Saturday, November 22, 2003

I HAVE BEEN TAKEN AWAY

Speculative fiction has always been my favorite genre. I believe I have not found one to be five stars until now. I have been a member of netflix for maybe one and a half years, and have finally viewed DVDs that I can award five stars to. These DVDs have TAKEN me away from bad TV, movies, and Science Fiction. This is unlike and better than them all. This series brilliantly ties together fact and speculation into the most compelling philosophical drama ever shown. It’s rare that I find such a movie that totally removes me from my reality into another that is so realistic. Taken has taken me there. This movie explores our primal emotions as well as the future of our present ones. Two titles from George Harrison come to mind: “What Is Life?� and “All Things Must Pass�. Just when I thought there was no more good series left, this came along. I am a former Treker. This drama has gone where no other has gone before.
Acronym Finder Search: What does BLOG stand for?

Monday, November 17, 2003

UP WITH THIS MOVIE

I know now why I should not have been down with “Down With Love�. Cheers to it. I loved it. Here is to why. I have seen many movies on DVD the past few months. The highly rated movie “Chicago�, with Renee Zellweger, I did not enjoy. I did not know when and what would be my next highly rated movie would be. I avoid movies that are not dramas, not rated R, are musicals, have dancing, or were made or take place more than 15 years ago. I do enjoy romantic comedies, mind benders, parodies, and social comment movies. Nancy, who happens to also be the star characters name, asked me to rent this movie for us to watch. Ironically, she ended up not seeing it with me. Ironically, this movie seemed and is everything I listed that I avoid. However, it turned out to be everything listed that I adore. The movie is a brilliant satire/tribute to 1960 musical romantic comedies and 2003 values. It includes David Hyde Pierce, my favorite actor from Frazier, and Jeri Ryan, my favorite actor from Star Trek Voyager. Tony Randal was equally well cast. Rene was as spectacular as she was in Chicago. She has risen to a new star on my list. The movie claims to take place now, but in actuality took place even before N.O.W. I am not so sure N.O.W. would denounce it. I applaud it. It is no bomb. Be patient in the beginning, and during the ending credits.

Saturday, November 15, 2003

Syosset

Jericho Turnpike, Syosset, NY
This modern palace used to be where exclusive engagements for Long Island were shown before the "150". The parking lot was tremendous It was near Lollipop farm, which is now David Lerner and Associates. After being vacant for years, the Office Depot, which had replaced the theater, was doubled in footprint and stories. Its now a mini-mall palace. The two anchor stores are a Marshal's Mega-store and a Petco, which used to be in Hicksville.
UA The Syosset (Cinema 150)
Syosset/Woodbury, NY

Jericho Turnpike, Syosset/Woodbury, NY
This was one of a handful of "Cinema 150" movie theaters across the country, designed as an "all-purpose" luxury theater that could exhibit films in the following formats: D-150, Todd-AO, 70mm, Panavision, Cinemascope and 35mm.

Streamlined in a very late 50's, early 60's post-modern fashion that placed a premium on functionality, the Cinema 150's vast auditorium featured a large, detached balcony, oversized rocking-chair seats, a huge curved screen with a 120' arc, and a phenomenal sound system. The theater could hold well over 1000 (probably 1200 or 1400).

In contrast to the "golf ball" style of the now-restored Cinerama in California, this theater favored a simple, understated red brick and concrete exterior that blended in with the suburban surroundings.

Right up through its last days of operation, the theater remained immaculately maintained and well attended for blockbuster movies. Unfortunately, however, the geniuses at the United Artists chain decided to build a 12 screen stadium theater a mere one mile away in the year 2000. Not only did UA demolish the last remaining drive-in on Long Island, the Westbury D.I., to make room for the new multiplex, but it ultimately led to their decision to shut down the Cinema 150.

Although it was always a popular place to see a film, few people seemed to know of the theater's unique design and technological amenities, and thus it was gutted to make way for offices without a peep.

To the best of my knowledge, the only remaining Cinema 150 today is in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Contributed by Marty Nartinez

Friday, November 14, 2003

My 2004 Presidential Candidate Choices:

Dean, Gov. Howard, VT - Democrat
Kucinich, Rep. Dennis, OH - Democrat
Edwards, Senator John, NC - Democrat

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

11/12/02: Pane in the Glass:
Laurie was arrested and in jail on 11/11/02. She is out now, and I have an order of protection against her. I start my employment 11/13/02 at Micro Center. Today I received the hearing date for the Workman's Comp. case against The Wiz.

ELECTRONICS AND APPLIANCE STORES

ELECTRICALLY CHALLENGED
Laurie caused the electricity suspension of 8/14/03. 8/14 was a 14-year anniversary of 8/14/89. This is when Laurie and I met in person for the first time. This was blacked out of my memory until 8/17/03. The lights are now off on that.

ITS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THEY ROCK AND ROLLED.
However, when I watched them sing that for the first time on the new DVD with my surround sound system, it feels like they are doing it for the first time, live in my living room. I finally experienced the Led Zeppelin DVD! MUSIC CANNOT BE EXPERIENCED AT HOME UNTIL YOU HAVE A DVD SURROUND SOUND SYSTEM! The sound was so extremely clean, fresh, spacious, and realistically separated!

ELECTRONICS AND APPLIANCE STORES PERMANENTLY CLOSED:
1) Crazy Eddie,
2) Lafayette Radio Electronics,
3) Trader Horn,
4) Save-Mart,
5) Tech Hi-Fi,
6) Newmark and Lewis,
7) Topps Appliance City,
8) Incredible Universe,
9) Homart,
10) Stevens,
11) Friendly Frost,
12) Brick Church
13) Battling Barrys House of Audio
14) Nobody Beats The Wiz (1979-1998),
15) Circuit City
16) THE WIZ (1998-2003)
Now there is only one left in the NY metro area:
P. C. RICHARD & SON (45 stores since 1909)
Its only National competitor is Best Buy.

