Rochester in the Rear View Mirror

The last time I was in Rochester I was 18 years old. That summer I was working in a show for American Airlines called the Sky Chef Revue. Sky Chef at the time was the airline catering division of AA. I'm not sure why they decided to do a touring show with a bunch of college performers that summer. But, if someone was going to pay me to perform the fewer the questions the better.  

It was a song and dance show that featured a ventriloquist and his partner Squeaky. Usually we performed at stages set up in the Airport lobby.  In the middle of my routine I would hear the announcement of a departing flight and half the audience would get up and leave.  Everyone in the show had to sing and dance, except Squeaky.  Christine Rutherford was a singer and dancer and my partner in a tribute to the Charleston staged by the director/choreographer Miss Perris.

In Rochester that summer we didn't perform at the airport, we performed at a lounge that was part of a hotel in Rochester owned by Sky Chefs.  It was a treat to perform for people who would stay through the entire show.  I wish I remembered the name of the hotel so I could have found it this time.  I really have no clue where it was. 

After our show we would hang out in the lounge.  If I remember correctly the drinking age was 18 in New York at the time.  It didn't matter because it seems to me that Christine and the other dancers in the show had no trouble getting drinks from the 22 year old bartender.  

One evening the lounge sponsored a "Charleston Contest".  The winner got a bottle of Champagne.   I looked at Christine and she looked at me.  We realized that we had a Charleston number choreographed and ready to go so we entered.  Our only serious competition was a couple in there 50's, they were pretty good , but we were professionals and the 22 year old bartender was the judge.  Needless to say we won.  

Christine drank more of the champagne than I did.  Since she is still my friend after all these years and occasionally reads this blog she can comment and set the record straight if I misrepresented the consumption proportions. 

This trip to Rochester was very different. No dancers, no singers, no airport announcements during the show this time.  Squeaky is the only one around to remind me of earlier days.  Thanks Rochester... sold out shows... smart audiences.... friendly people... and a nice theatre.... now if you can just work on this snow thing.  

As you were,

Jay

Medium Rare's Weakly Astrological Projections.

Astrological forecasts are provided for entertainment only. Please no wagering or gambling based on the information contained here in.

Saturday March 28, 2009

Aries- You don't want to become too routine. You learn from the odd and the obscure and as an artist you need to be stimulated. Don't let the challenge get to you. Know that it is all about learning and expressing yourself.

Taurus- Legal matters have not been resolved. Make sure you are not trying to find justice in the legal system. The justice is in yourself. Give the legal system that which is needs and stay out of the fray as much as you can.

Gemini- Be aware when you are over doing it. Things are going well, but don't get lax. Celebrate in moderation. Celebration can become a deterant to moving forward. There will me time to pat yourself on the back later.

Cancer- Set backs last month seem to be coming into focus. You are still the king of the jungle, but the rules change daily. A king rules by accepting the changes and making them his own. Rule by compassion and forgive often.

Leo- That project of cleaning out the closet is still waiting. Remember when you go through that storage unit, you are cleaning up your mental attitudes as well. Get rid of the old stuff and make use of the good things that have been sitting there waiting for you to get back to them.

Virgo- There are things you are taking for granted in your life style. Be grateful and don't over indulge. Know that this time is a gift and treat it so. You may think you are in balance, but you are just a little bit off. Change your habits just to do something different.

Libra- You are traveling soon. The holidays look very bright for you. You can make the old ways and your new person fit together an easy way. Just be who you are now and don't worry about how people have seen you in the past. This is another major passage for you.

Scorpio- Just when you thought there was no room to go up, the trend fooled you. Things are brighter than the world is telling you. You see the future as bright and it will be the way you see it. Stay focused on the prize.

Sagittarius- The future is what you make it. If it seems there is less in front than behind you are looking in the wrong direction. Today is a new day no different from yesterday, make it what you want it to be. Don't carry the past around, it is a weigh on your shoulders.

Capricorn- If it seems like you have been fighting a trend you have. If you are going in circles you at times you will be going the same way as the crowd. That doesn't mean you are part of them, you are just going that direction any way. Try to keep a clear head and focus on the goal.

Aquarius- As the year comes to and end you are amazed that plans have worked out better than you thought. What was going to be a break even is now looking like a profit. Keep doing what you are doing you are on the right path.

