Accents

A lot of people speak English. Obviously, the English language started in England. Through conquest and colonization, English spread. It's now the "native" language for people all over the world. Plus, it's the chief international language. Still, even though it's a single language, people from different places speak English differently.

Naturally, people from the same country should speak more like each other; and people from different countries would have more different accents. English has grown so diverse that there are different words and expressions for things in different areas. Plus, the accents make them sound so different from each other. You might even need an interpreter when you're talking to somebody from a different English-speaking country (not to mention when people are speaking English as a foreign language)!

But sometimes, even people from the same country have quite different accents; for example, the United States. People from Alabama speak differently than people in New York, and they both speak differently than people from Wisconsin. And some of them have accents so strong you can barely understand them! Of course, it doesn't seem that way to them. But how does that happen - why are there even different accents? Alabama isn't all that far away from New York - why are people from New York and Alabama speaking differently from each other? New York City and Boston aren't that far away - but those people sound different from each other. Even people from New York City and upstate New York sound different - and that's the same state!

Then, there's the so-called "neutral" English accent. Is the "neutral" accent in one country the same as in another country? And, what does that mean? In the U.S., we seem to think that this is a "mid-Western" accent. Sometimes it's called a "TV accent." Most national TV news anchors and reporters don't seem to have a regional accent - they seem to have the "neutral" accent, right? Even people who star in shows that take place in spots where there are strong accents don't necessarily have that accent. And, how does one particular accent get to be the "neutral" one? I guess because we all understand them, and we can't tell where they're from.

Some people think that television is actually going to kill-off regional accents. These neutral people are beemed (or cabled) into our homes. Everyone listens to the same neutral voices, and adjusts to them. Soon, everyone will talk the same. This is a good thing: We'll all be able to communicate easily, right? Or, is it worthwhile to have accents?

The Madness of St. Patrick's Month

Maybe St. Patrick's Day has gotten a little out of hand.

March has become St. Patrick's month now. Bars have St. Patrck's celebrations every weekend leading up to March 17. Celebrations are no longer just one day, or a single weekend (the closest one to St. Patrick's Day). It's now every Thursday, Friday and Saturday for several weekends in a row. In the weeks before St. Patrick's, there are lines forming outside of Irish Pubs just to get in ... at 2:00pm! And of course, there's the big celebrations on the actual day itself (this year even bigger because it was actually on a Saturday). Irish Pubs move out their furniture just to squeeze in more people!

Of course, another big bar-themed event takes place in March: March Madness (not to mention the conference tournaments right before). People gather together and watch games in bars, and the NCAA tournament games tend to be on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (weekends, plus their neighbors, Thursday and Friday). Sometimes, you'll drink more in celebration, or to drown your sorrows.

So, St. Patrick's celebrations are covering every weekend in March, and college basketball is on the same weekends. St. Patrick's Day and March Madness are coming to be synonymous in bar culture, and March is becoming a great big slosh-fest.

I'll drink to that. Cheers!

Elbows

Have you ever pinched or squeezed the skin on your elbow? Do you notice that it doesn't hurt? Squeeze your elbow skin as hard as you can. It just won't hurt.

Why is that?

Excessive Partying

People like to have parties. They like parties so much that "party" has become a verb. People like to party. And these parties are getting more and more extravagant.

It seems like not so long ago, children's birthday parties were quite simple and low-key. Nothing more than some other kids, a couple of party games, and some cake. Now people are renting out banquet halls and country clubs for this - especially for events like "Sweet Sixteen" parties. Why is a 16th birthday so important for a girl? Nothing big happens at 16. Most states allow someone to get a driver's license, but boys don't have "sweet 16" birthdays. And isn't getting the license itself enough of a celebration of that momentous event? Years ago, 16 may have been a more important turning point in a young woman's life. Nowadays, turning 16 no longer signals that she is of marrying age. Maybe a big sixteenth birthday party actually sends the wrong signal, and suggests that her parents think she's "an adult" or "fair game."


What about other parties? Haven't they gotten out of control? Bar and Bat Mitzvahs that parents save up for for years - and this is a 13 year old kid! Or, remember the First Communion party for young Anthony Corleone in The Godfather: Part II, that was on a lake in Nevada and the Corleones invited a U.S. Senator they'd never met?! Of course, that party involved other elements....


