LEAV in the USMC: My Favorite "Gunny"

In the USMC, I fixed FM radios. I was an intermediate ("I") level avionics technician, meaning I fixed the electronics, after the "O" level techs took it out of the aircraft. I forget whether "O" stood for organizational, or operational level, but hey, it was 25 years ago! I worked in a "shop" from 4:30PM-Midnight, for most of my years there. During this time, I had several supervisors, but one stood head and shoulders above the rest.

"Gunny" (Gunnery Seargent) Keenan, as I'll call him here, was the only boss that motivated me to feel good about an otherwise humdrum job. As a 22 yr. old, recently busted lance corporal, I had little to motivate me, in the last year of my "time," so this was no small feat.

A few things need to be explained: the radios we were working on were Vietnam-era, and this was '84. The warrantees on them expired in '70. We had drawers full of replacement circuit boards, and we did basic troubleshooting. The day-shift had a shop across the hall, that could repair the boards, but no-one was there on the night shift, so we wouldn't bother trying to "troubleshoot" the cicuit card. We'd just chuck 'em

One day Gunny Keenan took me aside, and we had a conversation. He brought out the parts manual, and we looked up the price of the circuit boards. They were over $3,000 each. They were very "old-style," with huge resistors, capacitors, inductors, and transistors, which were easy to remove with a soldering iron. I only had some basic classes in this, and wasn't "certified" to do it. I had cross-trained in the micro-comp shop, so I knew how to do it. I also knew that these circuit cards had about $15 worth of electronics on them, that one could buy at Radio Shack.

He gave me my first lecture on civic responsibility in the bureaucracy, explaining that our tax dollars were paying for every one of these parts, and it would be helpful to everyone, myself included, if I could pitch in to try replacing fewer circuit boards. He said "Leavitt, could I ask you to try fixing some of these circuit boards on the night shift, instead of throwing them at each other?"

I replied "But I'm not certified." He said, "skip the paperwork. I'll give you the keys to the mini-comp shop, if you need to use it." Gunny Keenan had appealed to me in a very personal way. As an established "rule breaker," I loved the idea of doing something good, and still breaking rules and regulations. He "got" me, in a way that was rare in my military experience.

He also used me as a motivational tool for others. When he gave his Friday informal "speech" to the troops one week, he singled me out. He said when he was a young enlisted man, he used to carry a stone around, just to get himself noticed. Some thought he was crazy, but since he was good at his job, it just got him noticed by the senior officers in his command. He then compared himself to me, saying "everyone from the Colonel on down knows when Leavitt takes a piss!"

I lost my Corporal stripes before I got a chance to put them on, because of a positive urinalysis. I had recently returned from the Naval Drug Rehab Center at Miramar Air Base, where "Top Gun" was filmed, and was on six months of weekly urinalysis surveillance when he gave that speech. Everyone laughed at that line, but I appreciated it as a secret acknowledgement of the resposibility he had given me. He gave me good pro-con ratings, as well.

One of the reasons that I would never re-enlist was what the USMC bureaucracy did to Gunny Keenan. The only manager that could get Chris Leavitt, among many others, to be more productive, and save taxpayer dollars, was getting screwed around because of his weight! Gunny Keenan was not very fat, but he was getting "by-the-booked" by the system. His ability to perform his job had no bearing on this. It was strictly because he was literally five pounds over the "guideline" weight.

When I saw a man of his age (he was a little younger then than I am now), and of his position destroyed, by being "forced out" before he wants to leave the USMC, I knew that it was no life for me. If the good guys get screwed with too, what would change for me, after being a "screw-up?" I wasn't exactly ready to be a "good guy," anyway, at that point in my life. However, I can honestly say Gunny Keenan made a lasting impression, 25 years later.

Semper Fidelis

BUFFY LOVES DADDY: Kisses!

In my first days with Buffy, she gave me a little scratch on my nose. I didn't freak out, and she's been giving me kisses there ever since. She loves the daddy-cat.

"Forts" and "Dirt Bombs:" From Central Park to Roosevelt Hospital!