Pisces- There are rough days and there are calm days, but they are just days. Nothing is permanent but change. You can write your name in the lake but it won't stay. Know that the calm waters of you home port is just ahead.

Haunted

Ann Marie, one of the Producers of my Rochester TTAO company, gave me a book called "Rochester Haunts." Obviously my ghost hunting passion is no secret to those who know me.

One of the haunted stories involves the GEVA Theatre building where I am performing. I read it with great interest and found out that the ghost who walks the GEVA theatre walks the basement just out side my dressing room door. What fun. I wonder now if some of the apparitions I have been seeing backstage could actually be the real thing. I need to check the cast list of Sweeny Todd more closely.

Speaking of apparitions outside the local Wegmans grocery store this morning I saw Elvis. He was in his white suit, sun glasses, and long scarf. Looks like he has lost a lot of weight, and had a sex change. There was a small stage covered in scattered rose pedals where he/she was performing by the news stand. No one was paying any attention; I was afraid to ask. Perhaps it is one of the sites of Haunted Rochester.

You never want to say "Hey what is up with the Elvis impersonator?". And the have some one say.... "What Elvis?"

Rochester is like a bucolic version of Manhattan. The crazies are here they are just more laid back.

As you were,
Jay
www.monkeyjoke.com

Rochester GEVA

We have added a show on Monday due to the brisk ticket sales at the theater. That is as long as we can extend because of the theatre space being booked. This is a DownStairs Cabaret Presentation of the show at the GEVA NextStage. GEVA is the LORT theatre in town and the DownStairs Cabaret is the "off Broadway" non-profit production company.

You would think that these two Theatrical companies would work together, but they don't. Although we are in the GEVA theater they have done nothing more than rent out the space. They said they would do a mailing, they didn't. They said they would do an email blast, they didn't. We even had to move our set to make way for an Improv Class that was there on a day off. They have not been helpful and still we are selling out. I wonder what we could do if they would chip in some support.

Chris, the producer, told me today on a promotional interview this morning that the GEVA theater-mucks were upset that we had focused the stage lights for my show. Are you kidding me? A theater that doesn't want you to focus the lights? That's like a rental car company not wanting you to turn the steering wheel of their cars.

There seems to be a feeling in the theatre world that a show about a ventriloquist just needs a stool and a spot light. How could it be a fully realized theatrical show if it involves ventriloquism? How could a show win the Tony if it is about ventriloquism? I guess you fight bias on every level, and at every turn.

GEVA is a medium fish in a small Theatrical pond. They should help promote any good theatrical event in Rochester, particularly if it is being presented in their theatre space. May every city be saved from local unrealistically egotistical artistic directors.

In the words of Forrest Gump... "That is about all I have to say about that."
As you were,
Jay

Thumb Blog

An Aggie joke goes like this. There was this Aggie who was trapped on some moving stairs for three hours when the power went off.

This is not a slur on Aggies. I use it to make a point. With technology rampant we some times forget how we used to do things before the high tech toys took over.

There is no Wifi at my Rochester apartments nor a working phone line nor cable modem. I can catch an unlocked wifi signal that is very weak at odd times for a few minutes. I think it is when the owner of "rat cave" (a network I can patch into) has his or her computer on. It is unreliable even when I get a signal.

There is a windows based PC in the recreation room to surf the internet but it is usually occupied. Besides using a PC is like eating peas with a knife for a Mac guy.

So when my Blackberry was receiving email but not sending yesterday, I felt cut off from the world. I needed to respond to an associate and was thwarted.

I re installed the soft wear, reactivated the email account, even called Verizon tech support but nothing worked. No out going email. I even looked up a Verizon store on my mobile Google map and contemplated driving over to enlist the aid of a human.

I needed to respond to the email and was really getting frustrated. That is when I saw a phone number at the bottom of his note. When the cursor touched the number it lit up and a dialogue box asked if I wanted to call. I pressed a button and in a few seconds I was actually talking to my associate.

What a concept, talking. It took less than a minute to solve the crisis.

I am afraid we will some day forget we can add numbers if the calculator is out of batteries.

I know this has got nothing to do with Rochester or the show.... But this is my day off.

As you were,
Jay
www.monkeyjoke.com

The NextStage

The NextStage is the off-Broadway size theatre that is attached to the Geva Theatre in Rochester. I am enjoying this theatre very much. It is just the right size for my show and the audiences have been great.  We sold out on Saturday night and for  1:30 pm show on Sunday (a very odd time for a performance) we were at about 75%.  Next week is when we thought we would see the increase but it seems to already be building.  It is great to be back doing the show again.  I love to tell this story.