Plus, there are the "wedding spectaculars." [The Godfather had a pretty big wedding at the beginning of that film.] Surely, everyone wants to have a nice wedding, but the pre-wedding parties seem to be getting out of hand. Bachelor/-ette parties are getting more and more elaborate. Instead of just an evening out in the hometown, people are taking trips to Vegas or Atlantic City or Montreal. And these parties don't just last one night, but a full weekend, a long weekend, or maybe even most of a week. And then there's the Engagement party, some sort of pre-wedding fête that has come to mirror the wedding reception in extravagence, and where the protocol/etiquette about gift-giving seems to be still evolving.

I guess everyone just likes to party ... in style.

Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day. According to one source, the modern tradition of St. Valentine's day began in medieval England and France, with people noticing that birds began to pair-up in mid-February.

Nowadays, people celebrate their love for each other on this day. Strangely, people seem to need to have greeting card and gift companies prompt them to do something nice for a loved one. If you really love somebody, should you have to be reminded to do something nice and make her/him feel special?

Moreover, is it necessary to concentrate all your good feelings into a single day? Shouldn't we be showing our love on the other 364 (or 365) days of the year? Plus, Valentine's Day is a random selection. For most people, it has nothing to do with their personal relationship, other than it's an artificially-imposed day of romance.

So, keep on lovin' tomorrow....

Airfares

In the news today, there was a story about airfares. It said that prices would go up because the fervor over the airline mergers was dying down (US Airways' bid for Delta was definitively rejected). The story suggested that airfares would go up because the airlines would lose out on synergies that could be utilized through company combinations.

That's weird, because just a few weeks ago, news sources were saying that airline mergers would cause airfares to go up, because the mergers would cause there to be fewer airlines in the industry. Less competition would lead airlines to raise fares.

So, which is it? Airline mergers lead to higher fares. And, the lack of mergers will lead to higher fares. Apparently, it doesn't matter what happens in the industry, airfares will increase. And there's nothing that anyone can do about it ....

The Weather (at Airports)

Cold temperatures have set in over much of the country.

The current temperature in Atlanta is 30 degrees, and it's sunny; in Chicago it's 18 degrees and snowing; in New York it's partly sunny and 28 degrees; and in San Francisco it's a balmy 50 degrees and partly cloudy.

The temperatures in local weather reports usually originate from that city's airport. The question is: why does anyone care what the temperature is at the airport? The weather should be reported from downtown (where people work), or in some suburb (where people live).

Nobody cares what the temperature is at Hartsfield, O'Hare, or Kennedy. If you're going to the airport, you probably won't be there very long. And you likely will drive, or take some other kind of covered/protected transport to get there. The only people who will be there for any significant length of time are the employees. And there aren't enough of them to warrant making the weather reports give information from airports.

Maybe the thermometers at airports are just more accurate....

Pill Taking

There are commercials on TV that tell people how difficult it is to remember to take pills. But, honestly, how hard is it?

First example: a new birth-control product called NuvaRing [http://www.nuvaring.com/]. The commercial tells us that birth control pills are great, but that having to take the pill every day just ties women down! Is daily pill-taking that much of a chore?

Second example: Sally Field appears on a commercial for Boniva [http://www.boniva.com/], a medication for post-menopausal osteoporosis. She tells viewers that some people she knows have to "set aside time" once a week to take their osteoporosis medicine. Apparently, you do have to take osteoporosis medicines under certain conditions; but still, it does seem funny to think that taking a pill once a week is too much of an imposition.

Obviously, these must be new medical advances, but the marketing rests on the idea that swallowing once a day is too much work, or taking a pill once a week is too difficult. Americans are just far too busy for all this pill-taking....

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association

On Monday night, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association gave out their awards for film and television work, the Golden Globes. But who are the Hollywood Foreign Press - and why do people care about who the HFPA thinks made the best movies and TV shows?

