tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-1222936 2009-07-08T16:43:10-05:00 New York to Michoacán and somewhere in between TypePad tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d050a53ef011571dd2717970b 2009-07-08T16:43:10-05:00 2009-07-08T16:43:10-05:00

If you have any interest in current affairs, you'll want to read this editorial in yesterday's Wall Street Journal entitled From McNamara to Obama. As much as I'd like to believe that some good ideas will solve all of our problems, Barack Obama's rhetoric makes me nervous, and Bret Stephens does a good job putting the reason for my nervousness into words. Here's one paragraph which will give you some idea: McNamara, who died yesterday at 93, will go down as a cautionary tale for the ages, and perhaps none more than for the Age of Obama. Whatever else distinguishes JFK's New Frontier or LBJ's Great Society from Barack Obama's "New Foundation," this too is an era of soaring rhetoric, big plans and boundless self-regard, issued by an administration convinced it can apply technocratic, top-down solutions to huge and unpredictable systems -- the banking, auto and health-care industries, for instance,...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/07/hope-is-a-four-letter-word.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d050a53ef011570e56001970c 2009-07-08T10:15:32-05:00 2009-07-08T10:16:50-05:00

I posted this on Facebook and received five comments within 34 minutes. I think I'm on to something. Okay, so Michael Jackson was a brilliant performer, and his death was sad, but I'm not spending my time thinking about him, leaving comments all around the Internet, or watching a lot of his videos on YouTube. I didn't even watch his memorial and I'm okay with that. Nor did I become a fan of his Facebook page (he's got close to 7.5 million fans there, he doesn't need mine). Does this make me a bad person? Technorati Tags: Michael Jackson, Facebook

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/07/davidlefflernycrefname.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d050a53ef011571ce2cf3970b 2009-07-06T19:17:49-05:00 2009-07-06T19:26:31-05:00

IncaKolaNews (IKN) loves charts, bar graphs and maps, and so do we, which is why we faithfully and without fail read this blog every single day. IKN turned us on to this index, which ranks Mexico at No. 23 in the happiness scale, with Sri Lanka and Pakistan on either side of the Happy Scale. Poor Los Estados Unidos, so far from God and so close to Mexico, comes in at 114th place out of 143, is sandwiched in between Madagascar and Nigeria. Technorati Tags: Happy Planet Index, happiness, country rankings

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/07/i-hope-youre-happy-now.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d050a53ef011571c20ce5970b 2009-07-05T10:55:34-05:00 2009-07-05T10:56:52-05:00

This morning, I joined more than 77 million Mexicans who were eligible to do something civic. I walked two blocks over to the local public elementary school, where the voting polls would be set up. Realizing that I had never voted live and in living color even in Los Estados Unidos, opting always for the easier method of voting early or absentee, much less in Mexico, I was ready for a novel and exciting experience. Right. I didn’t vote, on purpose, in the last Estadounidense presidential election. There wasn’t exactly a crowd at the polls. The schoolyard held exactly five people looking for which classroom to enter. A guy wearing a PRD button helpfully looked at my voting credential and told me to go to the room designated for people whose names begin with “J.” He obviously was either trying to trick me or couldn’t read, because the big sign...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/07/civic-duty.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d050a53ef011571b0d33e970b 2009-07-03T18:07:18-05:00 2009-07-03T18:07:18-05:00

... the world needs more "Trigs", not fewer. --- Sarah Palin, July 3, 2009 Technorati Tags: Trig, Sarah Palin, Alaska

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/07/which-way-is-she-headed.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d050a53ef011571afe576970b 2009-07-03T16:53:22-05:00 2009-07-03T16:57:48-05:00

Staring at Strangers breaks the news story of the year! Reporters are all saying that Palin's resignation is just her setting up a potential run in the 2012 U.S. presidential election. How could everyone be so blind??? It's not about that, you fools. The truth is as plain as day - Sarah Palin is the mother of Michael Jackson's child! Check out the homepage of the Fox News web site. I've reproduced a portion of it here because I am sure that this amazing juxtaposition of news stories won't be up there for long. Some may say that this is merely a coincidence, but I ask you, what other conclusion could you draw from this revealing display of headlines? Technorati Tags: Sarah Palin, Michael Jackson

