I just came across this article criticizing Education Secretary William Bennett for his recent comments on Wednesday during his radio talk show:

“If you wanted to reduce crime, you could — if that were your sole purpose — you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down.”

There’s little wonder that this country is so divided - that poverty predominantly strikes the heart of the black communities in this country. What chance do our fellow neighbors have when we have Governmental representatives such as this bigot fucker spouting hate-laced racism.

How about we reduce crime by improving education, housing, jobs and overall community relationships?

thanks go to chickpea for an article she presented to me on Sunday concerning the build quality, or indeed lack thereof, pertaining to the new iPod nano- it got my blood boiling, and my fever reaching pitch.

I did some further research into peoples’ claims that the screens, and indeed the whole front of the nano was susceptible to scratching, and with little effort - simply keeping it in an empty jeans pocket could have it scratched to an extent that you could even see your uploaded photos properly, and within a couple of days too! TO make matters even worse, there were dozens of reports that the actual screens were cracking, leaving them completely unusable. This link will take you to to Apple’s official website discussion forum and the topic surrounding these issues.

After further investigation again today for the latest on this issue, I came across this article outlining Apple’s response to the complaints.

So basically, Phil Schiller’s saying “tough shit, get a case”.

today is the day of the Tunnel to Towers run, held here in New York to commerorate the life and indeed bravery of Stephen Siller - one of our beloved firefighters that perished on September 11th 2001. Runners start at the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and make their way into Manhattan, tracing the steps of Stephen on the morning of 9/11 - an excerpt from www.fortheloveoftheirbrother.com - the official site dedicated to Stephen, and the television documentary hosted by John Tuturro:

whiling away the morning I came across what I can only tout as the most comprehensive Space Ghost FAQ site dedicated to this classic superhero I’ve seen. It holds the definitive list of Ghost’s allies and enemies to an artist’s impression of what our powerband-wearing hero looks like without his mask.

you go SG!

There once was a time, long ago, when yours truly could manage to pull off the caterpillar (or popularly know in the US as the worm) and a watered down version of the flares. Alas, I was a mere blot on the canvass compared to these guys, especially the spaghetti-legged dude in the red pants.

About 2:18 into the movie clip, the latter of the two blows the competition away.

Link to clip

Come on ladies, come and get your fill of ‘Men of the Internet’. these pics were apparently taken from personal home pages.

I think I saw Keith Chegwin in there…

ever had a cold and your taste buds go to shit? that’s me right now. I’m trying to get through a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale (a personal favorite) and it tastes like crap. Actually, I can’t bloody taste it at all. I think the only thing keeping me sipping the dark brown liquid is my memory of what it does taste like.

Sad existence when my Saturday drinking is subject to prior taste experiences. Even my cigarettes taste of fresh air… mixed with phlegm.

Ugh.

I just read a very disturbing article on cnn.com about how British troops broke through Iraqi prison walls to retrieve 2 British soldiers that allegedly shot at 2 Iraqi policemen and killed one of them. The Iraqi government have reissued their arrest warrants in connection with the shootings of the policemen.

what troubles me the most is the following statement from the Iraqi Governor:

I do not condone the actions of the British military nor government, this is going to set a precedent beyond rectifying.

Jesus Tony, if you’re going to play the game, play by the rules you set in the first place. Those 2 soldiers are on Iraqi soil, not UK soil.

it was probably around 4:50pm yesterday whilst I was finishing up work for the week, and I decided to take a trip to the Apple Store in SoHo to pick me up a spankingly shiny new black iPod nano. Being the kind of perfectionist I am, I decided to call the store, just to make sure my journey would not prove futile… so I called, and asked some guy if they had any black 4GB nanos in stock, to which I was advised “yes, sir. we have plenty.” I made sure by asking pretty much the exact same, and he repeated his first reply.

in a blur, I shut down my POS windows work station and head out for the 6 train downtown to Spring Street. The 6 is amazing - always one flying down the tunnel, never have to wait… so I board and fight the excitement of holding my new girlfriend - black, sleek, sexy, great ass… < not that one.