According to their website [http://www.hfpa.org/], the Association is made up of Los Angeles-based journalists from foriegn (i.e., non-United States) publications. Basically, it's a club. Maybe sixty-five years ago, a bunch of these foreign journalists were hanging around in some Los Angeles lounge or hotel bar smoking cigars and having drinks. After a few cognacs or whiskeys, or whatever, they think, "hmmm, let's give out movie awards. what a great idea!" Now, these journalists get together and throw a huge party once a year where they give out awards, and tell *the Academy* who should get the Oscars.

Doesn't this seem strange? The HFPA attracts so much attention and wields so much influence. But, it's just a journalists club. What makes them experts? They're not giving out journalism awards; and they're not necessarily entertainment reporters. It would be as if the staff of the Des Moines Register decided to give out the Golden Corn Ears.

Maybe a group of American journalists abroad should form a club and give out awards right before the Cannes Film Festival. There could be an American Expatriate Press Association that would give out Golden Apples (as in New York City being the Big Apple, and many American news sources are based in NYC).

Soccer in the U.S.

David Beckham is coming to the United States. He'll be playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Obviously, he's being brought to the U.S. to try to generate some interest in professional soccer. How many people have heard of the Los Angeles Galaxy? How many people can name one American professional soccer team?
Why has soccer not caught on in the United States? Americans do like their professional team sports. There's baseball, basketball, football. And hockey has caught on so well that American cities keep stealing teams from Canadian cities. Baseball, basketball and football were all invented in the U.S.. It seems that Americans like sports that they create. Conversely, American sports aren't so popular in other parts of the world. Baseball, baseketball, and soccer have not caught on so well around the rest of the world as soccer.

So, why has soccer lagged behind in popularity here? We like sports on fields, and that use a ball. Plus, soccer is one of the most popular sports for kids. Tons of children play soccer every year! There doesn't seem to be a reason why soccer would not draw crowds. Maybe it's market forces: there's only room for 4 major spectator-team sports in the U.S..

Penguins

Sometimes, trends come along in popular culture. It could be clothes, pass-times, foods, or almost anything. When they arrive, they seem to appear everywhere. In stores, movie-theaters, and fast-food restaurants! There have been Pet Rocks, bell-bottoms, and fins on cars. Sometimes we have to wonder what causes these phenomena, and how long can they last?

Interestingly enough, a strange group is now riding the crest of a popularity-wave. They're penguins! Penguins starred in a 2005 film, "March of the Penguins." This movie even won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Plus, the penguins raked in more money at the box office than Best Picture winner, "Crash."

Also in 2005, a group of four innovative penguins had an important, if not-quite-starring, role in "Madagascar." In a film that was a comedy, the penguins provided further comic relief. ["The penguins are psychotic!!"]

Once again, penguins were in a starring role in 2006. "Happy Feet" opened at theaters at the end of last year, and has an all-star group of voices for the penguins. (Yes, the penguins had to have humans do their voices for them.)

It seems that penguins are everywhere these days. Obviously, they've landed starring roles in movies. These movies have product tie-ins and other commercial ventures. There are penguin toys, penguins websites, and of course a professional hockey team (although this was long before 2005).

What explains this penguin-mania?! Is there a powerful Antarctic presence lobbying hard in Hollywood or Madison Avenue? Obviously, mighty forces have stepped-in and put these penguins in the spotlight. Until recently, penguins did not seem to be a group that craved attention or power. Will 2007 reveal yet another penguin film? Will they get their own TV show? Perhaps a penguin will get a elected to Congress in 2008. (It's possible - they're popular, and seem awfully savvy.)

How long can it last? Eventually, the zeal for penguins may lead to their demise. Or, will they meet a seal?

Bowl Games - Toilet Bowl? Cereal Bowl?

Today is New Year's Day. One great American New Year's tradition is the Bowl Game. College football teams get together to play in a post-season game. A reward for a great regular-season.

At first, bowl games seem to be named for agricultural products grown in the area. For example, there's the Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Citrus Bowl, Peach Bowl, and of course, the Rose Bowl. There were also bowls that seemed to stand for random things associated with their geography, like the Fiesta Bowl, the Gator Bowl, or the Sun Bowl. Some had random names, like the Hall of Fame Bowl, in Tampa, Florida. Where on earth did that name come from? There is no Hall of Fame in Tampa!