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/07/scoop-palinmichael-jackson-connection.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d050a53ef011570ac17d1970c 2009-07-02T07:42:27-05:00 2009-07-07T13:42:15-05:00

I've discovered Slacker Radio on my Blackberry, and it is wonderful. Free to download, I can choose amongst a wide variety of music, everything from 80's rock to classical music. I selected the Traditional Blues channel, and I'm in heaven. Slacker Radio first served up Robert Johnson, and I knew then that I had found the real thing. This morning on my way to work I was listening to Elmore James perform "Shake Your Moneymaker." It doesn't get any better than that. By the way, I had tried another free music service, Pandora, and it was not very good. They tended to repeat the same songs again and again and again. It grew to be a pretty frustrating listening experience. Slacker Radio is the way to go. Technorati Tags: Slacker Radio, Blackberry, Pandora, Elmore James, Robert Johnson, traditional blues, rock

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/07/slacker-radio---yea.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d050a53ef0115709a6210970c 2009-06-30T09:13:40-05:00 2009-06-30T13:51:46-05:00

You have got to have some sympathy for the younger generation these days. The economy is in the tank, the media regularly blasts out stories that assert that the environment is going haywire, governors are making embarrassing speeches about affairs with women half their age, and every week a new Ponzi scheme is being uncovered. We had it pretty good in the 60's and 70's. All you needed was love. America was a country where anything was possible, whether it was going to the moon or becoming the next millionaire. So where can you look today for some bit of optimism? Enter Levi Strauss & Company with a new ad campaign that plays on the aspirations of the young. Their Go Forth campaign is a sad attempt to revive the spirit and optimism of the younger generation. The campaign's web site is littered with photos of young, attractive, and often...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/go-forth.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d050a53ef01157168f921970b 2009-06-26T17:50:40-05:00 2009-06-27T09:23:48-05:00

Credit goes to Laura Martinez at Mi Blog es tu Blog for turning us on to this Japanese commercial for Mexican food. Embedding has been disabled, but you can watch the commercial here. All right, so I spent the morning checking out the new Liverpool at Plaza Las Americas, snacked on artisanal Italian ice cream, and didn’t see any Mexicans marching to the beat of Don Taco. Technorati Tags: Don Taco, Mexican food

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/how-the-japs-see-us.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d050a53ef011570701d5c970c 2009-06-26T13:00:17-05:00 2009-06-26T17:36:38-05:00

That's the headline for the CNN article here about the spike in Internet traffic as a result of Michael Jackson's death. I'd say that it should rank as one of the better headlines for 2009. Technorati Tags: Michael Jackson, death, CNN, headline, Internet, traffic

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/jackson-dies-almost-takes-internet-with-him.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d050a53ef01157162d9ea970b 2009-06-26T10:22:57-05:00 2009-06-26T10:25:56-05:00

Everybody wants one, but few are those who actually have one. The Estadounidense media would have you believing that every second Mexican has, or is in the market for, an assault weapon. You know, the garden variety AK-47s that are flooding the borders southward, a dozen or more in exchange for every northbound illegal immigrant, one of those balance of trade deals. And then there are those foreigners who seem to think that it’s illegal to possess a gun in Mexico. Dead wrong, of course, they are. There is a way to buy a legal gun in Mexico. Technorati Tags: guns, mexico, weapons

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/send-lawyers-guns-and-money.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-68486497 2009-06-25T10:42:32-05:00 2009-06-25T10:43:58-05:00

