Bienvenidos a bordo, or, Welcome aboard, Mexico, and thanks for reading Steve's Blog! (OK, so, I'm only getting one pageview so far, but Mr. or Ms.Reader, tell all your amigos that this is the best, OK, ONE OF THE BEST blogs on the internet, at least in my humble opinion.)
I have been to Mexico once, but I'm not ruling out a return visit, maybe not any time soon, but some time down the road. I'm not going to say anything to offend my new readership, hey, I need all the readers I can get, but, seriously, you really got to do something about "Montezuma's revenge!" It's been all those years ago, so why don't you just let bygones be bygones and let us Yanks enjoy your otherwise beautiful country, OK?
Other than that, welcome to the blog, hermosa republica mexicana! If there's anything I can get you, I'm only a comment box away! (I'm going to be away from this blog from July 1 to July 8, sorry for the inconvenience.)
Until next time,
Adios, Buckaroos!
Steve
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
OOPS! I Did It Again!
FOX in Harrisburg is located on Channel 43, not Channel 48! I apologize to everybody at the station and to everybody out there in Readerland! MY BAD!
Steve
Steve
Meet The New Boss...Better Than The Old Boss!
Good morning, afternoon, or evening America, Russia, Germany, Denmark, Indonesia,Holland, and all the ships at sea, (Was it something I said, Canada? I noticed your name wasn't in the audience stats. I've got something nice planned for Canada Day. PLEASE come on back!) as a great man once said, let's go to press.
As longtime readers of this blog know, this very blog was inspired by two very good friends in the New York Rangers front office. As of yesterday, June 21,2013, (Happy Summer to all our Western Hemisphere readers!) Alain Vigneault is...(Pause for dramatic effect.) THE NEW HEAD COACH OF THE NEW YORK RANGERS!
Yes, friends, our long national nightmare (OK, our long REGIONAL nightmare!) is over, and contrary to rumors, the Rangers didn't ask any of their ex-players to come back and steer the ship. Monsieur Vigneault is an experienced coach with the Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks who also has experience as a player with the St. Louis Blues AND a junior hockey coach. Face it, friends, this guy knows his way around!
He's EXACTLY what the Rangers need to bring Stanley back (That's the Stanley Cup, by the way.) to his rightful home at Madison Square Garden. LET'S GO RANGERS! ALLEZ, ALLEZ,ALLEZ! (Hey, I'm nothing if not billingual!)
If you're just joining us, (And where have YOU been?) I'm planning a fantastic Fourth Of July long weekend (Five days, to be exact.) in beautiful Harrisburg, PA, and The Sweetest Place On Earth, Hershey, PA. If you've been following the news about Harrisburg proper, you may be aware that they're recovering from a fiscal crisis.As a New Yorker, I totes understand what they're going through. We've been to the bad place and back, but we've never said die. Not everything I want to see will be available, I understand that, but I have every confidence in the resillience of the people of Harrisburg and I trust the police and sheriff's deputies will protect me well. I read the Mayor's (of Harrisburg) State Of The City address, and it sounds like she has everything under control. New businesses have been coming to town, including, much to the chagrin of my trainer,Qdoba Mexican Cafe, which is owned by Jack In The Box, or, as said trainer has been
known to call it, "Crack In The Box." (At least you don't have to scream your order into a clown's head!)
I've been watching the only streaming local TV newscast from Harrisburg, courtesy of FOX 48,and I've noticed they've had live webcam footage of Times Square. Yep, THAT Times Square, as in New York, New York! I don't know what this says about the people of Harrisburg, but I DO find that ironic! Of course,
you'll hear all about my trip when I come back on July 6.
For now, friends, the blog is over. GO IN PEACE!
Steve
As longtime readers of this blog know, this very blog was inspired by two very good friends in the New York Rangers front office. As of yesterday, June 21,2013, (Happy Summer to all our Western Hemisphere readers!) Alain Vigneault is...(Pause for dramatic effect.) THE NEW HEAD COACH OF THE NEW YORK RANGERS!
Yes, friends, our long national nightmare (OK, our long REGIONAL nightmare!) is over, and contrary to rumors, the Rangers didn't ask any of their ex-players to come back and steer the ship. Monsieur Vigneault is an experienced coach with the Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks who also has experience as a player with the St. Louis Blues AND a junior hockey coach. Face it, friends, this guy knows his way around!