Oftentimes, the stadium where the bowl game was played actually shared a name with the bowl game itself (like the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Gator Bowl). But some of these bowl games have moved out of the stadium that shares their name.

Like everything else, these grand old institutions have gone commercial, and traditions have broken down. Many of the major bowl games are not even played on New Year's Day anymore. In addition, the bowls now have corporate sponsorships, which are included in their names: for example, the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the FedEx Orange Bowl, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the AT&T Cotton Bowl, and the Toyota Gator Bowl. Some of the bowls have completely lost their original name to the corporate sponsor, like the Chik-Fil-A Bowl (formerly Peach Bowl) or the Champs Sports Bowl and Capital One Bowl (formerly Citrus Bowl), or the Outback Bowl (formerly Hall of Fame Bowl). Other bowl games simply started their bowl-life with a corporate-sponsorship name.

But does this really matter? What is in a name (for a bowl) after all? It seems like a stupid name for a game - a "bowl". Is this based solely on a stadium's shape? If that's the case, why aren't all games in the stadium bowl games.

I can understand a name like "sugar bowl." Most homes have sugar bowl in the cupboard. Maybe there are places with orange bowls, too. But a fiesta bowl? And, a gator bowl seems like it's just asking for trouble....

So, maybe there should be more bowl games with normal sounding names. I suggest the Toilet Bowl, and the Cereal Bowl. These are actual "bowls" found in every home. Plus, there are obvious corporate-naming opportunities. For example, the American Standard Toilet Bowl, or the Kellogg's Cereal Bowl. Yeah, that sounds good!

Santa Claus and the Chimneys

On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus flies through the sky (on a sleigh pulled by reindeer) with toys for all the good boys and girls. He carries the toys in the back of his sleigh, and delivers them by going down the chimney.

Obviously this is real and true, because there is proof. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks Santa's journey. NORAD even has set-up a special website to help track Santa's trip around the world: http://www.noradsanta.org/index.php.

But, how does Santa get the toys into the houses where there is no chimney? This is a question that has bothered many for ages. Parents must tell their children that Santa is able to get into their house - but how? Is the door left unlocked for Santa? Will children believe that a fat man in a red suit breaks into their house? There could be detrimental effects to this kind of thinking. Children might start to think that midnight visitors are supposed to enter the house. On the other hand, they could become fearful that someone will come into the house on other nights, and not just Christmas Eve night. Santa could be associated with villainy, or children might let-down their guard.

Neither of these options is a good one. There should be more clarity on the subject. Perhaps NORAD should form a commission to look into the matter in more detail.

In any case, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Blizzards and Airports

It appears that a blizzard is striking the Western United States, and shutting down the Denver Airport. The airport is apparently the fifth busiest in the United States. No doubt, this is in part due to the fact that it is a hub for United Airlines and Frontier.

[You can check out the Denver Airport's website at: http://www.flydenver.com/]

Because of the hub-and-spoke system that most airlines use, when a major airport/hub is shut-down, it creates problems throughout the national air-traffic system (and possibly internationally as well). So, if an airport like Denver is shut down, would it be possible to divert "hub activity" to somewhere else, like Boise, Idaho?

Obviously, there would be a lot of difficulties. Boise is a much smaller airport, has fewer runways, fewer gates, and fewer employees. But even with delays, wouldn't it be better to keep moving the passengers until the Denver airport could re-open?

It would work a little like this: the planes that were supposed to arrive in Denver could land in Boise, and then be used to carry the passengers who are going out-bound from Denver. Because Denver is a hub, most passengers are not staying there, but moving on to somewhere else. The passengers who are wanting to go to Denver could just stay in whichever city they were starting from; they are no worse than they would be. Meanwhile, the passengers going somewhere else could pass through Boise instead of Denver.

This plan is probably fraught with too many difficulties, but it's interesting to think about.

Cucumber and Melon

What kind of combinations do people seem to think are good ones for soap "flavors"?

I was recently at a hotel and the soap I found in the bathroom was "Cucumber Melon". It smelled nice, but when you think about it, it's a little bit odd.



First, I don't know what seems to make Cucumber and Melon such a great combination. I mean, who serves cucumbers and melons together? I'm not sure if I've ever seen them on a plate at the same time. Would they taste good if they were in the same dish?