My co-blogger wrote here the other day about the different classifications of toxic clients, as described by Adrian M. Baron in his blog, The Nutmeg Lawyer. This reminded me of my Being Solo column in the Oct/Nov 2007 edition of GPSolo Magazine which describes the different stages of slow paying clients. Here they are - read the rest of the column here to discover ways of dealing with this problem. The Five Stages of Paying a Lawyer’s Bill In 1969 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross wrote the ground-breaking book On Death and Dying. Kübler-Ross theorized that there are five stages of death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It has been my experience that the slow-paying client goes through similar stages when faced with a legal bill, as follows: Denial. “This couldn’t be my bill. The charges are way too high. You couldn’t possibly have done that much work for my little matter...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/non-paying-clients-and-elisabeth-kbler-ross.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-68364767 2009-06-22T09:48:06-05:00 2009-06-22T09:48:49-05:00

The Nutmeg Lawyer Denny Crane takes on the taxonomy of clients, more comprehensive than the ten most likely to get a lawyer into hot water: 1. The serial client. You’re not the client’s first lawyer or even the third, but you’re seduced in the belief that you’re somehow special, possessed of magic powers unknown by your predecessors. 2. Last minute Charlie. His summons arrived a month ago, but he’s waited until the last day to call a lawyer, knowing that lawyers really love rush jobs. After sifting through discovery materials amassed in giant trash bags (because this client knows how much lawyers enjoy a good mystery), prepare yourself for the suspense of wondering whether this client will show up for trial. 3. The irresponsible and noncompliant client. Appointments are often cancelled and seldom kept, court orders are suggestions, and directions are wishful thinking. It’s just as likely that this client...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/the-field-client-to-clients.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-68318075 2009-06-20T15:41:13-05:00 2009-06-20T15:41:13-05:00

Popcorn lung is the new black lung. The next time you pop open a bag of butter-flavored Orville Redenbacher, you might consider the plight of the poor factory worker who’s now hacking away with half a lung just so that you’d have something to munch during the HBO special. Popcorn lung is insidious enough to attack ardent popcorn consumers as well. Oh, so they’ve gone and reformulated microwave popcorn while I was away? Well, that shouldn’t stop you from feeling guilty and scared, just the same. Just around the corner lurks another danger. You’d think Jell-O, the state dessert of Utah and the entire Mexican Republic, wouldn’t hurt a soul. Think again. Snorting Jell-O could be dangerous to your health. Or not. Technorati Tags: Jello, gelatina, popcorn lung

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/snorting-jell-o.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-68292565 2009-06-19T14:38:44-05:00 2009-06-19T14:50:29-05:00

Here's a simple film which gives you a real flavor of the street life in and around Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. My office is nearby, so I have walked the streets and corridors filmed here many times . The music is a piece by Max Roach. P.S. If the film loads slowly, click on the start button, wait a few seconds until it starts to load, then click on the pause button, and wait until it is fully loaded before clicking on the play button again to view the film. Technorati Tags: Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan, Mike Kobal

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/grand-central-terminal-nyc.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-68244719 2009-06-18T10:57:41-05:00 2009-06-18T11:03:57-05:00

L.A. Eastside via Daniel Hernandez and Intersections. Technorati Tags: tortilla, masa, Mexican food

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/when-the-tortilla-god-speaks.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-68145951 2009-06-15T20:57:24-05:00 2009-06-15T20:57:24-05:00

You thought Frank Constanza was joking about the manssiere. He wasn’t. Leave it to Nebraska native Julie Carmann, better known as Midwesterner in Mexico to ferret out important news you can use. That is, if you’re a man who could use some support. Or care enough about one who does to buy him one. Technorati Tags: bro, manssiere, bra, WishRoom

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/supporting-roles.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-68107867 2009-06-14T21:53:19-05:00 2009-06-14T21:53:19-05:00

Small town gossip, whether in BFE (which I’ve just learned stands for “Bum Fuck Egypt) or Hell’s Kitchen, is always juicy, embellishing some tiny grain of truth, a complexion changing with each telling. But instead of talking about others’ sex lives and financial straits, the gossip has turned to narcos, narcoterrorism, and the never-ending cops and robbers scenarios. Last week’s robbery at OXXO and break-in at Banamex, right through the roof, they said, is last month’s news. Stale. Other topics endure, lasting maybe as long as a full six months. You remember those deaths on the horse ranch between here and Patzcuaro, right? Well, I’ve got some more details … Oh yeah, and that arms stash in … And the little matter of the SWAT team … Well, wait until I tell you what I heard happened at this beauty salon … There are the Zeta wannabees, and there are...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/guzman-was-here.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67938165 2009-06-10T10:33:09-05:00 2009-06-10T10:38:47-05:00

