Guilty pleasures

OK everyone, get your minds of the gutter (GR – that means you). I am not talking about  chocolate oils or rabbits or lingerie. I’m talking about things you like that you don’t want anyone to know that you like.

Last week I was taking a walk around my parents community in Florida. Had the iPod on, the earphones in, listening to my dance music playlist which is really good walking/exercising music. At times, I’m pretty sure I was singing loud enough for people to hear me if anyone was around. If any of my friends should ever hear a couple of the songs I have on my “dance music” playlist, they would be like “you are not listening to that song, are you?” Although I really like some of those songs I’m not sure I really want anyone else to know.

OK, so here are some examples of my guilty pleasures:

1. The movie Red Dawn – Russia and Cuba invade the USA, high school kids fight back. Starring Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Grey, Lea Thomson. No idea why but whenever it’s on, I find myself watching. It’s hypnotic.
2. The song Everbody Have Fun Tonight by Wang Chung.  Not only sang by Wang Chung but they turn their name into a verb:  “Everybody have fun tonight, everybody Wang Chung tonight.” Special meaning for me as that song was popular when I was working in Soho for an animation/special effects company and my friend Frank (hi Frank!) got me the disc as a secret Santa present. Funny song, good memory.
3. The Partridge Family.  This one is not mine but Linda’s. Personally, I never liked it, never understood the whole David Cassiday thing, never got off on Susan Dey like other guys. As I write this, my wife is singing some Partridge Family song and all I can say is yuck!

So now I have shared some of my guilty pleasures with you. Do you have the guts to share any with me and risk public humiliation?

Memo to my young facebook friends

Let me start by saying I like facebook. Afterall, it was facebook that played a role in the birth of this blog. That and Linda who nagged me….I mean encouraged me to do this.

I got a facebook account because the folks in alumni relations at SU told all the alumni club presidents (I preside over the North Jersey Alumni Club) to use facebook to keep in touch with the younger alums. Not sure it has worked out as planned but it has worked out fine for me. I am now in touch with Baker Hills friends, GNN friends, Lenox friends, SU friends and many more.

One of the rules I lived by for the first couple of years I was on facebook was I would not “friend” my children’s friends, even when asked and I was asked. You had to be at least 1/2 my age or a young SU alum for us to be “friends.” But in the last few months I sort of threw that rule out the window as I figured everyone was doing it, so I guess it was OK.

To my young facebook friends, I want to talk with you directly. Now that you are my “friend” I can see you and even though you try to hide from me, you have friends who are not so savvy. I’m not stalking you or looking to see what you are doing but if it’s there in front of me, I can’t help but see it. If you are not watching what other people are posting, well then I can see you, them and what you all are doing. And if I can see you, think of who else can see you. People have lost their jobs, been thrown out of college and have had other bad things happen to them just because of what they put on facebook. The rumor is that facebook played a role in my fraternity being closed at SU because of what one brother posted on his account. Read the newspaper and see all the problems that facebook is having with privacy issues. If it happens to other people, it can happen to you.

Now I have a confession to make. In “researching” this post, I looked a little and all I have to say is Keystone Light? Really? That stuff is god awful. At least buy some good beer.

Carry-on luggage rules according to Ira

Traveled home from Florida yesterday. A bit chaotic in Palm Beach Airport, which I just loved. First, thunderstorms in Newark caused a delay. As the plane was boarding, they announced the overhead bins were full and no more carry-on luggage would be allowed (more on that coming up). This occurred when the plane was only about 2/3 or 3/4 boarded, so there was still plenty of passengers in the waiting area, one of whom slammed his suitcase on the ground so hard it almost solved his problem. Then they ran out of luggage tags causing another moment of craziness. I just waited and laughed.

I don’t usually use bring a carry-on suitcase with me on board. As long as I’m checking my golf clubs, I may as well check everything else except for my backpack which has a book, iPod and computer. I also try to be the last one on the plane, as I can’t stand waiting on the jet-way or in the aisles as people find their seats and deal with all the crap they bring on the plane with them.

So, here are my rules for everyone who does use carry-on luggage:

1. If you can’t lift it into the bin yourself and take it out when the flight is over, don’t bring it on the plane.  And this is not me being against the elderly. I love old people and hope to be one myself someday.

2. If you bring a piece of luggage plus another piece of carry-on that doesn’t fit under the seat in front of you, be prepared for me to make fun of you in front of all the passengers (which I did) because you have abused the system and you are an asshole.

3.  If you need assistance to get on the plane, you shouldn’t be allowed to wheel something onto the plane. The fact that you are being wheeled onto the plane should suffice. Don’t inconvenience everyone else by making the airport attendant wheel you and your luggage up the jet-way, only creates a massive traffic jam for. OK, all supporters of folks in wheelchairs, take your best shots.

4. Not really a carry-on rule but please don’t jump into the aisles the moment the plane has gotten to the gate. Just where the hell do you think you are going and you keep sticking your butt into place I’d rather not have it.

Glad I got that off my chest. Thanks for reading and please spread the word!

Boca Del Vista

For those of you who have no idea what that means, sorry but you missed Seinfeld. For the rest of us (and Barry, that means you), you know exactly what I mean .

So, this morning I was driving around in South Palm Beach County – Boca, Delray, Boynton. I was noticing the names of all the communities in this area and how unoriginal some of them are.

Bocaire, Delaire, Belaire – all right next to each other. I believe the  original was Palmaire but that’s in some other airea (get it?). As for Belaire, must be a common theme for the upper class as there’s the famous one in LA and the not so famous one in Livingstein, NJ. Actually, we now have more than one in that area.

There’s the names that exude old time waspish endeavors – Hunters Run, Quail Run (I believe Dick Cheney wants a place there) and The Polo Club. Or Admiral’s Cove where I am sure there no admirals but plenty of treasure, sunken or otherwise.  Kings Point and Gramercy Square to remind you of life back in NY. Romance language names like Boca Teca, Boca Lago and San Marco.

Before I sign off, one question.  Are you the master of your domain?

The Jewish Chris Rock

I have often told my wife that I always thought that I could be the Jewish Chris Rock. Not a huge fan but I always appreciated the fact that Rock not only makes fun of everything around him but he has no qualms about taking on his own culture as well as making fun of himself.

I know that I can be a bit hard to take sometimes, just ask my friends and family, but I am just as comfortable making fun of myself. As for people, one of my favorite expressions is “it’s Jews like them that give Jews like me a bad name.” I mean we have enough problems from the world around us without all the infighting that goes go between the reform jews and the conservative jews and the orthodox jews, not to mention the cults and the sex…I mean sects.  What’s wrong with you people?

As I write this, I am at my parents house in their Florida shtetl.  1600 units, 1596 owned by Jews, the other 4 for the Chinese families who make dinner on Sunday night.