I get to the store at 5:20pm, and the line is as expected… vast. I’m stood in line for about 15 minutes, and I’m gradually getting closer to holding my tiny new toy, and some guy comes out from behind the counter (funny, I actually remember him looking like Michael Buffer) and shouted, “those that are waiting to pick up a black 4GB iPod nano, please raise your hand.” There I was, flashback of Mr. Blackburn, my old math teacher from high school asking the class some algebra question, and I would always shoot my hand into the air as I knew the question… math was easy. My hand went up, and the Buffer look-a-like counted…

he turned to us all and said, “we only have 5 left…”, then motioned to the last two thirds of the line (which included me) with his hand and continued, “you guys from here onward probably won’t be able to get one today, but you’re welcome to stay in line just in case those in front of you don’t get one. Or you could go for the 2GB model.” Ok, two things:

1. those 5 lucky bastards that are in line for a guaranteed nano, would have to physically drop dead for them to not get their iPods

2. why would I settle for something I didn’t come here for?

[deep breath]

My shoulders slumped, and I sighed. Then I remembered my call to the store only 25 minutes earlier - “yes, sir - we have plenty.” Plenty, huh? Let’s look at some facts here for a second:

Typically, the average sale at the Apple Store can take anywhere from 3 minutes to closer to 5 - let’s go with 5 minutes, as it was a Friday night, and the place was packed, and there were new iMacs flying off the shelves and they try and cross sell you extra software, Airport cards, extended warranties etc.

The math:

25 minutes between my call and arriving at the store

/

5 minutes per customer

=

5 iPod nanos sold (if indeed all 5 customers actually bought an iPod nano

+

the 5 remaining iPod nanos I was told they had left

=

10 iPod nanos when I called from the office approximately

I ask you, when did 10 of anything become “plenty”, when it’s the hottest thing in the world right now, in a packed store, on a Friday night after work… IN NEW YORK FUCKING CITY???

I have a message to the jackass on the phone at the store who took my call, and gave me the good old ‘bait and switch’ maneuver… if I ever get my hands on you, you will have plenty of teeth left in your bullshit mouth.

sky news recently proved to me that a picture is indeed worth a thousand words.

I don’t need to say any more.

I was coming home last night, and made my way down to the 6 train platform at 52nd & Lex (I was running to SoHo to the Apple Store to get me a new iPod nano - read the blog above for that cluster fuck story), and at the top of the stairs that take you under the track to catch the 6 downtown, was this amazing jazz band - I forget the name, I’ll report back with their name if when I catch them next.

Anyway, I felt like commenting on how freaking COOL it is to have great live music in the subway, turning my ‘thank fuck the week’s over’ drivel into ‘yeah, let’s dance baby!’.

The band consisted of an Asian guy on sax, black guy on keyboard and a white guy on guitar. These guys were awesome - and they drew a crowd too, which I love to see.

Thanks for making my end-of-week trip home that much more enjoyable.

I’m sat here at home, it’s 2:06pm on a gorgeous saturday afternoon (before you ask why I’m not outside, I’m nursing a frigging cold), and I’ve spent most of the morning doing laundry, Skype’ing with my family in England, and generally partaking in some well earned chillage. I thought I’d flick on the telly, mostly as background noise really, something to stimulate my ocular needs with sporadic upward glances… and what do I catch? Yet another beauty commercial hosted by Susan Lucci of the ‘All My Children’ fame, promoting a product called ‘Youthful Essence’, a ‘microdermabrasion tool for the home’.

