We're all influenced by corporate giants

I don't know what the economic term is for what I'm trying to say - I just searched briefly on Wikipedia and have come up with nothing - but today, I played a part in the sad financial portrait of the common man when I bought a Dunkin Donuts coffee at Stop and Shop.

This was the first time I've done this, and I detest the idea that Dunkin' Donuts stores are proliferating like mushrooms in my backyard. There are Dunkin' Donuts stores, not only in Stop and Stop, but also in Home Depot. Not to mention D and D stores exist about every two miles, closer than that in some towns.

But I didn't have a coffee with breakfast this morning, and I was craving one. I was grocery shopping with both kids by myself, and was seeking a quick source of pleasure.

The coffee tasted good, but I'm embarrassed to admit having made the purchase in the first place. It's another example of how places like CVS, Stop and Stop, and Dunkin' Donuts - which on are on every corner here in New England - govern our actions and behavior.

Turning on the heat

I'm personally determined to not turn on the heat in our house until October. Today's Sept. 21, and last night and the night before were chilly, quite chilly.

(The thermostat upstairs dipped to 58 degrees both nights.)

We sent the kids to bed wearing layers and everyone slept until 7 a.m., which is later than usual. We broke out extra blankets for everyone's beds.

We have about 3/4 of a tank of oil. It would be nice to not need oil until November, maybe even December. Unfortunately, we're on Automatic Delivery, so I have a feeling the oil company will come when they're scheduled to come. Also, it will get colder soon. I don't think we'd be classified as good parents if the inside temperature dropped to the 40s - that's cold!

The good thing is, today was warm, the outside temperature reaching the upper 70s, and the thermometer got up to 68 degrees upstairs, plenty warm. We closed the windows to seal in the heat after the kids' naps this afternoon. Yesterday, we did not take advantage of the warm daytime temperatures.

It will be a slight defeat when we have to turn on the heat - which we will only do upstairs, for naps and sleeping times. Let's hope for some warm nighttime temperatures!

Last game at Yankee Stadium

I'm watching the last game at Yankee Stadium tonight (Damn, Damon just hit a homerun) because:

1. It's a sad thing for Yankees fans and I like to see Yankees fans sad.

2. If they lose, they will not make the playoffs, and it would be great to see the Yankees clinch their "tragic number" on their home field, playing for the last time there. (Red Sox already won today.)

3. I'm a little intrigued about all the attention that is made of Yankee Stadium, given that it is the pit that it is.

I have been to Yankee Stadium twice this year, and the visits have confirmed for me that the place lacks charm, character, a general feeling of safety, a location in an actual neighborhood, and the excellent close-to-the-field seats and sightlines that Fenway has.

The monstrous, concrete structure that is being built beside Yankee Stadium looks just like the current facility. Looks like not much will change next year for the Yankees when they play home games - they'll be in another uninspiring, soulless excuse for a ballpark.

I'm sorry, was that mean?

St. Eligius

It may sound a little odd, but for a while now, I've occasionally watched reruns of "St. Elsewhere", the 80s hospital drama set in Boston, online when there is nothing else to watch on TV, which is pretty common, or when I don't feel like reading at night. I got into this show when I was home on winter break during college, and I rediscovered it online earlier this year. Bravo at one time ran the reruns, but doesn't currently.

St. Elsewhere - even in its drab 80s technicolor - blows the doors off most TV dramas nowadays. It was very intelligently written, it casted its actors incredibly well, and apparently it was among the first programs to offer multiple story lines at a brisk pace. It gave Howie Mandel and Denzel Washington their start on prime time television, and other actors won Emmys for their work on the show, including Ed Flanders, who played the chief of staff. Of course, it never was ranked highly in Neilsen ratings like a lot of smart, well-written shows, because it wasn't stupid and catered to an educated demographic, but NBC still kept it on the air for six years, anyway.

The final episode goes down in TV fame as one of the best series finales ever.

Seriously, if you watch one show, I bet you'll get hooked.

www.fancast.com/tv/St.-Elsewhere/91984/watch-videos

Our Staycation - my Courant article

I know I just blasted the Hartford Courant on this blog not too long ago, but, still, it's the highest circulating, and, sadly, the best newspaper around here.

Anyway, editors there published a piece of mine this morning. It's about a recent daytrip we took - designed to not spend money by staying in the state.

But, in the end, we could have gone to the beach in Rhode Island for less!

Enjoy,

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/hc-plcpolochanin0810.artaug10,0,2617088.story

Best Movies

I am not a movie buff. I tend to watch the same ones over and over again. So this list may be a little askew, but that's okay.

Here is my top 10 list of all-time best movies. Don't laugh. I'm not even sure I know 10 movies.


10. Stand By Me

9. My Life

8. The American President

7. Leaving Las Vegas

6. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

5. National Lampoon's Vacation (the first one)

4. Stripes

3. Back to School

2. The Fugitive

1. What About Bob?


Almost made the list: Revenge of the Nerds, WarGames, Fatal Attraction. Halloween (the first one), Grease, First Blood, Rocky IV, Mr. Mom)

Suburbia

Many moons ago, and by this I mean 11 or 12 years ago (I'm pretty sure 11), as a reporter I covered an author at Roger Williams University who spoke about the death of suburbia. The title of James Howard Kunstler's speech was something like, "Will Suburbia Survive?" and it was an enjoyable hour listening to this guy go off against strip malls, poor land use, and typical suburban development.

I recently read a piece by Kunstler (tough name to keep writing) that ran in the Washington Post and noticed that he was also on the Colbert Report on Comedy Central. The interview wasn't too exciting, but the Post piece was really good.

If you're interested about how the oil industry and numerous errors in suburban development will affect the future - or what Kunstler believes, anyway - check out this link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/23/AR2008052302456.html