He's EXACTLY what the Rangers need to bring Stanley back (That's the Stanley Cup, by the way.) to his rightful home at Madison Square Garden. LET'S GO RANGERS! ALLEZ, ALLEZ,ALLEZ! (Hey, I'm nothing if not billingual!)
If you're just joining us, (And where have YOU been?) I'm planning a fantastic Fourth Of July long weekend (Five days, to be exact.) in beautiful Harrisburg, PA, and The Sweetest Place On Earth, Hershey, PA. If you've been following the news about Harrisburg proper, you may be aware that they're recovering from a fiscal crisis.As a New Yorker, I totes understand what they're going through. We've been to the bad place and back, but we've never said die. Not everything I want to see will be available, I understand that, but I have every confidence in the resillience of the people of Harrisburg and I trust the police and sheriff's deputies will protect me well. I read the Mayor's (of Harrisburg) State Of The City address, and it sounds like she has everything under control. New businesses have been coming to town, including, much to the chagrin of my trainer,Qdoba Mexican Cafe, which is owned by Jack In The Box, or, as said trainer has been
known to call it, "Crack In The Box." (At least you don't have to scream your order into a clown's head!)
I've been watching the only streaming local TV newscast from Harrisburg, courtesy of FOX 48,and I've noticed they've had live webcam footage of Times Square. Yep, THAT Times Square, as in New York, New York! I don't know what this says about the people of Harrisburg, but I DO find that ironic! Of course,
you'll hear all about my trip when I come back on July 6.
For now, friends, the blog is over. GO IN PEACE!
Steve
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Don't Stop...
First of all,welcome aboard, or "privetstyuyem vas na bortu samoleta," as they say in Russia, to all our readers in that country which has just surpassed Germany as the country outside the good old USA with the most pageviews of Ye Olde Blog, and "spasiba," or thank you, for your support!
Oooooookay, now it's time to get serious and say a few words about James Gandolfini, an actor who played many memorable characters, but none more memorable than Tony Soprano, the patriarch of the family that did for TV what the Corleones did for the movies, THE SOPRANOS. Tony wasn't a stereotypical mob boss, James brought a lot of love and humor to the character. My friend, DJ Todd Pettengill turned me on to THE SOPRANOS. Although I didn't have HBO, I got caught up with the videos and the reruns on A&E (This was back when A&E was really a classy operation and wasn't bogged down in
a million reality shows.), and although I didn't want to love it, I did. James had that kind of effect on everyone who basked in the glow of his presence, even from afar. When Mickey Mouse marked his 75th birthday ten years ago, Disney asked seventy-five celebrities to paint a sculpture of The Mick the way each of them saw him. Leave it to James "Tony Soprano" Gandolfini to turn Mickey, the quintessential Mr. Nice Mouse, into a GoodFella, but all his long-time fans, myself included, had a sense of humor about it.
Despite the inevitable claims of stereotyping from Italo-American groups, James was embraced in the Old Country, and, irony of ironies, that's where he gave the farewell performance nobody expected and everybody dreaded.
James Gandolfini left the world too soon and too abruptly, mirroring the series that made his most beloved character part of the national psyche, which ended all too abruptly when Tony ate at one of his favorite places and the jukebox played Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." The song ended in mid-lyric and the screen went black.
James was a guy who never stopped believing in his ability to make a character his own and make us care about that character. If you're trying to find somebody who WASN'T touched by Jim's ouevre, FUHGEDDABOUDIT!
Arrividerci, Tony, e grazie for the memories.
Happy Trails.
Steve
Oooooookay, now it's time to get serious and say a few words about James Gandolfini, an actor who played many memorable characters, but none more memorable than Tony Soprano, the patriarch of the family that did for TV what the Corleones did for the movies, THE SOPRANOS. Tony wasn't a stereotypical mob boss, James brought a lot of love and humor to the character. My friend, DJ Todd Pettengill turned me on to THE SOPRANOS. Although I didn't have HBO, I got caught up with the videos and the reruns on A&E (This was back when A&E was really a classy operation and wasn't bogged down in
a million reality shows.), and although I didn't want to love it, I did. James had that kind of effect on everyone who basked in the glow of his presence, even from afar. When Mickey Mouse marked his 75th birthday ten years ago, Disney asked seventy-five celebrities to paint a sculpture of The Mick the way each of them saw him. Leave it to James "Tony Soprano" Gandolfini to turn Mickey, the quintessential Mr. Nice Mouse, into a GoodFella, but all his long-time fans, myself included, had a sense of humor about it.