So before I begin my tirade of rantage, I want to comment on the people that appear with Susan on this godforesaken ad…

[college girl accent] “like my skin felt like… so soft… and like… my face has such a like… glow and like… I feel great and like…”

Woah, hang on! (the ad’s still playing by the way), some chick just said “professional microdermabrasion is stupid expensive”. what? “stupid expensive”? jesus, we need a fucking ‘improve your grammar in 7 easy steps’ commercial! perhaps it could be hosted by Prince Charles, or something?

This ad sucks, and I mean REALLY sucks… cute girls, drawing me in… old women with great skin, drawing in ugly old bats with shit skin and low self esteem. And it really got me thinking about what US television is all about. Beautiful people with not an ounce of realism. But what really stabbed me in the gut was the realization that there’s no wonder the majority of women in this great country hate the way they look… and why? Television. Movies. Commercials. Morning news. You name it, they all have these amazingly perfect looking people promoting products that they insist will reduce wrinkles, plump lips, blend away dark spots (what the fuck is a dark spot?), look younger blah fucking blah.

I have a message for the women of America. You’re all gorgeous, your imperfect skin, your slightly out of shape tummy, your frigging dark spots… we, the men, love you just the way you are. Trust me, when you wake up next to a guy in the morning, your make up isn’t there any more - gone! Try to look like you… not like Susan Lucci covered in 3 hours of gunk from a tube or bottle. Because you know what? It’s temporary, and your cute and face-defining wrinkles are normal - get used to growing old gracefully and embrace it.

Female Amercians, get some therapy, save your money on these shit Lucci-promoted creams and phallic-looking applicator guns. Get used to loving who you are, and say “fuck you Aveda”, I love me just the way I am. And if you want to order a pizza, why the heck not.

I love you ladies! Come on, show me your crow’s feet for fuck’s sake. They’re cute.

I don’t know what drives some of my co-workers, but one thing I have come to learn it’s not, is loyalty…

…and common decency, trust and integrity.

I’m in recruitment as you may already be aware, which can indeed provide recruiters that are “above average”, a very robust six-figure salary every year. I also work in a commission-only industry (certainly the norm for “contingency recruitment” in the united states) which can lead some to “alternative” means to closing a deal.

all of my colleagues here are in the very same boat as me - commission only - and we’re always looking at ways to make a placement - it’s a rather frantic world we live in. when it’s good, it’s great - when everyone’s billing well, we’re all happy. alas, when it’s not as rosy as we’d like, the cloak and dagger ethic surfaces, and it’s the same select few that adorn that ominous attire better than others.

today I had a candidate attend a 2nd interview at a very small, boutique biotech/pharmaceutical firm in new york city. after meeting with the CEO, concerns were raised. my colleague (who will remain nameless) discussed my applicant’s concerns with her over the phone. after listening to her “less than enthusiastic” attempts at addressing her concerns, I took over the phone call.

[side note: it's imperative to address concerns right away, otherwise they become like forgotten bread in the fridge - hard, solid... unable to undo what's already been left alone to fester on its own]

my conversation was a little more uplifting, to say the least. what I gathered from the call was that she was scared to join another “small” firm, as she’d done so with 4 other similar sized companies and they’d all laid her off - lack of funding etcetera. my colleague caught wind of her concern (which is COMPLETELY valid, may I add) and went on some tirade of how she wouldn’t feel comfortable in closing the client on my applicant, as she “may leave right after starting”… or she’d be “taking the job for the wrong reasons”. to add salt to my wound, a different colleague’s candidate is also being interviewed for this position, and that applicant is going “ga ga” over the job - so a much easier close. however, the client is leaning toward mine, so she should be pushed for the offer, and then allow me to handle the “close” - NOT to make her mind up for her client.

