes the "blubberfest" that went on today in the farewell ceremony of the Discovery shuttle crew, which is leaving the space station tomorrow. It is being replayed as part of the highlights reel that runs on the hour. The farewell ceremony really did convey the personality of the people who are a part of this international effort to build and maintain a permanent station in orbit around the Earth . The human element is something that I think has been missing from the news that we get through the mainstream press. Astronauts hugged one another, got all choked up in their farewell speeches, expressing their debt of gratitude that they have...
More About: Show , The G , Greatest

The Good Old Days
2007-11-04 02:58:00
I was looking thru my old record collection (the vinyl kind) today, and came across an interesting "Open Letter" contained in a Jeff Beck album, from way back in 1983. Signed by some of the jazz greats at that time, it starts as follows: We musicians thank you - for buying this album, for supporting our music and our careers. But we have a problem, a serious one, we can do little to cure without your understanding and your help. Very simply put, the growing practice of unauthorized home-taping of our albums is doing each one of us great damage. Yet most people don't give it a second thought. Ha! Those poor guys had no idea what was about to come, once their music was distributed in digital form on CD's. Home taping? How about ripping songs from a CD and on to your computer? Then emailing those songs to...
More About: Days , Good , Good Old Days , The Good , The Go

The Days and Nights of the Not-So Dead
2007-11-03 15:59:00
Many foreigners with blogs in Mexico get all wound up over the quaint customs of life in this country, blinded to the ordinary attractions scattered about their own cities. Well, these attractions are generally found in the entertainment zones or the outskirts. John in San Miguel de Allende takes on the lives of working girls and their patrons in this unique guide to his corner of the Bajio. Technorati Tags: adult entertainment, brothels, red light district
More About: Dead , Days , Nights

Age Before Beauty
2007-11-03 04:09:00
Lots of things do get better with age. Fine wine, cheese, vintage clothing and printers, just for starters. In Databazaar Blog, Taeho Lim writes about my oldest printer. Last year, I even toted to the local computer shop in Morelia to have it cleaned and lubed for the very first time, which is sort of like taking the Oldest Living Confederate Widow in for having her teeth cleaned. But the shop did agree that they could keep it running forever. Can you say the same about today's disposable discount printers? Technorati Tags: HP LaserJet
More About: Beauty

The Fountain Never Changes
2007-11-01 01:15:00
Political administrations in the D.F. come and go, but there's always a few constants in the Distrito Federal -- the traffic and the fountain at the entrance to the Camino Real. Well, the red on one of the walls used to be a brighter shade of pink. Who cares if museums are closed? Read on. Technorati Tags: Mexico, D.F., Camino Real
More About: The Fountain , Fountain , Chang , Chan

Sex on a plane?
2007-10-31 17:05:00
The first thing I wondered about when I read that the airlines flying the new Airbus 380 planes would be offering double beds is, would people be able to join the mile high club without having to cram into a bathroom to do the dirty deed? Frankly, I think that there should be a separate membership category for accomplishing this high altitude feat in the comfort of a double bed. It hardly involves the risk and gymnastic abilities required to get two bodies in the right configuration for an airplane bathroom, which typically is the size of a shoe closet. I hadn't seen anything mentioned in any of the articles about this until a story today on the MSNBC website. Seems that Singapore Airlines is asking passengers to refrain from hanky panky when in the double beds. So, is smooching is okay? How about groping hands in your partner's nether...
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Dog Shoots Man
2007-10-30 22:15:00
True but weird. A guy was out hunting this past Saturday when his dog accidentally stepped on his gun, firing the weapon at a range of 3 feet, blasting between 100 to 120 pellets in a four inch circle into his leg, according to a report on MSNBC. The hunter is listed in good condition in University Hospitals in Iowa City. The dog was not injured. Apparently the hunter had shot a bird and put down his gun to get it. When interviewed, the dog said, "I only meant to scare him. Does this mean no dinner tonight?" It's all true (except the quote from the dog who reportedly refused to speak to reporters). Technorati Tags: dog shoots man, hunting, accident, dog
More About: Shoots , Shoot

A Little Piece of America
2007-10-29 03:16:00
Eddie Willers is a Third World Shopkeeper in Tampico, by way of someplace in England, and he's not known for mincing words. Take a look at his response to those who'd like to keep Mexico and those who inhabit this country "native." Keep up the good words, Eddie. Technorati Tags: Tampico, expatriate, enviro-greenie-neo-Luddite types
More About: America , Piece

National Novel Writing Month
2007-10-28 18:10:00
Perhaps you were unaware, but November is National Novel Writing Mont h . This is the month where you get to write an entire novel, from start to finish. That's right, November 1 you start writing and by November 30 you must finish by writing at least 50,000 words. They couldn't have made October the National Novel Writing Month ? October has 31 days. That one extra day could have proven crucial. Well, at least it isn't February. Though if it were, it would have been interesting to see if sign ups for the event surged in a leap year. For those of you who are interested, you can sign up on the organization's website. I'm half considering doing this. I've invited my co-blogger Jennifer to give it a shot, too. She is a force of nature when it comes to output, so she could probably wrap it all up in a couple...

