Friends-O-Mine:
I have returned from a somewhat unsatisfying vacation in the supposed-to-be sunny state of Florida. This was the 6th year we've gone down to spend time with the lovely Patty's Dad and his wife Aggie in the Tampa area. Unfortunately, this year was the worst we've had it for several reasons that were beyond anyone's control.
I was sick as a dog the night before we left, spending the night alternating between chills and sweats. The next day we had to make a 1 1/2 hour trip to Newburgh's Stewart Airport (to save money on airfare). The flights went alright (a little late departing, but no biggie). We flew on Air Tran, which I must say was very nice for a discount airline. Plenty of room, satellite radio at every seat, and very friendly employees.
After arriving in Tampa and getting to my father-in-law's house, I went right to bed and slept very soundly, though I felt like crap. That was Friday. Sunday, youngest son Jackson got sick, Tuesday, lovely Patty got sick, and Wednesday, older son Connor got sick. Great. PLUS, the weather for the first four days was cold (for FLA) and rainy. By the time the weather got nice everyone else besides me was sick. Wednesday and Thursday were beautiful weather-wise (mid-80's), and I got to play golf with the In-Laws one day then with my father-in-law's buddies the next day. Though I showed flashes of brilliance and had a decent opening nine holes on the second day, I also played horribly the rest of the time. While my father-in-law and his friends are shooting in the mid-70's, I'm struggling to break 100 (I usually shoot in the mid 80's). Totally embarassing. True, I hadn't played a round of golf since October, so there was some rust, but jeesh, I sucked.
It was nice to get away from the Pit of Despair that is Amtrak for a week, so I guess we can find a silver lining in any rain cloud. We've actually had 5 years of glorious weather and fun in FLA, so I guess we have to serve due-diligence and have one vacation go awry once in a while.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES
Gotta give a shout out to close friend Roy the G.B. King who turned 51 on Friday the 13th. Roy celebrated with Chuck the Edge of Darkness, Chris the Dot Com Destroyer, Joe the Dude who Rats Out His Friends To His Wife, and yours truly, playing No-Limit Dealer's Choice poker at Chuck's house. Happy Birthday Roy, and Best Wishes for many more.
That's it for now. Just wanted to check in, let the minions know I was still alive. Send prayers and good wishes to the students, faculty, and families of those at Virginia Tech University, who were shot up today by a deranged idiot with high-powered weapons before killing himself. Nothing but a nightmare and a tragedy. Worse than Columbine. Yet another person who the world is probably better off without. Too bad somebody couldn't have helped him before he went to this extreme.
Be at Peace, people. Len Is Right.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Monday, April 16, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
BUDDY...PAL....HON...WTF!!!
My friends:
Today, a pet peeve of mine.
Have you ever been in a diner or restaurant and the waitress calls you hon? You know..."Here you go, hon." Or, "What can I get for you, hon?" The first couple of times you hear it, you're like, "She just called me hon. Is she flirting with me? Can I get a free dessert out of this?" After a while, or after a couple of visits to eateries where the waitress calls you "hon" you realizie it's just something people say instead of sir or madam. When it happens in a restaurant, I don't even give it a second thought. I figure the person is just trying to esablish a familiarity or show friendliness.
HOWEVER......
Recently, I've had dealings with an Insurance Agent who is young and, apparently, just starting out in the business. He often finishes his sentences with, "Okay Buddy?"
Buddy? What the freak is that? Are we friends? No. Do we hang out or something? No. So what makes you think it's okay to call me Buddy? It irks the shit out of me when people act in an unprofessional manner when trying to sell me something or do some kind of business with me. Buddy? Hey, Buddy THIS mofo. Okay? Do I call you dude? When you're trying to do business with me you may call me Sir, Mr. Tollerton, or Len. Buddy? I think NOT!
Which brings me to Pal. Several years ago, I did banking at Trustco Bank on Wolf Rd. in Colonie. There was a teller there by the name of James Vedder, who, while training, and then when he was working on his own, had the annoying habit of calling men Pal. Why are you calling me pal? Are you hoping we're going to establish a friendship and go get a couple of beers together? Are you looking for me to join your hoop team? (Unlikely)
Look, you are in a business where you are in front of the public representing a (supposedly) respectable comapny. How about trying to act in a professional manner and not call the nice customers Buddy, Pal, or Dude. You make yourself look like a dope or a dope smoker. Generally there's nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, I'm NOT yourBuddy, I'm NOT your Pal, and if we're doing business, I'm definitely NOT Dude. Most of the time I AM Dude. Just not when we're doing business. Got it? Jesus Freakin' Christ, I'm going to smack the next assbag who calls me one of these "endearing" names when they're trying to sell me something or I'm attempting to do some banking.
On second thought, I think I'll just ask them to leave my house, or I'll turn around and leave their establishment so I don't have to put up with that. We ain't friends, we're not familiar, STOP doing it. You know that LEN IS RIGHT, don't you?
BEST OF LUCK AND A SPEEDY RETURN
Mike Wesoloski is a guy I was friends with when I was a teenager. Our sons are on the same bowling team. Mike is in the National Guard and his unit just found out a couple of weeks ago that they'll be shipping off to War in April. He will probably not return till February. His story is no different from the thousands of American soldiers who have been sent over to the Middle East to fight Mr. Bush's WAR of EGO.
Mike, keep your head low, stay safe and return home to you wife and son and daughter as quickly as possible. Until then, you will be in our thoughts and prayers. May good luck be on your side, and may the Congress bring you home safely, before your term is up. Be well.
Peace to you all.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Today, a pet peeve of mine.
Have you ever been in a diner or restaurant and the waitress calls you hon? You know..."Here you go, hon." Or, "What can I get for you, hon?" The first couple of times you hear it, you're like, "She just called me hon. Is she flirting with me? Can I get a free dessert out of this?" After a while, or after a couple of visits to eateries where the waitress calls you "hon" you realizie it's just something people say instead of sir or madam. When it happens in a restaurant, I don't even give it a second thought. I figure the person is just trying to esablish a familiarity or show friendliness.
HOWEVER......
Recently, I've had dealings with an Insurance Agent who is young and, apparently, just starting out in the business. He often finishes his sentences with, "Okay Buddy?"
Buddy? What the freak is that? Are we friends? No. Do we hang out or something? No. So what makes you think it's okay to call me Buddy? It irks the shit out of me when people act in an unprofessional manner when trying to sell me something or do some kind of business with me. Buddy? Hey, Buddy THIS mofo. Okay? Do I call you dude? When you're trying to do business with me you may call me Sir, Mr. Tollerton, or Len. Buddy? I think NOT!
Which brings me to Pal. Several years ago, I did banking at Trustco Bank on Wolf Rd. in Colonie. There was a teller there by the name of James Vedder, who, while training, and then when he was working on his own, had the annoying habit of calling men Pal. Why are you calling me pal? Are you hoping we're going to establish a friendship and go get a couple of beers together? Are you looking for me to join your hoop team? (Unlikely)
Look, you are in a business where you are in front of the public representing a (supposedly) respectable comapny. How about trying to act in a professional manner and not call the nice customers Buddy, Pal, or Dude. You make yourself look like a dope or a dope smoker. Generally there's nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, I'm NOT yourBuddy, I'm NOT your Pal, and if we're doing business, I'm definitely NOT Dude. Most of the time I AM Dude. Just not when we're doing business. Got it? Jesus Freakin' Christ, I'm going to smack the next assbag who calls me one of these "endearing" names when they're trying to sell me something or I'm attempting to do some banking.
On second thought, I think I'll just ask them to leave my house, or I'll turn around and leave their establishment so I don't have to put up with that. We ain't friends, we're not familiar, STOP doing it. You know that LEN IS RIGHT, don't you?
BEST OF LUCK AND A SPEEDY RETURN
Mike Wesoloski is a guy I was friends with when I was a teenager. Our sons are on the same bowling team. Mike is in the National Guard and his unit just found out a couple of weeks ago that they'll be shipping off to War in April. He will probably not return till February. His story is no different from the thousands of American soldiers who have been sent over to the Middle East to fight Mr. Bush's WAR of EGO.
Mike, keep your head low, stay safe and return home to you wife and son and daughter as quickly as possible. Until then, you will be in our thoughts and prayers. May good luck be on your side, and may the Congress bring you home safely, before your term is up. Be well.
Peace to you all.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
A BIRTHDAY NOTE, NCAA HOOP, AND WEEDS
People O'Mine:
Hey now! Len Is Right back here again to mention a couple of things that I let go and wanted to talk about.
First, a birthday. Last Friday night I was up to good friend Chuck's house to celebrate his 49th birthday. Chuck is the Edge of Darkness. Also attending was Roy the G. B. King and Chris the Dot Com Destroyer. Just a little poker and a party celebration on a TERRIBLE night weather-wise. Blinding snow storm in the Capital Region dumped about 16 inches on us and forced me and Roy to sleep at Chuck's. It was fun, though, and we played cards until around 3:00 a.m. This is strange for us, as I usually leave around 12:30 cause it's a 35-minute ride home. So anyway, Happy Birthday Chuck, and many happy returns. Next year we will be holding the Chuck Luce turns 50 poker tourney. Stay tuned.
THE NCAA HOOP TOURNEY AND BRACKET SHEETS
Folks, I gotta tell ya, I hate basketball. I used to be a big fan, but it's turned into a game for Me-First thugs and no more resembles the game I remember than does a tuna sandwich. So, it was with a completely apathetic, non-caring attitude that I greeted the NCAA tournament and the inevitable bracket sheet contests that many people play every year.
This was supposed to have been my second year in a row that I decided NOT to turn in a sheet for the contest. My reasons for not playing are as follows: I've never been close to cashing in 10 years of trying. I fucking DETEST hoop. I especially dislike the NBA (though I try to follow the progress of my cousin, Matt Carroll, who plays for the Charlotte Bobcats---and is having a very good year). I don't care who wins, who plays, who the stars are, which conference does best, and I don't bet the games.....again because I couldn't care less. I would sooner go off of a ski jump in Lake Placid and risk life and limb flying through the air, than watch a single hoop game or bet on which team happens to cover the spread.
MANHOOD INSULTED...
However, one of my closest friends decided that I was un-American and that I was, and I quote, "half a queer" for not getting into the contest. He doesn't understand how a guy doesn't want to follow college hoop and bet the games and get into the contest. And again, I had to hear about this 2nd hand. I love being called a queer behind my back. (No offense to any gay folks out there in the audience, who may be reading this, but it's like calling a white guy a nigger instead of a cracker) So, not liking my manhood questioned and playing into his BULLSHIT, I got into a contest, albeit run by someone else, that I could easily follow online.
The result so far? There were 208 entries into this particular contest and after Round 1 I was in 154th place. After Round 2, I was in a little better shape at 108th place, but definitely already out of any chance of getting in the money. I may have had a little more fun actually setting a $10 bill on fire and watching it burn, or making it into a paper airplane and seeing if I could fly it into my toilet.
My thanks to Joe Gunther for thinking of me and letting me into his contest at the last minute. To my other friends, I'd like to make something perfectly clear, so there is no mistake next year or anytime after that. I HATE BASKETBALL!!! Is that easily understood? Do you finally get the fact that I don't care who wins, who loses, or if every team has to forfeit because of rampant diarhhea. I don't wish to bet games, don't care who's playing and except for my cousins Matt and Pat Carroll, couldn't care less if the game was eliminated off the face of the earth, except that many inner city kids would have no sport to play.
Hey look, hoop is great exercise and a great sport to PLAY. I guess when I say that I hate hoop, I mean I will not follow it. When Julius Erving retired I lost all interest. And I can't conciously follow a sport where many of the elite collegians will one day become the Ron Artests and Allen Iversons of the NBA.
So, please don't bother me with basketball shit anymore. I am not interested. I will gamble on many things. But I've stopped sports betting because I really have no control over it, I SUCK at it, and truthfully, I would rather risk my money on things I DO have control over, like a hand of poker.
WEEDS
There is a show on Showtime that has been on for a couple of years called Weeds. It's about a woman, recently widowed, who has to become a pot dealer in her neighborhood to make ends meet and keep her house. I had to rent the DVD's of it because I don't have Showtime. Let me tell you folks, I think it's freakin' hilarious. I'm looking forward to renting the 2nd season, and I HIGHLY (no pun intended) recommend you check it out if you haven't seen it already. It stars the beautiful and sexy Mary Louise Parker along with the beautiful and sexy Elizabeth Perkins. Take my advice and watch it. I think you'll agree.
Until next time, my friends, please remember that LEN IS RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Hey now! Len Is Right back here again to mention a couple of things that I let go and wanted to talk about.
First, a birthday. Last Friday night I was up to good friend Chuck's house to celebrate his 49th birthday. Chuck is the Edge of Darkness. Also attending was Roy the G. B. King and Chris the Dot Com Destroyer. Just a little poker and a party celebration on a TERRIBLE night weather-wise. Blinding snow storm in the Capital Region dumped about 16 inches on us and forced me and Roy to sleep at Chuck's. It was fun, though, and we played cards until around 3:00 a.m. This is strange for us, as I usually leave around 12:30 cause it's a 35-minute ride home. So anyway, Happy Birthday Chuck, and many happy returns. Next year we will be holding the Chuck Luce turns 50 poker tourney. Stay tuned.
THE NCAA HOOP TOURNEY AND BRACKET SHEETS
Folks, I gotta tell ya, I hate basketball. I used to be a big fan, but it's turned into a game for Me-First thugs and no more resembles the game I remember than does a tuna sandwich. So, it was with a completely apathetic, non-caring attitude that I greeted the NCAA tournament and the inevitable bracket sheet contests that many people play every year.
This was supposed to have been my second year in a row that I decided NOT to turn in a sheet for the contest. My reasons for not playing are as follows: I've never been close to cashing in 10 years of trying. I fucking DETEST hoop. I especially dislike the NBA (though I try to follow the progress of my cousin, Matt Carroll, who plays for the Charlotte Bobcats---and is having a very good year). I don't care who wins, who plays, who the stars are, which conference does best, and I don't bet the games.....again because I couldn't care less. I would sooner go off of a ski jump in Lake Placid and risk life and limb flying through the air, than watch a single hoop game or bet on which team happens to cover the spread.
MANHOOD INSULTED...
However, one of my closest friends decided that I was un-American and that I was, and I quote, "half a queer" for not getting into the contest. He doesn't understand how a guy doesn't want to follow college hoop and bet the games and get into the contest. And again, I had to hear about this 2nd hand. I love being called a queer behind my back. (No offense to any gay folks out there in the audience, who may be reading this, but it's like calling a white guy a nigger instead of a cracker) So, not liking my manhood questioned and playing into his BULLSHIT, I got into a contest, albeit run by someone else, that I could easily follow online.
The result so far? There were 208 entries into this particular contest and after Round 1 I was in 154th place. After Round 2, I was in a little better shape at 108th place, but definitely already out of any chance of getting in the money. I may have had a little more fun actually setting a $10 bill on fire and watching it burn, or making it into a paper airplane and seeing if I could fly it into my toilet.