[clincher]

what really got me going this afternoon, was watching my two colleagues (one representing the client, and the other representing the 2nd candidate) whispering to one another (after my candidate chat on the phone shortly before) and stopping when I looked over. I mean, come on you pair of rancid slags, how old do you think I am?

if I get a sniff of any underhand workings going on pertaining to this deal, there will be hell to pay - and I will be on the front page of the new york times by the end of the week for double homicide.

if you’re new to this site, then you should read this article to familiarize yourself with my co-workers’ standard of ethics.

shady bastards.

head on over to illwillpress.com for the latest foamy episode.

this time he’s selling off germaine’s used underwear at online auction to fund his cult.

hilarious!

cnn.com has just released an article outlining NASA’s plan to spend $100 billion in the next 12 years building the spacecraft and rockets to send 4 astronauts to the moon in 2018.

The article continues:

U.S. President George W. Bush called in January 2004 for the United States to return to the Moon by 2020 as the first major step in a broader space exploration vision aimed at extending the human presence throughout the solar system.

$100 billion? the moon? 2018? didn’t I just see the President of the United States of America confirming his drive to not only rebuild the Gulf Coast region, but to also promote the strengthening of American cities’ disaster plans last night on tv?

[screeching of proverbial tyres]

does the US government actually know that on paper, America is one of the poorest countries in the world due to national debt?

top 10 countries in debt

1. United States
2. Brazil
3. Australia
4. Russia
5. China
6. Mexico
7. Argentina
8. Indonesia
9. Iraq
10. South Korea

the united states is currently (approximate amount, as this figure increases at a rate of around $1.66 billion per day since September 2004) in debt of about $7,782,816,546,352.

now do the math. that’s seven trillion in debt. the debt in africa, for example, is around $62.5 billion.

[it's clear where I am going with this]

the government is going ahead with approval for $100 billion in spending to send 4 people to the moon within the next 12 years… why? can be breathe on the moon? isn’t the moon substantially smaller than earth? (it’s about 1/6th of the size) who gives a flying shit about going to the moon? it’s dead… small… no atmosphere… good god george, wake up man. please, instead of misappropriating funds on sending 4 people who we don’t really give a shit about to a piece of rock that is as dead as keith richards, let’s use that money to wipe out a national debt of some significance and save over 40 MILLION people we should care about.

and seriously, don’t even get me onto my rant about NASA. I’m sure private contractors could do it for half that cost, but no - NASA put the first man on the moon - reputation at stake.

I’m done, what a waste of money.

my state of mind while I’m brushing my pearly whites in comparison to my state of mind when I flash my ID card to my building’s security guards, can differ greatly. please allow me to embellish this preamble further…

a list of possible catalytical “mood changers”

1. high humidity
2. a plus-sized person trying to squeeze into 8 inches worth of seat next to me
3. someone’s backback/handbag being heaved into my torso
4. no/little/poor air conditioning in the subway car
5. no access to a handrail
6. slow moving train
7. people that insist on standing in the doorways when I’m trying to board, even if there are seats available
8. folks not shuffling aside when I need to get off at my stop

most every morning I’m walking to the subway in a pretty jovial mood - racking my brains in order to mentally prioritize my day before I even get on the train, probably humming along to Coldplay, strumming my fingers against the sides of my legs to the rhythm.

invariably, 4 out of 5 days, I succumb to one of those bloody bullet points above. having ridden the train for about 3 years now (regularly), I find that some of them are completely bearable. some, however, like a slow moving train, or being jabbed in the back by someone’s fake fucking Coach bag, phase-shifts me from ‘calm and collected British chap’, to ‘I will fucking kill you, with my bare hands’. that kind of encounter happens not-so-frequently, which is perhaps the reason I don’t have a felony record thus far.

until this morning, the aforementioned list of potential ways to turn me into Bill Bixby’s famed jade-colored superhero were commonplace, and apparently not open to additions to said list… then along comes a fat fucking italian greaseball carrying a box of A4 sized paper. I was almost to the coffee cart that I frequent every single day (for the last 18 months), and heading for the revolving door that would usher me into the outside world after departing my surprisingly pleasant train ride… I was in the process of walking the curve of my revolving world, and I noticed this heavy set guy in his 40’s walking toward me, looking to coincide his pace with an open slot in the revolving door. alas, he missed the slot before mine, which left this impatient fat fuck with only one option… to use mine when I exited. you’d think he’d have waited until I fully left my one-fourth of the revolver, but no. he proceeded to use the box of paper as a battering ram, knocking me to my right - my left foot thrown over my right, in an attempt to counter-balance his force.

