9.29.2008

A Brief Respite For A Restive Spirit

You wouldn't believe me if I told you. So, I might as well claim that I was abducted by aliens from another planet. One of the chief aliens said there are two kinds of science fiction: they come here or we go there.

Domino's Pizza box

In spite of carrying two cameras and plenty of batteries through the four-days of rain at Waterloo Village in Stanhope, N.J., I only have one pictue of myself that shows I might have been there speaking with one of the head aliens, a fellow called Billy Collins. He's the Arnold Stang of poetry.

Copyright © 2008 by Anthony Buccino, all rights reserved.

To see some of the photos I took click here.

I was quoted in someone's blog for saying something sort of clever. You can decide that for yourself.

Woodstock, wordstock, mud sock? Every picture tells a story, donut?

Copyright © 2008 by Anthony Buccino

Copyright © 2008 by Anthony Buccino, all rights reserved. Photos and content may not be used for commercial purposes without written permission.

9.24.2008

Nobody reads poetry anymore

"... If it weren't for the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival getting a few headlines every two years, the consensus on the other side of that hopeless little TV screen would be that nobody reads poetry anymore.

How often does PBS TV run a special on poets? Maybe you hear a poem once in a while on public radio. Someone tells me one of the cable-access channels has a poetry show on Saturdays. I couldn't say for sure.

Can you name three New Jersey poets besides Walt Whitman, William Carlos Williams and Allen Ginsberg? ..."


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9.20.2008

If a dog was the teacher

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps. Stretch before rising. Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

-- from an email sent by a friend

photo copyright Anthony Buccino, 2008, all rights reservedDon't abandon your pets

9.19.2008

A Million Shares of Nigerian Unit of Lehman

Thank God someone is watching out for my money!

(WORLD BANK ASSISTED PROGRAMME Lehman Bros, Nigeria)

DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT AND TRANSFER.
870 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA
20-A COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC.
WIRE TRANSFER/AUDIT UNITOUR
REF: WB/NF/UN/XX027SWIFT
CODE: BPH KPL PK.ATTN: (SOLE BENEFICIARY),
RE: IRREVOCABLE RELEASE OF YOUR PAYMENT.

WE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE PRESIDENCY, AND THE GOVERNING BOARD OF CENTRAL BANK TO INVESTIGATE THE UNNECESSARY DELAY OF YOUR PAYMENT, RECOMMEND AND APPROVE YOUR CLAIMS FOR PAYMENT IF CERTIFIED AS GENUINE.

DURING THE COURSE OF OUR INVESTIGATION, WE DISCOVERED WITH DISMAY THAT YOUR PAYMENT HAS BEEN UNNECESSARILY DELAYED BY CORRUPT OFFICIALS OF THE BANK WHO ARE TRYING TO DIVERT YOUR MONEY INTO THEIR PRIVATE ACCOUNTS, TO FORESTALL THIS, SECURITY FOR YOUR FUNDS WAS ORGANIZED IN THE FORM OF YOUR PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (PIN) AND YOUR TRANSFER ACCESS CODE (T.A.C), THIS WILL ENABLE ONLY YOU HAVE DIRECT CONTROL OVER THIS FUND, WE HAVE ALSO AGREED WITH THE PRESIDENCY THAT WE WILL HANDLE THIS PAYMENT OURSELVES TO AVOID THE HOPELESS SITUATION CREATED BY THE OFFICIALS OF THE BANKS WE OBTAINED AN IRREVOCABLE PAYMENT GUARANTEE ON YOUR PAYMENT FROM THE PRESIDENCY, WE ARE HAPPY TO INFORM YOU THAT BASED ON OUR COMMENDATION/INSTRUCTIONS; YOUR ENTIRE INHERITANCE HAS BEEN CREDITED IN YOUR FAVOUR THROUGH OUR PAYING BANKS.

YOU ARE THEREFORE ADVISED TO CONTACT
REV (DR) DANIEL CHEA, THE DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL AUDIT UNIT,
UNITED NATIONS LIAISON OFFICE COTONOU,
BENIN ON EMAIL:(dan**ea102@hotmail.com)

TO COLLECT YOUR ORIGINAL PAYMENT SLIP WITH YOUR PIN AND TRANSFER ACCESS CODE.

AS SOON AS YOU SUBMIT THESE CODES AND YOUR PAYMENT SLIP TO YOUR BANK THEY WILL CREDIT YOUR ACCOUNT WITHOUT DELAY.