My thanks to Joe Gunther for thinking of me and letting me into his contest at the last minute. To my other friends, I'd like to make something perfectly clear, so there is no mistake next year or anytime after that. I HATE BASKETBALL!!! Is that easily understood? Do you finally get the fact that I don't care who wins, who loses, or if every team has to forfeit because of rampant diarhhea. I don't wish to bet games, don't care who's playing and except for my cousins Matt and Pat Carroll, couldn't care less if the game was eliminated off the face of the earth, except that many inner city kids would have no sport to play.
Hey look, hoop is great exercise and a great sport to PLAY. I guess when I say that I hate hoop, I mean I will not follow it. When Julius Erving retired I lost all interest. And I can't conciously follow a sport where many of the elite collegians will one day become the Ron Artests and Allen Iversons of the NBA.
So, please don't bother me with basketball shit anymore. I am not interested. I will gamble on many things. But I've stopped sports betting because I really have no control over it, I SUCK at it, and truthfully, I would rather risk my money on things I DO have control over, like a hand of poker.
WEEDS
There is a show on Showtime that has been on for a couple of years called Weeds. It's about a woman, recently widowed, who has to become a pot dealer in her neighborhood to make ends meet and keep her house. I had to rent the DVD's of it because I don't have Showtime. Let me tell you folks, I think it's freakin' hilarious. I'm looking forward to renting the 2nd season, and I HIGHLY (no pun intended) recommend you check it out if you haven't seen it already. It stars the beautiful and sexy Mary Louise Parker along with the beautiful and sexy Elizabeth Perkins. Take my advice and watch it. I think you'll agree.
Until next time, my friends, please remember that LEN IS RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
GET THE MASSAGE...LEN IS RIGHT
Hello my friends:
Today's post deals with an experience I enjoyed today. Back in October, my mother gave me a gift certificate for a local day spa because I was interested in getting a massage. I've never had a Swedish massage and have always been interested, having heard nothing but good things.
I went to Kimberly's in Latham. They are generally booked up and you have to make an appointment around 2-3 weeks in advance. So I did. Now first off, I've got to say that I don't know if I would have spent money on myself for this, at least, not before experiencing it. A 1-hour Swedish massage goes for $70. So, with some skepticism, because of the disparity in the cost of the massage, compared to what I make per hour, I made my way to Latham.
After filling out a questionnaire, I was led upstairs to the room I was going to use. The masseuse, Sierra, had me disrobe to my level of comfort(down to my underwear), and lay under the sheet and blanket. I put my face into the support ring, laying on my stomach. There was soothing New-Agey type of music playing to help with relaxation. The massage table had a heating pad and was nice and warm when I laid down. Sierra started with compressions, which is pushing down on the parts of your body she was going to be working on first, to prepare your skin tissue for the massage.
I'm not going to bore you with all of the details. She started with my back and neck, using a grape seed massage oil and then did the backs of my legs. I then turned over and she did my feet, leg fronts and arms and hands. The hour seemed to fly by and I enjoyed every minute of it. Afterward, the have you drink some water to aid in getting rid of any toxins that may have been released after a deep-tissue massage.
ADVICE FROM LEN IS RIGHT
I will tell you what. This was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've ever had that didn't involve sex, food, sports, or poker. I heartilly recommend spoiling yourself or a loved one with a total body massage. And no, guys, there was no "Happy Ending" offered. It was just your basic Swedish massage. But with Mothers Day, Father's Day approaching, and birthdays always on the horizon, I would definitely think about looking into spending the money for a massage.
Now, you can get massages for less money. Local independent massage therapists generally charge around $50-$60/hour. Also, there is the Center For Wellness, on Wolf Rd. in Colonie (right behind Pier 1 Imports), which is the school that many of the local massage therapists attend, where you can get a massage for $40. Realize that you are getting it from a person who is still in training.
I would also recommend that if you are going to have one, and you are a man, that you request a woman massage therapist. You don't want to feel all nervous because another guy is running his hands over your body. The woman I had was friendly, only spoke if I spoke, and very professional. And if you're the kind of guy who wouldn't even consider walking into a day spa because it seems girly or faggy, all I can tell you is that you are missing out. Personally, I don't know how I went without this kind of treatment for the first 43 years of my life. I'll be going back fairly soon, because that was very cool and I really enjoyed my time there. Kimberly's is a tad pretentious and up-scale, and it is a bit costly. But afterward you don't even think about that. You're just thinking about how good your body feels.
AND THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS THE BOTTOM LINE!
Get the massage. Spend some money on yourself. You'll be very glad you did. And besides, you have GOT TO KNOW that........LEN IS RIGHT.
Peace to you all.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Today's post deals with an experience I enjoyed today. Back in October, my mother gave me a gift certificate for a local day spa because I was interested in getting a massage. I've never had a Swedish massage and have always been interested, having heard nothing but good things.
I went to Kimberly's in Latham. They are generally booked up and you have to make an appointment around 2-3 weeks in advance. So I did. Now first off, I've got to say that I don't know if I would have spent money on myself for this, at least, not before experiencing it. A 1-hour Swedish massage goes for $70. So, with some skepticism, because of the disparity in the cost of the massage, compared to what I make per hour, I made my way to Latham.
After filling out a questionnaire, I was led upstairs to the room I was going to use. The masseuse, Sierra, had me disrobe to my level of comfort(down to my underwear), and lay under the sheet and blanket. I put my face into the support ring, laying on my stomach. There was soothing New-Agey type of music playing to help with relaxation. The massage table had a heating pad and was nice and warm when I laid down. Sierra started with compressions, which is pushing down on the parts of your body she was going to be working on first, to prepare your skin tissue for the massage.
I'm not going to bore you with all of the details. She started with my back and neck, using a grape seed massage oil and then did the backs of my legs. I then turned over and she did my feet, leg fronts and arms and hands. The hour seemed to fly by and I enjoyed every minute of it. Afterward, the have you drink some water to aid in getting rid of any toxins that may have been released after a deep-tissue massage.
ADVICE FROM LEN IS RIGHT
I will tell you what. This was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've ever had that didn't involve sex, food, sports, or poker. I heartilly recommend spoiling yourself or a loved one with a total body massage. And no, guys, there was no "Happy Ending" offered. It was just your basic Swedish massage. But with Mothers Day, Father's Day approaching, and birthdays always on the horizon, I would definitely think about looking into spending the money for a massage.
Now, you can get massages for less money. Local independent massage therapists generally charge around $50-$60/hour. Also, there is the Center For Wellness, on Wolf Rd. in Colonie (right behind Pier 1 Imports), which is the school that many of the local massage therapists attend, where you can get a massage for $40. Realize that you are getting it from a person who is still in training.
I would also recommend that if you are going to have one, and you are a man, that you request a woman massage therapist. You don't want to feel all nervous because another guy is running his hands over your body. The woman I had was friendly, only spoke if I spoke, and very professional. And if you're the kind of guy who wouldn't even consider walking into a day spa because it seems girly or faggy, all I can tell you is that you are missing out. Personally, I don't know how I went without this kind of treatment for the first 43 years of my life. I'll be going back fairly soon, because that was very cool and I really enjoyed my time there. Kimberly's is a tad pretentious and up-scale, and it is a bit costly. But afterward you don't even think about that. You're just thinking about how good your body feels.
AND THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS THE BOTTOM LINE!
Get the massage. Spend some money on yourself. You'll be very glad you did. And besides, you have GOT TO KNOW that........LEN IS RIGHT.
Peace to you all.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Thursday, March 01, 2007
2 BIRTHDAYS AND AN OBSERVATION
Greetings my friends:
Today is March 1st and I have done the unthinkable by not posting yesterday to wish my wife, the lovely Patty, a very Happy Birthday. I won't mention her age, because she hates her birthday. Patty, being a glass-half-empty type of person, believes she is old and washed up and hasn't accomplished anything in her life. Never mind that she has a Master's Degree, has sustained a marriage for 20 years, has 2 great kids, and nice friends. Anyway...Happy Birthday Hon, I love you very much. Anyone wishing to send the Lovely Patty a birthday greeting, may email her at peatea63@yahoo.com
Today being March 1st, I'd also like to send birthday greetings out to good friend Kevin Koehler, who turns 53 today. Have a great day, Kev. I know you're looking forward to the Vegas trip in a couple of weeks.
A LEN IS RIGHT COMMENT ON RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
I've recently been doing some reading on Buddhism. For some time now I have been interested in why Buddhists seem to be at peace more than others, why Asian religions seem so mysterious, and why these people seem to live longer. Risking a derisive attitude from those who know me to be a Pagan Non-believer, I bought the book Buddhism For Dummies. While I did not get all my questions answered, I believe I have hit upon some truths and some insight into what it is with man and his spiritual beliefs.
First off, I just want to explain what I'm getting as the central point of Buddhism. It is a philosophy of kindness and compassion. And I believe that the main way to Enlightenment is through Meditation. This means Introspection and trying to figure out the truths of your own soul by looking inside yourself and trying to identify flaws and make changes. That's not really a full explanation, but it will serve as one for now.
While reading this book and learning what the whole thing is about, I realized a couple of things. First off, it seems to me that in questions of man and Religion or Spirituality, that the majority of people NEED, for some reason, a focal point for their beliefs. They need to believe that they can sit near Jesus in Heaven. They need to believe that God actually spoke to Moses, and that the Torah is THE Bible. They need to believe that Allah is to be praised. They need a teacher, a guru, a priest or rabbi to guide them through their lives and give them something to focus on to make it through their day.
It seems to me that another word for Focal Point would be CRUTCH. We all seem to need guidance from others. We seem to need something tangible to see or touch, or to grab on to so we have someone or something to blame if we fail or stumble along the path.
WHAT'S THE MESSAGE?
The message is....and I'm taking this from the idea of Buddhist meditation practices, that to find your answers, to find clarity, a person needs to spend some time looking inside themselves. Introspection and complete honesty with yourself is how you will find these answers. You don't NEED a bible or a god. You, my friends, HAVE IT ALL right inside of yourselves. The Power, or the God, or the Spirit is inside of you and it doesn't need the help of some Born-Again evangelist or a guru, priest or shamen to come out.
If you need an answer, do not look for it from others. Others have their own agendas, their own problems. By being brutally honest with ourselves and seeking the answer from inside ourselves, we eliminate the need for a Crutch. We are all very strong, though we may not know it. It's not about the money, our status-symbol jobs, our social stratus, etc..., it's about peace and happiness within our own selves. WE are the power. We just need to learn how to harvest that power and put that personal power to use in the best way.
GO...SEEK...FIND. BUT DON'T LOOK TOO FAR, BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT INSIDE OF YOU.
That's all for now. Trust me, LEN IS RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Today is March 1st and I have done the unthinkable by not posting yesterday to wish my wife, the lovely Patty, a very Happy Birthday. I won't mention her age, because she hates her birthday. Patty, being a glass-half-empty type of person, believes she is old and washed up and hasn't accomplished anything in her life. Never mind that she has a Master's Degree, has sustained a marriage for 20 years, has 2 great kids, and nice friends. Anyway...Happy Birthday Hon, I love you very much. Anyone wishing to send the Lovely Patty a birthday greeting, may email her at peatea63@yahoo.com
Today being March 1st, I'd also like to send birthday greetings out to good friend Kevin Koehler, who turns 53 today. Have a great day, Kev. I know you're looking forward to the Vegas trip in a couple of weeks.
A LEN IS RIGHT COMMENT ON RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
I've recently been doing some reading on Buddhism. For some time now I have been interested in why Buddhists seem to be at peace more than others, why Asian religions seem so mysterious, and why these people seem to live longer. Risking a derisive attitude from those who know me to be a Pagan Non-believer, I bought the book Buddhism For Dummies. While I did not get all my questions answered, I believe I have hit upon some truths and some insight into what it is with man and his spiritual beliefs.
First off, I just want to explain what I'm getting as the central point of Buddhism. It is a philosophy of kindness and compassion. And I believe that the main way to Enlightenment is through Meditation. This means Introspection and trying to figure out the truths of your own soul by looking inside yourself and trying to identify flaws and make changes. That's not really a full explanation, but it will serve as one for now.
While reading this book and learning what the whole thing is about, I realized a couple of things. First off, it seems to me that in questions of man and Religion or Spirituality, that the majority of people NEED, for some reason, a focal point for their beliefs. They need to believe that they can sit near Jesus in Heaven. They need to believe that God actually spoke to Moses, and that the Torah is THE Bible. They need to believe that Allah is to be praised. They need a teacher, a guru, a priest or rabbi to guide them through their lives and give them something to focus on to make it through their day.
It seems to me that another word for Focal Point would be CRUTCH. We all seem to need guidance from others. We seem to need something tangible to see or touch, or to grab on to so we have someone or something to blame if we fail or stumble along the path.
WHAT'S THE MESSAGE?
The message is....and I'm taking this from the idea of Buddhist meditation practices, that to find your answers, to find clarity, a person needs to spend some time looking inside themselves. Introspection and complete honesty with yourself is how you will find these answers. You don't NEED a bible or a god. You, my friends, HAVE IT ALL right inside of yourselves. The Power, or the God, or the Spirit is inside of you and it doesn't need the help of some Born-Again evangelist or a guru, priest or shamen to come out.
If you need an answer, do not look for it from others. Others have their own agendas, their own problems. By being brutally honest with ourselves and seeking the answer from inside ourselves, we eliminate the need for a Crutch. We are all very strong, though we may not know it. It's not about the money, our status-symbol jobs, our social stratus, etc..., it's about peace and happiness within our own selves. WE are the power. We just need to learn how to harvest that power and put that personal power to use in the best way.
GO...SEEK...FIND. BUT DON'T LOOK TOO FAR, BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT INSIDE OF YOU.
That's all for now. Trust me, LEN IS RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Friday, February 23, 2007
LT. TED ABRIEL DIES ON DUTY
Greetings My Friends:
I just got back from the wake of Albany Firefighter, Lt. Ted Abriel. If you are from Albany, then you know about his death because the story has been all over the local news for the last week. Ted was a Lieutenant and member of the elite Rescue Squad in the Albany Fire Dept. Monday, while fighting his second fire of the day, and after climbing 6 flights of stairs with 100lbs. of equipment on his back, trying to get people out of a burning buiding, Ted suffered a massive heart attack and died at the scene. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Ted's family, friends, and brother firefighters. It is one of the harsh realities of the occupation he chose. Sometimes a guy doesn't come home from work.
I graduated high school (Christian Brothers Academy Class of '81) with Ted. In all honesty, I didn't know him that well and hadn't seen or spoke to him since we graduated. From all accounts, this guy lived a life well spent. Hero Firefighter, husband, father to four kids, Little League coach, he also organized a huge fundraising effort after 9-1-1. Who knows how many people he was personally responsible for saving in his 22 years in the Department?
I just wanted to write a little in regard to this thing. First off, once again, I need to state an old theme. Life is fleeting. In the blink of an eye your life can change, for better or worse, completely altering your sense of self, your way of life, your very existence. You can be here one minute and gone the next. Ted spent the better part of his life giving to others, living a life that was noble and necessary. He gave of himself, putting others' lives ahead of his own, knowing that some day he may well not go home. People that do this kind of work for any period of time have a true calling and are driven. A person doesn't spend this kind of time in this job just hoping to get a pension. The world needs more people like Ted. Maybe if we all were to move away from the "me-me-me" type of personal philosophy, the world would have a better chance of surviving. How many professional athletes think that what they do actually matters? Self-important rich guys who think they help people with their job.
