A Faint Ghost of Thursdays Past

That echo of halcyon bygone days must be the Thursday Three, reasonably to be expected to return for the first time in more than two years. El Possumo Grande has not-blogged a not-Thursday Baker's three:

1. What one person are you most thankful for this year?

Other than, of course, my wonderfully perfect and well behaved family, I'm probably most thankful for the new VP around here, whose complete and utter disregard for "how we do things around here" got me out of a bad work situation into a much, much better situation.

2. What one thing are you most thankful for this year?

This is going to be very work-centric, but probably the new media management system we're installing. It's given me a tool to learn, and an opportunity to demonstrate both expertise and leadership on an initiative that I think will dramatically change this organization. It's totally change my attitude towards my job - I'm interested in it again.

3. What one event are you most thankful for this year?

To round it out, I'll stick with work. The social media conference I went to in July was directly responsible for my shift to my new job.

BONUS: 4. So, how’s it going? How’ve you been lately?
Still trying to shake the various ailments - lingering cough, etc. Busy as can be, but mentally a lot closer to stable since the change.

T3 Potpourri

Last of the season, apparently.



1) If you could hang out with a famous living person for a day, who would it be, and why?

I guess Mark Knopfler would be my pick of the "celeb" world - he seems like a decent guy, and maybe in the course of a day he could teach me to play guitar like him. I'm not terribly good at this kind of question, partly because I feel guilty for not picking a Torah scholar or something. Some parts of my schooling are hard to shake off.



2) What sort of plans do you have for summer vacation?

Lots of family weddings, none of which are actually involving kosher food or simple Shabbat arrangements. No big plans otherwise.



3) Blake or Jordin?

Blake? Or Jordin? I'll pick Blake - definite Hall of Fame candidate, and Jordin's a third line player at best.

MOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!

I must be feeling better if I can handle a Thursday Three.



1) What three things do you think are (or were) your mom's best characteristics?.



She is remarkably generous with her time; she's talented at a number of things including sewing and baking; you can have an extremely intelligent conversation with her on most things.



2) And although we're trying to honor Mom, we still have to know--what is one thing she does (or used to do) that drives you absolutely insane?.



To quote Daffy Duck in Birth of a Notion, "You're a Slovenly Housekeeper." 'Nuff said..



3) If your mom is still in circulation, do you have any plans to do anything special for her this weekend?.



No - we never seem to make a big deal about it. Maybe if I'm up to it we'll take a trip to Brooklyn to say hi.

T3 - Homesteadin'

In the interests of not gumming up the works, I am dispensing with the extended posts for now. Perhaps they'll return when I feel like trying to fix the &^%$# thing.



Irregardless.



1. Do you still live in the town where you grew up? If not, what do you miss the most? If so, what has changed the most?



No, though Brooklyn to Long Island is not the greatest stretch (or culture shock) in the world. I don't actually miss a ton about Brooklyn. The Jewish parts have become "black", which in my world means hat. The more right-wing orthodox have spread throughout, and I really don't care much for the NY yeshiva-world type of neighborhood. Everybody knows everybody else's business, and you have to be as frum as your neighbors, and I really don't have a lot of time for ignorant narrowminded busybodies. That's what relatives are for.



I do have fond memories of the park near my parent's house, and it reminds me of home when I'm nearby.



2. Does your family still own the house you grew up in? Either way, what was it like the last time you saw it?



Oh yeah. My folks have been in that house nearly 40 years (which, not at all coincidentally, is nearly my brother's age.) They will probably never move, unless the neighbor they share a driveway with moves out. My dad sharing a driveway is a nuclear meltdown waiting to happen, and that's one of the few things I can see shaking them out of the neighborhood.



The house itself is a wreckage, but that has a lot to do with my mom. [ed. The rest will be removed for therapeutic purposes. This is a long-running psychological issue - you decide on who's part.]



3. What is the biggest change in the last 5 years where you live now?



Since we've been there five years, I guess I can actually answer this. I don't actually think a ton has changed. Obviously it has for us personally as the kids have grown, but the neighborhood is largely the same. Since we like it this way, that's a good thing.