Despite the inevitable claims of stereotyping from Italo-American groups, James was embraced in the Old Country, and, irony of ironies, that's where he gave the farewell performance nobody expected and everybody dreaded.
James Gandolfini left the world too soon and too abruptly, mirroring the series that made his most beloved character part of the national psyche, which ended all too abruptly when Tony ate at one of his favorite places and the jukebox played Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." The song ended in mid-lyric and the screen went black.
James was a guy who never stopped believing in his ability to make a character his own and make us care about that character. If you're trying to find somebody who WASN'T touched by Jim's ouevre, FUHGEDDABOUDIT!
Arrividerci, Tony, e grazie for the memories.
Happy Trails.
Steve
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
A Tribute to Hans Christian Andersen
Denmark boasts many famous citizens, but, arguably, none moreso than Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875.) Although he was responsible for many important essays and articles, he will always be remembered for his fairy tales which haven't gone, and never will go out of style.
An only child, born to Hans and Anne Marie Andersen in Odense, Hans served as a lawyer, a banker, and a
doctor's employee before publishing "The Ghost At Palnatoke's Grave" in 1822. His famous fairy tales,including "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Ugly Duckling," and, of course, "The Little Mermaid," were published in 1835,1836,and 1837, but he didn't truly achieve success with those stories until Ariel,as The Little Mermaid would later become known,made her English-language debut in BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY. He wrote a series of travelogues beginning in 1851,and he became famous for his meetings with English author Charles Dickens.
He died of liver cancer, and his body was interred at the Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen, but as long as people tell tales of ugly ducklings who discover their inner beauty, elegant schemes that turn out to never have existed at all, princesses who prove they are really of royal lineage, and mermaids who sacrifice it all for love, Hans Christian Andersen will always be PART OF OUR WORLD.
THERE! If that doesn't get me more pageviews in Denmark, nothing else will! (Denmark brings the total of Steve's Blog countries to seven, but they still have only one stinking pageview!)
Farvel,Buckaroos!
Steve
An only child, born to Hans and Anne Marie Andersen in Odense, Hans served as a lawyer, a banker, and a
doctor's employee before publishing "The Ghost At Palnatoke's Grave" in 1822. His famous fairy tales,including "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Ugly Duckling," and, of course, "The Little Mermaid," were published in 1835,1836,and 1837, but he didn't truly achieve success with those stories until Ariel,as The Little Mermaid would later become known,made her English-language debut in BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY. He wrote a series of travelogues beginning in 1851,and he became famous for his meetings with English author Charles Dickens.
He died of liver cancer, and his body was interred at the Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen, but as long as people tell tales of ugly ducklings who discover their inner beauty, elegant schemes that turn out to never have existed at all, princesses who prove they are really of royal lineage, and mermaids who sacrifice it all for love, Hans Christian Andersen will always be PART OF OUR WORLD.
THERE! If that doesn't get me more pageviews in Denmark, nothing else will! (Denmark brings the total of Steve's Blog countries to seven, but they still have only one stinking pageview!)
Farvel,Buckaroos!
Steve
Monday, June 17, 2013
Who's Reading This?
Hello, everybody, and welcome to a special Steve's Blog that dares to ask the burning question: WHO READS THIS STUFF?
I checked my stats, and Steve's Blog is currently read in SIX COUNTRIES:
UNITED STATES 51 pageviews
NETHERLANDS 4
GERMANY 2
Canada, Indonesia, and South Korea are tied with one pageview each. You can do better than that, guys!
As for browsers:
GOOGLE CHROME 55%
MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER 21%
MOZILLA FIREFOX 16%
APPLE SAFARI 3%
As for operating systems:
WINDOWS 75%
LINUX 21%
MAC 3%
Why do Safari and Mac have so few SB readers? Don't those guys forget that the founder's name was Steve?
Thank you, America, dank je wel, Nederland, and danke Deutschland for your continued support and keep up the great work, and tell all your friends in Canada, South Korea and Indonesia, especially those on Apple, that Steve's Blog is on its way to greatness, and we're just getting started!
Bye, Buckaroos!
Steve
I checked my stats, and Steve's Blog is currently read in SIX COUNTRIES:
UNITED STATES 51 pageviews
NETHERLANDS 4
GERMANY 2
Canada, Indonesia, and South Korea are tied with one pageview each. You can do better than that, guys!