A production of "Sweeny Todd" is on the main stage.  Because our theaters are back to back I take an odd route to get from my dressing room to my backstage.  It is a series of doors, brick hallways and dimly lit stairways which over lap with passage ways to the main stage cross over and dressing rooms.  You can open a door or turn a corner and be face to face with the ghostly figure of a Victorian player who is making a quick change or cross over during Sweeny Todd.  Street winches, gentlemen with their throat's cut and cadaver-like apparitions waft down the hallways at any given time. I neither see them nor hear them except when I am going to or from my stage.  It fits my sense of the Gothic.  It is a truly haunted theater as I traverse the bowels of the old hallways, like living in the world of Disneyland's haunted house ride. A couple of nights it was me who scared the ghost as I rounded the corner and bumped into an actor who was not expecting me to be on the stair way. 

Wednesday I will make a return visit to the morning radio show of Brother Wease. He is the king of Rochester Radio and a great guy.  There was an immediate response of ticket sales last week when I was on his show.  He was there Sunday afternoon with his kids, and really seemed to love the show.  He wanted me to come back so we could talk about it on the air. He wants to really pump up the word for next week end.  I love radio people.

Stu Silver one of the writers of SOAP lives in Rochester and came to the show on Friday night. Great to see Stu again.  We will have time to catch up this week on a day off, when I don't have to make sure I don't over talk. He has been here a long time and seems to be one of the elders of the Arts of Rochester. This is a town that is rich in arts and supports every venue.  I think it is really an under appreciated, unknown jewel of New York state.  It did snow on the first day of spring, but it melted quickly and is warming up now. You would hardly know that dog sleds were needed recently.  They tell me that the lake effect snow is so specific that one part of the town could get a foot of snow and the other side none. Even in Rochester the rule of real estate is location, location, location.

I got a voice mail from the Wiz for opening night as well as a text message from Julia the PSM from the London production. This show has such a wonderful family of friends associated with it and continues to make more friends at each theatre. 

As you were,

Jay

Medium Rare's Weakly Astrological Projections.

Astrological forecasts are provided for entertainment only. Please no wagering or gambling based on the information contained here in.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Aries- Stop trying to beat the legal system. You must find the balance within yourself, because established systems will always let you down. Just pay the fine and get on with your life. Keep a clear head.

Taurus- Try to be yourself and not what you think others want you to be. It may be that you have to be more truthful to yourself and admit that you are no angel. It is okay, no one is perfect and if you think others see you that way you are probably wrong. Let go.

Gemini- Your roar is much worse than your bite. You are really a pussy when you get called on it. Forget about being in charge. Adopt a cat.

Cancer- Get over yourself. Stop trying to multi-task. It is okay if you only do one thing in a day. Relax and let someone else take the rein. Take yourself out to dinner and let the other one pay.

Leo- Get out of the house. Have some fun. The shell you have built up around your life is not letting in the sunshine. Meet some friends for crab cakes.

Virgo- In spite of others thinking it is the end of the world, you believe differently. Things are looking up for you. There is no reason to be happy except to be happy. Be strong and work hard for someone else in your life.

Libra- Although it seems you are between a rock and a hard place it is not the case. That is not a wall you are butting up against but your own limitations. Try a more gentle approach and see if there is an easier way through.

Scorpio- Just decide what you want to do. You really can't make a mistake, both paths are leading to the same destination. Each will be its own journey. Enjoy the ride. Do it now.

Sagittarius- There has been a sea of trouble for you, but there are calm waters ahead. Don't let indulgence dull your senses to what is coming. You need a clear head so you don't get over confident in the calm. Make the sale you are thinking about.

Capricorn- You are mad and ready to strike, but the reason is all gone now. It is time to cool off. You don't have to fight or hide under a rock, there are more options opening up. Enjoy the sunshine.

Aquarius- You are mad and ready to strike, but the reason is all gone now. It is time to cool off. You don't have to fight or hide under a rock, there are more options opening up. Enjoy the sunshine.

Pisces- The year has been good and looks to be getting even better. Your birthday is coming and it will be a major celebration. Enjoy it and know that more is coming even if there is a turn in the road. Buy a dog.