"Central park was my back yard," I often tell my suburban-raised friends. It wasn't, technically, but I spent so much of my youth there, that I looked at it as if it was my own property. This is a story of the "forts" and "dirt-bomb" fights that were waged at the Adventure Playground, just inside the wall at Central Park West and 69th street. The playground was on the "high ground," with the land sloping downward from it's fence to the black wall that was the park's boundary with the city. The vegetation was mostly forsythia, which blossomed yellow for a few weeks every spring, and some small trees.

We used to squeeze through one particular spot in the playground fence (or just walk around, for the bigger kids), and build forts in the ground. With the slope of the land, we could put up a couple of pieces of wood, and make a shelter. There was occasionally a NYC park worker on duty at the playground, who would chase off dope-sniffers and the like, that might be hanging out in our fort. Sometimes, we chased them out on our own (what screwball wouldn't run from a bunch of kids taunting him?).

Our favorite game was throwing "dirt bombs" at each other, with one group inside the playground fence, and the other in the "fort." The kids at the fence had different dirt than we had on the slope. They had topsoil, with sand tracked into it from the playground, which didn't make good dirt bombs. We had the clay layer exposed, and we just made our fort bigger as we dug into the clay to make bombs. For a time, the playground kids started throwing clumps of grass, with big "dirt bomb" bottoms, but there wasn't enough grass around the edge of the playground for that to last long.

This was an interesting tactical challenge we had set up. The kids in the playground had the higher ground, but had no protection other than the widely-spaced iron bars of the playground. Because we were throwing uphill, they had time to dodge our "bombs." They also were limited to making wet "sandballs," if the fountain was working. Most of the dry "topsoil" dirt bombs used to break up well before reaching us through the vegetation. I fought from the playground side a few times, but I was usually in the fort. Everyone wanted to be in the fort. I used to dream about camping out there overnight, but then I remembered the aforementioned "screwballs" would outnumber me, not vice versa. This was in the mid 1970's.

I suppose that it was inevitable, but one of the kids in the playground decided that he didn't want to bother making a dirt bomb. He just picked up a big rock, and hurled it towards the fort. I chose that moment to stand up, ready to throw a good, sturdy dirt bomb, and saw it coming, just before it smashed me in the eyebrow. I went down, and started screaming "he threw a f**king rock!"

It took a minute or two, but the other kids stopped the "fight," and came over to help me. We climbed over the black stone wall, to Central Park West, and hailed a cab, who took me to Roosevelt Hospital, free of charge. I was bleeding profusely, but with the support of a group of friends, everything turned out fine (I don't remember any adults, other than the cab driver, being involved). The fact is that I was a "frequent flyer" at Roosevelt Hospital, when it came to head wounds. I think that the doctor remembered me, and calmed me down by saying it was "routine" for me.

Eventually, I outgrew playing in "the fort," and I'm sure that the NYC Parks Department has erased any trace of it, but Adventure Playground is still there, just North of the Tavern on the Green restaurant. Did I ever mention that I broke into their attic, and used to steal the "night lights" from their premises, and used them as "heat lamps" in my bedroom? Well, that's another story! Stay tuned for more "Tales From the Vendome."

Andy Kessler Will Live On: Tales From the Vendome

One of my oldest friends, Andy Kessler, died on Monday, Aug. 11th, 2009. I've mentioned Andy in a previous "Tales From The Vendome" post (link), using the pseudonym "Lenny." We weren't in touch, so I didn't want to use his real name, in a post with a blunt social/political message. After reading about his life after we lost touch, I don't think he'd mind me using his real name. The stories I have to tell about him date to before he started skateboarding, and cover a wide range of "life-lessons," from my point of view.

He was one of my two childhood "best friends," along with "Starsky," who shall remain anonymous. The three of us were like the little kid "urchins" of 71st to 73rd streets, from CPW to B'Way, in Manhattan. That was our "turf." Andy and Starsky lived on 71st, and I lived on 73rd, and Central Park was our back yard. We were crazy kids in the '70's, and that's what the "Vendome" stories are all about (link). I wish he had read them, and we had gotten in touch again...