Another theme I'm fond of carping on is Making a Positive Difference in People's Lives. Ted obviously did that. If he was a Viking, he would now be in Valhalla, because he died in battle. If he was a Buddhist, he may have reached Nirvana when he died because he was doing compassionate, selfless work. It seems cold comfort to his wife and kids to hear that. They are without their husband and father. They would probably give up every kind word and condolence to have him back for another day, you know?
So, one more time, my friends. The 2 most important things you can do in your short time on this rock. You can try to live a life making a positive impact on those around you and those you may deal with on a daily basis. Did you leave a lasting impression on people who knew you? In Ted's case, he left his mark on not only his family and friends, but on every person he helped, the families of those he helped and the buildings he went into to rescue people. The other important thing is to remember how fragile and fleeting life can be. Make sure the people around you know how you feel about them. Make them know they are special. Make sure they really know. You or they may be gone the next day and you're left kicking yourself for not letting them know what you felt.
I salute you, Ted. You spent your life well, short as it was. You accomplished more in a short time than many of us ever will with double the time.
Time marches on, as they say, and it waits for no man.....And still, life goes on. I implore you to LIVE it, not waste it. Thus endeth today's lesson. My friends, wrap yourself around the fact that LEN IS RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton
I just got back from the wake of Albany Firefighter, Lt. Ted Abriel. If you are from Albany, then you know about his death because the story has been all over the local news for the last week. Ted was a Lieutenant and member of the elite Rescue Squad in the Albany Fire Dept. Monday, while fighting his second fire of the day, and after climbing 6 flights of stairs with 100lbs. of equipment on his back, trying to get people out of a burning buiding, Ted suffered a massive heart attack and died at the scene. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Ted's family, friends, and brother firefighters. It is one of the harsh realities of the occupation he chose. Sometimes a guy doesn't come home from work.
I graduated high school (Christian Brothers Academy Class of '81) with Ted. In all honesty, I didn't know him that well and hadn't seen or spoke to him since we graduated. From all accounts, this guy lived a life well spent. Hero Firefighter, husband, father to four kids, Little League coach, he also organized a huge fundraising effort after 9-1-1. Who knows how many people he was personally responsible for saving in his 22 years in the Department?
I just wanted to write a little in regard to this thing. First off, once again, I need to state an old theme. Life is fleeting. In the blink of an eye your life can change, for better or worse, completely altering your sense of self, your way of life, your very existence. You can be here one minute and gone the next. Ted spent the better part of his life giving to others, living a life that was noble and necessary. He gave of himself, putting others' lives ahead of his own, knowing that some day he may well not go home. People that do this kind of work for any period of time have a true calling and are driven. A person doesn't spend this kind of time in this job just hoping to get a pension. The world needs more people like Ted. Maybe if we all were to move away from the "me-me-me" type of personal philosophy, the world would have a better chance of surviving. How many professional athletes think that what they do actually matters? Self-important rich guys who think they help people with their job.
Another theme I'm fond of carping on is Making a Positive Difference in People's Lives. Ted obviously did that. If he was a Viking, he would now be in Valhalla, because he died in battle. If he was a Buddhist, he may have reached Nirvana when he died because he was doing compassionate, selfless work. It seems cold comfort to his wife and kids to hear that. They are without their husband and father. They would probably give up every kind word and condolence to have him back for another day, you know?
So, one more time, my friends. The 2 most important things you can do in your short time on this rock. You can try to live a life making a positive impact on those around you and those you may deal with on a daily basis. Did you leave a lasting impression on people who knew you? In Ted's case, he left his mark on not only his family and friends, but on every person he helped, the families of those he helped and the buildings he went into to rescue people. The other important thing is to remember how fragile and fleeting life can be. Make sure the people around you know how you feel about them. Make them know they are special. Make sure they really know. You or they may be gone the next day and you're left kicking yourself for not letting them know what you felt.
I salute you, Ted. You spent your life well, short as it was. You accomplished more in a short time than many of us ever will with double the time.
Time marches on, as they say, and it waits for no man.....And still, life goes on. I implore you to LIVE it, not waste it. Thus endeth today's lesson. My friends, wrap yourself around the fact that LEN IS RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Saturday, February 10, 2007
THE ARTISITIC ONUS OF THE ROCK STAR
Hi Y'all:
Some of you know this about me, some don't. My all-time dream job was to be a rock star. I'm sure there are alot of people out there who aspire to the same thing. Just look at the amount of people who try out for American Idol.
Now, most men I know that enjoy sports, have had dreams of becoming professional athletes. How nice would it be to be a pro 1st Baseman, pro Wide Receiver, or pro Power Forward? How cool would it be to be competeing on the pro tour with Tiger Woods, or to be starting in the first 3 rows at Daytona? What does this have to do with being a rock star? Only this....did you know, when polled, that most or all professional athletes dream about being rock stars? Many of them, because of financial ability, are able to chase that dream. Like Allen Iverson or Ron Artest getting into Rap and music Producing. Or the 3 guys from the PGA who had a touring band a few years ago. Or even John McEnroe who used to play guitar professionally.
See? Everyone would love to be able to stand in front of 100, or 10,000, or 50,000 people and strum a power chord on their Gibson Les Paul and whip a crowd into a frenzy, singing along with your songs. Thousands of people with their fists in the air, banging their head to the rhythm, lighting their lighters for your Encore, groupies throwing themselves at you, First-Class travel, equipment endorsement deals, etc.......
So, what, exactly, is the Artisitic Onus of the Rock Star? Just this: Usually a new band pours their hearts and souls into the composing and mastering of their first album. Let's say it is luke-warmly received by the public and the band gets to open for a big-name band. Let's say the album is a big hit (like in the cases of Boston, Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Seal) and is on the charts for more than a year (like Clarkson's). At this point the band may still be an opener, or in Clarkson and Seal's cases, they may become the Headliner. Great. Money. Fame. All of this from bringing the world's most loved thing, music, to the masses.
The Onus is that album number 2 is due out w/in 6 months or a year, and the artist has to create the same quality album in a much shorter amount of time. It took Boston 7 years to write their first album. It took Seal a number of years to create his first album. Both of them were then pressured to write and produce another huge-hit album in a fraction of the time.
I wish I had persevered and stuck with guitar lessons, or was blessed with the talent to create music with an instrument. How great would it be to see and hear people screaming for your music...your ideas? But as they say, you've got to pay the piper sometimes. The rock star has to pay by creating more and more music. Can the new album top the last one in sales? Can it top it with the Critics? Can it top it with the fans?
I remember back in the early 80's, one of my favorite bands, Iron Maiden, surprised Hard Rock/Metal fans with their first 2 albums. Their songs were different, they had a unique sound, they were scary, and they were fun. They got a new singer for the 3rd album and absolutely blew the fans away with their album, Number of the Beast. This was the last time Iron Maiden ever opened for another band on tour. After their next album, Piece of Mind, they became the outright Gods of Metal. Each of their ensuing albums they sold more, embarked on bigger and bigger World tours, with more and more equipment, to the point of bringing the band to exhaustion from all of the travelling. Interspersed with all of this touring was the weight of having to write new music that would appeal to the fans so they could sell out more tours, etc.......
It's no wonder why many Rock Stars drank copious amounts and got hooked on serious drugs. One or two bad albums and you're forgotten faster than Huey Lewis and the News. Hopefully as a professional musician, you will always have new and fresh ideas with which to create new songs. But I'm sure, especially with the way tastes in Society change, that pleasing people with every release gets to be more and more difficult. How many thousands of songs have been thrown in the garbage because they weren't commercial enough for one group, or because they didn't have enough integrity for other groups?
Bands like AC/DC (one of my all-time favorites) have put out 15 or 20 albums that sound the same. They have the same 3-chord formula, don't stray from the path too much, lyrically, and except for Highway to Hell, Back In Black and For Those About to Rock....., have been mediocre sellers. This band's popularity has always been because of its live shows.
Progressive bands like Pink Floyd and Genesis of the 70's, right up to bands like Dream Theater and Spock's Beard of the 90's and the 2000's have never sold alot of albums(except for Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall), despite the vast amount of talent in the band. They all stuck to their guns and let integrity of music out-weigh commercialism (though Genesis became a vehicle for Phil Collins' solo Pop career).
My point: Although I am hugely jealous of talented musicians and have always aspired to be one, I have always wondered about how great the weight of creating new music...something unique, must be. I suppose all artists of one kind or another must feel the same way. "Your last creation was a HUUUUGE success. But what have you done for me lately?"
Think about it. You know LEN IS RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Some of you know this about me, some don't. My all-time dream job was to be a rock star. I'm sure there are alot of people out there who aspire to the same thing. Just look at the amount of people who try out for American Idol.
Now, most men I know that enjoy sports, have had dreams of becoming professional athletes. How nice would it be to be a pro 1st Baseman, pro Wide Receiver, or pro Power Forward? How cool would it be to be competeing on the pro tour with Tiger Woods, or to be starting in the first 3 rows at Daytona? What does this have to do with being a rock star? Only this....did you know, when polled, that most or all professional athletes dream about being rock stars? Many of them, because of financial ability, are able to chase that dream. Like Allen Iverson or Ron Artest getting into Rap and music Producing. Or the 3 guys from the PGA who had a touring band a few years ago. Or even John McEnroe who used to play guitar professionally.
See? Everyone would love to be able to stand in front of 100, or 10,000, or 50,000 people and strum a power chord on their Gibson Les Paul and whip a crowd into a frenzy, singing along with your songs. Thousands of people with their fists in the air, banging their head to the rhythm, lighting their lighters for your Encore, groupies throwing themselves at you, First-Class travel, equipment endorsement deals, etc.......
So, what, exactly, is the Artisitic Onus of the Rock Star? Just this: Usually a new band pours their hearts and souls into the composing and mastering of their first album. Let's say it is luke-warmly received by the public and the band gets to open for a big-name band. Let's say the album is a big hit (like in the cases of Boston, Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Seal) and is on the charts for more than a year (like Clarkson's). At this point the band may still be an opener, or in Clarkson and Seal's cases, they may become the Headliner. Great. Money. Fame. All of this from bringing the world's most loved thing, music, to the masses.
The Onus is that album number 2 is due out w/in 6 months or a year, and the artist has to create the same quality album in a much shorter amount of time. It took Boston 7 years to write their first album. It took Seal a number of years to create his first album. Both of them were then pressured to write and produce another huge-hit album in a fraction of the time.
I wish I had persevered and stuck with guitar lessons, or was blessed with the talent to create music with an instrument. How great would it be to see and hear people screaming for your music...your ideas? But as they say, you've got to pay the piper sometimes. The rock star has to pay by creating more and more music. Can the new album top the last one in sales? Can it top it with the Critics? Can it top it with the fans?
I remember back in the early 80's, one of my favorite bands, Iron Maiden, surprised Hard Rock/Metal fans with their first 2 albums. Their songs were different, they had a unique sound, they were scary, and they were fun. They got a new singer for the 3rd album and absolutely blew the fans away with their album, Number of the Beast. This was the last time Iron Maiden ever opened for another band on tour. After their next album, Piece of Mind, they became the outright Gods of Metal. Each of their ensuing albums they sold more, embarked on bigger and bigger World tours, with more and more equipment, to the point of bringing the band to exhaustion from all of the travelling. Interspersed with all of this touring was the weight of having to write new music that would appeal to the fans so they could sell out more tours, etc.......
It's no wonder why many Rock Stars drank copious amounts and got hooked on serious drugs. One or two bad albums and you're forgotten faster than Huey Lewis and the News. Hopefully as a professional musician, you will always have new and fresh ideas with which to create new songs. But I'm sure, especially with the way tastes in Society change, that pleasing people with every release gets to be more and more difficult. How many thousands of songs have been thrown in the garbage because they weren't commercial enough for one group, or because they didn't have enough integrity for other groups?
Bands like AC/DC (one of my all-time favorites) have put out 15 or 20 albums that sound the same. They have the same 3-chord formula, don't stray from the path too much, lyrically, and except for Highway to Hell, Back In Black and For Those About to Rock....., have been mediocre sellers. This band's popularity has always been because of its live shows.
Progressive bands like Pink Floyd and Genesis of the 70's, right up to bands like Dream Theater and Spock's Beard of the 90's and the 2000's have never sold alot of albums(except for Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall), despite the vast amount of talent in the band. They all stuck to their guns and let integrity of music out-weigh commercialism (though Genesis became a vehicle for Phil Collins' solo Pop career).
My point: Although I am hugely jealous of talented musicians and have always aspired to be one, I have always wondered about how great the weight of creating new music...something unique, must be. I suppose all artists of one kind or another must feel the same way. "Your last creation was a HUUUUGE success. But what have you done for me lately?"
Think about it. You know LEN IS RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
COMMENT ON A DEATH
Hey Yo:
Over this past weekend, an incident happened in nearby Schenectady, NY that I wanted to comment on. What I am about to say is Common Sense to most sane people, so you may think the comment unnecessary.
Two men, Aaron Peavey of Albany and Charles Little of Troy broke into a home and, when confronted by the owners, shot their guns at said owners and were then shot by the owner. Little was shot in the hand. Peavey was shot in the heart and died.
The Albany Times Union had an article stating that the owner would not be charged in the murder. I would hope not. The Times Union also had the Obituary of young Peavey. Online, you can view a guestbook and leave comments and condolences.
HERE IS MY COMMENT
I must be a big pussy in my old age. Because as I read the comments left by people, I was struck by a couple of things. All of the comments were positive and glowing. I am a pussy because I don't have the balls (or maybe it's just wizened tact) to post a comment that said, "He got shot while robbing another man's house, with gun in hand. HE GOT WHAT HE DESERVED!! You chose to be a thug, a hoodlum, a scumbag, a criminal. You got shot and killed for your efforts. Not for defending your family. Not for defending the country. Not because there was a Natural Disaster. You got shot and killed for being a fucking loser."
I guess the family is hurting enough and I sympathize with the loss of a loved one. But to the rest of society, That guy isn't going to be missed. Better Dead, you hear me? Better Dead. Next! Next! Who's next to play "Try to Act Like a Human"
The other thing I was struck by, was the fact that some people should never be allowed to type a letter without a basic knowledge of grammar and spelling. It's one thing to put apostrophes and hyphens into your kids' names. It's another to type sentences that sound like......ah, Never Mind!
Better off that I don't post this comment. But you all know. And for goodness sake, I know you all are saying, "LEN IS RIGHT".
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Over this past weekend, an incident happened in nearby Schenectady, NY that I wanted to comment on. What I am about to say is Common Sense to most sane people, so you may think the comment unnecessary.
Two men, Aaron Peavey of Albany and Charles Little of Troy broke into a home and, when confronted by the owners, shot their guns at said owners and were then shot by the owner. Little was shot in the hand. Peavey was shot in the heart and died.