Chinese Just Like Grandmothers
2007-10-28 05:03:00
Many people have some kind of biological imperative to seek out Chinese food. I'm one of them. Wherever I go, it's just a matter of days before I must find a Chinese restaurant. Some of them have ranged from very good to almost passable, even in Argentina and Turkey. Even the strangest – in Ardmore, Oklahoma, where I was asked if I wanted Texas toast to accompany the meal – have had a quaint appeal. Even the microwaved flour tortillas which have masqueraded as mu shu pancakes were an honest effort. Only the week before, when I was in Philadelphia, I turned down invitations to eat at famed city restaurants, just so I could have some Chinese at the Sang Kee Peking Duck House. (Go there, if you're ever in Philadelphia, because it was a fabulous find.) In my cookbook collection are several old cookbooks dating from the 1930’s, kept...

NY Post Gives Preview of Wall Street Journal After Murdoch's Takeover
2007-10-25 18:53:00
The TimesOnline reports that Rupert Murdoch, in discussing his plans for The Wall Street Journal which he recently acquired as part of his purchase of Dow Jones, said that he wanted to "improve the paper in every way", including by bolstering its international coverage and broadening from its traditional focus on finance into areas such as the arts, culture, and fashion. Well, I already expressed my opinion on Murdoch's acquisition of The Wall Street Journal here, but Murdoch himself has given a preview of what to expect in a business article published today in another Murdoch publication, the New York Post . Take a peek at this headline and let me know what you think. Technorati Tags: New York Post, Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones, Wall Street Journal
More About: Preview , Takeover

Harry Potter and the Gay Wizard
2007-10-22 23:05:00
The media is all lit up with the big news - Dumbledore, the majordomo of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizard ry in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series, is gay. The author herself confessed to this fact in public! See The New York Times blog The Lede for a description of all of the excitement this is causing. Well I say we ought to make a clean sweep of it. Why let all of those other children's books that are secretly corrupting our children get away with it? Let's expose them all! Here is just a starter's list: The Cat in the Hat - Cats popping out of hats? What could this be but a metaphor for coming out of the closet? Green Eggs and Ham - a clear reference to marijuana. Turning our children into a bunch of potheads. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland - hallucinogens anybody? Mary Poppins -...
More About: The G

Time Machine to the '60's
2007-10-22 19:45:00
Picked up a bargain 2 CD set of "The Best of The Doors" at the New York University Bookstore this past weekend (God bless them, they have some taste), and put on "The End". Wow! That sure brought me back! This song was used to great effect in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The song really gives a great flavor of what the '60's were about - rebellion, end of the world, tearing it all down to build up something completely new in its place. The problem was, no one came up with anything particularly good. No, it wasn't a sustainable way to go about things. But the music was fun. Technorati Tags: Sixties, The Doors, music, New York University, Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola
More About: Machine , Time , Time Machine , Mach

Scary Girl
2007-10-15 16:28:00
In recognition of the upcoming Halloween holiday, I present a 30 second clip entitled "Scary Girl ." What I find fascinating about this clip is that in 30 seconds the filmmaker manages to fit in an entire plot that works, with a beginning, middle and end. I'll leave coverage of Día de los Muertos to my co-blogger Jennifer. Technorati Tags: scary, Halloween, girl, film

Does Dying Really Hurt?
2007-10-14 23:59:00
Sooner or later, everybody will. Until we do, there's a lot of speculation about how it feels to die. NewScientist explains how dying really feels. An appropriate enough topic as we approach Day of the Dead, my favorite holiday season. One of the best parts of this holiday in Morelia is the Casa de la Cultura's Ofrenda Competition, which is now in its 21st rendition. From November 1 to 5, the Casa de la Cultura will be filled with incredible memorials to the dead and the concept of no longer being part of the living. The rules of the game are explained here. Technorati Tags: DÍA DE MUERTOS, Day of the Dead, Michoacan, Morelia, Casa de la Cultura, death, dying
More About: Hurt , Dying , Ally

Candy Heaven
2007-10-14 23:56:00
I stumbled across the webpage of one of the best candy stores that I have seen in NYC. Economy Candy has been around since 1937 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Their web site is great. They have a wonderful collection of "Old Time Favorites" and even have a special section just for halvah. Dried fruits and nuts are offered as well. All items can be ordered on the site for those too far away to make the trip. As for me, I intend to pay a visit at my first opportunity. Technorati Tags: candy, halvah, Lower East Side, economy candy, Manhattan
More About: Heaven

Al Gore for President?
2007-10-12 17:27:00
Okay, so now Al Gore has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Does this mean he will run for President ? Technorati Tags: Nobel Prize, Nobel Peace Prize, Al Gore, President, candidate
More About: Resident