That's it, I've had it. I read on MSNBC.com today that the Pacific island nation of Palau has agreed to a U.S. request to temporarily resettle up to 17 Chinese Muslims from China's Uighur minority now held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center on Cuba. I checked out Palau on Lonely Planet and the place is a paradise on Earth! Here's just a small portion of their gushing review: Palau is among the world's most spectacular diving and snorkeling destinations. It features coral reefs, blue holes, wartime wrecks, hidden caves and tunnels, more than 60 vertical drop-offs to play with, and an astonishing spectrum of coral, fish, and rare sea creatures. But wait, it gets better. MSNBC.com reports: Two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. was prepared to give Palau up to $200 million in development, budget support and other assistance in return for accepting...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/how-do-i-get-in-on-this.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67676857 2009-06-05T10:03:23-05:00 2009-06-05T10:03:23-05:00

Technorati Tags: Hey Jude, Trafalgar Square, T-Mobile, Group Sing

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/hey-jude.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67622189 2009-06-04T07:37:06-05:00 2009-06-04T07:52:16-05:00

In her recent SAS post, Jennifer Rose blogs extensively about what is "crossing The Line" in Mexico. I filmed something that might qualify as crossing The Line right here in NYC. Do you think it does? Technorati Tags: Crossing The Line, NYC, subway, music

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/is-this-crossing-the-line-in-nyc.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67609409 2009-06-03T19:52:36-05:00 2009-06-03T19:54:22-05:00

Get married, of course! This past weekend I caught this photo session going on right in Columbus Circle, so I thought I'd post a photo I took of the bride and her bridettes. I know they're called something else, but I can't remember. Oh yes, bridesmaids! Technorati Tags: NYC, wedding, Columbus Circle, bride, bridesmaids

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/06/what-we-do-outdoors-in-nyc.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67423261 2009-05-29T15:44:56-05:00 2009-05-29T15:56:37-05:00

The longer you live here, the closer you edge toward crossing The Line. Gangs of San Miguel took on the concept, citing me in the first line, which means that now I’m impelled to write about the lines which I absolutely will not cross. Not under any circumstances. Well, only if threatened with revocation of my Mexican passport. Let's see: I have worn high heels with jeans, left the plastic covering on a lampshade, accepted invitations to parties and events I had absolutely no intention of attending, failed to acknowledge receipt of or thank the donor for a gift, executed the Mexican lie, and have had my hair dyed in colors not found in nature. A few of us might hesitate before hanging a black velvet painting of Elvis, the Last Supper, or something Jesus right in the living room, but there are even more cultural barriers. I would rather...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/05/crossing-the-line.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67380345 2009-05-28T14:43:20-05:00 2009-05-28T16:02:41-05:00

Meet Betsy and Matilda, who shop the racks of Forever 21, Bebe, H&M, and sometimes even Macy’s in search of clothing designed during drug-induced hallucinations, made in Anatevka, flourished with fleurchons, animal print, velour, rhinestones, bubble-hemmed, and inappropriately pocketed, and everything else fugesque, just to spare you the agony. They’ll try on anything our kind of people wouldn’t be caught dead in. These fug buddies have now compiled A User’s Guide to Fugging. Technorati Tags: fug, really tacky clothing, naco

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/05/the-art-and-science-of-fugging.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67346941 2009-05-27T17:39:25-05:00 2009-05-27T19:48:31-05:00

I didn't intend to post a link here to my Being Solo column from the April/May 2009 edition of GPSOLO because it addressed lawyers, but I've begun to get some great feedback from lawyers and non-lawyers alike on it, so here it is folks. It's entitled Living Well and you can read it here . Technorati Tags: Living well, solo attorney, Being Solo, tips, GPSOLO Magazine

