in the annals of hair brained and half baked ideas...

...was *this* the most hair brained and half baked?







Needless to say, my Irish is still remedial at best.

The more things change

I just got my lap top back on Tuesday. Tonight is Wednesday. I have played 64 games of minesweeper. I haven't won a one.

At work today I watched Algeria versus Egypt on an Arabic stream. They were playing in the Sudan - neutral territory - because of the threat of violence. Tonight, of all nights, North Africa must be volatile. There was no one in the office but me.

A thought - from whence springs stability? We take it for granted here in Fairfield County that people won't take to the streets and burn our towns. But I've often thought - why? I have it in me, and you have it in you. I know this is a horrible thing to ask in light of Ft Hood, and of some poor girl shot in the Bronx, and of serial killers in Cleveland, but sometimes I'm surprised there isn't more violence, that the fabric of civil society isn't more undone. Economics clearly figure into any answer, but it seems to me it's culture more than economics. We assume a measure of civility, are shocked by its breaches. But culture's fragile and everything can change for the worse.

Man, I just had a delicious bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream! Is there anything better? I think cultures with large amounts of reasonably priced mint chocolate chip ice cream are more likely to be stable than those without. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.

Town of Bedford Parking Authority letter

You remember this? Well, it was dismissed! So then I got another ticket, in another town, and wrote this. Dismissed again!


****


29 October 2009


Justice Court Town of Bedford
321 Bedford Road
Bedford Hills, NY 10507


Dear Sir/Madam:

I am writing in regards to ticket number [redacted] which I received today, 29 October at 11:57AM, at the parking lot adjacent to the Katonah train station. Spot 309, if you’re keeping score at home. It was neatly tucked under my windshield wiper when I returned from New York at approximately 4:30 PM.

But our story begins some six hours earlier. I had parked and made my way to the meter machine with a crisp five dollar in hand only to discover that it was not taking cash. I, and a few other befuddled commuters, tried every which way to no avail. I soon had to give up my labor in order to make the 10:30 train.

I commute to New York three times a week, parking in the metered section of the lot around the corner from the Katonah station. As I hope you know, one of the machines there doesn’t accept cash, leading to a line of ill-tempered and borderline volatile commuters every morning in front of the one machine that works. This strikes me as outrageous. Surely it should not be the case that it is easier and more efficient to park in the remotest regions of Romania than here, in Westchester County! The metered spots are great, a veritable godsend for those of us who commute on an as need basis, but their maintenance desires closer attention.

I hope that this ticket will be thrown out.

Sincerely,

Sheridan Dupre

epithet, epigram, epigraph, epitaph

I ain't going out like that. I AM, however, going out like this:





or this:





or this:

You decide, 2009 edition

I'm mulling over the following posts, each of which seems to have both its positives and negatives. Perhaps my readership (and here I'm talking about you - yes, you! - you who just arrived after googling 'lost love analogies' and have found yourself here, broken hearted and looking for the right words) can help me decide. That's why I've titled this post "You decide, 2009 edition," because you, the reader, can decide which post I do, and also because it is 2009, and I wouldn't want you to confuse it with the '08 or, God forbid, the '07 edition. Are we clear, lost love analogies? Hang in there. Always darkest and what not.

1. A blog post that gives lists of books, newspapers, reading devices that I see on my commute on the 6 and A trains. Positives include sociological interest. Negatives include boredom for my readers, and awkward prying moments for me on the train.

2. A series of surreptitiously shot photographs of riders on the subway. I would do this by pulling my arms into the body of my trench coat so the sleeves hang down limblessly and then point and shoot through a small gap in the jacket somewhere north of my privates. Positives include Walker Evans revisited. Negatives include distinct possibility of misinterpretation of form or intent resulting in loud and unruly accusations of being a garden variety pervert, and/or being busted by NYPD for illegally photographing locations deemed extremely sensitive by homeland security.

3. Some other stuff. Positives include the element of surprise. Negatives include the necessity of original thought.

Perhaps more potential blog posts will come to me, and I'll blog about them, in due course. But one never knows if I will or if I won't. Probably what keeps you coming back to this site. The sheer unexpectedness and delight in variety; that, or simply a few moments to kill in your lives and this address for whatever reason left in your browser's history.

File under "baseball", "political activism"

Glory thought, that strange and particular grace a man's body seems never to forget. Scooping up grounders and throwing sidearm. When her brothers were at home, even Jack would play baseball. That may have been why they were all so taken up with it. Even Jack would be drawn into arguments about records and statistics. He would sit around the radio with the rest of them to listen to the games. And sometimes when he played on a team he would make a beautiful catch or lay down a perfect bunt, exactly sufficient to circumstance as he never was elsewhere, and there would be a general happiness that included him, for a little while at least. She had forgotten all that....He put the mitt on his hand and popped the ball into the pocket with the flick of his wrist. That ancient gesture.

--Marilynne Robinson, Home


Marilynne Robinson and Phil Rizzuto are basically my dream team of basball announcers. Enough of ESPN idiots and John Sterling, the fool! Yes, we get it - you can't predict baseball.

Chant with me, if you will:

What do we want?! The slow food school of baseball analysis!
When do we want it?! Within our lifetimes, ideally, but if not our own, perhaps our children's children's!

Transcript No. 1

Following the Jets/Dolphins game on line, I decided to jump into the conversation! I've cut and pasted the relevant bit. You need to read from the bottom up. I'm afraid the formatting's been lost in the transfer, but you will see the name, the time of comment, a 'Report Violation' option under the name, and then the comments themselves.

What fun!