Read about Andy's life, after we parted ways, at the following links (New York Magazine has the best photo):

NYC skateboard advocate Andy Kessler dies
United Press International
12 (UPI) -- Andy Kessler, one of the big names in the US skateboarding scene, died of an apparent wasp sting on Long Island this week, police said. ...
Legendary Skateboarder Andy Kessler Dies At 49NBC New York
SKATEBOARD KING DEAD AFTER STINGNew York Post
Legendary Skateboarder Andy Kessler Has DiedNew York Magazine

He was pretty intense, which brought out a similar quality from me. This explains our frequent fights, as well as our close friendship. My prayers and condolences go out to his sister Jodi, and all his family and friends who loved him. Andy was like family to me, and I loved him more often than I hated him. We would have great reunions, usually arranged by our mothers, after a few months of one of our "falling outs." The worst one for me was when Starsky and Andy "froze" me out of the group!

I saw Andy a few times in the early '80's, working at his father's florist shop in Penn. Station, after they closed their 72nd St. store. I wish I had stayed in touch with him, but after moving to LI, I joined the Marines, and got even further "out of touch" from old friends. I'm proud that he left his mark on New York City, but not surprised. He "channeled" his passion for skateboarding, and got results.

Good work, Andy. The world is diminished by your passing, my friend. I'll miss you.

Put Crack Dealers in Charge of Nuclear Negotiations

"I'm not leavin' without the rocks. I paid for that sh*t."

6

6

Happy Easter and Birthday, Anna!

We celebrated Easter in Bensonhust, and came back to Lynbrook for Anna's birthday. Thanks to all our friends and family, for their good wishes! We love you!

FREEPORT WILD TIMES: VANDALIZING THE GROVE ST. THEATER

When I moved in with my dad on Merrick Rd. in Freeport, I wasn't too happy. Most of the friends I had made there lived in South Freeport, and hung out in places like Randall Park. Of course, some of those guys came up North to visit us. This was one such occasion. There was an abandoned movie theater on Merrick Rd, one block East of our apt. One day, a bunch of us broke in to it. (I'm not naming my co-conspirators, but you know who you are)

We basically ran wild; one of us grabbed the huge silk screen, and ran across the stage, tearing off a four foot thick swath across it's entire width. Others went to the projection room, where we dismantled the two huge projectors. I kept one of the lenses for years, as well as a coaster-sized plastic "Coke" sign from the food counter. No alarm was sounded, and we spent the better part of a week vandalizing the building as an "after school activity," before the cops got hip to us.

I'm not sure if they caught anyone there, but I have a faint memory of it ending on a "blow up the spot" moment, with the police involved. It was really one of a string of places that we seemed to test the limits of civilized response to outrageous teenage behavior, chiefly vandalism. Today's kids aren't very different from us. They're just breaking a different set of rules, and dealing with different responses to their actions.

Interestingly enough, the old Grove St. theater is now a branch of the "Word of God" Ministry, and doing good work. They gave me food, back when I was a neighborhood crackhead, once. I get a laugh out of how we acted back in the day, though I can see why our parents thought we were so much more crazy than they were. We were, as were the kids from the '50's, the '90's, or whatever decade one wishes to cite.

There will always be kids who break the rules. Today's kids may never have the chance to raid an abandoned movie theater, but they'll find something else to vandalize. If not in the real world, they'll do it online. I'm not giving them any slack, I just hope we can keep up faster than the authorities did with us, back in the '70's. That's my story today, and I won't mind comments from my confederates (details are welcome, before I add more of them in a later version of this story), as well as general critiques of my post.

LEAV RETALIATES WITH A SNUGGLE ATTACK ON THE COSMIC BUFFYCAT!

SHE'S DEFENSLESS!
Daddy loves Buffy!

Marvel's "Negative Zone" GITMO for Super Heroes...