The Albany Times Union had an article stating that the owner would not be charged in the murder. I would hope not. The Times Union also had the Obituary of young Peavey. Online, you can view a guestbook and leave comments and condolences.
HERE IS MY COMMENT
I must be a big pussy in my old age. Because as I read the comments left by people, I was struck by a couple of things. All of the comments were positive and glowing. I am a pussy because I don't have the balls (or maybe it's just wizened tact) to post a comment that said, "He got shot while robbing another man's house, with gun in hand. HE GOT WHAT HE DESERVED!! You chose to be a thug, a hoodlum, a scumbag, a criminal. You got shot and killed for your efforts. Not for defending your family. Not for defending the country. Not because there was a Natural Disaster. You got shot and killed for being a fucking loser."
I guess the family is hurting enough and I sympathize with the loss of a loved one. But to the rest of society, That guy isn't going to be missed. Better Dead, you hear me? Better Dead. Next! Next! Who's next to play "Try to Act Like a Human"
The other thing I was struck by, was the fact that some people should never be allowed to type a letter without a basic knowledge of grammar and spelling. It's one thing to put apostrophes and hyphens into your kids' names. It's another to type sentences that sound like......ah, Never Mind!
Better off that I don't post this comment. But you all know. And for goodness sake, I know you all are saying, "LEN IS RIGHT".
RANDOM THOUGHTS
- I like the Colts over the Bears. Though the Bears Offense really can't stay with the Colts Offense, their Special Teams may make a huge difference. However, I think this is Peyton and Tony's year, and I don't think the Bear Defense can stop the Colts for a whole game. Colts 27-20.
- Winter has finally come to Upstate NY. Good luck to Amtrak. Now you'll see the error in getting rid of, or not replacing, so many people.
- How long till Sen. Barak Obama jumps the shark? Trip to Africa to do what? Drum up more respect? You already have that. How about concentrating on Domestic affairs? Tell us what you're going to do for US if you become President.
- Isn't it funny how any Tom, Dick and Habib can come to this country, open up a corner store or buy a gas station, and thrive. But if I go to your country, I probably can't even buy a store, or if I do, I'll be bombed or beaten within a week. How about the fact that I'm not entitled to the same business and tax opportunities when I want to start a business, as a foreigner who immigrates here (and maybe filtering money made here to fund terrorist activities).
- After the whole Iraqui War/Bush Administration thing over the last year, was there any reason, whatsoever, to watch the State Of the Union address? Like we'd believe anything said about anything. Right. Unless of course, you're watching this for comedic value.
That's going to have to be it for now. I welcome any comments and thank the last few people who've made comments, for them. Keep reading Len Is Right. Pass it along to friends. Make them Right, too.
Peace.
Len Tollerton
Friday, January 12, 2007
Keith Olbermann on MSNBC TV
Minions of the True Word:
Last night I happened across the show Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. I'm a fan of Mr. Olbermann's from his days as an anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter. For the last year I have been hearing that Mr. Olbermann has, kind of, been taking the President to task on his show during his Special Commentarty at the end Countdown. Turns out, there's no "kind of" about it. He takes him to major task. You people need to see this.
I'm hoping the link I put in here will work, so you can go to the site and watch the clip. Last night the TRUE WORD was spoken, IMHO, by Keith Olbermann, in regard to Mr. Bush's televised speech from Wednesday night. I would like to applaud Mr. Olbermann for his candor and his courage in speaking his mind in a public forum. I only wish the President could see the clip and have the guts to allow Mr. Olbermann to interview him on television. I'd pay $30 bucks on Pay-Per-View to see that.
If the link does not work, please go to MSNBC.com, click on MSNBC TV, click on Countdown, and look for the clip called "The President cries wolf." If my family hadn't been asleep while this was on, I would have given the guy a standing ovation. The clip is a little over 9 minutes long, and is WELL WORTH IT.
Here is the link: http://www.msnbc.com/id/16583889
Remember that LEN IS RIGHT. This time Keith Is Right.
Peace.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Last night I happened across the show Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. I'm a fan of Mr. Olbermann's from his days as an anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter. For the last year I have been hearing that Mr. Olbermann has, kind of, been taking the President to task on his show during his Special Commentarty at the end Countdown. Turns out, there's no "kind of" about it. He takes him to major task. You people need to see this.
I'm hoping the link I put in here will work, so you can go to the site and watch the clip. Last night the TRUE WORD was spoken, IMHO, by Keith Olbermann, in regard to Mr. Bush's televised speech from Wednesday night. I would like to applaud Mr. Olbermann for his candor and his courage in speaking his mind in a public forum. I only wish the President could see the clip and have the guts to allow Mr. Olbermann to interview him on television. I'd pay $30 bucks on Pay-Per-View to see that.
If the link does not work, please go to MSNBC.com, click on MSNBC TV, click on Countdown, and look for the clip called "The President cries wolf." If my family hadn't been asleep while this was on, I would have given the guy a standing ovation. The clip is a little over 9 minutes long, and is WELL WORTH IT.
Here is the link: http://www.msnbc.com/id/16583889
Remember that LEN IS RIGHT. This time Keith Is Right.
Peace.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Thursday, January 11, 2007
WASHINGTON, NFL PICKS, AND HEAVY METAL
Minions:
Today I have a few things of various subjects to speak on. Stay with me and post your comments afterward.
WASHINGTON
Last night, the President was on TV telling us how important it is to see everything through and that we must stay the course in Iraq. He's going to send 20,000 more troops over there to do who knows what? I gotta tell ya, Election Day 2008 can't come fast enough for me. The lies and ineptness of this administration continue to boggle my mind.
I'd like to point you to a column in Wed. January 10's issue of the NY Daily News by Mike Lupica. It brings alot into perspective and kind of makes you wonder what this is all about. http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/487372p-410266c.html
We've no one but ourselves to blame over this. We elected these people TWICE. Our national pride and Patriotism over 911 led us to "Blind Sheep" followism. Now, for most of us, our eyes are open to what is going on. George and Dick must go, plain and simple. And before you Conservative, Republican-style folks start carping that it was Clinton and the Democrats who, ultimately, allowed 911 to happen, let me say that it was the right-wing Big Oil/Defense Contractor sector and their money that got the ball rolling and has worked behind the scenes like puppet masters steering the world to where we are now. Our bullies got spanked and now it is the American soldier who is paying for it. Shame on our government for allowing that. And shame on us for blindly voting this filth into office.
NFL WEEKEND PLAYOFF PICKS
Well, after last week, I won't be making any picks against the spread, that's for sure. I didn't make any actual bets, and it's a good thing. If I had, I would have gone 1-3. This is why I don't wager on football anymore. I also don't bet on horses for the same reason. I suck. A man's gotta know his limitations. Now, poker I can play.
Anyway....Here are my picks for this weekend in the NFL:
1.-COLTS VS. RAVENS--Is anyone else impressed with how the Baltimore Ravens have quietly put together a great season? Their Defense is monsterous and their Offense has been effective. In this game I really have only one thought: East Coast-Outdoors-January. And bye-bye Colts. How often does a dome team do well outside in the Winter? Don't know what the spread is, don't care. Ravens have one more game to play after this. Peyton watches the Super Bowl on TV....again.
2.-EAGLES VS. SAINTS--Talk about a team that surprised and a great story for 2006, the New Orleans Saints have done a complete turnaround from last season's disaster. They went and got a really good QB (Drew Brees), who was thought to be suspect because of off-season surgery, they drafted the top RB in college and put together an awesome season. Their head coach, Sean Payton, deserves the Coach of the Year award he got for this year. On the other hand, the Eagles, after losing star QB Donovan McNabb, have done very well with a playoff-seasoned QB in Jeff Garcia. I think the Saints will have a problem next week if they have to play outdoors. But this week, with Eagle cornerback Lito Sheppard unable to play, I believe the Saints will give their fans their first-ever playoff win and give them some extra hope for a possible berth in the Super Bowl. What a nice thing that would be for the city of New Orleans, huh?
3.-SEAHAWKS VS. BEARS--The spread on this game is 9 points, right? No, I know that the Bears Defense is very tough in Chicago, in the winter. But the 'Hawks are from Washington. It gets cold there, too. The inconsistent Res Grossman leads me to believe that the Seahawks will cover the spread, if not win outright. True, they should have lost last week. But they're healthy and I really believe that they can keep up. In December, at home against a woeful Detroit Lions team, the Bears defense gave up 34 points. I'm going with Seattle in this game.
4.--PATRIOTS VS. CHARGERS-- Okay, I know Bill Belicheck is a genius. I know that the playoffs are his time of year. But I really believe that the Chargers are bound for the Super Bowl. I especially like the home-field advantage here. Chargers win a close one.
DO METALHEADS MELLOW WITH AGE?
I'll be brief. I think, for the most part, that the answer is YES. I think as people age, they realize that "banging your head" is frowned upon by "grown-ups." Certain kinds of metal are obviously for the younger crowd. These would be, Hardcore, Death Metal, and maybe Black Metal.
However, I'm here to tell you that I am one metalhead who will never grow tired of the "Chainsaw." Growing up during the 70's and 80's I am a child of the "classic" metal years and have watched it evolve, die and be re-born. Though I may have expanded my musical tastes somewhat, I can tell you that 75-80% of my iPod Nano is filled with Heavy Metal of some sort or another. The majority of these songs are classic bands like, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Rush, Metallica, Mercyful Fate. I have since found some newer metal bands to my liking. Bands like, Disturbed, Grand Magus, Orange Goblin, The Sword, Place of Skulls to name a few have really piqued my interest over the last year. I really dislike Death Metal and growling, "Cookie-Monster"-type vocals, so you won't hear me listening to that crap.
But I'm glad to say that, for the metal fan of the 70's and 80's, you owe it to yourself to seek out new metal that has come out over the last couple of years. I would like to point you to the following web sites to check out Reviews of new bands that you may not have heard of:
www.metalreviews.com and www.metal-observer.com
For those of you not into metal at all, for shame. There's nothing like the feeling of a bass drum thumping in your chest as the guitarist slams a couple of chainsaw-like power chords through your brain, shredding your mind and making your ears bleed, followed by the unholy wailing of a singer who can hit both the high notes and the gritty growls. Now, THAT'S the way to start your day.
Chant for me, my minions........LEN IS RIGHT!!!
I am,
Len Tollerton
Today I have a few things of various subjects to speak on. Stay with me and post your comments afterward.
WASHINGTON
Last night, the President was on TV telling us how important it is to see everything through and that we must stay the course in Iraq. He's going to send 20,000 more troops over there to do who knows what? I gotta tell ya, Election Day 2008 can't come fast enough for me. The lies and ineptness of this administration continue to boggle my mind.
I'd like to point you to a column in Wed. January 10's issue of the NY Daily News by Mike Lupica. It brings alot into perspective and kind of makes you wonder what this is all about. http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/487372p-410266c.html
We've no one but ourselves to blame over this. We elected these people TWICE. Our national pride and Patriotism over 911 led us to "Blind Sheep" followism. Now, for most of us, our eyes are open to what is going on. George and Dick must go, plain and simple. And before you Conservative, Republican-style folks start carping that it was Clinton and the Democrats who, ultimately, allowed 911 to happen, let me say that it was the right-wing Big Oil/Defense Contractor sector and their money that got the ball rolling and has worked behind the scenes like puppet masters steering the world to where we are now. Our bullies got spanked and now it is the American soldier who is paying for it. Shame on our government for allowing that. And shame on us for blindly voting this filth into office.
NFL WEEKEND PLAYOFF PICKS
Well, after last week, I won't be making any picks against the spread, that's for sure. I didn't make any actual bets, and it's a good thing. If I had, I would have gone 1-3. This is why I don't wager on football anymore. I also don't bet on horses for the same reason. I suck. A man's gotta know his limitations. Now, poker I can play.
Anyway....Here are my picks for this weekend in the NFL:
1.-COLTS VS. RAVENS--Is anyone else impressed with how the Baltimore Ravens have quietly put together a great season? Their Defense is monsterous and their Offense has been effective. In this game I really have only one thought: East Coast-Outdoors-January. And bye-bye Colts. How often does a dome team do well outside in the Winter? Don't know what the spread is, don't care. Ravens have one more game to play after this. Peyton watches the Super Bowl on TV....again.
2.-EAGLES VS. SAINTS--Talk about a team that surprised and a great story for 2006, the New Orleans Saints have done a complete turnaround from last season's disaster. They went and got a really good QB (Drew Brees), who was thought to be suspect because of off-season surgery, they drafted the top RB in college and put together an awesome season. Their head coach, Sean Payton, deserves the Coach of the Year award he got for this year. On the other hand, the Eagles, after losing star QB Donovan McNabb, have done very well with a playoff-seasoned QB in Jeff Garcia. I think the Saints will have a problem next week if they have to play outdoors. But this week, with Eagle cornerback Lito Sheppard unable to play, I believe the Saints will give their fans their first-ever playoff win and give them some extra hope for a possible berth in the Super Bowl. What a nice thing that would be for the city of New Orleans, huh?
3.-SEAHAWKS VS. BEARS--The spread on this game is 9 points, right? No, I know that the Bears Defense is very tough in Chicago, in the winter. But the 'Hawks are from Washington. It gets cold there, too. The inconsistent Res Grossman leads me to believe that the Seahawks will cover the spread, if not win outright. True, they should have lost last week. But they're healthy and I really believe that they can keep up. In December, at home against a woeful Detroit Lions team, the Bears defense gave up 34 points. I'm going with Seattle in this game.
4.--PATRIOTS VS. CHARGERS-- Okay, I know Bill Belicheck is a genius. I know that the playoffs are his time of year. But I really believe that the Chargers are bound for the Super Bowl. I especially like the home-field advantage here. Chargers win a close one.
DO METALHEADS MELLOW WITH AGE?
I'll be brief. I think, for the most part, that the answer is YES. I think as people age, they realize that "banging your head" is frowned upon by "grown-ups." Certain kinds of metal are obviously for the younger crowd. These would be, Hardcore, Death Metal, and maybe Black Metal.
However, I'm here to tell you that I am one metalhead who will never grow tired of the "Chainsaw." Growing up during the 70's and 80's I am a child of the "classic" metal years and have watched it evolve, die and be re-born. Though I may have expanded my musical tastes somewhat, I can tell you that 75-80% of my iPod Nano is filled with Heavy Metal of some sort or another. The majority of these songs are classic bands like, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Rush, Metallica, Mercyful Fate. I have since found some newer metal bands to my liking. Bands like, Disturbed, Grand Magus, Orange Goblin, The Sword, Place of Skulls to name a few have really piqued my interest over the last year. I really dislike Death Metal and growling, "Cookie-Monster"-type vocals, so you won't hear me listening to that crap.
But I'm glad to say that, for the metal fan of the 70's and 80's, you owe it to yourself to seek out new metal that has come out over the last couple of years. I would like to point you to the following web sites to check out Reviews of new bands that you may not have heard of:
www.metalreviews.com and www.metal-observer.com
For those of you not into metal at all, for shame. There's nothing like the feeling of a bass drum thumping in your chest as the guitarist slams a couple of chainsaw-like power chords through your brain, shredding your mind and making your ears bleed, followed by the unholy wailing of a singer who can hit both the high notes and the gritty growls. Now, THAT'S the way to start your day.