[yeah, you know what's coming next]

now normally I’m not a verbal guy. I’d rather store that energy, and suppress it with beer that night (I’m kidding) - but I seldom lash out in retaliation… however since moving to new york, my serenity chip has been disabled.

[verbatim]

“HEY! excuse ME! fucking obnoxious prick!”

and what I get in return is the sound-impaired mouthing of a barely distiguishable “fuck you!” from him. typical response from a new yorker - well, one that’s 20 feet from me, and on the other side of a revolving door anyway.

so, I’m adding the following to my list of catalists:

• fat obnoxious new yorkers that think as they’re twice the size of me, they have twice the right to square footage in this city

at least the guy was carrying a box of paper, and not a frigging Sausage & Egg McMuffin meal - there’s hope for some!

I just wanted to share my week with you. over the last 3 days, I have made 3 great placements… great candidates, great jobs and great career moves. this is why I do what I do… persistent in giving a service to those that need it - and to be honest, I do this for the money, mostly… but I’m in sales, so of course I get a kick out of making $6,000 in 3 days - life is good.

what’s also great is that I put smiles on faces that were once skeptical about the hiring process, about the economy, about their competition… I love giving those that need it, what they want to live their lives.

period.

if you were sat in front of your television tonight around 9pm, it’s likely that you were afforded the opportunity to watch George Bush deliver his speech concerning the recent natural disaster in the gulf coast region. here we go again, another reactive apology, an ode to the people of the united states filled with a promissory note that has about as much weight as an Italian supermodel.

George, hear me out for a second… if you can pull yourself away from your robotic rattle that contains zero content of your own personal emotions. most of your speech referred to the “minority” group, the communities that were “victims of poverty” before Katrina slapped Louisiana’s taught ass. “we are going to build better, and higher…” echoed through my 18′ x 22′ living room while I winced like a post-tequila shot tee-totaler.

how about preparing? hasn’t America suffered enough through the blatant inadequate level of readiness for the inadvertent? terrorism. nature. for the last 4 years you have promised to rebuild, build higher, stronger, faster… what about saving the billions you “approve” (let’s face it, you approve shit, your advisors “advise” you to approve - you’re a pen with a head) and using that money in programs such as strengthening the water systems throughout the country, strengthening the buildings, foundations, infrastructures BEFORE something like this happens? NASA spends billions on sending a frigging satellite to mars to discover what we already know… it’s inhabitable by human life!

I remember a long time ago the British government built this funky looking thames barrier to prevent devastation should the capital’s river flood - it works. when they were putting together this crazy looking “barrier” together, the people of england were full of disbelief… why do we need flood protection? it doesn’t happen! but you know what? it won’t now! how about some proactive motion, George?

instead of running your mouth about what you’re going to do after the fact, accept responsibility for you being a complete waste of space, and sign off, approve something that assists this great country in preparedness for the unthinkable… ‘cos you know what? it’s going to happen again… and again… until you change the way you operate… it’s not about recovery, but about being ready for the worst.

and for the using the word “minority” more than once… let’s stop labeling our fellow human beings, start loving and respecting our neighbors, and help those that need it most before another alarm bell of a natural disaster comes knocking at our doors.

there comes a time in ones life when you find yourself walking down a crowded street, and out of nowhere comes a barrage of images from your childhood. a plethora of mental pictures that put a smile on your face… from getting an ‘A’ in art class, to remembering your first pet. fond memories indeed.

