There is something fascinating about New Yorkers, they are not the friendliest in stores and once in a while you will get absolutely shocked if one is nice to  you.  But to be fair who has time for pleasantries when you are rushing somewhere?  And to be even more fair, most New Yorkers are not real New Yorkers.  Real New Yorkers are the ones raised and born there.  They have a feel and a constant finger on the pulse of the city.  Real New Yorkers are wonderful people. It's the wannabes, the ones who come to New York with a head full of attitude and lofty dreams and goals, most of the time, never really reached.  It's those people that once faced with the harsh reality that New York is, become sour, or resentful, or just put on on an act.  You can see through them.  It's painful… but they are not the real New York.  They are wannabes.  And once in a while, you'll open a door for someone who stay long enough to leave a door open, they are taken aback, in a nice way.  Funny.

OK, what's traveling without Nick writing about ranting on watching TV?  It just cannot happen any other ways.  I always get psyched up about watching TV again and zap through a million shows, like Discovery, History and other learning channels but modern TV never fail to get disappointed.  In fact, it seems I get more disappointed each time I watch it.  Don't believe me it's getting worse?  I should know, we haven't had a TV i over 5 years.  TV is getting worse.  My friend has over a 1000 channels but there was nothing worth watching.  And if by chance you do find a show that interests you, you can be sure it will be interrupted with some mindless commercial to tear you away from your wonder.   And the quality of those commercials are so low, not fun, not aesthetic and always downplaying the competitor.  Nothing turns me off more.  What really puzzles me is why can't we have good commercials?  Is it that hard?  How difficult is it to make fun or aesthetic commercial?  Isn't the reality of life in the news bleak enough?  People want to have fun and watch TV for divertissement, not crude low vibration enticements.  How about funny ones that don't pray on inferiority feelings?  How about commercials that valorize essential good qualities in people instead of coaxing jalousie, voyeurism, etc?  How fun it would be to not have boring, repetitive car commercials ever single break, claiming amazing miles per gallon when Europe and the Asian markets have had better fuel efficient cars for decades?  It's just puzzling how advertisers and TV programmers think we must not be very intelligent.  Trust us, we can make up our minds.  I know do.  And that was all for Nick's usual TV quality rant!

Central Park has changed a lot and I am happy to see it cleaned up its act a little.  It used to be that one would have to be careful walking around in the Rambles, else they should chance on people engaging in dubious activities behind the bushes.

With renovations here and there the rambles is a much more pleasant place to stroll and watch birds. What used to be the constant flow of lonely guys looking for other type of activities has changed, albeit, I wouldn't let my children lose.  Strange thing to have to share the rambles with them.  I've always loved coming here at different seasons of the year and talk to bird watchers.  It is a peaceful place and one where you can get away from the maddening pace of life the city imposes on you.  And I still looking for those illusive Red Cardinal feathers.  I have pretty much everything except for those birds.  Stingy little things they are. 

I am looking for a friend of mine who had two dogs and last time I heard of him, only is gone.  find out his big beautiful red Golden Retriever named Fiona has also passed on.  He now has Shane, another full fledged yellow Golden Retriever. 

And as I am writing this I can't believe I am seeing a wild Turkey running lose in the park.  Go figure!

As I sit in a new cafe in downtown Long Beach, at least new to me, I realize why we never come here.  It's different, it's not what we expect and it's in between a big and small city feel.  I can't put my finger on it.  Walking around I realized how many businesses had closed their doors and how this must effect our unprepared city.  Shops looked old, tired and worn out.   Where book stores once stood, emptiness and rental signs now lay bare on the windows.  And never mind coming down here on a Saturday night.  Too busy, too crowded and too many bars.  I guess I want to find other things, shows, museums, etc all located downtown.  Anyway, our city is in transition, as it has been for the last decade.

And this brings me to another topic.  Our two friends and neighbors got married yesterday before election day in order to take advantage of the fact that a law was passed allowing same sex marriage.  It made me realize how happy they were and how happy we are to see them enjoy the warmth and reassurance Virginia and I have had over the last decade, that of being together.  It's a promise that keeps you warm.  A few hours before, we were driving on 2nd Street where a lone person with a Vote Yes sign stood next to what seemed to be hundreds of Vote No signs.  It made me realize how puny we are ion the grand scheme of things.  Who am I, or you to tell anyone else anything short of not to hurt anyone.  Or more to the point, who am I to tell two people in love they can't marry, have the warmth of that legalized bond carry them into their life path?  Yes, who am I who is so different than I was a decade ago, and even a month ago.  Who am I now who probably is so different than who I will be tomorrow?  How could I tell two people they can't marry?

One thing that made me feel very uncomfortable about the whole situation was that a law was already passed and approved by the people.  However, this new proposition 8 is believed to be well funded by some mormon groups in Utah.  People in Utah want to show the 7th biggest economy in the world how to think and what is right?  And since we are on that subject, what is considered right anyway?  What some religious book written by the hand of man thinks what God wants?  How demeaning to lower God to have to be explained through a few man.  That is not the God I feel. 

The world will be a better place when everyone takes care of themselves inside first, then the rest of the world will have enough place to make up their minds and see the clear examples in others.  Until then, influencing others to your own point of view is needless, dangerous and keeps humanity chained in a past that has not been very conclusive.

Will anyone do anything about spammers?  With current systems available to curb it down, the lost of productivity should have prompted law makers a long time ago.

So thank you spammers for closing down my 10 year old email.  Thank you;

jimfaulknor_ezsitelaunch@easy-webtemplates-gd.com
Real Estate News, who asked you for anything?
fritz esfandia
Wachovia connection Tech Support, no accounts here.
Realtor Health Plans, an oxymoron in itself
Octavio Terrell, interesting name
Realtor Services
Shasta Concha

Low Price Home Insurance
apostolos ernest
support@amailer1.com who has been a long time spammer, and at the rate of about 3 times a day.
Avis Coon, wants me to enlarge my private parts.  No thank you
Home Solution Complete
kareem norbert
Recession Resistant Business who wants me to meet Last Chance to Meet Roni Deutch
William Lyon Homes
VIAGRA ® Official Site
MyNewHomeFinder.com
the unavoidable "123greetings.com"

Thank you all for spamming me so much I had to change address.  Yes filters work but the drain on the infrastrucure of the Internet is really taxed at over 66% spam mail traffic.  Remember, we pay for traffic and mailboxes.  It's not for these low energy level people to dump their irrelevant news and product pitches. 

Now all is well.  I have a new email and they won't know.

As always: Never unsubscribe from spam as it marks your email as active and it will be sold to other lists.  Don't read it, don't think about it.  If we all do this, there won't be any spam anymore.