As for browsers:
GOOGLE CHROME 55%
MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER 21%
MOZILLA FIREFOX 16%
APPLE SAFARI 3%
As for operating systems:
WINDOWS 75%
LINUX 21%
MAC 3%
Why do Safari and Mac have so few SB readers? Don't those guys forget that the founder's name was Steve?
Thank you, America, dank je wel, Nederland, and danke Deutschland for your continued support and keep up the great work, and tell all your friends in Canada, South Korea and Indonesia, especially those on Apple, that Steve's Blog is on its way to greatness, and we're just getting started!
Bye, Buckaroos!
Steve
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Monkeying Around
Good morning, afternoon, and evening, dudes and dudettes, (or "dudesses", if you prefer) and welcome to another incredible edition of Steve's Blog.
As you know, I will be headed out to the Hershey-Harrisburg area of Pennsylvania on July 1st, and not only is Hershey famous for the chocolate bar invented by its namesake and founder Milton S. Hershey, (Somebody suggested he name the town St. Milton's.) but it's also famous for Hersheypark, "The Sweetest Place On Earth." Hersheypark was established by M.S. in 1905 as a place of relaxation for his employees, but as time went on, it became a major tourist destination adding the most famous rides in amusement industry history, and, bowing to pressure from Walt Disney World, (and, no doubt, anticipating what would become Six Flags Great Adventure) underwent a major renovation, which included walkabout characters (or HERSHEY(R) Product Characters, as they're officially known) modeled after Hershey's most famous chocolate brands.
When overanxious guests at WDW ask why their favorite characters talk in mime, their handlers explain that they only talk in the movies. (Except, of course, for Princesses and other human characters.) The only known
talking chocolate characters work for another company which was founded by former Hershey employee Bill Murrie and entrepeneur Forrest Mars, (Nuff said!) but that doesn't stop the Hershey characters from talking in their own special mime language.
If I may move from the sublime to the totally ridonkulous, today I went to the Empire State Building, which is celebrating its 82nd anniversary, and 80 of those years ago, filmmaker Merian C. Cooper created the saga of "King Kong," the legendary gorilla who met his end in a battle atop that legendary building. Anyone who saw that movie, or its many remakes, knows KK wasn't exactly the verbose type, communicating mostly in growls. (Remember, this was 1933, 35 years before the original Doctor Dolittle movie hit theatres, so, there wasn't a great need for humans fluent in Animalese.)
I read another blog criticizing the ESB for failing to acknowledge the Kongster's illustrious debut, so, imagine my surprise when I make it to the building museum, and whaddayaknow, there's Jungle Boy, or rather, his walkabout character, palling around with the guests, and, as I hear Mr. Cooper and Fay Wray do a combined 720 in their respective graves, TALKING WITH A HUMAN VOICE IN ENGLISH!I know many of the rights to King Kong have reverted to the public domain, but, ESB management, C'MON! You should have had your guy mime King Kong and either attempt a simianesque growl or attach a mike with a pre-recorded growl the way Peter Mayhew, the first actor to play Chewbacca, has to make the comic con portrayer of his furry alter ego sound more convincing. What you geniuses, and I use the term VERY loosely, have done is tantamount to dressing up a guy as Elmo and having him scream at an innocent family because they didn't tip him for posing in a picture! (I know, that REALLY happened, but I'm just making a point, and don't say the only point is on the top of my head. OK, you CAN say it, because, as I keep saying, I DO welcome your comments, which reminds me, the only comments I've been getting have been in emails, other than the nice comment WAAAAAAAAAY back in SB3. That comment box at the end of the blog exists for a reason, peeps!)
BTW, Kongratulations to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on kreating a kute kid. Unfortunately, Kween Kong is out of the kwestion is a name, so, as a tribute to the late great komik kreator George Karlin, you guys name her Kongolia? (Remember Congolea Breckinridge, George's advice collumnist?)
Thanks for reading the Going Bananas portion of Steve's Blog starring Steve ("Where is Sam Hennessey when you need him?") Eisenpreis. Portions of the preceding show were last seen heading over to Tokyo to talk the producers of the Godzilla remake out of a similar dumb stunt. On behalf of the management and staff, this is your announcer reminding you, you don't have to be a wild and crazy guy to write a blog, but, hey, it doesn't hurt!
Bye, Buckaroos!
Steve
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