so there I was, walking to the office this morning (through what can only be described as a transport travesty - the city has blocked off 2 major thoroughfares on the east side around the UN (big conference or something… ooooohhhhh!) and I’m about to step onto the sidewalk at the corner of 53rd and 2nd when right in front of me is a woman and her dog. hang on, I know the picture you have in your heads… but alas, this was no run-of-the-mill “woman and dog” pic. the dog was evidently unable to use its back legs, and was fastened into a special harness to support its lower end (belly, hips and back legs), whilst allowing free movement for the front legs. two wheels are bolted on each side of the harness to afford smooth traveling for the hind quarters, and the front legs essentially “pull” it along. truly an ingenius creation. I stopped walking, suddenly hit with images of my own dearly departed dog - I must have been 13 when our family got our yorkshire terrier, give or take a year - and my heart sank into an abyss. to see this gorgeous little golden retriever having to struggle with this disability, is certainly something you don’t expect to see. dogs… they run in fields, chase balls, play fetch… I tell you, it stopped me in my tracks. but as I stood watching the owner and her bionic pooch slowly make their way to 54th street, i found myself smiling - realizing that this cute little canine is plodding along, half encased in steel and fabric strapping, completely oblivious to the fact that it can’t walk without its mechanical friend, and it looked as happy as ever… having fun walking alongside its owner.

moral? sure… here you go…

it amazes me how we bitch about everything… ouch, my arthritic knee… ow, I have a headache… mommy, my nose is all stuffy. you get the picture.

my advice to the whiners of the world… next time you feel like whinging about your sore ankle, think about this dog, and shut it.

It gives one a somber and thought provoking outlook when the sun rises on this city of new york on a day like today. it’s september 11th, 2005 - four years after the towers were attacked. I’m sat here after running three loads of laundry through the local laundromat close to my humble retreat, pondering over the time I watched the immediate aftermath caused by the 2nd plane diving into the WTC in my flat in England.

on my way from bunching socks and general foldage, I spotted the ‘Tribute In Light’ memorial over ground zero - two towers of bright light, careening into the night sky in memory of not only the towers they now replace, but allowing us to remember those that we lost on that fateful day four years ago. I remember people telling me how gorgeous the weather was that day - somewhere in the 80’sF, clear blue sky, new york’s residents billowing into their places of work - just like any other day.

I knew when I saw it happen on television in England that I would eventually move here. I know, what was I thinking… something about that day though drew me here. I remember my dear mother ranting at me on the phone when I told her I was moving to new york in a few days, telling me I must be crazy for even contemplating such an idea. irony has a way of showing you a sign, when you least expect it… the night before I left, I heard on the news that a car bomb had exploded outside a local bar - but it was late, the bars were closed, thankfully nobody was around… the point… wherever you are in the world, you will at some level be affected by the definitive lack of humanity that makes up terrorist cells all around the world. what should you do about it?

simple…

live your life as you would any other day. that’s what new yorkers do. they go about their business, not affording the scum of the earth the power to dictate how to live in their own city. one thing I learned (or should I say, was drilled into me via the guys in the royal air force) is that you should try and be vigilant. keep a subconscious eye out for all that is awry. that’s all we can do. I’m sure as hell not going to lock myself in my flat, never to be seen… spouting nonsensical drivel about when the next terrorist attack’s going to take place. this is my home, this great city… and I have a message for those that are driven by their own religious contradictions…

[slowly extends middle finger on an outstretched right hand]

fuck you cowards!

new yorkers are the most resilient people I have ever met, period. strong, kind, passionate about life, forthcoming, honest, caring and sincere. four years ago they stood on the brilliant white sneaker of a people who don’t take too kindly to having their shoes stepped upon… but they’ll continue to get up the next day and clean them again… for this is new york, and tomorrow is another day.

my thoughts go to those lost and their families today, more than any other day, because today someone is reminded it’s the day a loved one was taken four years ago.

my heart bleeds on september 11th.