Chant for me, my minions........LEN IS RIGHT!!!
I am,
Len Tollerton
Friday, January 05, 2007
A NEW YEAR AND A NEW CHANCE
Hi folks:
Len Is Right is finally back for 2007. A new year and a new chance to make good and get a fresh start on all of our lives. In truth, it seems that everything is actually the same as a month ago. And in reality, it doesn't take a New Year to make a fresh start. You can make a fresh start on absolutely any day. If you think about it, every day that you wake up, you make a fresh start. But often times we need a certain date or event to make a change. "I'll stop smoking on my 40th birthday." "I'll begin a new diet on the first of the year." (That one's so famous, it's trite)
As I've said in the past, the whole thing is inside of you. YOU are the power, my friends. It's your heart, mind, and ambition that makes the difference. Do you need inspiration? Where do we get our inspiration from? God and prayer? Maybe. The eyes of our kids? Sure. The desperate need to get out of hock? Good one. WHATEVER, DUDE!! Look inside of yourself. Whether you know it or not, you are all-powerful. When you decide you've had enough of your situation, be it smoking, being overweight, lonliness, a need to succeed, etc... you get to a point when you say, "THAT'S IT!! I've had enough of this." Or, "I want more." You'll know when the time comes. You can't just be content to say, "I'm going to TRY to stop smoking." I'm going to TRY to diet, I'm going to be a TRY to be a success, I'm going to TRY to start a business so I can get out of this shit-hole I work in. You'll know. And when that moment of clarity hits, please remember what the Jedi Master Yoda said to Luke Skywalker while training him in the swamps of Dagobah. "Try NOT....DO!!" Steel yourself to embrace your future, and remain positive.
Let no one dissuade you from your path. There are alot of naysayers and joy-killers out there who will try to kill your "buzz." Now is the time to put on blinders and stay focused on what YOU want. You know you can do it. So go do it. A New Year, a New Chance. Start now.
And remember, if it doesn't work this time, you can tear it down and build it again. Fear NOT. Fear kills. Fear is not for you. Success, ambition, and happiness is for you. All of you. All it takes is an honest belief in yourself.
This is true whether you're a teen, or in your 30's, or in middle age, or retired. You are only held back by limits you place on yourself. So, place NO LIMITS on yourself. Roadblocks? Find a way around them. There's always more than one solution to a problem. It just depends on your camera angle, right?
Go get 'em, my friends. And never, never go quietly into that long, cold, unending night. Your flame burns bright. Hey, you KNOW LEN IS RIGHT!!
Peace and wishes for all of your dreams to come true in 2007.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Len Is Right is finally back for 2007. A new year and a new chance to make good and get a fresh start on all of our lives. In truth, it seems that everything is actually the same as a month ago. And in reality, it doesn't take a New Year to make a fresh start. You can make a fresh start on absolutely any day. If you think about it, every day that you wake up, you make a fresh start. But often times we need a certain date or event to make a change. "I'll stop smoking on my 40th birthday." "I'll begin a new diet on the first of the year." (That one's so famous, it's trite)
As I've said in the past, the whole thing is inside of you. YOU are the power, my friends. It's your heart, mind, and ambition that makes the difference. Do you need inspiration? Where do we get our inspiration from? God and prayer? Maybe. The eyes of our kids? Sure. The desperate need to get out of hock? Good one. WHATEVER, DUDE!! Look inside of yourself. Whether you know it or not, you are all-powerful. When you decide you've had enough of your situation, be it smoking, being overweight, lonliness, a need to succeed, etc... you get to a point when you say, "THAT'S IT!! I've had enough of this." Or, "I want more." You'll know when the time comes. You can't just be content to say, "I'm going to TRY to stop smoking." I'm going to TRY to diet, I'm going to be a TRY to be a success, I'm going to TRY to start a business so I can get out of this shit-hole I work in. You'll know. And when that moment of clarity hits, please remember what the Jedi Master Yoda said to Luke Skywalker while training him in the swamps of Dagobah. "Try NOT....DO!!" Steel yourself to embrace your future, and remain positive.
Let no one dissuade you from your path. There are alot of naysayers and joy-killers out there who will try to kill your "buzz." Now is the time to put on blinders and stay focused on what YOU want. You know you can do it. So go do it. A New Year, a New Chance. Start now.
And remember, if it doesn't work this time, you can tear it down and build it again. Fear NOT. Fear kills. Fear is not for you. Success, ambition, and happiness is for you. All of you. All it takes is an honest belief in yourself.
This is true whether you're a teen, or in your 30's, or in middle age, or retired. You are only held back by limits you place on yourself. So, place NO LIMITS on yourself. Roadblocks? Find a way around them. There's always more than one solution to a problem. It just depends on your camera angle, right?
Go get 'em, my friends. And never, never go quietly into that long, cold, unending night. Your flame burns bright. Hey, you KNOW LEN IS RIGHT!!
Peace and wishes for all of your dreams to come true in 2007.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Sunday, December 31, 2006
BACK IN 2007
Hello there folks:
I would like to thank you for bearing with me while the football season, specifically the FANTASY football season ran its course. For those of you who don't know, I run the league and write a weekly newsletter. During this time, I don't always have time to write both the blog and the newsletter. I also didn't want to be redundant, writing the same thing in two places.
So, now the season is completed. I ended up coming in 2nd place after waxing most of the league during the regular season. My team underperformed in the Championship game, and I ended up the runner-up. Best finish since 1999, so I'm happy.
Beginning this week, I will be back to blogging on a regular basis, spewing the love that I know you all crave. I have some new thoughts and I hope I can win back your hearts to being the staunch, rabid minions that you were through the middle part of 2006.
That being said, I'd like to wish all of you a very Happy, Healthy, and prosperous New Year. I hope 2007 brings you the success and peace that you all deserve and I'm hoping Len Is Right will give you meaningful insight as the year progresses. if nothing else, I hope I inspire a few laughs.
Take care everyone, and Happy New Year.
Len Tollerton
I would like to thank you for bearing with me while the football season, specifically the FANTASY football season ran its course. For those of you who don't know, I run the league and write a weekly newsletter. During this time, I don't always have time to write both the blog and the newsletter. I also didn't want to be redundant, writing the same thing in two places.
So, now the season is completed. I ended up coming in 2nd place after waxing most of the league during the regular season. My team underperformed in the Championship game, and I ended up the runner-up. Best finish since 1999, so I'm happy.
Beginning this week, I will be back to blogging on a regular basis, spewing the love that I know you all crave. I have some new thoughts and I hope I can win back your hearts to being the staunch, rabid minions that you were through the middle part of 2006.
That being said, I'd like to wish all of you a very Happy, Healthy, and prosperous New Year. I hope 2007 brings you the success and peace that you all deserve and I'm hoping Len Is Right will give you meaningful insight as the year progresses. if nothing else, I hope I inspire a few laughs.
Take care everyone, and Happy New Year.
Len Tollerton
Sunday, December 03, 2006
DECEMBER HAS COME
Hello there my friends:
It has been over a week since my last post. December has hit us this weekend, and the great Weather Gods have sent us a reminder in the Northeast that winter is finally here. Late last week we were treated to a couple of 60-plus degree days to end November. This morning, it's freezing outside. I guess I'm done playing golf for the year.
Hey, we attended the wedding of good friends, Rob and Melissa, on Friday evening. The reception took place at the Mohawk River Country Club in Rexford, NY. What a great time. If you live in the Capital District of NY, and you're planning a wedding, you should definitely consider this place. The cocktail hour before dinner was fantastic, with more food than you could shake a stick at. I'm surprised some people had room left for dinner, after the appetizer spread that was put on. You don't normally see a pasta station and a steak sandwich station, along with a chilled vodka area with caviar for just appetizers. At least not around here.
Dinner was Chateaubriand AND A French-style chicken, which everyone got...you didn't need to choose. Music was provided by DJ Mr. C (our former Amtrak friend, Isaac Cancer). The bride looked great and the groom looked happy and couldn't wait to fly to Florida to board a cruise ship for the Caribbean the next day.
I'd like to thank the Bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Keevern and Mr. and Mrs. Sicko for throwing such a great party and feeding us like kings.
I'd also like to wish Rob and Melissa Lindley the best of luck and many, happy years as a couple. You two are both great people and I'm honored to be able to call you my friends. I wish you the best for a very long time.
I'd also like to wish my brother-in-law, Dave Oppe a very happy 39th Birthday (Dec. 2), as well as a happy 41st to our friend Sally Theadore. I know Dave is not happy about getting so close to 40.....his sister, my wife, was the same way. But it's unavoidable and you're only as old as you allow yourself to feel. Stay positive and you'll always feel young. Go the negative route and you'll always be old and bitter and crabby. Real fun for the rest of us who live around you.
And remember, things could always be worse. You know that Len Is Right.
I am,
Len Tollerton
It has been over a week since my last post. December has hit us this weekend, and the great Weather Gods have sent us a reminder in the Northeast that winter is finally here. Late last week we were treated to a couple of 60-plus degree days to end November. This morning, it's freezing outside. I guess I'm done playing golf for the year.
Hey, we attended the wedding of good friends, Rob and Melissa, on Friday evening. The reception took place at the Mohawk River Country Club in Rexford, NY. What a great time. If you live in the Capital District of NY, and you're planning a wedding, you should definitely consider this place. The cocktail hour before dinner was fantastic, with more food than you could shake a stick at. I'm surprised some people had room left for dinner, after the appetizer spread that was put on. You don't normally see a pasta station and a steak sandwich station, along with a chilled vodka area with caviar for just appetizers. At least not around here.
Dinner was Chateaubriand AND A French-style chicken, which everyone got...you didn't need to choose. Music was provided by DJ Mr. C (our former Amtrak friend, Isaac Cancer). The bride looked great and the groom looked happy and couldn't wait to fly to Florida to board a cruise ship for the Caribbean the next day.
I'd like to thank the Bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Keevern and Mr. and Mrs. Sicko for throwing such a great party and feeding us like kings.
I'd also like to wish Rob and Melissa Lindley the best of luck and many, happy years as a couple. You two are both great people and I'm honored to be able to call you my friends. I wish you the best for a very long time.
I'd also like to wish my brother-in-law, Dave Oppe a very happy 39th Birthday (Dec. 2), as well as a happy 41st to our friend Sally Theadore. I know Dave is not happy about getting so close to 40.....his sister, my wife, was the same way. But it's unavoidable and you're only as old as you allow yourself to feel. Stay positive and you'll always feel young. Go the negative route and you'll always be old and bitter and crabby. Real fun for the rest of us who live around you.
And remember, things could always be worse. You know that Len Is Right.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Friday, November 24, 2006
GIVING THANKS
Hello people:
This, the day after Thanksgiving, I just wanted to say one short thing. Oftentimes, as we sit around the table with friends or family, waiting to eat, we say Grace, or prayers, or whatever. Sometimes we go around the table and everyone says what they're thankful for this year.
Well, we're all thankful for something. Many of us have alot more to be thankful for than others. However, in my opinion, even if you're somewhat destitute, on drugs, in prison, a New Orleans resident, or depressed, I think as long as you live in America, you have something to be thankful for.
For as screwed up and possibly corrupt as the American government can be, I don't think I'd want to live anywhere else. We can go where we want, say what we want, be what we want and with whom we want (for the most part), and explore whatever noble pursuit or depravity that we'd like.
For overall beauty, of the land and its women, for overall fun activities and opportunities, for serious art and Jerry Springer on TV, there is nowhere like the good old US of A. We are all lucky to be here, and as long as we're alive we should all appreciate what and whom we've got in our lives. And if you don't like it, you're always free to try and change your situation. Just like you have the ability to change the channel if you don't like people exhibiting free speech.
On Thanksgiving Day, we should take the time to think for a minute or two, about what we have and what we have for opportunities. We should be appreciative about what Veterans have done for our nation in the past and today. They're doing their thing so you don't have to.
So, I guess we should be thankful for what we have, and the opportunities we are given. Life is to be tasted. Sometimes we get food poisoning, and sometimes it tastes great. And sometimes it's Less Filling.
Bow down, minions, for once again, Len Is Right.
Be safe, healthy, and happy. And DO NOT forget the words of the Master.
I am,
Len Tollerton
This, the day after Thanksgiving, I just wanted to say one short thing. Oftentimes, as we sit around the table with friends or family, waiting to eat, we say Grace, or prayers, or whatever. Sometimes we go around the table and everyone says what they're thankful for this year.
Well, we're all thankful for something. Many of us have alot more to be thankful for than others. However, in my opinion, even if you're somewhat destitute, on drugs, in prison, a New Orleans resident, or depressed, I think as long as you live in America, you have something to be thankful for.
For as screwed up and possibly corrupt as the American government can be, I don't think I'd want to live anywhere else. We can go where we want, say what we want, be what we want and with whom we want (for the most part), and explore whatever noble pursuit or depravity that we'd like.
For overall beauty, of the land and its women, for overall fun activities and opportunities, for serious art and Jerry Springer on TV, there is nowhere like the good old US of A. We are all lucky to be here, and as long as we're alive we should all appreciate what and whom we've got in our lives. And if you don't like it, you're always free to try and change your situation. Just like you have the ability to change the channel if you don't like people exhibiting free speech.
On Thanksgiving Day, we should take the time to think for a minute or two, about what we have and what we have for opportunities. We should be appreciative about what Veterans have done for our nation in the past and today. They're doing their thing so you don't have to.
So, I guess we should be thankful for what we have, and the opportunities we are given. Life is to be tasted. Sometimes we get food poisoning, and sometimes it tastes great. And sometimes it's Less Filling.
Bow down, minions, for once again, Len Is Right.
Be safe, healthy, and happy. And DO NOT forget the words of the Master.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
An Explanation for Laxity
Hi folks:
This post is just to apologize for not posting in the last 3 weeks. I am on a bit of a hiatus because of the NFL season and keeping tabs on the Fantasy football league that I run (or am Commissioner of). I write a weekly newsletter for that league, and haven't been inspired with a subject when I've had time, and haven't had time when I've had a subject. Lame, but true.
But true to form, I will send an email when I have sporadically posted.
Rest assured, after the holidays and the Fantasy football season (ends around Christmas), I will be back in full-force, with a vengeance, spewing the truth, which is what you want to hear.
Until then, Happy Thanksgiving to all and your families.
Len Tollerton
LEN IS RIGHT
This post is just to apologize for not posting in the last 3 weeks. I am on a bit of a hiatus because of the NFL season and keeping tabs on the Fantasy football league that I run (or am Commissioner of). I write a weekly newsletter for that league, and haven't been inspired with a subject when I've had time, and haven't had time when I've had a subject. Lame, but true.
But true to form, I will send an email when I have sporadically posted.
Rest assured, after the holidays and the Fantasy football season (ends around Christmas), I will be back in full-force, with a vengeance, spewing the truth, which is what you want to hear.
Until then, Happy Thanksgiving to all and your families.