Opening night in Rochester was wonderful. The little theater is great. It is a steeply raked audience so you have a wall of people to perform for. They were a very good audience, and very theatre smart. The small traveling set works well here.

It snowed the first day of spring. By afternoon it had melted but it is still just above freezing.
More later.
As you were,
Jay

Riting from Rochester

At my Rochester apartment the Internet is sketchy at best. Sometimes I get a signal and sometimes I don't. We open tonight and perhaps when we are on a regular schedule I can find a WiFi to connect to that is more reliable, and write more.

The theatre is nice and reminds me in some way of ART in Cambridge where we played before Broadway. We are using the touring set, which is a little sparse, but it works.

One of the other plays that is running in Rochester is "Love, Janice", the story of Janice Joplin. Very interesting show and the girl who plays the "singing" Janice is almost channeling her.

I am anxious to get an audience reaction for the show. It is very nice to be doing it again.
As you were,
Jay

Here is where I'll be... I'll be writing from Rochester in a couple of days.




















As you were,
Jay

Medium Rare's Weakly Astrological Projections.

Astrological forecasts are provided for entertainment only. Please no wagering or gambling based on the information contained here in.

Saturday March 14, 2009

Pisces– Things are happening fast and you need to stay on top of them. Perhaps you need to a break from your pod so you can swim with others on your journey. If you only know the ones around you, how can you help them become enlightened. Expand your family.

Aries– Don’t give up so easily. Nothing worth while can be taken for granted. The long trip is part of the destination. Work at it and become what you seek. True value is earned and delivered. Never be afraid that it is not coming so quickly.

Taurus– The see-saw was always your favorite playground toy. When you were up you could see forever and when you were down you knew you would be up again soon. Your life is like that a series of ups and downs. Remember that and know that it may take two for a great see saw ride.

Gemini- Since there is not end to your service to others, you need to find time for yourself. You do not need to make sure the entire world is happy before you smile. It is the reverse, smile and the world is more likely to become happy. You need to be of service to yourself as well in these times.

Cancer– The world will not come to you so you will have to go to them. Keep pushing no matter how many people try to distract you. There are those who will poke at you and tease you but you will soon leave them behind. Push forward, stand your ground if that doesn’t sound like a contradiction to you then you have found the way.

Leo– Tough Love is sometimes required and necessary. However, don’t forget that you can catch more flies with honey. There are times that you just need to acknowledge that someone is hurting. They will correct themselves if given enough positive love. Why do you always need to be the one who pushes the lessons in their faces?

Virgo– So much of your life is lived in anticipation of events that will never happen. The good is never as good as you think and the bad often never happens. In both cases they are never the way you imagined. Don’t stop imagining, just stop expecting. Go with the flow and take it moment by moment and savor the reality.

Libra– Your visions are coming together and the future you saw is happening. It has become obvious the last couple of years that you can affect your future so always see the good and prosperous, not the shadow and un happy.

Scorpio– Maybe you should move from your comfort zone and stretch a little. Look into another career while you have this job in hand. It is not that this job is bad it just may not be sustainable. It might not be the future that you want.

Sagittarius–Your experience tells you that you should stay out of the troubles of home. But don’t run away. Try and see if you can be part of the solution and help solve the problem. You will know quickly when you should back off. But don’t be afraid to use your knowledge and your strength.

Capricorn– True friends are always there. Others who are not true friends will try to confuse you. Don’t worry the truth will always come out, and the more you do not resist the truth it will come out faster. Parasites usually flee from the light. Once you have cast a light on them they will evaporate.

Aquarius– Do not worry if you have enough strength for the task. The task and the strength are one. You will be able to do what you need to do today. If you do not get as far as you thought know that this is were the journey has taken you. Where you are now is exactly where you are supposed to be.

Eye Candy

I am very glad that I have my Computer Art tools back...This is a digital Airbrush piece called "CREATURE OF TIME"

As you were,
Jay

Ventrilo-Phobia

I must get a letter like this one once a month. I share my latest with you. (No names... they change but the material doesn't)

This is probably one of the oddest requests you have had!

Let me explain - I am a final year mature art student reading Fine Art at Oxford Brookes University, and for my major degree show piece of work, I started out researching why so many people are afraid of ventriloquist dummies, and this has progressed to me now looking at the 'relationship' between ventriloquists and their dummies, with particular reference to a more sinister side to the relationship.