Second, do cucumbers and melons seem suggest cleanliness? I've never thought to myself, "I'd like to be as fresh as a melon or a cucumber." Now, lemons - I kind of understand a lemon flavor for cleaning, or even a Carolina Pine Forest, but not cucumbers or melons.

Television Reruns

Tis the season ..... for reruns. It seems like every channel you turn to has nothing but reruns .... unless you want to see a new game show.

November is a "sweeps" month (February, May, and July are also sweeps months). Ratings for a sweeps period will determine the advertising rates for the local ads throughout the year, so the networks usually roll out the "extra-special" episodes during those times.

Apparently, putting on extra-special episodes is exhausting for the networks, because November has been followed by nothing but reruns on TV. One might think that a show that ran new episodes while everyone else was running reruns might continue getting high ratings. Of course, all the reruns gives people a chance to catch-up on their reading, do some shopping for the holidays, or take-up new hobbies.

Stuffing or Dressing?

On Thanksgiving, many people gather around the table and eat turkey. And with that turkey, there are many trimmings, including stuffing -- or dressing.

What is the difference between "stuffing" and "dressing"? The most obvious answer is that stuffing is "stuffed" inside of the turkey, while dressing is not. However, both seem to "dress" the turkey. So, it would seem that dressing should not be considered a stuffing if it is not actually "stuffed" into the turkey. But, all stuffings could be considered a dressing.

The two terms have become somewhat interchangeable. In fact, some companies market products like "stuffing" that can be prepared in a pot on the stove. But, that just doesn't make sense, does it?

Whether you're having dressing or stuffing at Thanksgiving, hopefully it will taste good.

Blogger Blogs

Where do blogs come from, anyway?

Sometimes, I hit the "next blog" button at the top of the webpage, just to see what else is out there. I have a couple of questions about those blogs....

First, how does Blogger determine which blog is "next"?

Second, why is there so much blogging going on?

And third, what's the deal with all the blogs that are just advertisements? Are these people/companies using blogs because it's easier than setting up a website? Is it meant to inspire conversation about their products? Some of these blogs look like a series of the same blogpost over and over, and all of them are just an advertisement for the product.

New York City Marathon - Part II: The Race

Just before the open start, the stars of the musical Jersey Boys (about the lives of Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons) sing the National Anthem, and the U.S. Air Force does a fly-by.


Everyone moves through their lines toward the start, which is at the foot of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Some people wore costumes. There was a blue-feathered bird, and a pair of rhinos behind me. Although the bridge is "closed", the electronic overhead signs are still flashing the traffic announcements, which are especially appropriate for the marathon: "heavy traffic expected - be prepared to stop". The course uses both the east-bound and west-bound lanes of the upper deck, and the west-bound lanes of the lower deck (though we were going east). What a sight, seeing over 37,000 runners all heading across the bridge. A lot of people had their digital cameras or phones with them and were snapping pictures. We passed the first mile of the marathon while on the bridge, which is the steepest part of the whole race. Some guys already had to use the facilities. With no port-o-potties on the bridge, some people used the east-bound lanes, some people just pee-ed over the side of the bridge into the Narrows. How often do you get to do that?

So, with Staten Island behind us, we trek through Brooklyn. Just like any marathon, a lot of people have stuff written on their shirts. Some put their names on their shirt so that the marathon-fans can yell out encouragement. Some have pictures, or phrases. I even saw one Virgin Mary. A lot of the marathon fans have signs. Usually something like "We're Proud of You *insert name*" or "Go *insert name!*" or "Pain is Temporary, Pride is Forever". My favorite said "GO NAD!" Sometimes, it's good to laugh. Brooklyn takes up the largest chunk of the marathon (miles 2 - 13).

After Brooklyn, it's on to Queens. Not a lot to say ...it's Queens. We had to go over a bridge to get in, and another bridge to get out - the Queensboro bridge. The Queensboro was quite high and long across, and my legs were really feeling it as we continued to go across the bridge. Yes, there was more peeing off the bridge into the water below. Somehow, I don't think this is the first time anyone has taken a whiz into the East River, though.

