The True Meaning of Thanksgiving

The most important part of Thanksgiving has been lost.

It isn’t the arrival of Santa, the warm up for black Friday or ancient Football rivalries.

It is what we all gathered together for in my Grandmother’s house in the Bronx for many of my younger years.

Don’t worry; I haven’t gone all soft and sappy. I’m also not talking about sharing good food, bonding with family members or reflecting on all of life’s blessings.

The most important part of Thanksgiving was the screening of King Kong, provided for years in the New York area by WOR Channel 9.

A Spoonful of New York

The eventual success of the previous year’s New York birthday adventure, and our daughter being ready for her first Broadway show convinced us to have another jaunt to the Big Apple for her fourth grade birthday.  We planned a trip to the Empire State Building followed by a Saturday matinee of Mary Poppins.

My wife had everything set up for a get up and go early departure, and I knew exactly where I needed to drive in Hoboken to park near the PATH station that would take us to Manhattan… 

Following a delayed late start and parking in, and then leaving, a pre-pay garage on the wrong side of town, (the less said about either the better) we got into the city around eleven AM to start the good part of the birthday.

Song for Dad

Again, due to what would have been my Dad’s birthday this weekend, and the long span without power, internet or sanitary conditions thanx to Sandy the Frankenstorm:


Here’s a tune I dedicated to my Dad in 1999. He helped with most technical details.

Ballad of the Millennium Bug
(To the tune of “Yellow Submarine”)

Dad's Jokes

In honor of what would have been my Dad’s upcoming birthday this weekend, and because Sandy knocked out my power, water and internet for a chunk. Here are some jokes he told at the dinner table of my youth (I fortunately had no hope for normality):

Instructions For Life {Modified}

When first had this e-mailed to me I thought I shouldn't add little smart ass comments in curly brackets because it was probably just someone trying to make people feel good and have a nice day.

Then I thought, in the immortal words of Han Solo:

"Hey...It’s me."

Top Ten Lessons of Project Leadership

I was very happy chained up in the lab finding new ways to break things. However, due to career and company needs I was chosen to helm some projects.

Therefore, I went from providing data to field sales people and other engineers that can be used to increase market share and release new products to taking information provided by other people and putting it in the proper section of a three ring binder. Somehow, this is progress.

I have managed to learn a few lessons on the way to pass along:

An Unpleasant Song

Inspired by a comment made by my first department head “Doctor Shock”

(Really, that was his name)
surrounding events detailed here

Parody of Madonna’s “Vogue”