On The Road Again

Dave Winer has asked me and Jim Moore to tag along with him to New Hampshire to get up close and personal with some of these guys running for President. Being a connaisseur of Alpha Males, I figure I'm just the girl for the job.

My Hometown

I was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand
Into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man
I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick and steer as we drove through town
He'd tousle my hair and say son take a good look around
This is your hometown, this is your hometown
This is your hometown, this is your hometown

... Bruce Springsteen

Vacationing In My Hometown

My son is eight. He had this great idea the other day. We were trying to decide if we would do a vacation weekend to celebrate the end of summer camp in either New York, Cape Cod or maybe even further away. In the end, he asked me if we could just hang out in our own town -- rent a room at the local Holiday Inn, go swimming and invite his friends over to jump on the beds with him.

We did it last night. Something really fun about pretending to be on a trip but being able to run home for your favorite pillow too. He and his friends had a blast. I'm exhausted, but at least they tore up someone else's place, not mine.

Gnome Girl's Impeccable Timing

How does she always know which COAST to be on? She left the East Coast for the West just in the nick of time. She's always in the right place at the right time.

CNN Reporting A Lot Of Folks Still Without Power

By Friday at lunchtime, still lots of people without power. Rolling blackouts may be instituted within the next few days. I feel pretty spoiled here in Boston -- even when I woke up this morning and looked at the electric clock radio, I noticed it was on and NOT blinking -- meaning we hadn't lost power even once. Reminds me a bit of 9/11, worrying about our friends only 2 1/2 hours away in NYC, not sure if we could send help. Wanting to do whatever we can.

Blackout Photo Moblogging

Doc points us to Xeni's page of Blackout Photos. Cool. Here's a link of pix.

NY Stock Exchange New Bedroom Community

More on the power outage -- CNBC's reporter mentioned that about 300 people SLEPT AT the New York Stock Exchange which is open for business, but has very light trading. Remember the morning they got back online after September 11th? How many days were they closed?

20 Questions Kindof

I find I'm thinking a lot about 20 Questions. In fact, everything I see is now taken into consideration for whether it would work as a 20 Questions candidate.

Okay, is this Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral? ANIMAL And is it Person, Place or Thing? THING And does it fit in a breadbox? NOPE If you ordered it on the web it would include" Vinyl Ears, Bow Tie, Cuffs and Puff Tail. Color: Black with White Accent

Here it is.

Ouch!

Well, I found out my friend who works in New York at CourtTV walked 80 blocks to get to a friend's apartment and then walked UP 18 floors, all in high heels to spend the night with her girlfriend who lives in the city. Her husband and kids were in New Jersey w/power on. Even I have to say there are some days that high heels just aren't worth it. BTW, this is NOT the kind of high heel my friend wears -- I mean -- at least in public.

Where Did Everyone Sleep?

I grew up in New York. I'm a New Yorker at heart. I went to Columbia University for grad school. I lived in New York for a good part of my 20's and 30's. I have a question. When you take all those buildings full of all those hot tiny apartments connected by elevators and you let all the occupants leave by stairway and they are out on the street -- and add in all the commuters from Connecticut, New Jersey, Long Island, you name it ... well, where did everyone sleep last night? Did anyone sleep last night? Better call some New York bloggers and start finding out.

I Wanna Wake Up In The City That Never Sleeps

Start spreadin' the news, I'm leavin' today
I want to be a part of it, New York, New York
These vagabond shoes are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it, New York, New York

I wanna wake up in a city that doesn't sleep
And find I'm king of the hill, top of the heap

These little town blues are melting away
I'll make a brand new start of it, in old New York
If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere
It's up to you , New York, New York

(Instrumental)

New York, New York

I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps
And find I'm A-number-one, top of the list,
King of the hill, A-number-one


These little town blues are melting away
I'm gonna make a brand new start of it in old New York
A-a-a-nd if I can make it there, I'm gonna make it, anywhere
It's up to you, New York, New York

Okay, New Yorkers Are The Coolest Of Them All

Big Apple shines again. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the coolest of them all? Yes, it's got to be the intrepid, unsinkable, slightly irascible, but big-hearted Alpha-New Yorker! You folks are just too much! We love you!

Seeing The Stars On Broadway

Some lovely stories coming out of the New York blackout of people barbecuing right on 47th street and actually seeing the stars on Broadway -- the REAL stars -- up there -- in the dark night sky. That had to be a rare event in New York City. Sounds like we made it through the night safe and sound.

Alpha Males Rise To The Occasion During Power Outage

See, that's the kind of in-depth investigative reporting we need tonight. Do you know how many lucky guys are getting it tonight? Mark this date on your calendars folks, add nine months or so. Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, March, April ... we're talking babies.

Come on guys, she's a little freaked out -- what if it's terrorism? What if there's looting? Time to do the caveman thing and make her feel safe.