Len Tollerton
LEN IS RIGHT
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
THE WEDDING AND HALLOWEEN
Greetings, Minions of Len:
My last post was a tribute to a friend who had passed. This post will be of a happier note. I hope everyone is having a fun week and everyone's feeling good. Here goes.
THE BURGESS WEDDING
Good friends Little Ed and Amanda got married over the weekend. They've been going out for around 3 years. College needed to be finished and a house purchased (aka their Honeymoon). But now they've taken that all-important step and become man and wife. Hopefully, they'll become one of the couples that stays together for many happy years.
The ceremony and reception were held at the Polish American yada-yada Club in Albany. As far as we could tell, everything went off without a hitch. After a very nice ceremony, the reception kicked in to full-swing. Appetizers were brought out and served buffet-style, and all of the food was very good. We all like it when they have scallops wrapped in bacon, don't we? Good mini-quiches, too. Having a reception or party at a club like this is nice because if you order a mixed drink that's not on the open bar, the drink is usually pretty inexpensive. A guy at our table was drinking Gimlets, which were only $2 or $3 a pop. Needless to say, he was in a fairly pickled state.
Dinner was Prime Rib or Chicken, which instead of being standard dry chicken, was moist and flavorful. The club did a great job. The potatoes were excellent. Then after dinner, friend MaryEllen started handing out 3 flavors of JELLO shots to anyone who wanted them. I think she had, like, 100 with her. She kept going to her car trunk, like a drug dealer, and coming back with her contraband.
By the way, friends Mary and Ed Sr. looked wonderful in their finery. Ed Sr., who 10 months ago, looked very ill while battling cancer, now looks like a million bucks, expecially in a tux. I wondered if he was going to break into a Fred Astaire routine. That's how dapper he looked. I, of course, like weddings because the ladies wear the heels, which makes Daddy very happy.
Surprisingly, and disappointingly, a poker game DID NOT break out. We talked about it, but nothing ever came of it, unless they started after I left. It's possible. I left early (10:00).
All in all, a great time. I think they were all a very tired bunch when the weekend ended.
HALLOWEEN
Connor dressed as a Werewolf, and Jackson, a Wizard for Halloween, and we made our way over to Jack's friend CJ's house (a few streets over) for Trick-or-Treating. We stayed out for 1 1/2 hours as we tromped around the neighborhood that I grew up in. Many of the same people who were there 30 years ago are still there. The guys got tired after a while from carrying so much candy. I remember when I was 11-14. Me and my friends would stay out for 3 hours accumulating a pillow case full of treats. For the past few years, as people have become obsessed with their children's safety, you stopped seeing shaving cream and eggs as part of der riguer for Halloween. I'm happy to say that shaving cream, at least, has started to make a comeback. Our experience with shaving cream this year was pretty tame. Sprayed on the road in front of the house I grew up in on Pinewood Place, in 3 foot letters, was the word BOOBS. The kids got a laugh and I chuckled.
The moral of this story can be summed up in 3 words. BOOBS ARE GOOD.
And of course you know, that LEN IS RIGHT!!
Peace to my people on Earth!!
I am,
Len Tollerton
My last post was a tribute to a friend who had passed. This post will be of a happier note. I hope everyone is having a fun week and everyone's feeling good. Here goes.
THE BURGESS WEDDING
Good friends Little Ed and Amanda got married over the weekend. They've been going out for around 3 years. College needed to be finished and a house purchased (aka their Honeymoon). But now they've taken that all-important step and become man and wife. Hopefully, they'll become one of the couples that stays together for many happy years.
The ceremony and reception were held at the Polish American yada-yada Club in Albany. As far as we could tell, everything went off without a hitch. After a very nice ceremony, the reception kicked in to full-swing. Appetizers were brought out and served buffet-style, and all of the food was very good. We all like it when they have scallops wrapped in bacon, don't we? Good mini-quiches, too. Having a reception or party at a club like this is nice because if you order a mixed drink that's not on the open bar, the drink is usually pretty inexpensive. A guy at our table was drinking Gimlets, which were only $2 or $3 a pop. Needless to say, he was in a fairly pickled state.
Dinner was Prime Rib or Chicken, which instead of being standard dry chicken, was moist and flavorful. The club did a great job. The potatoes were excellent. Then after dinner, friend MaryEllen started handing out 3 flavors of JELLO shots to anyone who wanted them. I think she had, like, 100 with her. She kept going to her car trunk, like a drug dealer, and coming back with her contraband.
By the way, friends Mary and Ed Sr. looked wonderful in their finery. Ed Sr., who 10 months ago, looked very ill while battling cancer, now looks like a million bucks, expecially in a tux. I wondered if he was going to break into a Fred Astaire routine. That's how dapper he looked. I, of course, like weddings because the ladies wear the heels, which makes Daddy very happy.
Surprisingly, and disappointingly, a poker game DID NOT break out. We talked about it, but nothing ever came of it, unless they started after I left. It's possible. I left early (10:00).
All in all, a great time. I think they were all a very tired bunch when the weekend ended.
HALLOWEEN
Connor dressed as a Werewolf, and Jackson, a Wizard for Halloween, and we made our way over to Jack's friend CJ's house (a few streets over) for Trick-or-Treating. We stayed out for 1 1/2 hours as we tromped around the neighborhood that I grew up in. Many of the same people who were there 30 years ago are still there. The guys got tired after a while from carrying so much candy. I remember when I was 11-14. Me and my friends would stay out for 3 hours accumulating a pillow case full of treats. For the past few years, as people have become obsessed with their children's safety, you stopped seeing shaving cream and eggs as part of der riguer for Halloween. I'm happy to say that shaving cream, at least, has started to make a comeback. Our experience with shaving cream this year was pretty tame. Sprayed on the road in front of the house I grew up in on Pinewood Place, in 3 foot letters, was the word BOOBS. The kids got a laugh and I chuckled.
The moral of this story can be summed up in 3 words. BOOBS ARE GOOD.
And of course you know, that LEN IS RIGHT!!
Peace to my people on Earth!!
I am,
Len Tollerton
Friday, October 20, 2006
LIFE CAN NOW CONTINUE
Hi folks:
It's been over a week since my last post. Last week started out great with varied fun activities and a win in my Fantasy football league against my #1 rival. Then the week ended on a low note as my beloved baseball team's bats went to sleep when most needed in Game 7 of the NLCS. So, life can now continue.
THE WEEK BEGAN REALLY WELL...
Last Thursday, the 12th, my week began very well. Game One of the NLCS was supposed to have begun Wednesday night the 11th, but heavy rains in the NYC area forced MLB to postpone the game till Friday. My good friend Fred was able to procure a few tickets to Game Two, which now became Game One because of the rainout. Well, I don't have to tell you that Shea Stadium was ELECTRIC and jumping. We were thrilled by Carlos Beltran's 2-run homer that eventually won the game, and were really happy that Tom Glavine pitched so well and we got to see a win. While drinking a couple of beers in the parking lot after the game, waiting for traffic to die down, we met a guy from Brooklyn who was walking through the parking lot. He asked us for a beer and tried to pay us $1 for it. It was worth at least $2, but we didn't take his money. Actually, Fred DID take it, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, the guy was really impressed that we drove down from Albany for the game, and were driving right back. Called us "Die-Hards", and said "God Bless you guys." It was at that point that I started to dislike him. No, actually, he seemed pretty friendly. He went on his merry way and we got on the road.
THE NEXT DAY (THE 13TH)
Friday the 13th brought my son Connor's 13 birthday. How quickly time flies. We bought Connor a new bowling ball, a Nintendo Gameboy DS, and a Virgin Mobile cell phone, as gifts. For his "party", we took him, Jackson, and a few friends to an arcade and let them have fun with video games for an hour or so, then went to a local restaurant, (the Orchard), for pizza and the like. One of Con's friends is a Rainman-like nerd who has some strange little quirks. After we had finished our mozzarella sticks appetizer, and while we were waiting for the rest of our food, this kid decided he was really hungry and instead of using one of the plates on the table, started sprinkling Parmesan cheese on a napkin and licking it off. I was, like, "Dude, what the hell are you doing?" He says, "I'm really hungry." "Well, you could at least pour it on a plate. You look like a retard liking cheese off of a napkin. Do you do this kind of stuff when your parents are around?" He says, "Sometimes." "Well, stop. Mr. Tollerton doesn't like to be embarassed in public, okay? At least use a spoon, Rainman, alright?" Anyway, it was a nerd-fest to be sure. One of the nerds was on a sugar buzz and had to be scraped off of the wall. One of the kids was my sons' friend, The Holy Roman Emperor of Nerdland, and he was dorking it up like the world-class dork that he is. Then we stuffed them with cake and ice cream and sent them home.
METS AND CARDINALS
Just some other observations about the NLCS. First, can anyone tell me how Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan quieted the Mets bats? I mean, come on. Jeff Weaver? Jeff Freakin' Weaver? He was shit-canned from the Angels to make room for his little brother, after mediocre tenures with the Dodgers, Mets, Tigers, and Yankees. He couldn't give you two good starts in a row with the good steroids. Now, the guy becomes a baffler? And Jeff Suppan, who is better than Weaver, but eminently hittable, gives up 2 hits over 8 innings in Game 7? It was bad luck Aaron Heilman gave up the 2-run homer in the top of the 9th to lose Game 7, but the Mets should have had that game in hand much earlier. Especially...
...after one of the greatest defensive plays ever seen in Playoff history. Endy Chavez, the Mets left-fielder, robbed Scott Rolen of a 2-run homer by going over the wall to snag the ball in the end of his glove's webbing and then threw the ball back in to complete a double play and get the Mets out of the 6th inning. It would probably go down in Playoff history as one of, if not the greatest catch ever in the clutch......had the Mets won the game. In the bottom half of the inning, Chavez came up with men on base and 2 outs. So often, we have seen a guy make a great defensive play in the field, then come in and get a big hit to propel his team onward to a win. But Endy popped out to end the inning and I knew in my bones that they would probably lose because they didn't cash in on the momentum they got with Chavez's catch.
When Carlos Beltran struck out looking, and the Cardinals were the NL champs, I realized that I had no interest in this year's World Sries, and can only hope that Mets GM, Omar Minaya, can land a power hitting outfielder and sign, or bring up some young pitching talent for 2007. Too many old guys eventually break down over a long season. It was a real shame that Pedro Martinez and El Duque were not available for the playoffs. If they were able to pitch and were in good health, I believe the Mets walk into the Series and give the Tigers a real tough time. I think the Tigers will win in 5 games. I also think that maybe it's time for the Mets to say thank you and good bye to Pedro, Cliff Floyd, and El Duque. Older, injury-prone athletes don't end up winning championships, normally (though don't tell that to Willis Reed and Kirk Gibson).
ASSASSINS CRUSH HORSELESS HEADMEN
Just a quick note. The Assassins of Shadowland kicked the crap out of arch-rival, the Horseless Headmen, 106-53 in the BBSFFL (my fantasy football league). The Headmen are owned by by my good friend, Chuck, the Edge O.D. There was initially a $50 bet on this game which turned in to a wager of a round of golf and lunch. 3 words for Mr. Luce...Pay the man!! The Dark Tide Rolls, baby. Chant for me, Helsinki..."ASSASSINS!! ASSASSINS!! ASSASSINS!!"
THE BATHROOM PROJECT IN IT'S FINAL STAGES
I began painting the bathroom last night. We're going with white walls and purple trim. I've got to do 2 coats of Primer/Sealer before the actual paint goes on because it's new drywall and paint gets absorbed like a sponge. I'm thinking of using a little artistic flair later and painting some kind of design on the walls (stripes, or something like that just to give it some uniqueness). Mrs T. isn't so sure. We'll see. I'd like to do something to put my signature on it. Something that says..."The Asshole DIDN"T build this!!"
It'll just be nice to be able to pee upstairs from now on. Jeeez, this thing has taken a long time to complete. As long as the wife is happy, you know what I mean? Cause if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!
And you know that LEN IS RIGHT.
Thanks for stopping by.
I am,
Len Tollerton
It's been over a week since my last post. Last week started out great with varied fun activities and a win in my Fantasy football league against my #1 rival. Then the week ended on a low note as my beloved baseball team's bats went to sleep when most needed in Game 7 of the NLCS. So, life can now continue.
THE WEEK BEGAN REALLY WELL...
Last Thursday, the 12th, my week began very well. Game One of the NLCS was supposed to have begun Wednesday night the 11th, but heavy rains in the NYC area forced MLB to postpone the game till Friday. My good friend Fred was able to procure a few tickets to Game Two, which now became Game One because of the rainout. Well, I don't have to tell you that Shea Stadium was ELECTRIC and jumping. We were thrilled by Carlos Beltran's 2-run homer that eventually won the game, and were really happy that Tom Glavine pitched so well and we got to see a win. While drinking a couple of beers in the parking lot after the game, waiting for traffic to die down, we met a guy from Brooklyn who was walking through the parking lot. He asked us for a beer and tried to pay us $1 for it. It was worth at least $2, but we didn't take his money. Actually, Fred DID take it, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, the guy was really impressed that we drove down from Albany for the game, and were driving right back. Called us "Die-Hards", and said "God Bless you guys." It was at that point that I started to dislike him. No, actually, he seemed pretty friendly. He went on his merry way and we got on the road.
THE NEXT DAY (THE 13TH)
Friday the 13th brought my son Connor's 13 birthday. How quickly time flies. We bought Connor a new bowling ball, a Nintendo Gameboy DS, and a Virgin Mobile cell phone, as gifts. For his "party", we took him, Jackson, and a few friends to an arcade and let them have fun with video games for an hour or so, then went to a local restaurant, (the Orchard), for pizza and the like. One of Con's friends is a Rainman-like nerd who has some strange little quirks. After we had finished our mozzarella sticks appetizer, and while we were waiting for the rest of our food, this kid decided he was really hungry and instead of using one of the plates on the table, started sprinkling Parmesan cheese on a napkin and licking it off. I was, like, "Dude, what the hell are you doing?" He says, "I'm really hungry." "Well, you could at least pour it on a plate. You look like a retard liking cheese off of a napkin. Do you do this kind of stuff when your parents are around?" He says, "Sometimes." "Well, stop. Mr. Tollerton doesn't like to be embarassed in public, okay? At least use a spoon, Rainman, alright?" Anyway, it was a nerd-fest to be sure. One of the nerds was on a sugar buzz and had to be scraped off of the wall. One of the kids was my sons' friend, The Holy Roman Emperor of Nerdland, and he was dorking it up like the world-class dork that he is. Then we stuffed them with cake and ice cream and sent them home.
METS AND CARDINALS
Just some other observations about the NLCS. First, can anyone tell me how Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan quieted the Mets bats? I mean, come on. Jeff Weaver? Jeff Freakin' Weaver? He was shit-canned from the Angels to make room for his little brother, after mediocre tenures with the Dodgers, Mets, Tigers, and Yankees. He couldn't give you two good starts in a row with the good steroids. Now, the guy becomes a baffler? And Jeff Suppan, who is better than Weaver, but eminently hittable, gives up 2 hits over 8 innings in Game 7? It was bad luck Aaron Heilman gave up the 2-run homer in the top of the 9th to lose Game 7, but the Mets should have had that game in hand much earlier. Especially...