**************************************


Miami 17, NY Jets 12
GameCastBox Score Play-By-Play Drive Chart Photos RealTime Conversation
1 2 3 4 T
MIA (2-4)
0 3 14 17
NYJ (4-3)
0 3 9 12

3rd Qtr 3:26
CBS
1:00 PM ET
November 1, 2009
Giants Stadium,
East Rutherford, NJ
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

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Member comments together with Member Names may be used on TV and other ESPN media platforms.
• Comments (505-554)


21numbers (11/1/2009 at 3:07 PM)
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screw you Dupre

JOE777COOL (11/1/2009 at 3:07 PM)
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Sierra1250 (11/1/2009 at 3:03 PM) Report Violation Well boston, we don't have to worry about your sorry Red sucks do we.
===========
hahahahahahahaaha
"red sucks"
hahahahahahahahah a
how whitty and original, never ever heard that one before!

iceman_419 (11/1/2009 at 3:07 PM)
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I hope Bess dies on his way home tonight...that #### piece of ####...

goodgodgodisgood (11/1/2009 at 3:07 PM)
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wow

goodgodgodisgood (11/1/2009 at 3:07 PM)
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Very costly mistake.

iceman_419 (11/1/2009 at 3:06 PM)
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Thanks Bess I'm glad you care more about the beach than winning football games. You pathetic cokc sucking piece of ####...

XELOR01 (11/1/2009 at 3:05 PM)
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Dirty Sanchez..lmao

marlin7137 (11/1/2009 at 3:05 PM)
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and here we go !!!!!!!!!!!!! woww!!!

masc24 (11/1/2009 at 3:05 PM)
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god dammit, we cant put teams away...

SheridanDupre (11/1/2009 at 3:05 PM)
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Haha Joe777Cool, I DO like special teams!
Hey, you guys know what’s a good book for when the game is over? Marilynne Robinson’s HOME. Surely you’ve read her earlier stuff, and this won’t disappoint. It’s very moving about the strong bonds and peculiar burdens of family.

JOE777COOL (11/1/2009 at 3:05 PM)
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wow..... if you like special teams scoring this is your game

lilfab18 (11/1/2009 at 3:04 PM)
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wow bess has really struggled today

iceman_419 (11/1/2009 at 3:04 PM)
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I changed my feeling about Ginn after I saw the picture in SI of him stopping the TD. That was one of the worst officiated games in NFL History. Ball bounces out of the endzone from the 2 yet it's a freaking TD.
Watch out for the fake punt Miami!

BrentS007 (11/1/2009 at 3:04 PM)
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Yes.

masc24 (11/1/2009 at 3:04 PM)
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iceman, are you stupid? greene didnt throw and int, he fumbled it. And there was no wild cat either.

bk8282 (11/1/2009 at 3:04 PM)
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I still hate ginn

SupaMarlin (11/1/2009 at 3:04 PM)
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I'm a Phins fan and a realist, this is a rivalry game and no cheering from me until the clock reads 0:00 and the Phins are the winners because a break COULD go back to the paper airplanes and the Phins would be back on their heels.....

21numbers (11/1/2009 at 3:04 PM)
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oh my god

SheridanDupre (11/1/2009 at 3:03 PM)
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@ rickrizzle – What writers do you like?

myers1919 (11/1/2009 at 3:03 PM)
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the fins are slowly but surely climbing the ranks within the east and they will sneak into the playoffs even if the pats take the title....the only thing for certain is that sanchez and the jets will be watching the post season from home.

masc24 (11/1/2009 at 3:03 PM)
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2nd missed int of the day...

rickrizzle (11/1/2009 at 3:03 PM)
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haha..where are all those Ginn haters at now?? haha

lilfab18 (11/1/2009 at 3:03 PM)
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Jets are not going to be able to come back with this offense

SheridanDupre (11/1/2009 at 3:02 PM)
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Personally I prefer his novels to his short stories, and I think the novels written in English the best of all.

iceman_419 (11/1/2009 at 3:02 PM)
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Were the Jets running the wildcat when greene threw the int?

centurionelite23 (11/1/2009 at 3:02 PM)
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Go Fins!
Glad to see Ginn finally do something and the D step up. LOL @ all the Jets fans booing Sanchez, where is your savior now?

marlin7137 (11/1/2009 at 3:01 PM)
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for real i almost cried for the way they gave away the no game lol

SheridanDupre (11/1/2009 at 3:01 PM)
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What do you guys think of Nabokov?

MYBOSOX1 (11/1/2009 at 3:00 PM)
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I love the look on Ryan's fat face, After that T.D.
PRICELESS !

PUMAPLAYER420 (11/1/2009 at 3:00 PM)
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GO JETS

eckesg1 (11/1/2009 at 3:00 PM)
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masc
Not quite yet

iceman_419 (11/1/2009 at 3:00 PM)
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Don't celebrate yet lilrichard. Miami has a way of giving away games. Lets see if this D can be consistent.

NYanksfan1010 (11/1/2009 at 3:00 PM)
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wow really a touchdown off of a fumble recovery. ####!

eckesg1 (11/1/2009 at 2:59 PM)
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MyBOsox
WHat do you have against New York?
If you root against the Yanks, you root against the Giants, not the Jets

File under, "That Explains It!"

Can I be blamed? Can I be held accountable for who I am, for the decisions I make, for the clothes I wear, when you look, now, here, with me, at how I was dressed as a child?!?

Note, dear reader, that the year of this photo is not 18 fucking 78. And note, dear reader, that it is not Halloween. This is how my parents dressed me circa 1978, when the rest of kids were wearing corduroys and listening to disco. I was dressed like Oscar Wilde and Lord Douglass's adopted son.

I think, if you're honest, you will look at this photo and give me some leeway.