Here's an excerpt from a website called wikia, which seems to be connected to Marvel, though I can't be sure. What I like is the synopsis of the "Civil War" storyline, from Iron Man's (Tony Stark's) biography: (link)

Learning of the government's plans to instigate a Superhuman
Registration Act that would force costumed, super-powered individuals to
reveal their identities to the government and sign on as licensed agents, Iron
Man at first seeks to defeat the proposal, even going to such lengths as to hire
the Titanium Man to attack the hearing on the act as he testifies in order to manipulate opinion in his favor. However, at some point, Tony Stark's opinion of the Act changes, seeing it as a new means to achieve the goal that he had sought in forming the "Illuminati", and to tie the knots of friendship between humans and superheroes [citation needed]. He attempts to convince the other members of the clandestine group to support the new Act, stating that their input could prevent the Act from becoming too restrictive of superhuman activities, but all except Mister
Fantastic reject the idea of registration.

After the Stamford, Connecticut disaster turns public opinion against
superhumans and fast-tracks the Act into law, Stark comes out publicly in
support of the Act, but the new law splits the hero community in two. All of
Stark's planning and manipulation comes to fruition as Stark then becomes the
representative and leader of the pro-registration side, placed in opposition to
the anti-registration advocates. In his first major public action as a supporter
of registration, Stark again unmasked as Iron Man.

Prior to the events of Civil War, Stark assisted fellow Avenger Spider-Man
and his family. Peter Parker came to regard Stark as a mentor, became his
assistant, and accepted a new technologically-enhanced costume from him [citation needed]. Stark also convinced Spider-Man to unmask and go public with his identity as well. However, Peter's feelings of being manipulated and unease about the rightness of Stark's cause grew until Stark revealed a prison for superhumans he and Mister Fantastic had built in the Negative Zone. When Spider-Man attempted to escape from Stark Tower, along with his family, in order to join the Resistance, he attacked Stark, who had confronted him. However, due to Spider-Man's override of the suit given to him by Stark and some unexpected intervention by the Punisher, the web-slinger managed to escape with his family and was now considered a traitor by Stark and the Pro-Registration side.

As a lapsed fan, this site is a treasure trove. To the comic companies, it is a great marketing tool. It allows older fans to read synopses of what has happened to these characters over the years, though it's not always presented in the most direct way. I see it as a tool to help me decide which collections to buy, in TPB format.

I have to get all of the "Civil War" books. This "negative zone" prison smacks of Gitmo, and I'm sure that the books are full of "anti-Bush" propaganda. That's just a guess, from reading the synopsis, but I am an old comic fan. I remember the X-Factor villians called "the Right." They were a bunch of smiley-faced robots, back in the Reagan era.

Predictable as the politics may be, I still love the characters, and know that these changes are usually not permanent. I still enjoy reading comics, when I can afford them. Heck, I even enjoy reading the synopsized storylines on this Wikia website, which means it's got potential. Check it out!

MY LAST ST. PAT'S DAY WITH MOM AND UNCLE BILL

Back in the late '80's, I went to O'Hurley's bar, across from Rockerfeller Center, on St. Patrick's Day. I had to meet my mom, and her brother, my Uncle Bill. This was a bad idea from the get-go: mom and I were a volatile combination at that time, and Uncle Bill couldn't make things go any more smoothly. Mom ended up defending me, after I admitted that I smoked pot to Bill...we drank alot, and argued some more.

After Uncle Bill left, and mom was away from the bar, some drunk said to me "what, have you got a thing for old ladies?" Oh, yeah, he was Irish, and he got my Irish up, for a moment. Then the Norwegian in me took over, and I laughed in his face, saying "that's my mother, asshole!" He mumbled an apology under his breath, and left the bar when mom came back.

Unfortunately, I ended up "losing track" of mom that night. She had a way of "going off" on her own, which scared those of us who cared about her. She ended up being OK, but I spent the late hours of St. Pat's day "stewed," running around midtown looking for my "stewed" mother. Her side of the family was typically dysfunctional, but I have to accept that part of me. I count this as one of the "good times," because it's the last time I saw Uncle Bill. We had fun, but I've been wary of "St. Pat's Day" ever since...

