I have talked about Marc in a previous blog or 2 and I have mentioned that whenever we go out Marc always drives. Until now. It was an act that defied belief. I still have trouble believing this really happened.
Marc and I made plans to go out for Korean BBQ (one of the many Asian cuisines we enjoy). We had recently decided that our current place, Kam Gang San, had lost its appeal and we were on the lookout for suitable replacement. I had gone to a newer place called Miss Korea with my cousin Reuben and his family and we decided to give it a try.
We decided on 7 and he would pick me up at THE HOUSE (a subject of previous blogs and it will be the subject of the next blog).
He showed up in one of his cars, the big BMW I think and he looked at me and said "You drive". I felt the Earth start to shift off its axis. My brain locked up. I started to gasp for breath. I asked him to repeat himself just to be sure I heard right. "You drive. I can't handle it anymore". Just for the record Marc has always been very critical of my driving. I can't blame him. I don't speed excessively and I don't cut people off (on purpose anyway). So it was with some apprehension that I agreed.
It was uneventful. He even let me listen to my music. Real Rock n' Roll instead of that easy listening stuff he likes. There was little traffic and we made it in quickly. If there was nothing exciting to report then why bring it up? A fair question.. During our drive we spoke about stuff that we only talk about with each other. I can't reveal what was said but Marc is seriously considering leaving New York because of it. This was the second unbelievable thing he told me that night. Marc and I have lived in various places over our lives and New York was always home. Its in our blood. Yet now that I have had some time to think about it I can understand his thinking.
Living in New York takes a lot of energy and compromise. I really don't have the head for that anymore. In my travels I have been to places that are close to major urban areas but are in settings that would be unobtainable at almost any price in similar proximity to New York. I know this is heresy but I have to give it consideration.
Will I be able to give up Wo Hop, Centro Vasco and all my other favorite places? Can I live in a town without major league baseball? I don't know but I may be willing to find out.
Stay tuned for future developments.
PS -- Marc wasn't critical of my driving but I took major abuse for my limp efforts at parking. A terrible effort if I do say so myself.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Not Very Diplomatic
In past blogs I have discussed some of my friends. Just by first name so as not to cause them undue celebrity. Avoiding those nosy reporters can become very time consuming. However this time I have to reveal the complete identity of my friend, Dr. Michael Binder. Why you ask? Because Mike is the current World Champion of a very interesting game called Diplomacy. And that's what this is all about.
Mike and his wife Amy live in Florida and every summer they visit Amy's parents who have a beautiful home on the beach on the north shore of Long Island. Not as ritzy as the Hamptons or Sag Harbor but still a most relaxing place to spend time. I generally visit with them at this time but I was committed to work at the US Women's Open golf tournament (see previous blog) and I was so exhausted that I couldn't make it. Mike understood but I was upset. Then he said that he was going from Long Island to Philadelphia (by train no less) to play in a Diplomacy tournament. I said I would meet him there and hang with him. He said there wouldn't be enough time for serious hanging out but I was committed to see him. I made a reservation and I was set.
Now I have never really been a big fan of Diplomacy but I figured the best way to learn to like it was to understand it and I figured the best way to understand it was to watch it. Now I understand it and it is fascinating.
The game takes place in 1901 Europe. Empires are being built and power is being brokered. Your goal is to dominate the map. How do you do this? With guns and bombs? No. Through negotiation and backstabbing. Basically you talk to the other players (in closed, secret meetings) on a 1 to 1 basis and create alliances. Then when it suits your needs you turn on them. But what if they beat you to it? That is the fascinating part of the game.
Anyway the game consists of 15 - 20 minute negotiating sessions followed by 5 minutes of moving the pieces (everybody moves at the same time). As fascinating as it is to watch I decided to go out and walk around Philly for a little bit. I was staying on Broad St just south of City Hall and the area has a lot going on. It is also very gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's actually one of the primary reason there's a lot going on.
I walked and window shopped, bought an ice cream cone and people watched. And I got hit on. Twice. I guess I still have it. At least for middle aged gay guys. Very nice. As I got back to the hotel I saw Amy talking to a really tall (6'6"), incredibly buff guy. She introduced him to me as an old high school friend named Marcus. He was wearing a skin tight cycling outfit and he had a very expensive looking bike.
We made some small talk and I mentioned that I had walked around the area. The first thing out of his mouth was that it was really gay. Now it wasn't hard to figure out that Marcus was probably gay and he may have been doing this to gauge my level of homophobia. I just said that I didn't really notice the guys holding hands and making out. This kind of threw him for a loop. He looked at me a little funny and didn't really talk much more. I said good night and went back to the Diplomacy tournament.
The next day Mike, Amy and I went for breakfast. On the walk to the restaurant Amy mentioned that I was rude to Marcus. Now let's get one thing straight. I am capable of being extremely rude (and obnoxious) but this comment threw me big time. How was I rude? "Well you made fun of him being gay" she said. This floored me. I am at a loss to understand it but all I can say is I must not have been very diplomatic.