Monday, November 10, 2003

Rock And Roll
It's been a long time since I rock an' rolled
It's been a long time since I did the stroll
Ooh let me get it back let me get it back let me get it back
Mm-baby where I come from
It's been a long time been a long time been a long
Lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely time
Yes it has
It's been a long time since the book of love
I can't count the tears of a life with no love
A-carry me back carry me back carry me back
Mm-baby where I come from whoah-ooh-oh-whoah-ooh-ooh-hohh
It's been a long time been a long time been a long
Lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely time
Ahhh-ahh-ahh ahh-ahh

Hohhh it seems so long since we walked in the moonlight
A-makin' vows that just couldn't work right
Hahh-yeah! Open your arms open your arms open your arms
Mm-baby let my love come runnin' in let it!
It's been a long time been a long time been a long
Lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely time
Yeah-hey
Yeah-ay-ay
Yeah hey
Yeah hey
Ooh-yeah ooh-ooh-yeah
Ooh-yeah ooh-ooh-yeah
It's been a long time been a long time been a long
Lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely time

Sunday, November 09, 2003

ODE TO ODIE
Oldie’s Diapers Is Expensive
Will all this help Oldie’s droppings? Depends.
What does an age-16.5 dog smell like? Depends.

10/17/03 Petco new bed: $30.93
11/04/03 Vet bill $75.00
11/9/03 Petco denim panty/diaper holder: $12.50
26 Pampers Easy ups with Grover’s picture: $9.78
Having her nose inside the bags of my purchased items for her: PRICELESS

C.E.T Oral Hygiene Gel: $12/month
DENOSYL medication for liver: $80/month
Hill's Prescription Diet Canine Cans of food: $50/month
Having someone warm, fury, and adorable for 16.5 years: PRICELESS

Oldie’s Droppings Is Excessive. The anti-inflammatory the Doctor injected into Oldie, Did Initially Enough help. However, I made my first purchase ever of diapers! I got $2 off with my Valued-Customer card! And each pull-up “training pant� has a picture of Grover on it! You would think there would be a cartoon picture of Odie on them! However, Ms. Odor needs to be Pampered. This stinks! Thank goodie I don’t have children!

Saturday, November 08, 2003

Mother, Music, and musings

May the Schwartz be with you.

I have invited people over for tortillas, pizza, wine, banana strawberry pie, beer, cheese, coffee, goldfish, vanilla and cherry diet Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, and Dolby 5.1 music. Melissa, resigned from being my supervisor and once told me that I remind her of Data from Star Trek, TNG.

The Offspring is a name of a Rock music group I enjoy. Jeremy Benjamin Wernick was born to my Nephew Jeffrey wife Tracy on Thursday October 23, 2003. 1918 is the year my mother was born. It was also the last year the Boston Red Socks won the World Series. My mother dying may be analogous to OB1 Knobie dying from Darth Vader. The force is now stronger in me as it was for Luke. Luke's father is Darth Vader. The 100-year NY Yankees lost to the new Florida Marlins. What does this say about Florida and me? All the pesky Yankees did was interrupt my Big Brother episodes here in NY.

Pretty Noose . Soundgarden is a song is in my top ten favorite songs of all time. It is up there with Crazy Train-Ozzy Osbourne, Layla-D&T.D., Rock and Roll-Led Zeppelin, Back in Black-AC/DC, Helter Skelter-Beatles, More than a Feeling-Boston, Crawling-Linkin Park

Friday, November 07, 2003

Yeshiva Har Tora — Most of us remember the defunct Plenium Club up on the Grand Central Parkway Service Road. Over the years its been a “hot sheets hotel� and nightclub, but most of its life its been a graffiti scarred derelict building—an eyesore to the neighborhood. Yeshiva Har Tora, which has used both BelPark Temple on Hillside Avenue and Bellerose Temple on Union Turnpike, will tear down the structure and establish a permanent headquarters for the Yeshiva.
Canis Odorous

Odie gives new meaning to her name. She smells from every orifice and aperture, front and rear. She stinks. She is a smelly stinky dog. O.D.I.E. = Often Drops Incessant Excrement. She also has constant incessant halitosis. How can such an odious odorous entity be so cute and “odorable�? ODIE is now officially short for Odious Odorous. A better namesake for her is Odie the skunk, from “The King and Odie� show or “King Leonardo and his short subjects.� Odorable: The darling ability to emit odious odors or incessant incense. Odie’s last name is Zephron. This must mean zephyr, like in expelled air. Whiff whiff.

Thursday, November 06, 2003

DEMOLITION
Since and before I moved here in 1992, there has been a closed and vacant hotel with a large tract of woodland. It has been adjacent and between my cooperative community and the start of Grand Central Parkway. For the past few weeks it has been undergoing demolition. Right now it is a gigantic hole in the ground surrounded by mountains of rubble. My fantasy is for my corporation to purchase the land, and develop it into our park with swimming pools. I believe it will be a Yeshiva.

VETERANS DAY
The following people are invited to come together on Veterans day, 11/11/03: Melissa Sagonas, Chad Cohen, Nancy Bleicher, Jason Kleiner, Chris Wilkerson, Odie Zephron and Andrew Lerner. There will be Pizza, wine, beer, cheese, sodas, assorted snacks, and Internet music.

DAY: Tuesday, November 11, 2003
TIME: 6:30pm to 11:00pm
PLACE: 251-31 71st Road, Bellerose, NY 11426, ground floor.
TELEPHONE: 516-770-3766

Please let the people listed above know of this information. I don’t have their telephone numbers, email, or addresses.

Andrew Lerner