I would like to ask some ventriloquists questions on this subject, and wondered if you would mind answering any for me.

The sort of questions are :-


Do you think of your dummies as 'real' people?

Do you treat them as 'real'?

Do you have conversations with them when you are alone (other than rehearsals etc)?

Are your dummies' characters your own alter egos, or are they completely different?

Do you find you slip into arguments easily with your dummy?

Do you ever get genuinely angry with your dummy, as if what he says almost feels like it hasn't come from you?

Have you ever felt that any of your dummies is taking you over?

Have you ever felt your dummy could take you over, but you are able to control it?

Do you ever feel that your dummy may bring out a darker side in you, or even personify it?

Do you ever use your dummy to reveal a darker side to your own nature, in a safe context?


As you can see, I am looking into a slightly darker, more sinister side to the vent/dummy relationship, as my research has indicated this does exist, but I really need to ask ventriloquists directly, rather than read about it.

Here is my response:
Dear (Name withheld)
You have touched on a subject that is very sensitive to me. I am aware that there is ventrilo-phobia in the world. I have worked most of my career to try and counter it. The performance of a ventriloquist is complicated and mostly misunderstood. Researchers usually want to find darkness when there is none. While there is also a fear or dislike for clowns and mimes, no one seems to imply any "darkness" between the clown and his stage make-up persona.

I am not sure if you are asking me if I experience a dark side to my art form, or if I understand why some people fear ventriloquist puppets. These are two separate questions and not at all related. I would be happy to talk about either, but I am not interested in perpetuating the stereotype that ventriloquists are, by nature of their professed art form, crazy. One could find a greater proportion of "crazies" in the professional lives of police officers than ventriloquists.

Just answering your questions out of context, won't reveal what you are after. Like the question, "Have you stopped beating your wife?" there is really no way to answer.

I would be happy to share my knowledge if you are interested. However, I do not have a clear sense of your thesis. Do you see ventriloquism as a skill, craft, art or mental disorder?

---I'll let you know if I hear back. Usually when the researchers find out that I am not crazy in the way they want me to be they move on.

Rochester is only a week away. Yipes....

As you were,
Jay

Idol Rant

I have been sort of a closet American Idol watcher for years. In days past Wednesday would be filled with emails going back and forth between to a couple of my buddies who were also "closeted". All comedy writers, we would try to find new ways of insulting each others manhood for liking a favorite contestant. One of our trio died. Ref: Tom The two of us tried to keep it going for half the next season, but it was never the same.

This year American Idol has "jumped the shark" for me. Two hours is much to long of a show. There are too many people at once. You lose focus and can't really pick a favorite out of the field. Picking favorites is what drives the show. Once the winner graduates into the record industry they become just another cog in the music marketing business. How we feel about them is shaped by the budget of videos and professional image makers. Some of the past fun was trying to figure out who would get booted off. Remember Sanjaya? He hung on for weeks and weeks, now that was fun.

Having a fourth judge also slows things down. She is fine and what she has to say is relevant, but it becomes repetitious. There just aren't that many different things to say about a performer. You hear a lot of the phrase, "I agree with... whomever." I don't know why they felt the need for a new judge. She is a distraction to the personalities that we have grown to know.

The show has always been about what Simon has to say. In fact I think the subtitle for the show is "Simon Says". Contestants are mostly performing for his admiration. With three judges he always went last. They made us wait for the Times Review. Now they rotate and in some cases his review is first.

Four judges breaks the "rule of three". If you have never heard of the rule of three you haven't spent enough time around comics. In the construction of a routine, you need three concepts to make it work. If you tag a joke, you tag it with three toppers. You need at least three call backs. There are three twists to a good story. Three legs to a stool, three strikes your out. A fourth judge is not efficient and adds nothing to the flow of the show.

The lame Ryan Seacrest announced last night that the show would be altered in a way that would change the destiny of some of the contestants and as he put it... Essentially change the show. Simon will announce the change tonight. I think they have already changed the show essentially and this new approach probably will not help.

I think I have said too much. I now have to imagine the insults my friend Tom Amunsen would hurl at my manhood for such a blog as this. His Wednesday morning wit would have made this all more fun. You were taken too soon, my friend. We miss you, Tom. I end, as always, with your sign off.
AS YOU WERE,
Jay

See you in Rochester

Just to let you know the dates for the Two and Only on the East Coast.
They are: March 19 through March 29.