I guess the one thing I'd note is that our particular street has gotten very popular - since we moved in 5 years ago I think 13 or 14 other orthodox families moved on the block, including oldest's best friend who moved from the other side of town. It's nice to be popular.

Hurry Up! It's T3!

I'm a comin', I'm a comin' - keep your shirt on.



1. What are you supposed to be doing RIGHT NOW? (Aside from answering these questions, of course.)



I'm supposed to be figuring out what I'm supposed to be doing. I have plenty of stuff I'm supposed to get done, but I can't remember any of it.



2. How long is it going to take you?



Long enough to answer this and get some breakfast, which I always do at work.



3. What do you have to do after that?



I get to reprise my role as hand model for the A/V guys. Last time with Purell, this time with actual soap and water. Presumably for those benighted souls who can't use jelled alcohol.

T3 - Ya can't get there from here

But you can play T3 if you're stuck in traffic.



1) If you only had one hour to show a visitor something interesting in your hometown, where would you go?



Depends on what you mean by my hometown. Out here on Lawn Guyland, I might take them to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale. Despite its proximity to the home of the despicable NY Islanders, the museum would be a good introduction to the critical role Long Island played in the development of Aviation. Numerous aviation companies were based out here (Grumman, Republic, Sperry), and a lot of critical events happened out here. If my hometown means NY/Brooklyn, you could spend an hour on almost anything. A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge would be a nice start, and then you could wander anywhere.



2) If you then had to find that friend a great place for a quick bite to eat, where would you go?



Many years ago I would have taken them to the late, lamented Shmulka Bernstein's deli on the Lower East Side. It was THE kosher (NOT kosher style, where they treyf up food by adding nonkosher ingredients) deli/Chinese food place, the food was good & fast & sorta cheap, and the atmosphere was unbeatable. The place closed down years ago, and I still get sad thinking about it. Today I might suggest Mr. Broadway, which is along the same lines, but not as good and can't figure out what kind of restaurant they are.



3) Now that you’ve entertained them and fed your friend, it’s time to send him on his way. You’re not sure which way he’s going, but he’s got a fast red convertible, and you want him to see something nice as he drives. What route from your home to someplace else, either to the north, south, east, or west would you recommend to him as the most scenic drive?



For scenic I'd send them up the Taconic Parkway to the North through Westchester and up to Albany and points north. The other route that's not bad once you get up into Connecticut is the Merritt Parkway, which has some nice stretches. Don't use either if you're in a hurry or you don't like curvy roads, I'd find another road.

Thurs...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

I'm awake! I'm awake! No I'm not.



1. Do you sleep on a feather pillow or foam?


Feather. In fact, I sleep on a pillow that's probably older than I am. Mrs. thinks it's hideous, but it is as mushable as a minutes old-marshmallow, and I actually take it with me on trips to sleep on. The underpillow is also feather, but much newer.


2. Do you like a firm or soft mattress—or other if you're an old hippie?


I'm not actually sure - I used to love a firm mattress, but increasingly I keep waking up with aches in various places. I can't tell if it's the pillow-top mattress, the way I twist & turn in my sleep, or that the mattress is now several years old.



3. Do you keep it cold and sleep under lots of cover, or hot and only a sheet?

I'm always hot, though I adjust to temperature well. Mrs. is always cold. I've managed to avoid the humongoid eight-foot thick down comforter only because we now have heated mattress pads - she keeps hers on "inferno" and mine is usually on "gentle warm breeze." In the summer time, mine is off completely.

Thursday Three, Antipodean Style

Many thanks to Kitchen Hand for hosting this week. I've had a hankering to visit Down Under, and now I can do it without flying 29 hours.



1) Here, it is the first day of autumn - Wednesday 1st of March. However, in some parts of the world, the new seasons do not arrive until the 19th of the month, or later; due to large cattle breeds called solstices and equinoxes that issue huge amounts of methane, which increases global warming and makes the seasons run late. Question: what is your favourite season, and why?



Early spring, which is increasingly in short supply around here - we get a few weeks of really pleasant, 65-70 degree temps (that would be 18-21 degrees for those of you in the Celsius/Centigrade part of the universe). It's usually a fairly quick turnaround from there to Bloody Hot & Humid, so I enjoy the brief respite of no jacket, no AC weather.