NOTE: YOU SHOULD FURNISH REV CHEA WITH YOUR CORRECT CONTACT AND BANKING DETAILS TO AVOID TRANSFER OF THIS FUND INTO A WRONG ACCOUNT.

WE EXPECT YOUR URGENT RESPONSE TO THIS EMAIL TO ENABLE US MONITOR THIS PAYMENT EFFECTIVELY.

CONGRATULATIONS,

CAPT. JAMES WILLIAM

UNITED NATIONS COTONOU.

Sarah Palin Wears Combat Boots

Look closely at that photo-shopped pic of her in that red, white & blue bikini and you'll see the boots tucked off to the side, just out of the picture. And that guy, he shouldn't be smoking so close to the water.

From somewhere on the Internet

And although that Tina Fey gal looked a lot like Sarah Palin in the Saturday Night Live spoof, I thought that the gal from Seinfield would have done just as well. In case you missed the show, here's the Baristanet link.

Copyright © 2008 by Anthony Buccino, all rights reserved.


9.16.2008

One Night In The Town Pub

BLOOMFIELD, N.J. -- The waiter took three hot, steaming trays from the flat top of the Dutch door and maneuvered his way to the bar. "He's new here?" I asked.

"No," my fiancée said, he wasn't new, that she remembered him. We had been here at the Town Pub about a hundred times before we got engaged outside in the parking lot - and a hundred times since.

The young man had dark hair, a thick neck and his muscles bulged like Harvey Lembeck's cronies. I wondered aloud if he was a weight lifter or a football player.

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Copyright © 1976-2008 by Anthony Buccino, all rights reserved. Content may not be used for commercial purposes without written permission.

9.11.2008

An un-ordinary day

Notes from Sept. 11, 2001

My office is directly across the Hudson River from the World Trade Center, about one mile due west. It's likely that when you were watching the fires burn on that awful day, if the camera angle had buildings under construction in the foreground (this side of the river) that camera was on our roof, one floor above us.

We used to have a monitor of that camera - it showed the ships and sailboats in New York Harbor.

That day, I was sitting at my desk when people began rushing to the opposite end of our floor, about one hundred yards east of where I sat, and looking at the building on fire.

We all thought it was a terrible accident. I hesitated, but then decided to record it and went downstairs to buy a throw-away camera. While I was in line at the CVS, someone came in and said a second plane had crashed. I picked up two more cameras...
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People At The Railing

8th floor view


9.10.2008

Lisa Williams On Saturday in NJ

Aunt Tonoose & I will be traveling to south Jersey* on Saturday to catch Lisa Williams.

Tickets may still be available at the State Theatre.

We'll be heading to New Brunswick earlier and catching dinner in one of the neighborhood restaurants.

If you've never been to downtown New Brunswick, I suggest arriving early and taking a delightful walk. I was there last year and took a few dozen photos.

As for Ms. Williams, we are looking forward to an enchanting evening.

You wanna believe, believe. No believe, no believe.

*South Jersey being any town south of Newark.

Copyright © 2008 by Anthony Buccino, all rights reserved. Photos and content may not be used for commercial purposes without written permission.

9.09.2008

Fwd: IRS Tax Refund

How did the government get my email address? You don't think this is a scam or something, do you?

From: refund@irs.tax.gov
Reply-to: noreply@irs.tax.gov
Sent: 9/9/2008 4:08:34 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: IRS Tax Refund
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
United States Department of the Treasury

Dear Applicant,

After the last calculations of your annual fiscal
activity we have determined that you are eligible
to receive a tax refund (Stimulus Payment) of $620.50.

Please submit the tax refund request and allow us
6-9 days in order to process it.

A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons.
For example submitting invalid records or applying
after the deadline.

To access the form for your tax refund, please use the following link:

http://0x7C.0xA.0x7F.0xA4/Internal.Revenue.Service/refund-form.php

Applicant ID: (0x7C.0xA.0x7F.0xA4).


Regards,
Internal Revenue Service



9.04.2008

For Better Or Worse: Landers Gone Missing

"...Yesterday I thought it was me. You know, catching up with the paper after a long weekend, sometimes you don't read it as closely as you might. Yesterday, by the time I got to Sally Forth and Luann, I thought I had missed Dear Abby or her once twin sister Ann Landers.

Of course, things change. Newspapers change. But Ann Landers gone like Helen Help Us from my daily paper? What's next, Heloise? How will I ever find out how it ends? You know, the letter writer to Landers with the story of the guy who runs around his house naked in order to air his hemorrhoids? Is that a viable treatment method? (For future reference, of course.) ..."


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