Here is the link to the website
DownStairs Cabaret
Hope to see you there,
As you were,
Jay

Medium Rare's Weakly Astrological Projections.

Astrological forecasts are provided for entertainment only. Please no wagering or gambling based on the information contained here in.

Saturday March 7, 2009

Pisces - There are things you are taking for granted in your life style. Be grateful and don't over indulge. Know that this time is a gift and treat it so. You may think you are in balance, but you are just a little bit off. Change your habits just to do something different.

Aries - Be grateful and don't over indulge. Know that this time is a gift and treat it so. You may think you are in balance, but you are just a little bit off. Change your habits just to do something different. There are things you are taking for granted in your life style.

Taurus- Know that this time is a gift and treat it so. You may think you are in balance, but you are just a little bit off. Change your habits just to do something different. There are things you are taking for granted in your life style. Be grateful and don't over indulge.

Gemini- You may think you are in balance, but you are just a little bit off. Change your habits just to do something different. There are things you are taking for granted in your life style. Be grateful and don't over indulge. Know that this time is a gift and treat it so.

Cancer- Be grateful and don't over indulge. Know that this time is a gift and treat it so. You may think you are in balance, but you are just a little bit off. Change your habits just to do something different. There are things you are taking for granted in your life style.

Leo-- Change your habits just to do something different. Be grateful and don't over indulge. There are things you are taking for granted in your life style. Know that this time is a gift and treat it so. You may think you are in balance, but you are just a little bit off.

Virgo- You may think you are in balance. Change your habits and don'tover indulge. There are things you are taking for granted in your life style. Be grateful. Know that this time is a gift and treat it so. but you are just a little bit off. just to do something different.

Libra-There are over indulgent things in your life style. Be grateful and know that this time is a gift and treat it so. You are just a little bit off. Change your habits, to do something different. Don't take the new source for granted. Know you are in balance

Scorpio- Change your habits just to do something different. There are things you are taking for granted in your life style. Be grateful and don't over indulge. Know that this time is a gift and treat it so. You may think you are in balance, but you are just a little bit off.

Sagittarius- You may think you are in balance, but you are just a little bit off. Change your habits just to do something different. There are things you are taking for granted in your life style. Be grateful and don't over indulge. Know that this time is a gift and treat it so.

Capricorn- Know that this time is a gift and treat it so. You may think you are in balance, but you are just a little bit off. Change your habits just to do something different. There are things you are taking for granted in your life style. Be grateful and don't over indulge.

Aquarius- Be grateful and don't over indulge. Know that this time is a gift and treat it so. You may think you are in balance, but you are just a little bit off. Change your habits just to do something different. There are things you are taking for granted in your life style.

Random Friday

An actress was once asked how she approached playing the character roles she was know for. She said, "I first figure out how the character moves the air around when they walk into a room."

I have thought of that a lot. When you move the air in a room, like dropping a pebble in a pond, a ripple affect starts moving the rest of the environment around. I think this is true not just of air molecules but energy and spirit as well. Sometimes you just have to start moving in almost any direction and things begin to change. If you are moving in a positive way, positive waves come back. Unfortunately, negative reactions come back to as well.

Maybe it is just the law of reflection. Your energy spreads out in every direction and bounces off everything around you. It radiates back and eventually returns to you. Before you know it you are being moved by the very energy you started to begin with.

I recently found one of my journals written 35 years ago. In it was a list of goals I wanted to some day accomplish. They were personal, professional and economic wishes of sorts. At the time I wrote them down they all seemed completely impossible given my "station in life" at the time. But all were things that I continued to desire and strive to attain. One of those goals was to write and perform a show on Broadway. The other was to be an actor in a television sitcom.

I was shocked to find that ninety percent of the list has been accomplished. Evidently the way I moved the air and energy reflected back to move me in the right directions. I realize now I need to make sure I have a new list of impossible things to accomplish.

I am going to think more carefully about how I am moving the air around as I live my life. I have personal proof now that it comes back.

As you were,
Jay

Too Good To Be True

I have been getting a rash of emails lately that say, in one way or another, I can claim millions of dollars from a foreign bank. I just have to pay a security fee, or send my address or contact a benevolent banker. (Benevolent Banker... that is an oxymoron if there ever was one). I have been chosen, so the email says, because they know I would want to help by agreeing to take a very large sum of money off their hands. One letter said that they got my address from a Christian organization and had prayed to find the right person. God led them to me.