2) When you started your weblog, did you deliberate over whether to choose a nom-de-blog or use your real identity? What swayed you either way?



No deliberation at all - I went directly to nom-de-blog. I have a New Yorker's inbred paranoia about people knowing too much about me. Heck, my wife doesn't even know my last name. The only downside is I've chosen to use the name that covers most of my email addresses and other online names. It's increasing the odds that someone who actually knows me will stumble across me and I will be outed. But living on the knife edge is just how I roll, homey.



3) Discussing religion, politics or sex has always been impolite at cocktail parties, because of the risk of embarrassing face-to-face arguments. However, this is not a cocktail party, but a blog. And since the whole point of a blog is to have robust discussions, make a comment on the first thing that comes to your mind about religion, politics or sex. Pour yourself a martini first, if it helps. Don't forget the olive.




Try not to have sex with a minister who is also a congressman.

What's so funny about Thursday Three?

What, I'm here to make you laugh? I'm here to amuse you? What is so ^%$%#@ funny about me?

1) Who is the funniest person you know personally in real life?

I would say my brother is probably the funniest person I know personally. He's extremely clever, and it mostly manifests itself with projects like his Mishloach Manot. As I said yesterday, I have a great idea for this year, but it can't hold a candle to his work.

2) Who is your favorite comedian (living, dead, or both)?

I never really thought about having a favorite comedian, but I guess if it's anyone, Bill Cosby takes the nod. If we extend it to musical comedy there are any number of choices - Spike Jones, Weird Al Yankovic, etc.

3) Which type of comedy do you find most humorous?

I think clever speech makes me laugh the most - probably why I like Gilbert & Sullivan so much, as word play is critical to making it work. A good pun always works for me. I can do without dirty/scatological humor, and I've never been a big fan of slapstick.

Thursday Three Admixture

1) What is the last product you recommended to a friend?

Probably the database program I use for archives work, which I have recommended repeatedly for its ease of use. I also recommended switching hosts to the Board of a local Archives group (I serve as webmaster) and they finally agreed to do it this week. Besides saving us more than $300 a year, there's a lot more I can do with the new host.

2) What is your favorite section of the grocery store?

I think I agree with Steevil that it's all of them, with the exception of the paper goods/cleaning products/pet supply areas. Ice cream and cookie sections are always fun.

3) Joe Biden--lunatic, or idiot?

What about bigot? Oh, right, white liberals can't be bigots or racists.

Thursday Three - How weird

Weird is my specialty, so I really ought to play. And it's even still Thursday!

1) Do you have any peculiar rules about the foods you eat? Not stuff like religious dietary restrictions, but stuff like having to have the crusts cut off your PB&J sandwiches, not having the peas touching the carrots, having to eat foods in a particular order--stuff like that.

I'm glad you clarified - my life is full of religious dietary restrictions. I wasn't even going to play today until Sarah's post mentioned mushrooms. Which reminds me that I posted a while back that I may be the only person on the planet who loves mushroom barley soup, but won't eat the mushrooms. Tomatoes remain the devil's fruit as far as I'm concerned, though I eat more tomato products than I used to.

2) What about your personal grooming? Do you have a particular way of brushing your teeth? Do you have to always put on your left sock and shoe, then the right? Tell us please!

There is actually a Jewish way of putting on shoes which I've forgotten - something about right foot first, then left, then tie the left, then tie the right. I don't follow it personally, so I may have it wrong. On the grooming end, for whatever reason I always shave my neck first, then chin, then right side, then left. I don't know if it's weird, but it is my routine.

3) Have you ever embarrassed yourself with the public display of any of your peculiar habits? Details appreciated, of course!

Not that I can think of. I have made a spectacle of myself during shaving on a few occasions. There are a few periods of mourning for Jews (including the Three Weeks I have talked about before) when men don't shave if possible. Work rules mean I do shave now during them, but in ages past when I had no job I would let my facial hair grow. At the end of those periods, I used to shave different sorts of ways and go show my mother (and at least one girlfriend, as I recall) the results. Mutton Chops, goatees, one half of my face at a time. I found it amusing to demonstrate my temporary facial coiffures, but I don't know if they did.

