The peace we experience in the presence of a ruin comes from the resolution of the tension between two moments in time: “the past with its destinies and transformations has been gathered into this instant of an aesthetically perceptible present.”  All the uncertainties of change in time and the tragedy of loss associated with the […]

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I’d never vote for Rudy, but I don’t care if his ex-driver has mob ties. Organized crime can move mountains inside the Oval Office, sometimes for good and sometimes for EEEEEEEEEEEvil (ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaa!). It happens every day. If it bothers you that much I’d advise a sit-down with a shrink or a […]

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I could spend all day on an escalator.

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I spent many afternoons walking the entire length of Manhattan, top to bottom, financial district to Harlem. You can do it if you move quickly. You can do it if you’re unemployed.

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People think that down the line, some alternative fuel source will come onto the market to safeguard another hundred years of car culture. I hope they are wrong, because an “eco-friendly” fuel source would ultimately mean more roads, more sprawl, more global trade and its attendant horrors.
To hell with the automobile. Bring […]

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Some neutral sounding aliases for aspiring MCs: “Filtered,” “Cheap,” “Sane,” “Predictable,” “Filmstrip,” “Pallet,” “Horse,” “Boxcar,” “Gold Standard,” “Despot,” “Prosthetic,” “Benefits,” “Co-Pay,” “Rigor,” “Chair,” “Here N’ Now,” “Fillibuster.”

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So Hulk Hogan’s wife has filed for divorce. The icon of our Reagan-era, global hegemony has completed his transformation to fully fledged anti-hero. Fitting. Also frightening.

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You can’t win with the elderly. If I wave at old ladies as I jog past them, they scowl at me for invading their privacy. If I ignore them, they scowl at me for being rude. These people don’t know what the hell they want, and trying to find out can leave you with high […]

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I hesitate to say this on a blog, because if enough people copied my idea, it could easily cause an ecological crisis. But we only get about 100 hits a month anyways…
If I were really hungry, I would get a deep bucket and head to the nearest pond. Because I know that come […]

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Texans have a poetic understanding of mortality (at least they do in No Country for Old Men) while NPR does not. And for the record, I’ve maxed out my credit line several times over, and I’m still in a dark, dark mood.

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NPR reports that “the mood of U.S. consumers is darkening.”
Are you not maxing out your credit cards?
Hmmm…you must be in a dark mood!

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The chief executive at TEXTRON, located right downtown, could sign bills more efficiently than the governor. If you’re committed, Carcieri, go all the way. Find work in the private sector yourself if you like it so much.

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When Cisco runs for governor in ‘12 (not sure if that nickname’ll gain much traction) he should agree to endorse Buddy for mayor in exchange for some AM stroking. That’s how it happens. Or at least that’s how I want it to happen. If Buddy sits out the mayoral race (highly unlikely) Cisco better endorse […]

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When Cicilline was running for mayor the first time, in the “Plunder Dome” days, he really played up Buddy Cianci’s alleged misconduct.  “These have been dark days for Providence,” he would say.  His administration charged into office with a missionary sense of self-importance.  Among his staff, the name Cianci was strictly, tacitly verboten. 
That was a dumb way to go in.  He probably would […]

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Buddy’s on the front page of the Globe today. Very flattering piece. God bless sister cities. God bless regional pride in Southern New England. Sister cities and regional pride will hold chaos at bay. Forever. Forever. Forever.

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