Off the Queensboro bridge, and in Manhattan. The crowd was raucous as we came off the bridge and entered Manhattan. Only 10 miles to go. After a couple of turns, we get to First Avenue at 59th Street, and head north. One of the best sights to see - lots of people lining both sides of the street. First Avenue is very wide, and the runners going north are visible as far as the eye can see. Some people have political signs, encouraging people to vote for Hillary, or "Reject George Bush's Radical Policies".

Over the Willis Avenue Bridge, and into The Bronx. The marathon could stand opening up both sides of the bridge. The race spends a very short amount of time in the Bronx, where I was passed by a guy wearing a suit and hat that made him look like Robert Redford's character in The Sting. He was tipping his hat to folks along the way. Makes you wonder two things: (1) why do people wear costumes/suits for marathons? and (2) how can they run so fast with all those clothes?

After a couple of turns, the course goes over the Madison Avenue Bridge (there are bridges everywhere!), and back into Manhattan - this is Mile 21. There, the course heads south on Fifth Avenue. Fifth Avenue (heading south) starts to go uphill as it is alongside Central Park - not a good feeling as you're close to the end of the race.

Just to show you how some people are in great shape despite personal difficulties, a guy with an artificial leg finished a few minutes ahead of me, as well as a woman who appeared to be blind. I'm not sure if she really was blind, though. She was running with a guide, and had two balloons pointing her out to others, but was wearing a "sleep mask". So, it made me wonder if she was actually blind, b/c there is no reason for a blind person to wear a mask. Or, maybe she was wearing the mask to indicate to people that she was blind. Although, the presence of the guide would tend to do that as well, thus making the mask unnecessary. But, why would a sighted-person wear a mask and run the marathon "blind"? hmmm, what do you think?

Finally, we reach mile 25, and run along the outer perimeter of Central Park.

I finished the Marathon with no major interruptions, and no problems. Yay! After the race, we all had to pick up or stuff in our checked bags. That seemed to take longer than it did to run the marathon! Unfortunately, it also required more walking. I didn't get out of Central Park until 89th Street.

If you run a marathon, be aware that there is likely a lot of pre- and post-marathon walking that you'll have to endure, too. Plus, you may lose toe-nails! In all, though, it's a great experience.

New York City Marathon - Part I: Before the Start

I had the privilege of taking part in the 2006 New York City Marathon.

One of the special conditions of the NYC marathon is that it starts in Staten Island - so that the marathon can include all 5 boroughs. If you are unfamiliar with New York City, Staten Island is not especially close to Manhattan, or convenient to get to. Also, it is an island (which most people could probably figure out from its name). Because the Verrazano Narrows Bridge closes for the marathon, runners have to get to Staten Island especially early.

At about 4:55am, I leave to walk to the New York City Public Library (to take a bus to Staten Island). Over my running clothes, I'm wearing a heavy shirt and sweatpants. As is often the case in New York in November, it was cold. About 37*F. Every block I walk, I see more and more runners walking to the Library. There's also people on their way to work. And some people who you could tell were drunk and just heading home after a late night. Throngs of people were at the Library, with buses continuously arriving and departing for Staten Island.

I arrive in Staten Island at 6:30am - right at sunrise. It is even colder in Staten Island than it was in Manhattan. The open start time (for non-elite runners) is not until 10:10am.... The marathon "staging area" at Fort Wadsworth was a hub of activity - with people divided into three groups: Blue, Green and Orange, based on your bib color and expected finishing time. There were a lot of international runners. The loudspeaker continuously looped announcements in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Japanese. It felt like being at the United Nations, except without the fighting, name-calling, or discussions about weapons of mass-destruction; and noone was at a podium declaring that someone else had committed human rights violations. We all spent three and a half hours sitting, getting cold, standing around, and eating food, waiting for the start.

Finally, as it gets closer to the start, the sexlingual (isn't "sex" the prefix for when there are 6?) announcements ask runners to get into their places by bib numbers. Everyone sheds their outer-clothes, and puts them into a bag that can be checked and re-claimed at the end of the marathon. As people get crowded together into the starting line, it feels a little warmer, and you can detect the odor of foreign runners from places where deoderant is not yet in style. A number of guys who were unable to make it to the port-o-potties find some relief in the bushes. For men, the whole world is your bathroom.