Getting Caught Having A Baby

Some poor woman was having a baby this afternoon. Hope she's okay now and so are the twins.

Getting Caught In An Elevator

Another place I'd really rather not be during a power outage. Some old New York elevators on an August afternoon must be pretty close to HELL on earth.

Getting Caught In The Subway

Something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Ugh. Hope all you guys are out of the NYC subways by now.

Pretending Everything's Fine

Tonight when we heard about the power outages all up and down the East Coast, but NOT here in Boston, I went about my basic parenting job -- pretending everything is fine. My son and I walked over to visit friends and as he played with the kids, I chatted with the grown-ups speculating on what the night would bring.

I had been in LA for the riots and I remember a few long, long days -- smelling the city burning through the night -- seeing the fires and watching the civil unrest on tv during the day, when we were essentially grounded despite it being a Tuesday, a Wednesday and a Thursday if I recall. It was like a snow day ... sort of. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the verdict and the riots started -- on the studio lot at Paramount Pictures. My husband called me to warn me to get home right away. With all the earthquakes, it wasn't like we were unaccustomed to stopping dead in our tracks as a city. We knew how to grind to a halt.

And all of this came to mind tonight, the potential for looting, the possibility of riots. But I don't think that's what's going to happen. I think people will get a nice long weekend and the power will come back, but none of us will miss how dependent we are on electricity. As I watch my son sleeping peacefully with his nightlight lit, the airconditioning blowing a cool breeze, the computer making a faint hum, the fridge full of cold drinks, the freezer filled with ice cream, the phone recharging in her little cradle, I see we are a lightning bolt away from cave-dwelling -- hot, insecure, uncomfortable, unwired cave-dwelling. And I have to say, civilization kindof grows on you. It's tough to have it vanish in the blink of an eye.

Nisenholtz on Better Blogs

Sarah Lai Stirland has written an interesting piece in the USC Annenberg Online Journalism Reviewabout newspapers and their attempts to deal with online communitites.

Martin Nisenholtz of The New York Times suggests an interesting idea:

"I don’t see any reason, for example, why we can't play the role of finding some of the better Weblogs in some of the more interesting topic areas to us and pointing people in the direction of those Weblogs, or excerpting them when they’re important," he says.

Mighty digital of you man.

Apologies for Diet Pepsi

Dave did 20 Questions this morning and the thing he had in mind was Diet Pepsi. I've been noticing Diet Pepsi is replacing Diet Coke in so many places I go -- United Airlines, several fast food restaurants, many high-end restaurants -- but invariablly the person serving it makes a sheepish expression and says apologetically, "Is Diet Pepsi okay?" as if they are offering you formaldehyde on the rocks.

So is Pepsi winning the Cola Wars? I think they may be 7/8 of the way there, but they are also tarnishing their brand in the process. Do you really want to establish Diet Pepsi as the unenthusiastic substitute for Diet Coke which people begrudingly accept since they have no other choice? Maybe Diet Pepsi is HELPING build Diet Coke's brand as the better choice?

Black Teapot White Teapot

Bought another teapot - a new white one from Pier 1 -- already had this nice black one. Set them both in my kitchen window sil -- one staring down the other -- one saying black -- one saying white. I'm trying to remember to keep myself right in that sweet spot between the two. I'm trying to remember it's never as dark black as you think. I'm trying to remember it's never as bright white as you wish. Middleground.

Printer-Copier-Fax-Scanner-Nutcracker

I need a new printer, but I sure could also use a copier and while we're at it, can't I do a little scanning and when all is said and done, let me fax over that signed contract. Went to Staples and I was nearly knocked out by how many choices there are. I'm always nervous about "all-in-one" type machines which in the past have seemed to "do-it-all" badly if you ask me. Anyone thrilled with their combo machine? Please send recommendations on machines, also best way to purchase (online, offline, real world, back of Guido's truck?) all help appreciated.

I Have This Funny Feeling

Woke up worrying about a million little things and then did a STOP. Just did it. Just said, "STOP."

Got back on the right track by thinking ... God does not want me worrying about a million little things. God wants me to do what he brought me here to do. He'll worry about the million little things. Push them over to his side of the desk. Take a long look at him -- try watching his sky, his trees, his not-so-bad world he built all around us. He'll tell you why the hell he brought you here. He needs you to stop thinking about trivial stuff and do something important like love your kid, write some words, kiss the sky.

Say A Little Prayer

I think end of August is always a tricky time. I think THIS end of August is particularly trying. I know friends in Europe are going through a very trying time. The record heat is daunting if not dangerous. I know many people are out of work. I know many kids are going back to school with the bare minimum in terms of shoes, clothes, new notebooks. I think we all need someone praying for us. We all need to say a kind work to one another. Try it today. As I write this, the skies open with another shower of rain. Nothing easy about this day I'm afraid. Back to my knees -- get those prayers going.