It's become a holiday similar to New Year's Eve, as in "amateur hour." Everybody has to show how "Irish" they can be, with "Irish" translating to "stupid." Look, I've been more of a "party animal" than most of my friends, but I found the place to draw the line. Further, I'm good with "busting chops" on today's partiers, whatever holiday they excuse it with. If they act like asses, let 'em get the boot.

'80's USMC: "Zippy the Pinhead" Shirt!

This is a poor quality photo, but that ZIPPY t-shirt was one of my favorites! I got this in an email from an old friend, a few days ago. LOL!

WILL YOU WATCH THE WATCHMEN? :)

There is no way that "The Watchmen" can be adapted into one movie. There just isn't enough time to tell this story so fast. If I were to synopsize it, I would say that it shows a somewhat realistic view of "super heroes," and what the public's reaction would be to them. Here are some of the characters from the story: The Owl, Rorschach, Ozymandius, Dr. Manhattan. There are many other characters, but these are the ones to watch, in the flick.I have a copy of the Trade Paperback from '87, but see alot of people carrying new copies around.

Maybe it'll get "good reviews," whether it adapts the book well, or not. It's a mind-blowing story, even stripped down to the bones as it will have to be. I'm sure I will enjoy it, regardless of what's left out. The fun part is "adding the details" after the movie comes out, and summing up the "message" that the movie promotes, compared to the one from the book. I wonder how faithful Hollywood will be to Alan Moore's vision.

SPOILER ALERT! Ozymandius is a terrorist. Keep your "smiley face" pins on!

I will watch The Watchmen, with a critical eye. I'll try not to get overwhelmed by the awesome effects, but I can't promise anything! It has "big shoes" to fill, is all I can say.

Anuram Dikshit Smiles While Paying $300 Million Fine: 3 Stories from Wednesday's NY Post

Anuram Dikshit is not "feeing the pinch" of the global recession, according to these stories from Wednesday's NY Post:

Web-poker programmer folds on $300M hand

A billionaire computer expert sported a bizarre grin as he pleaded guilty yesterday to running an illegal online gambling parlor - and agreed to forfeit $300 million he raked in from American bettors.

Maybe he was pleased with the Manhattan federal judge's unusual decision to postpone his sentencing for two years based on his cooperation.

The move allows Indian computer whiz Anurag Dikshit - who's No. 743 on this year's Forbes' billionaires list - to return to his home in Gibraltar, free on $50 million bond.

Dikshit told Judge Jed Rakoff he developed software and directed operations for Gibraltar-based PartyGaming PLC between 1998 and 2006.

Are they sure the judge's name wasn't "Red Jakoff," not Jed Rakoff? Maybe that's what Mr. Dikshit was smiling about. The second article, eight pages later, is titled "Web Big Craps Out," and the Business Brief item, three pages later (second in the linked page) is titled "In Deep." Now, I know many liberals hate the NY Post, and would be quick to call these titles racist slurs against Indians, by making innuendoes about the spelling of Mr. Dikshit's last name.

Let's balance that against liberals' hatred for the "super-rich," who can smile as they pay a $300 million fine. Most Indians aren't that rich, either, and might appreciate the Post's poking fun at such a powerful person. Think of it this way: Indians have "arrived" on the world media scene, when liberal media bias against "the rich" overrides their kneejerk instinct to claim "victimhood" for an Indian billionaire. No backlash against the NY Post, yet.

Internet gambling isn't going away. Mr. Dikshit seems to be free to engage in foreign online gambling, as long as he "co-operates" with US authorities, for the next two years. Personally, it'll take me that long to stop laughing at every aspect of this story, starting with the name Anurag Dikshit. I mean, imagine if this guy was as ostentatious as Donald Trump. We'd have "Dikshit" resorts all over the world, and internet gambling promoted in all of them, outside of the US.