UPDATE: And I just remembered - I cannot stand the feel of frosted glass. A number of people I know have these little cups they serve out the kiddush wine in on shabbos that are made from frosted glass. Just the thought of it gives me the heeby-jeebies, like fingernails on a blackboard. Matter of fact, just last week at lunch I switched drinking glasses with one of the kids because I had gotten one that was frosted. Nobody said anything, so either they just let it pass or I snuck it in under their notice.

Thursday Three, grumpy edition

focuses on the grand gatherings of our time - trade shows. The grumpy part is mine and not everyone else's, and is based on yet another pointless meeting. I understand that's repetitive, but in this case it's appropriate.

Regardless...

1) What do you think is the most significant product introduced at the Consumer Electronic Show?

Digital dental floss, clearly. Revolutionizing the War on Tooth Decay.

2) What is the biggest surprise of the Detroit Auto Show?

Oddly enough, none of the, ummmm, "floor hostesses" have PhDs in Biochemical Engineering.

3) What one thing are you most excited about at the Farm Show?

Hmmm. Not going?

How Late

Can one post a Thursday Three? Let's find out. (I realize I could date it yesterday and no one would be the wiser, but it's not really in the spirit of things.)

1) What new thing would you like to attempt in the New Year?

Like many of the others I too would love to learn to play an instrument. Having gone through the process badly as an eight year old with a clarinet, I'm a little wary. My dad is a musician by profession, so I have a bit to live up to. In reality I probably won't do it this year, so a more realistic goal is to learn to puckhandle better than I do now.

2) What one new thing do you really, REALLY need (not want, but truly need) to have?

A discount on yeshiva tuition, and a much more generous raise than I finally beat out of them last year.

3) What grungy old ramshackle thing do you have that you should replace with something shiny and new but just can’t bring yourself to make the switch?

Probably the middle ear bone in my left ear that's not working right. Getting it put in would require surgery, and I have many, many issues with medicine and medical procedures.

Brother Jim

has proposed a T3-mini edition, to be run on Friday instead. So we're all screwed up, but it's a short week anyway, so play if you want to:

What is the best/worst thing about the first day back after a holiday?

Well, as I have said earlier in the week, if it's a week between holidays, the best part for me is no traffic and lots of parking. I've even risked taking the highway to & from work this week, which I would never do under normal circumstances. If there's no traffic, it's always faster. It's just that normally, there's never no traffic.

If it's a one-off holiday, I sometimes find the worst part being confused. I'm not sure what day it is (I think it's Monday since I just had a day off, but it's really Tuesday), and I have no memory of what I was doing when I was last in the office. I can usually live with the confusion, but it makes it even harder to get the week started than normal.

Creaky old T3

For many, many reasons the last 10 days have been quite hideous. T3 represents quite a departure from that, which should give you some idea of how ornery I'm feeling.

1) What sorts of things will you be doing this year to bring the year to a close? Any special traditions or such that signal the end of the old? Parties, football games, airing of grievances, Twister?

Based on the last two weeks, beating my head against a wall. Certainly I've been doing that metaphorically, now it's just a question if I do it literally or not. New Year's eve of the secular sort has never meant much for me as a rule, so I don't expect to do much. the 31st is oldest child's birthday, so there may be associated cake type things.

2) What are you most looking forward to in the new year?

I had been hoping for some financial reward from the employer, but that seems to have hit red tape of the unpleasant kind. A month ago I might have said the implementation and conclusion of a large project at work, but since I have doubts that we'll get started, much less finished in 2007. Do I sound cranky at all?

3) And since we missed talking about such things at the end of last month, what things that came your way in 2006 were you most thankful for?

Certainly the new car was cheer-inducing, and as always the continued good health & well being of my family is always something I'm grateful for.

T3

I rouse myself from several crises involving a Board of Trustee meeting this evening and a number of electron-related failures. Plus a few actual human screwups. Making this week's Potpourri a perfectly tuned timewaster critical thought processing exercise.

1) Have you ever been removed from a public conveyance for breaking rules regarding passenger behavior, such as Miss Windybritches on the DC-Dallas flight?

Not that anyone told me.

2) What is the latest movie you've seen (theater, broadcast, or video) and how did you like it?

High Fidelity with John Cusack. Not bad on the whole, but somehow missing something.