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/05/living-well.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67327657 2009-05-27T11:57:09-05:00 2009-05-27T11:57:09-05:00

So, Sonia Sotomayor got herself nominated to become one of the Supremes. I’m all right with that. But really, isn’t it a bit much to go off calling her the first Hispanic justice? What was Benjamin Cardozo – chopped liver? Oh, I forgot. He was Jewish. Maybe that trumps everything else. Does that mean that Sammy Davis, Jr. would be referred to as a Jewish justice were he in the same position? Or just the first one-eyed one? I’m tired already of hearing about how Sotomayor was so damn special at Princeton and Yale. Or what her stance is on the Fourth Amendment. I’d rather learn about her answers to the Proust Questionnaire, the last five books she’s read, what kind of car she drives, and where she buys her clothes. Those answers provide more telling clues to how she’s going to vote than her record on antitrust and civil...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/05/eyes-on-the-bench.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67324189 2009-05-27T10:33:52-05:00 2009-05-27T19:50:46-05:00

Here from today's editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal, which is known to be a bastion for conservative thought, publishing opinions of the top conservative politicians and think tank gurus, comes an editorial that actually champions critical thinking over purely partisan party speak, which makes me think that maybe there is hope for political support of bipartisan solutions and not just knee jerk attacks on "the other side," leaving open a ray of possibility that this country will not go down the tubes to the accompaniment of the shrieking choruses of politicians tearing each others throats out. Those who followed news coverage of the "tea party" protests last month will recall that one target of the partiers' ire was the TARP bailout of the banking system -- a policy of the Bush administration that President Obama has carried on. And yet, in a television interview last month, we find...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/05/the-gops-feigned-outrage.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67296227 2009-05-26T17:06:08-05:00 2009-05-26T17:06:08-05:00

So, if you want to see something really strange, but oddly interesting, click below. I recommend clicking on the full-screen icon to the left of the word "vimeo" at the bottom of the screen. It reminds me a bit of those hallucinogenic films we used to see in the sixties. Technorati Tags: hallucinogenic, film, sixties, blu

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/05/weird-video.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67245461 2009-05-25T09:09:48-05:00 2009-05-25T09:09:48-05:00

7,402 of 7,467 people found the following review helpful: Dual Function Design, November 10, 2008 By B. Govern "Bee-Dot-Govern" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews This item has wolves on it which makes it intrinsically sweet and worth 5 stars by itself, but once I tried it on, that's when the magic happened. After checking to ensure that the shirt would properly cover my girth, I walked from my trailer to Wal-mart with the shirt on and was immediately approached by women. The women knew from the wolves on my shirt that I, like a wolf, am a mysterious loner who knows how to 'howl at the moon' from time to time (if you catch my drift!). The women that approached me wanted to know if I would be their boyfriend and/or give them money for something they called mehth. I told them no, because they didn't have...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/05/american-beauty.html tag:typepad.com,2003:post-67151761 2009-05-22T09:50:47-05:00 2009-05-22T09:58:47-05:00

A new not-for-profit organization, Beyond Tribute, looks to celebrate Memorial Day and Veterans Day in ways that provide meaningful support to veterans. Businesses can register to be part of a sales building program that commits them to contributing a certain percentage or amount of their sales proceeds to assist wounded veterans. Individuals also can make a contribution to assist a wounded soldier. Here's the message from their web site: Beyond Tribute is a not-for-profit organization that has brought together leaders from business, the arts, veterans and civic groups, and just plain citizens to change how we celebrate Memorial Day and Veterans Day - to turn holiday sales promotions into fundraising engines that actually help our wounded veterans and their families. It is that simple. Our mission is to redefine our Memorial Day and Veterans Day holidays by engaging the American business community and its customers in a national campaign that...

Staring at Strangers http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2009/05/beyond-tribute---a-new-way-to-celebrate-memorial-day.html