...after one of the greatest defensive plays ever seen in Playoff history. Endy Chavez, the Mets left-fielder, robbed Scott Rolen of a 2-run homer by going over the wall to snag the ball in the end of his glove's webbing and then threw the ball back in to complete a double play and get the Mets out of the 6th inning. It would probably go down in Playoff history as one of, if not the greatest catch ever in the clutch......had the Mets won the game. In the bottom half of the inning, Chavez came up with men on base and 2 outs. So often, we have seen a guy make a great defensive play in the field, then come in and get a big hit to propel his team onward to a win. But Endy popped out to end the inning and I knew in my bones that they would probably lose because they didn't cash in on the momentum they got with Chavez's catch.
When Carlos Beltran struck out looking, and the Cardinals were the NL champs, I realized that I had no interest in this year's World Sries, and can only hope that Mets GM, Omar Minaya, can land a power hitting outfielder and sign, or bring up some young pitching talent for 2007. Too many old guys eventually break down over a long season. It was a real shame that Pedro Martinez and El Duque were not available for the playoffs. If they were able to pitch and were in good health, I believe the Mets walk into the Series and give the Tigers a real tough time. I think the Tigers will win in 5 games. I also think that maybe it's time for the Mets to say thank you and good bye to Pedro, Cliff Floyd, and El Duque. Older, injury-prone athletes don't end up winning championships, normally (though don't tell that to Willis Reed and Kirk Gibson).
ASSASSINS CRUSH HORSELESS HEADMEN
Just a quick note. The Assassins of Shadowland kicked the crap out of arch-rival, the Horseless Headmen, 106-53 in the BBSFFL (my fantasy football league). The Headmen are owned by by my good friend, Chuck, the Edge O.D. There was initially a $50 bet on this game which turned in to a wager of a round of golf and lunch. 3 words for Mr. Luce...Pay the man!! The Dark Tide Rolls, baby. Chant for me, Helsinki..."ASSASSINS!! ASSASSINS!! ASSASSINS!!"
THE BATHROOM PROJECT IN IT'S FINAL STAGES
I began painting the bathroom last night. We're going with white walls and purple trim. I've got to do 2 coats of Primer/Sealer before the actual paint goes on because it's new drywall and paint gets absorbed like a sponge. I'm thinking of using a little artistic flair later and painting some kind of design on the walls (stripes, or something like that just to give it some uniqueness). Mrs T. isn't so sure. We'll see. I'd like to do something to put my signature on it. Something that says..."The Asshole DIDN"T build this!!"
It'll just be nice to be able to pee upstairs from now on. Jeeez, this thing has taken a long time to complete. As long as the wife is happy, you know what I mean? Cause if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!
And you know that LEN IS RIGHT.
Thanks for stopping by.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Monday, October 09, 2006
HOW SWEET IT IS
Hey Now:
That's right. How sweet it is for us Mets fans who get to continue watching our team in the Playoffs, while the Yankees fans are left to wonder and speculate how and why their team's season fell apart at the worst possible time. Now I'm not saying that the Mets will win the Series, let alone get by the Cardinals. But it's fairly heady stuff for right now.
It was actually a pretty good weekend, sports-wise for me, as the Mets advanced, my KC Chiefs grabbed their second win of the year, and my Fantasy team won a nail-biter to put me at 3-2 in my league. Sometimes you get a week of football, or sports, hell. This is where your favorite team loses, your fantasy team loses, and you get your ass handed to you betting with a bookie. Then there are weeks when everything falls into place and you win. Fortunately for me, I don't bet football anymore because I experienced more weeks of hell than heaven. A man's got to know is limitations, ya know?
KIM JONG IL
I typed the North Korean madman's name in shit-stain brown because he is just scum. Is he trying to convince people he has large balls? Is he hopped up on steroids and testosterone? Is he just plum-loco crazy? Is he trying to just show defiance because he hates our way of life? Does anyone know the answer to this? Maybe he got tired of us and the rest of the world powers laughing at him, so he decided to show some force and create a palpable menace. Like Khadaffi from Libya and other crazies from around the planet, he seems to want to prove a point because he doesn't want his people to flourish freely. Dictators are typically like this, it seems. And it continues to amaze me that these guys keep trying to push things, even after they have it proven that they cannot win. Dictators are evil and corrupt. The only dictator who has survived and has not incurred the wrath of the world is Castro. But then again, he doesn't try to pose a threat to the free nations of the world.
Perhaps Kim Jong Il feels as if he's been pushed around by the free, capitalist nations to the point of not being able to take it anymore. Kind of like a person who commits a horrendous act of violence (like a school shooting, or a postal worker kooking out, etc...) when they've been pushed to the breaking point. Who knows? I'm sure most people believe his mind has gone round the bend. Maybe he's trying to get back at an abusive father, or something. Who knows?
Most people would suggest sending a team of CIA-type assassins to knock him off. It didn't work with Khadaffi or Osama Bin Laden, so far. And I can understand their point, even to the point of agreeing that this guy has to go. But then there's the argument that an act like that makes us sink to the despot's level. It also makes us look like the world bully, "Do and act as we say, or we'll just kill ya." Regardless of what your opinion is, we probably all agree that something should be done. Cause if he were to start showing serious force, like attacking, say, Japan, we wouldn't be able to get all those nice electronic items that we've just got to have.
AMTRAK CONTINUES TO SUCK
Things continue to suck at the railroad. It's bad enough that the workers have not had a contract or a raise since December of 1999 (that's almost 7 years.....you try getting along like that). But now the facility that I work at has a General Foreman/Asst. Facility Manager who is out of control in his lust for power. It doesn't help that he, as a short person, has a whopping Napoleon Complex . But he has now started to go out of his way to prove he holds all of the cards by looking for reasons to fire anyone who steps out of line. It's gotten to the point that if someone takes a lost-time injury, this guy is trying to find a way to turn the injury around and showing it's the injured person's fault, to the point of having them taken out of service.
I have started to liken this guy to Kim Jong Il, as his power lust has gotten out of control. A man got in trouble for punching people's time cards in, so they would not be late. While I agree that it's not the best idea to do that, the General Foreman has actually tried to get the people whose cards were punched, to make a statement saying that they gave the guy permission to punch their cards. He is doing this to try to trick these people into making a mistake for which they could be fired. How do you like that. This GF used to be a Foreman, and wasn't really a bad guy. Now, he has turned into an evil bastard, bent on putting people on the street, jeopardizing their families' well-being, all to prove that he is the man in power.
Around a year ago, this guy came into some money and bought himself a small, convertible, Italian sports car. It reminds me of a Barbie car. I live in hopes that one day when he gets out of his car, that a giant Milwaukee's Best beer can drops out of the sky and crushes him, like in the commercial. If you haven't seen this series of commercials for Milwaukee's Best (the can drops out of the sky and crushes some hapless guy who is showing a softer side of himself, and the narrator says, "Be a Man. Drink a Man's Beer), you can see them on ESPN during the broadcasts of the World Series of Poker. They're pretty funny. And, I don't think it's alot to ask to see this happen in real life to this GM, who seems to take delight in screwing with people's lives, while driving around in his Barbie sports-car. I think certain people feel that just because they don't work at the Post Office, that an act of violence couldn't happen to them. And in truth, no truly rational person would do that. But sometimes you can push people too far. And then when the act of violence happens, the victim gets a look on their face like, "Why did this happen? What'd I do?, What's I do?"
CONNOR TURNS 13
My older son, Connor, will turn 13 this Friday. It's really amazing how fast time flies. I have pictures in my locker at work, of him at the Great Escape Amusement Park when he was 2 or 3. I see the picture now of his cute, chubby cheeks and happy smile and I just want to kiss and hug him over and over. I know this would embarrass him. It's funny and ironic how when your kids are very small, you want them to grow up. And when they grow up you wish they were small again so you could hold them and have them fall asleep on your chest on a cool Spring day. That was one of my favorite things. Falling asleep on the couch with one of my small boys on my chest or next to me. If you're someone with small children, cherish those feelings and moments now. And keep those feelings embedded in your memory. Cause soon enough you'll find that your kids don't want to hang around with Mom and Dad, and you'll miss it terribly. Make sure you tell your kids you love them and give them hugs on a daily basis. Cause one day you'll feel an emptiness because they're not around anymore. Cherish your time with your kids and make sure it counts.
LEN IS RIGHT, people, you know it's true. You have yourself a nice week.
I am,
Len Tollerton
That's right. How sweet it is for us Mets fans who get to continue watching our team in the Playoffs, while the Yankees fans are left to wonder and speculate how and why their team's season fell apart at the worst possible time. Now I'm not saying that the Mets will win the Series, let alone get by the Cardinals. But it's fairly heady stuff for right now.
It was actually a pretty good weekend, sports-wise for me, as the Mets advanced, my KC Chiefs grabbed their second win of the year, and my Fantasy team won a nail-biter to put me at 3-2 in my league. Sometimes you get a week of football, or sports, hell. This is where your favorite team loses, your fantasy team loses, and you get your ass handed to you betting with a bookie. Then there are weeks when everything falls into place and you win. Fortunately for me, I don't bet football anymore because I experienced more weeks of hell than heaven. A man's got to know is limitations, ya know?
KIM JONG IL
I typed the North Korean madman's name in shit-stain brown because he is just scum. Is he trying to convince people he has large balls? Is he hopped up on steroids and testosterone? Is he just plum-loco crazy? Is he trying to just show defiance because he hates our way of life? Does anyone know the answer to this? Maybe he got tired of us and the rest of the world powers laughing at him, so he decided to show some force and create a palpable menace. Like Khadaffi from Libya and other crazies from around the planet, he seems to want to prove a point because he doesn't want his people to flourish freely. Dictators are typically like this, it seems. And it continues to amaze me that these guys keep trying to push things, even after they have it proven that they cannot win. Dictators are evil and corrupt. The only dictator who has survived and has not incurred the wrath of the world is Castro. But then again, he doesn't try to pose a threat to the free nations of the world.
Perhaps Kim Jong Il feels as if he's been pushed around by the free, capitalist nations to the point of not being able to take it anymore. Kind of like a person who commits a horrendous act of violence (like a school shooting, or a postal worker kooking out, etc...) when they've been pushed to the breaking point. Who knows? I'm sure most people believe his mind has gone round the bend. Maybe he's trying to get back at an abusive father, or something. Who knows?
Most people would suggest sending a team of CIA-type assassins to knock him off. It didn't work with Khadaffi or Osama Bin Laden, so far. And I can understand their point, even to the point of agreeing that this guy has to go. But then there's the argument that an act like that makes us sink to the despot's level. It also makes us look like the world bully, "Do and act as we say, or we'll just kill ya." Regardless of what your opinion is, we probably all agree that something should be done. Cause if he were to start showing serious force, like attacking, say, Japan, we wouldn't be able to get all those nice electronic items that we've just got to have.
AMTRAK CONTINUES TO SUCK
Things continue to suck at the railroad. It's bad enough that the workers have not had a contract or a raise since December of 1999 (that's almost 7 years.....you try getting along like that). But now the facility that I work at has a General Foreman/Asst. Facility Manager who is out of control in his lust for power. It doesn't help that he, as a short person, has a whopping Napoleon Complex . But he has now started to go out of his way to prove he holds all of the cards by looking for reasons to fire anyone who steps out of line. It's gotten to the point that if someone takes a lost-time injury, this guy is trying to find a way to turn the injury around and showing it's the injured person's fault, to the point of having them taken out of service.
I have started to liken this guy to Kim Jong Il, as his power lust has gotten out of control. A man got in trouble for punching people's time cards in, so they would not be late. While I agree that it's not the best idea to do that, the General Foreman has actually tried to get the people whose cards were punched, to make a statement saying that they gave the guy permission to punch their cards. He is doing this to try to trick these people into making a mistake for which they could be fired. How do you like that. This GF used to be a Foreman, and wasn't really a bad guy. Now, he has turned into an evil bastard, bent on putting people on the street, jeopardizing their families' well-being, all to prove that he is the man in power.
Around a year ago, this guy came into some money and bought himself a small, convertible, Italian sports car. It reminds me of a Barbie car. I live in hopes that one day when he gets out of his car, that a giant Milwaukee's Best beer can drops out of the sky and crushes him, like in the commercial. If you haven't seen this series of commercials for Milwaukee's Best (the can drops out of the sky and crushes some hapless guy who is showing a softer side of himself, and the narrator says, "Be a Man. Drink a Man's Beer), you can see them on ESPN during the broadcasts of the World Series of Poker. They're pretty funny. And, I don't think it's alot to ask to see this happen in real life to this GM, who seems to take delight in screwing with people's lives, while driving around in his Barbie sports-car. I think certain people feel that just because they don't work at the Post Office, that an act of violence couldn't happen to them. And in truth, no truly rational person would do that. But sometimes you can push people too far. And then when the act of violence happens, the victim gets a look on their face like, "Why did this happen? What'd I do?, What's I do?"
CONNOR TURNS 13
My older son, Connor, will turn 13 this Friday. It's really amazing how fast time flies. I have pictures in my locker at work, of him at the Great Escape Amusement Park when he was 2 or 3. I see the picture now of his cute, chubby cheeks and happy smile and I just want to kiss and hug him over and over. I know this would embarrass him. It's funny and ironic how when your kids are very small, you want them to grow up. And when they grow up you wish they were small again so you could hold them and have them fall asleep on your chest on a cool Spring day. That was one of my favorite things. Falling asleep on the couch with one of my small boys on my chest or next to me. If you're someone with small children, cherish those feelings and moments now. And keep those feelings embedded in your memory. Cause soon enough you'll find that your kids don't want to hang around with Mom and Dad, and you'll miss it terribly. Make sure you tell your kids you love them and give them hugs on a daily basis. Cause one day you'll feel an emptiness because they're not around anymore. Cherish your time with your kids and make sure it counts.
LEN IS RIGHT, people, you know it's true. You have yourself a nice week.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
OCTOBER
Greetings:
October has arrived, the NFL is in full-swing and the baseball playoffs have begun. I hope everyone had a great weekend. I started off my weekend by playing in the traditional birthday golf outing on Friday. Rob the Hockey Player and Rob the Bounty Hunter joined me at Schenectady Muni on a very rainy morning. We were supposed to have 8 golfers and ended up with 3 because of prior committments and the poor weather conditions. Hockey Player's birthday was 9/30 and mine was 10/1, and for the last 10 years we have played a round of golf on the Friday nearest our birthdays. last year we had 8 players and played a 2-team scramble that everyone enjoyed. We tried to get the same teams together this year, at the same scene of the crime. Instead, we had a 3-man match. I gave strokes to both Robs so the match would be fair. We played a game called Nines, which is a game for 3 players, where you get 1 point for a bogey, 2 for a Par , and 3 for a Birdie, with each point being worth a Quarter. We also played Greenies (closest to the pin on Par-3's and you must make the Par). I won 3 and Hockey Player won 1. The Bounty Hunter ended up getting fleeced for the day. We were VERY wet for the first 7 holes, then the rain let up and we were able to have fun. So, it was a good day.