3) What is your favorite soft drink?

As a general rule I avoid them, but when I do indulge (responsibly, of course) I would trade most liquids for a Dr. Brown's Cream Soda (scroll to the bottom). Nectar of various pantheistic deities, at least when a Corned Beef sandwich is involved. Please note that half-sour pickles are an invention and tool of the devil.

And since these are all so pitiful, we'll even throw in an extra question that you can use as a substitute or as a bonus question--

4) Who do you consider to be the worst United States President in your lifetime?
I will join the herd and vote for Jimmuh Cracked Brain. Treasonous, poisonous, ignorant, biased in the extreme, and unable to keep his mouth shut. Hands down winner, despite my deep distaste for WJ Clinton.

Wednesday Wun

Terry stole my first answer, but I think I may have another.

What do you think other people aren’t thankful enough for?

Other than the greatness of where they live, as Terry wrote about so nicely, I think people need to be more thankful for what they have and less concerned about what's missing. All of us, myself included, wish too often for more or different than what we have. A better car, more money, power, whatever. We're so busy looking at the pieces that aren't quite as we would like them that we fail to acknowledge the wonderful things we do have.

It's natural to be jealous or wistful of the things we don't have, and it's not a bad thing to have dreams of better things. But we all need to remind ourselves now and then that for most of us, what we have is pretty darned good.

T3 - Watch the hands, huh?

1) Who is your most favorite puppet character (and no, it doesn’t have to be a Muppet), and why?

You want me to pick just one? Impossible. Longtime muppet fandom runs in my family, and I'd be hard pressed to choose a favorite. For simplicity's sake, I'll go with Animal just because, and Rowlf, who is my dad turned into a muppet.

And I've always had a soft spot for Crazy Harry.

2) Did you have a favorite puppet that you owned as a child?

We had a Cookie Monster hand puppet that I loved. I think it's still around at my mom's house somewhere

3) Do you ever engage in puppetry?

Again with the personal questions? Of course I do - every chance I get.

Politics Politics Politics

as Comicus once noted. It got him is some hot water as I recall.

Regardless, here comes T3:

1) Now that the balance of power in the House and Senate has changed (due in large part to Democratic Party gains brought about by running more centrist candidates than they have in the past), will they surprise everyone and purge their fringe elements and actually try to lead from the center, or will they continue to pander to the tinfoil-hat folks with impeachment/frog marches and putting all the filthy Christianists into reeducation camps?

There will be no purge. As is often the case, it's harder to lead than to sit in the back shooting spitwads at the party in power. My prediction is largely business as usual - meaningless legislation will be trumpeted, actual work will be minimal, and every spending bill will have pet appropriations attached. Two significant things will be when the hard left starts screaming at the Dems for not going far enough, and any potential Supreme Court nomination, which has likely tremendous impact on the future of the nation, far more than the Missouri River Amoeba Protection and Defense Act.

2) When you cast your ballot, do you do so with at least some desire in the back of your mind to make a decision that the international community would be pleased with?

I could give a rat's tuchus about what the international community wants. It ain't their country, and they can build their own ^&%$# democracy if they don't like ours.

3) Now that this little exercise has passed, everyone is now ready to talk about the REAL race, that of President in ’08. Who’s it going to be?

Hillary will run - she has no better shot than now. I believe she's too polarizing to win, and I pray she does not win. The usual collection of midgets and buffoons will parade by, and my guess is Hillary vs. Romney.

T3 - It's getting dark out earlier

Ah, the fall. And the T3 changes colors as the seasons move along:

1. Do you have any food or plant allergies that kick in this time of year?

No allergies of any kind, happily. Our neighbor's kid is allergic to everything all year long (or so it seems) and I'm grateful we seem to have escaped it.

2. Is there anything in the food or plant realm that you might not be allergic to, but that you dread seeing during the fall anyway?

Politicians. Most of them have the mental capacity of plants, and it always gets worse this time of year.

3. Setting aside your discomfort for just a moment, what are some of your favorite fall things?

Believe it or not, cooler weather. I enjoy crisp weather with a chill in the air, though it's a very thin line between "crisp" and "$#%@ it's cold." And hot chocolate, which I enjoy year-round, becomes more socially acceptable.