I can't imagine what it's like to be Anurag Dikshit, or to be fined $300 million in the middle of a global recession. He probably has a stockpile of "cheap dollars" from the summer of '08, so the impact on his finances is minimized. He's still small potatoes, compared to Brnie Madoff's (pronounced "MADE-OFF") $50 billion ponzi scheme, but that's a whole different story.

I'm still counting my change, and enduring the daily struggles of life. I hope I can be forgiven for laughing at Mr. Dikshit's name, but I don't hate him. My only real problem with him is that he violated US law, and his business is conducive to unlawful behavior in our country. If you want to legalize internet gambling, then pay off some US pols! Follow the George Soros/Rod Blagojevich model, Mr. Dikshit! You'll fit in anywhere, especially in this country...

NY "TITANS" BEAT UNDEFEATED TENNESSEE; GIANTS BEAT CARDS WITH WIND AND FIRE

This is an even more exciting week for a NY football fan than last week was. First, the Jets stepped up another level, beating the (previously) undefeated Tenessee Titans in Nashville by a whopping 34-13. I missed the game, but the reporting on it has the Jets actually dominating the Titans. The Jets should have worn their "throwback" NY TITANS uniforms! That makes consecutive victories over Buffalo, New England, and now the only undefeated team in the NFL. "Little brother," as I teasingly label the Jets, might have a shot at fighting "Big brother," better known as the NY FOOTBALL GIANTS, in the next Superbowl.

OK, that's still a fantasy, but it's the closest NY'ers have gotten to it in the past few years. Last year, I doubted the Giants' ability to go all the way, and still regret it. If I were a Jets fan, I would see this year as "destiny," and predict the same for the Jets. As a Giants fan, I hope that we get the chance to stomp them on a national stage. It would be a great Superbowl matchup, whichever team wins.

The Giants deserve a second trip to the Superbowl, and seem determined to get back. Three of our worst rivals are lined up to "take a shot" at us, in the coming weeks, but I'm confident that the Giants can win these three games. We're playing at Washington, hosting Philadelphia, then at Dallas. Right now, the Giants have to concentrate on beating the Washington Redskins on Sunday. The Giants didn't distinguish themselves in last Sunday's victory over the Phoenix Cardinals. If the Giants want to compete in the playoffs, they better stop making mistakes. I'm sure this is what Coach Coughlin will be focusing on, over the next three games.

There were things worth praise in the Giants' victory in Arizona. The running game, while much reduced by the absence of Brandon Jacobs, was still potent, as was the passing game without Plaxico Buress. It looks more and more like this Giant team is more than the sum of it's parts, even when some parts don't function at "peak" levels. That's when you have to credit the coaching, and that goes for the Jets, as well.

Here's the "kicker": The Jets victory, combined with the Giants' win makes the Giants tied with the Tenesee Titans for the best record in the NFL. "Thanks, lil' bro!" Here's another tidbit: the Jets and Giants are the only teams who have won their last FIVE games in a row! How do you define a "hot streak"? Can you spell "M-A-N-G-E-N-I-U-S?

This is one exciting football season for a NY football fan! GO GIANTS, AND J-E-T-S!

NY FOOTBALL: GIANTS DOMINATE; JETS "STEPPING UP"

It's been an exciting week for a NY football fan. The Jets faced the biggest challenge of their season, trying to avenge the hometown loss to the Patriots in week two. "Avenge" may be too strong a word, but they came away with a win, in overtime. After beating the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo last Sunday, this was a huge step toward being a real contender in the overall NFL. Eric Mangini is young, but he's "earning his stripes" right now, as a head coach. Bret Favre has earned his stripes, as a guaranteed Hall of Fame quarterback, and willingly works under a coach that's younger than he is. These are a few of the things that make me like the Jets this year.

They have the foundation of a "great" team, and will develop into one, given time. They are leading their division, after beating two of their toughest rivals on hostile turf. The Jets are also known for collapsing at the end of the season, which is a worry for every team, but an all-tooconstant for Jets fans, in the past. Of course, last year they only won 3 games, so all expecations of a "late season crash" were moot. This year, I'm proud that the Jets have a record worth worrying about!