Saturday, lovely Patty took me to DelMonico's for dinner. Except for an exceptional appetizer called Bella Napoli (Italian Nachos), the rest of the meal sucked. The steak was really fatty and not really outstanding and Patty's chicken, pasta, broccoli, and mushroom dish was horrendous. The marinara was too sweet. From now on, if I want a steak, I'm going to the Barnsider. And if I want Italian, I'm going to D'Raymond's.
Sunday, the family was over to celebrate my birthday with a dinner of ribs and potato latkes. Very enjoyable.
MLB PLAYOFFS
Here are my predictions for the First Round of the baseball playoffs:
American League
Yankees vs. Tigers--Yanks just too much. Yanks win in 4.
A's vs. Twins--Despite losing Game 1, I think the Twins will prevail in 5.
National League
Mets vs. Dodgers--Mets starting rotation is hurting, but I think their offense will be enough to win in 4 games.
Padres vs. Cardinals--Despite losing Game 1 at home, I think the Pods will take it in 5.
FOOTBALL
It was a fairly good week for me football-wise. My Chiefs won 41-0 and my Fantasy team the Assassins soundly defeated the defending champs, the Kaos Kids, 87-53...and won $10 in the process. The only down-side to the week was that I picked Jacksonville in both of my Survivor pools and lost and am now out of both.
RANDOMS
Everyone seems excited, or at least happy, that gas prices are now at the $2.60 level. It IS better than $3.09, but doesn't it suck to think that we're happy to be paying $2.60? We've played right into the gas companies wishes by being happy and accepting this. Make no mistake, none of them care about the American Public. If they did, they would have been happy making 18-25 Billion instead of the record breaking 36 Billion of last year and not socked it to our wallets so bad. Bunch of scum.
I'm looking forward to seeing the movies The Illusionist and The Prestige, both about magicians. Also, I'm looking forward to The Departed, with DiCaprio, Nichloson, and Damon. I also read today that Robert Downey Jr. has been signed to play Iron Man, the comic-book superhero. I've always been a fan of Downey, even when he was in trouble. I think he's one of America's best actors and I try to see most of his flicks.
Do other countries have crazies running around like we had in Amish country this weekend? Oklahoma City, Waco, Columbine, etc... do we have the corner on lunatics?
Amtrak, and working at Amtrak, sucks massive donkey d**k. Will somebody PLEEZE offer me a job making $50,000, utilizing my talents, even though I don't have a college diploma? Help a brother out, will ya? You trust me, don't you? You're getting alot and a large asset when you get me.
How do I know? Because LEN IS RIGHT!!
I am,
Len Tollerton
October has arrived, the NFL is in full-swing and the baseball playoffs have begun. I hope everyone had a great weekend. I started off my weekend by playing in the traditional birthday golf outing on Friday. Rob the Hockey Player and Rob the Bounty Hunter joined me at Schenectady Muni on a very rainy morning. We were supposed to have 8 golfers and ended up with 3 because of prior committments and the poor weather conditions. Hockey Player's birthday was 9/30 and mine was 10/1, and for the last 10 years we have played a round of golf on the Friday nearest our birthdays. last year we had 8 players and played a 2-team scramble that everyone enjoyed. We tried to get the same teams together this year, at the same scene of the crime. Instead, we had a 3-man match. I gave strokes to both Robs so the match would be fair. We played a game called Nines, which is a game for 3 players, where you get 1 point for a bogey, 2 for a Par , and 3 for a Birdie, with each point being worth a Quarter. We also played Greenies (closest to the pin on Par-3's and you must make the Par). I won 3 and Hockey Player won 1. The Bounty Hunter ended up getting fleeced for the day. We were VERY wet for the first 7 holes, then the rain let up and we were able to have fun. So, it was a good day.
Saturday, lovely Patty took me to DelMonico's for dinner. Except for an exceptional appetizer called Bella Napoli (Italian Nachos), the rest of the meal sucked. The steak was really fatty and not really outstanding and Patty's chicken, pasta, broccoli, and mushroom dish was horrendous. The marinara was too sweet. From now on, if I want a steak, I'm going to the Barnsider. And if I want Italian, I'm going to D'Raymond's.
Sunday, the family was over to celebrate my birthday with a dinner of ribs and potato latkes. Very enjoyable.
MLB PLAYOFFS
Here are my predictions for the First Round of the baseball playoffs:
American League
Yankees vs. Tigers--Yanks just too much. Yanks win in 4.
A's vs. Twins--Despite losing Game 1, I think the Twins will prevail in 5.
National League
Mets vs. Dodgers--Mets starting rotation is hurting, but I think their offense will be enough to win in 4 games.
Padres vs. Cardinals--Despite losing Game 1 at home, I think the Pods will take it in 5.
FOOTBALL
It was a fairly good week for me football-wise. My Chiefs won 41-0 and my Fantasy team the Assassins soundly defeated the defending champs, the Kaos Kids, 87-53...and won $10 in the process. The only down-side to the week was that I picked Jacksonville in both of my Survivor pools and lost and am now out of both.
RANDOMS
Everyone seems excited, or at least happy, that gas prices are now at the $2.60 level. It IS better than $3.09, but doesn't it suck to think that we're happy to be paying $2.60? We've played right into the gas companies wishes by being happy and accepting this. Make no mistake, none of them care about the American Public. If they did, they would have been happy making 18-25 Billion instead of the record breaking 36 Billion of last year and not socked it to our wallets so bad. Bunch of scum.
I'm looking forward to seeing the movies The Illusionist and The Prestige, both about magicians. Also, I'm looking forward to The Departed, with DiCaprio, Nichloson, and Damon. I also read today that Robert Downey Jr. has been signed to play Iron Man, the comic-book superhero. I've always been a fan of Downey, even when he was in trouble. I think he's one of America's best actors and I try to see most of his flicks.
Do other countries have crazies running around like we had in Amish country this weekend? Oklahoma City, Waco, Columbine, etc... do we have the corner on lunatics?
Amtrak, and working at Amtrak, sucks massive donkey d**k. Will somebody PLEEZE offer me a job making $50,000, utilizing my talents, even though I don't have a college diploma? Help a brother out, will ya? You trust me, don't you? You're getting alot and a large asset when you get me.
How do I know? Because LEN IS RIGHT!!
I am,
Len Tollerton
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
THE METS, T.O., AND OTHER STUFF
Hello:
Working the day shift has limited my time to type posts on this blog. I will continue to post when I can, but it will not be on a daily basis, obviously. My apologies to the minions. But don't go away or give up hope. I'll still be here. In truth, it is I who should be annoyed. Except for She Is From Hell and the Edge O.D., no one responds. Are you guys out there?
ENOUGH WHINING.....WHAT'S UP WITH THE METS?
Things are not looking that great for the NY Mets right now. They seem to have lost the magic and run out of gas. Did they shoot their load too early and punch themselves out before the playoffs even begin? Jeez, they played so well all year, and to think that because of a couple of injuries late in the season that they're going to fade from existence. They way they're hitting right now, they'll be lucky to get out of the First Round, let alone make the Series. And forget it if they have to play the Yankees. Except for their 3 late relievers, (Guillermo Mota, Aaron Heilmann, and Billy Wagner) the pitching staff is sucking right now. I won't stand for this shit!! I've been a Met fan too darn long and watched the HATED Braves run over the Division for so long, that I won't tolerate a collapse like this. WAKE UP METS!! You better flip the "ON" switch and get back to pounding your opponents, or people won't even remember what a great regular season you had.
TERRELL OWENS....OH...MY...GODDDDDDD
I thought I was tired of the circus surrounding this guy before. Now I'm REALLY exhausted. And I've got this guy on my Fantasy team. And although the guy is a jerk and a pain-in-the-ass, I don't blame him as much as i blame the media. You know, it's like one of the reporters decided to start a little, untrue rumor just to get a shitstorm started. For every responsible reporter who works hard to get a story correct, it seems that there are 20 who are looking to cause trouble, or break a story so they can get famous. I'd really like them ALL, Owens, the reporters, and the rest of the media to just go away for about a month. It gets to be like the wall of white noise you have to deal with when you go to Chuck E. Cheese's. It's just an endless drone that makes your brain cringe, first, then shut down.
THE RYDER CUP
What an absolute embarassment. Phil Mickelson should decline to play in this event from now on. 1-9-1 in his last 11 matches in the Ryder Cup. He may be # 2 in the world, but he sucks when it comes to this format. On the other side of the coin, it is always fun and refreshing watching and hearing the European fans during this event. They sing, cheer, and have fun with their team. They actually have a National-type of pride for this thing. Do Americans even care? Well, I do. I love the competition, the varied format of matches and the camaraderie of some of the players. I only wish it mattered as much to the American players as it does the Europeans. I think it only matters to these guys when they realize they're about to get trounced. "Oh shit, we're down 12-6. Maybe we can grab a miracle and make an 8 1/2 to 2 1/2 comeback. Oh well, I guess we lose again. I wonder how my Mutual Funds did today." C'mon guys, the fans care, why can't you?
OTHER STUFF
Very enjoyable day last Saturday as Roy the G.B. King and I played golf in Rob the Bounty Hunter's batchelor party/golf outing/poker tournament. Roy and his partner Rich won the golf tourney, which was a two-man best ball event. Their score was +3. I teamed with good friend Tim G. We couldn't do anything right. When one of us made a great shot, we could never follow it up with another one. We finished at +15!! I'm alot better player than Tim, so I can't blame him. I played like shit, maybe the worst I've played in 3 years. We still had fun though.
The poker tourney, however, worked out fine for me. I finished 2nd. There was only 15 players, so the payout was only $180 for 2nd place. But I played very well, very solid, and I'm liking my game right now. If I had enough Buy-In money, I'd play in more tourneys. My confidence level for playing No-Limit Hold-'Em is pretty high right now. I really think I can hold my own with just about anyone. So, it was a good day.
BIRTHDAY GOLF OUTING--This Friday is the annual Birthday Golf Outing. Every year for the last 10 years Robbie, the Ancient Hockey Player and I have played golf for our birthday (his is 9/30 and mine is 10/1). For the 2nd straight year, we will be playing with 2 teams of four, in a scramble format. The evil team led by Jeff the Palooka won by a shot last year. My team wants revenge this year, so we'll be meeting Friday morning at Schenectady Municipal to settle the score. By the way, all gifts can be sent to me at my home. I appreciate all efforts.
BATHROOM PROJECT--This thing has slowed way down. We're 1 1/2 to 2 weeks from finishing and the contractor has run into a bunch of unrelated problems that have delayed progress. Goodness, Lord, can a brother get a break.
That's it for now. Hope to speak with you all soon.
Len is Tardy, Len Is Lazy, but Len is Right.
Book it.
I am
Len Tollerton
Working the day shift has limited my time to type posts on this blog. I will continue to post when I can, but it will not be on a daily basis, obviously. My apologies to the minions. But don't go away or give up hope. I'll still be here. In truth, it is I who should be annoyed. Except for She Is From Hell and the Edge O.D., no one responds. Are you guys out there?
ENOUGH WHINING.....WHAT'S UP WITH THE METS?
Things are not looking that great for the NY Mets right now. They seem to have lost the magic and run out of gas. Did they shoot their load too early and punch themselves out before the playoffs even begin? Jeez, they played so well all year, and to think that because of a couple of injuries late in the season that they're going to fade from existence. They way they're hitting right now, they'll be lucky to get out of the First Round, let alone make the Series. And forget it if they have to play the Yankees. Except for their 3 late relievers, (Guillermo Mota, Aaron Heilmann, and Billy Wagner) the pitching staff is sucking right now. I won't stand for this shit!! I've been a Met fan too darn long and watched the HATED Braves run over the Division for so long, that I won't tolerate a collapse like this. WAKE UP METS!! You better flip the "ON" switch and get back to pounding your opponents, or people won't even remember what a great regular season you had.
TERRELL OWENS....OH...MY...GODDDDDDD
I thought I was tired of the circus surrounding this guy before. Now I'm REALLY exhausted. And I've got this guy on my Fantasy team. And although the guy is a jerk and a pain-in-the-ass, I don't blame him as much as i blame the media. You know, it's like one of the reporters decided to start a little, untrue rumor just to get a shitstorm started. For every responsible reporter who works hard to get a story correct, it seems that there are 20 who are looking to cause trouble, or break a story so they can get famous. I'd really like them ALL, Owens, the reporters, and the rest of the media to just go away for about a month. It gets to be like the wall of white noise you have to deal with when you go to Chuck E. Cheese's. It's just an endless drone that makes your brain cringe, first, then shut down.
THE RYDER CUP
What an absolute embarassment. Phil Mickelson should decline to play in this event from now on. 1-9-1 in his last 11 matches in the Ryder Cup. He may be # 2 in the world, but he sucks when it comes to this format. On the other side of the coin, it is always fun and refreshing watching and hearing the European fans during this event. They sing, cheer, and have fun with their team. They actually have a National-type of pride for this thing. Do Americans even care? Well, I do. I love the competition, the varied format of matches and the camaraderie of some of the players. I only wish it mattered as much to the American players as it does the Europeans. I think it only matters to these guys when they realize they're about to get trounced. "Oh shit, we're down 12-6. Maybe we can grab a miracle and make an 8 1/2 to 2 1/2 comeback. Oh well, I guess we lose again. I wonder how my Mutual Funds did today." C'mon guys, the fans care, why can't you?
OTHER STUFF
Very enjoyable day last Saturday as Roy the G.B. King and I played golf in Rob the Bounty Hunter's batchelor party/golf outing/poker tournament. Roy and his partner Rich won the golf tourney, which was a two-man best ball event. Their score was +3. I teamed with good friend Tim G. We couldn't do anything right. When one of us made a great shot, we could never follow it up with another one. We finished at +15!! I'm alot better player than Tim, so I can't blame him. I played like shit, maybe the worst I've played in 3 years. We still had fun though.
The poker tourney, however, worked out fine for me. I finished 2nd. There was only 15 players, so the payout was only $180 for 2nd place. But I played very well, very solid, and I'm liking my game right now. If I had enough Buy-In money, I'd play in more tourneys. My confidence level for playing No-Limit Hold-'Em is pretty high right now. I really think I can hold my own with just about anyone. So, it was a good day.
BIRTHDAY GOLF OUTING--This Friday is the annual Birthday Golf Outing. Every year for the last 10 years Robbie, the Ancient Hockey Player and I have played golf for our birthday (his is 9/30 and mine is 10/1). For the 2nd straight year, we will be playing with 2 teams of four, in a scramble format. The evil team led by Jeff the Palooka won by a shot last year. My team wants revenge this year, so we'll be meeting Friday morning at Schenectady Municipal to settle the score. By the way, all gifts can be sent to me at my home. I appreciate all efforts.
BATHROOM PROJECT--This thing has slowed way down. We're 1 1/2 to 2 weeks from finishing and the contractor has run into a bunch of unrelated problems that have delayed progress. Goodness, Lord, can a brother get a break.
That's it for now. Hope to speak with you all soon.
Len is Tardy, Len Is Lazy, but Len is Right.
Book it.
I am
Len Tollerton
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