The emails read like they are written by a seven year old who is trying to sound like a lawyer. It is sometimes in broken English with spelling and grammatical mistakes. One letter even said that I would get "Ten-Milion US Dollars Monies ($20,000.00) cash" (sic). Who could resist that?

I don't think anyone who is smart enough to read would fall for a scam like that, but they seem to be all over the Internet right now. The problem is, if these amateurs are prowling, the real professionals are too. Today I got an email from a person inquiring about an item I have on Ebay. It had all the Ebay logos and the disclaimers and links back to Ebay and a button to respond. The subject asked me to "respond as soon as possible". The person wanted "More information in item I have for sales".(sic) The deal is, I haven't used Ebay in about 6 years and as I checked the links, all those official looking buttons linked to a weird website that was definitely not Ebay.

Even if I had written back to say, "you have the wrong person", too late. I would be sent to an Internet address that is a trap. They would have my information from the return. More important they know that the email address is "alive" with a person who will respond. It is not quite Phishing but the first step. Unfortunately you can be punished for being nice on the Internet.

Watch your backs. No one is giving away money even if it looks like the answer to a prayer.

As you were,
Jay

Twitter This!

This twitter idea has finally tipped the balance of communication from information to insanity. In case you have been living in a vacuum for the last week, Twitter has found its way into our national media consciousness. There were several people in Congress twittering or texting on their phones or Blackberry's while President Obama was giving his speech. That means instead of listening to what the President was saying, they were telling people what they thought of what they were not listening to. What?

Twittering is restricted to 140 characters which is about two sentences, more or less which means if I was trying to develop a rational thought starting at the beginning of this paragraph I would have to stop right n......

Stream of consciousness is a wonderful thing, but keep it to yourself. When you have developed a thought and come up with an idea, then communicate it to the world. And if your idea can be completely expressed in 140 characters then it needs more development. 140 characters is not even a thesis of a good idea. If you are going to restrict communication to a certain length, why not restrict it to a Haiku, or require it to rhyme in a Shakespearean couplet. At least that would require some though.

Soon everyone will be so busy telling the world what they are doing at this moment in 140 characters and they won't have time to do anything else. This means no one will have the time to read what others are doing in 140 characters. This is eventually leading to the equivalent of a nationally broadcast digitally communicated circle jerk. OMG the whole thing is TMI from my BFF who is an SOB and I am LOL.

Forget the Dow Jones, forget economic recovery, forget the banking crisis, forget that we are fighting two wars..... right now I am... twittering what I am doing right now and what I am am doing right now is twittering what I am doing.... right now.... twittering.

Could there be a better word than "twittering"... it sounds like a complete waste of time.

As you were,
Jay

Phalashes

Today is the Sixty-Sixth Wedding anniversary of my parents. This is no small feat since twenty of those years were spent trying to raise me. I only mention the twenty years I was living with them, they continue to try and raise me even today. I am a very slow learner with AADD. They offer no secret to the success of their marriage other than their sense of love. They both were very young when they got married, Dad's mother was not really in favor of the relationship. There wasn't much seed money for them to start out. However, the two of them raised three great kids, if I do say so myself, and ran a multimillion dollar business between the two of them. They keep talking about how times have changed with the influence of the computer and instant communication. I guess some things definitely have. The requirements to keep a marriage together with love and understanding have not. E-Harmony surveys not withstanding I don't think the Internet has helped us to keep marriages together. The divorce rate here in California hovers around 54%. It is just much tougher to make it work, or as a society we just don't know how anymore. Here is a toast to Mom and Dad. An absolute American success story on most every level.

I read an article in the LA Times about the 420 maximum security prisoners that are housed in a supermax facility here in California. They are the worst of the worst offenders of society. For good behavior some of the inmates are rewarded with television. Even then they are individually locked in small glass booths that look like something out of Silence of the Lambs or maybe over sized phone booths. The article stated that one of their favorite shows is "Rachael Ray". Okay so I am not a fan of Rachael, you make up your own joke. For me being placed in a glass booth with a television tuned to the Rachel Ray Show would be the text book definition of "cruel and unusual punishment".

Have a good Monday,
As you were,
Jay