If you didn't notice, the Jets are my SECOND favorite football team. I was born in Manhattan, and raised a NY GIANTS fan! My mother had a friend at their office in the '70's, and she gave us a football signed by the whole team, including Ron Johnson and Fran Tarkenton. The Giants stunk back then, but they were my team. I remember a news cartoon from the '70's, when our enemy Dallas was dominant, that showed a guy in a Giants uniform saying "Who cares who shot JR? I killed Dallas," when we beat them one year.

All reminiscing aside, the Giants have developed into the most powerful team in the NFL, perhaps more dominant than they were under Parcells. Head Coach Tom Coughlin has created an amazing chemistry in his team, with signifigant roster changes. Since Coughlin became head coach, the team has lost Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Jeremy Shockey, and several other great players. Somehow, they're still 9-1. This is a great team, which I'm proud to be a fan of.

Look at how the Giants "dismantled" the Ravens. It was a sloppy game by both teams, but the Giants attacked the core of the Ravens' game plan: they ran the ball down their throat. The Ravens had allowed an average of 65 rushing yards per game, before this. Giants running back Brandon Jacobs broke that yardage in the first half, and the Giants ran for over 200 yards in the game. That's going to signifigantly raise the Ravens' "rushing yards allowed per game" average.

It's week 11 of 17, and things are shaping up. The Giants face the toughest schedule of any team, for the remainder of the season. When I first saw the Giants' schedule, at the beginning of the year, I had fits of terror. All of the toughest teams are piled up in the final stretch of the season, and how many more players would we lose, by then? "Then" being "now," it doesn't seem to matter what players the Giants have on the field, as long as they're part of "the team." They struggle sometimes, but have shown a will to win that "dominates" most of the on-field battles.

I see the Jets as the Giants' "little brother," much as I see the Mets as the same to the Yankees. The Jets play against the only undefeated team in the NFL, the Tennissee (sp?) Titans, next week. I wish the Giants were playing them, but it would be fitting if the Jets beat them. If they can "step up" to beat the only undefeated team in the NFL, Jets fans will have something to counter Giant fans' taunts. I really think the Jets can beat the Titans next week, but I don't bet, so I can't "put my money where my mouth is," as they say.

This is a NY football fan's dream, for both of my teams to be in first place in their divisions, and on a "hot streak," to boot! I've waited too long to write about football, this season! GO, NEW YORK GIANTS, and J-E-T-S!

Here's a funny anecdote: NYers are wearing "cheescake" heads, to welcome Favre to NY. It's not pretty, but it's pretty funny! Only in NY, kids!

CRUISIN' ON MY CHRYSLER!

This is me, on my Chrysler PT Cruiser (made in China). I'm off to buy cat food for Buffy, in a photo taken by Anna.

BUFFY'S COSMIC LINKS

LINKS TO ALL IMAGES OF BUFFY, THE COSMIC KITTYCAT.

the COSMIC KITTY!

BUFFY, the COSMIC KITTY, pt. II

BUFFY, the COSMIC KITTY pt III

BUFFY, THE CATWABBIT! (BUFFYWABBIT?)

BUFFY, COSMIC NINJA ASSASIN KITTY

BUFFY IS VERY COSMIC...

COSMIC KITTY, Continued...

Buffy, the Cosmic Cat

BUFFY'S COSMIC GATHER.COM PORTFOLIO! (MUST SEE! She has lots of cool friends there!)

Bellboy and Hatman! I mean Batboy and Hellman! I mean Hellboy and Batman!

I love both of these guys. That's why I make fun of them.

See original sketch here.

Blue Skies, and Passing Clouds, at Sunrise

Photos from my back window: Blue skies, and passing clouds, at sunrise...

...and a few minutes later, as the clouds pass.

I'm just warming up the camera for vacation. These images were reduded, cropped, and converted to JPG format. I'm not satisfied with this quality, but that's why I'm publishing these photos. It's kind of "trial and error."

Update: I put a Starborn image into the first photo. See the image here!