Fried Green Tamales
2007-10-12 03:28:00
They said it tastes "just like chicken." It was one of Hannibal Lecter's favorites and a staple in Jeffrey Dahmer's diet. And then there was Alferd Packer, who even had a grill named after him at the University of Colorado. Cannibalism is nothing new, but it always makes the news. In a small rented apartment on Mosqueta No. 198 in Colonia Guerreo in the D.F., aspiring horror filmwriter José Luis Zepeda Kawa had a few friends for lunch. Even though his neighbors described him as an attractive friendly sort of guy, in the way neighbors often relate to the ones least suspected of heinous deeds, Zepeda's friends never went home. He ate them. This story, even though set off in the far-off Gotham of Mexico City, filled an entire page of La Voz de Michoacán, but did it really merit a link in the Drudge Report? It's just such old...
More About: Green , Fried , Amal , Tamale

Dining with John Updike at the Morgan Library
2007-10-12 02:41:00
I had lunch today with a client at the Morgan Libra ry and surprise, surprise, there was John Updike sitting just a couple of tables over. My client could see him but my back was to him, so she gave me regular reports of what he was doing. Our conversation went something like this: Client: He’s drinking his water Me: Oh my god, he’s drinking his water??? John Updike is drinking his water??? Wow! Client: He’s scratching his face. Me: Oh my god, he’s scratching his face???? Wow! John Updike is scratching his face! Amazing! Client: He’s drinking his water again. Me: He’s drinking his water again??? John Updike is drinking his water again!!!!! Maybe he’s getting a creative idea right at this moment, right here in the Morgan Library, just 20 feet away from us!!! We went over to him afterwards and said hello. We said that he was a...
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I Miss the Sky
2007-10-11 07:33:00
Yes, I miss the sky. New York City doesn't have any sky. Well, it does have a sky in the Hayden Planetarium, but that doesn't count. I grew up in the suburbs and we had marvelous skies. My favorite skies were the clear ones at night, whether it be after a warm spring day or in the middle of the freezing winter. With dinner long over, I'd sneak out the front door and go around the house to our backyard. Night was different. The familiar landmarks of daytime were gone. I had to wait a couple of minutes until my eyes adjusted to the darkness. Every step I took made a sound. Crunching leaves. Gravel. And all the time there was the sound of the wind. My family was far away, inside the house, with distant familiar sounds of conversations, television, a plate set upon a table, running water, feet...
More About: Miss

Crime Statistics and My Super
2007-10-10 20:58:00
I had a run in with the super for the building where I live this morning. We were chatting amiably when suddenly we were clashing about the level of crime in NYC. He seemed to feel that NYC was a dangerous place and I felt that while it certainly isn't crime-free, it is a lot safer than it was 20 years ago. He pointed out that a policeman's car was broken into right on our block the other day. This was surprising to hear because our block is a very safe block, just one block north of the local police precinct, well lit and all residential, so there is usually someone walking by at all hours of the day. I pointed out that the murder rate in New York City has come down from about 2,000 murders a year to about 630 murders a year, a 2/3 reduction. That slowed...
More About: Crime , Super , Statistics , Rime

Movie Time in Morelia
2007-10-08 17:10:00
Morelia's the film capital of the country, and we have more film festivals than any other city. Well, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. This week we're in the throes of the 5th International Film Festival of Morelia. Read on at Days of Cinema. And pass the popcorn. Technorati Tags: Morelia, cinema, film, FCIM
More About: Movie , Time

What the U.S. Presidential Election Means to Mexico
2007-10-02 19:22:00
In Mexicalpan, Kelly Arthur Garrett hits the nail on the head about Mexicans' perspective on the upcoming U.S. presidential election. During the 2000 election, we thought Bush gave a damn about Mexico . His first meeting with then-President Fox bore such high hopes, but he proved us wrong. You'd think a pair of boots made of exotic leather would mean something. Why do I have a feeling that the Estadounidenses just plain don't like us? How many can even name the current President of Mexico? Technorati Tags: George Bush, Vicente Fox, politics
More About: Presidential , Election , Resident

Dangers in the Night
2007-09-28 06:04:00
This evening, while talking on the phone with a friend from Chicago, I decided to wander out beyond the terrace to pick up what appeared to be one of the Nearly Perfect Doberman's stuffed toys, somewhat perplexed by stains on the driveway. As I bent down to pick it up, I quickly discovered that what reposed there was no toy. It was a opossum, better known in these parts as a tlacuache, the ugliest creature on earth. This one was the size of small pig. And I let out a blood-curdling scream, yelling in Spanish at Goodman to run for safety. ¡Cuidate! ¡Rapido! We ran for the house, locking the door behind us. And then I contemplate getting a shovel and throwing the opossum out onto the street. That is, until I remembered that creature was not likely dead — and the nearest available implement was down in the workshop....
More About: Night

Free Movies!
2007-09-25 21:27:00
When have you ever read a title that had the word free in it where it actually turned out to be free and not just some cheap come on? Well this time it is free - really! Go to Stage 6 to find thousands of movies and short videos, all for free, and all of which can either be viewed on the site or downloaded on to your computer for viewing later. There are no restrictions on these downloaded films - you can copy them, share them with friends, whatever. The only thing you have to do is download the free player at www.divx.com. The player is just that and not spyware or some other evil thing that will reside on your computer doing bad things. Free really is free! One of the all time great horror movies, The Haunting, can be found there. A remake of this film was...
More About: Movies