In the world of diplomacy, some things are better left unsaid.
Lincoln Chafee
Mike and his wife Amy live in Florida and every summer they visit Amy's parents who have a beautiful home on the beach on the north shore of Long Island. Not as ritzy as the Hamptons or Sag Harbor but still a most relaxing place to spend time. I generally visit with them at this time but I was committed to work at the US Women's Open golf tournament (see previous blog) and I was so exhausted that I couldn't make it. Mike understood but I was upset. Then he said that he was going from Long Island to Philadelphia (by train no less) to play in a Diplomacy tournament. I said I would meet him there and hang with him. He said there wouldn't be enough time for serious hanging out but I was committed to see him. I made a reservation and I was set.
Now I have never really been a big fan of Diplomacy but I figured the best way to learn to like it was to understand it and I figured the best way to understand it was to watch it. Now I understand it and it is fascinating.
The game takes place in 1901 Europe. Empires are being built and power is being brokered. Your goal is to dominate the map. How do you do this? With guns and bombs? No. Through negotiation and backstabbing. Basically you talk to the other players (in closed, secret meetings) on a 1 to 1 basis and create alliances. Then when it suits your needs you turn on them. But what if they beat you to it? That is the fascinating part of the game.
Anyway the game consists of 15 - 20 minute negotiating sessions followed by 5 minutes of moving the pieces (everybody moves at the same time). As fascinating as it is to watch I decided to go out and walk around Philly for a little bit. I was staying on Broad St just south of City Hall and the area has a lot going on. It is also very gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's actually one of the primary reason there's a lot going on.
I walked and window shopped, bought an ice cream cone and people watched. And I got hit on. Twice. I guess I still have it. At least for middle aged gay guys. Very nice. As I got back to the hotel I saw Amy talking to a really tall (6'6"), incredibly buff guy. She introduced him to me as an old high school friend named Marcus. He was wearing a skin tight cycling outfit and he had a very expensive looking bike.
We made some small talk and I mentioned that I had walked around the area. The first thing out of his mouth was that it was really gay. Now it wasn't hard to figure out that Marcus was probably gay and he may have been doing this to gauge my level of homophobia. I just said that I didn't really notice the guys holding hands and making out. This kind of threw him for a loop. He looked at me a little funny and didn't really talk much more. I said good night and went back to the Diplomacy tournament.
The next day Mike, Amy and I went for breakfast. On the walk to the restaurant Amy mentioned that I was rude to Marcus. Now let's get one thing straight. I am capable of being extremely rude (and obnoxious) but this comment threw me big time. How was I rude? "Well you made fun of him being gay" she said. This floored me. I am at a loss to understand it but all I can say is I must not have been very diplomatic.
In the world of diplomacy, some things are better left unsaid.
Lincoln Chafee
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
A Walk With the Parks
I have been involved with golf for a long time. I have played it most of my life. Maybe one day I will get good at it. Truth be told I doubt it highly. If anything I am on the downward side of having any hope. I am OK with it. I have enjoyed my time on the track. In fact I can't really play any more because of a bad foot. If I get in 2 or 3 rounds a year it's a lot.
I have also been a caddie on odd occasions. It is much harder than it looks and it is a very tough way to earn a dollar. I have known some great caddies, Admiral Eddie and Million Dollar Frankie come to mind, and I can say that I am not one. But it taught me quite a bit about dealing with people who were having a bad day. It also pointed out to me that I looked like a jerk when I acted that way.
Over the years my company, Tape-Rite (www.taperite.com) has been a major supplier of the special double-coated tape that is used for putting grips on the club shaft. We have expanded and we offer a complete line of tapes for the golf industry at www.golftape.com.
These days I get my golf fix by officiating at local tournaments and volunteering at USGA Championships. So far I have worked at 6 US Opens, 1 US Amateur and at the recently completed US Women's Open. I volunteered to act as a hole marshal. This involved crowd control and finding lost balls. Usually I work with scoreboards so this was a new experience for me. All I can say is that it was fabulous. I was as inside the ropes as you can get.
Being up close and personal with today's crop of women golfers is very exciting for an old fart like me. I mean who wouldn't want to be surrounded by groups of hot chicks with great bodies who can hit a high cut 3 iron. My mind is flush with fantasies. All I can say is that whomever is getting these women interested in golf is doing a fabulous job. More is better.
While I was working I noticed that there were several players named Park. This is directly due to golf becoming very popular among people of Korean background. If you haven't noticed, Korean women are starting to dominate the LPGA tour.
The eventual winner (and currently the world's best female golfer) was Inbee Park who had won the Open in 2008. She was the youngest person to ever win it, a record she still holds. Inbee crushed the field with a score of 8 under.
The other Parks included Annie who is a) from Long Island and a local favorite and b) the current NCAA Women's Golf Champion, Jane and He Young. Of the 3 only Jane made the cut finishing at 12 over par. That was good for a tie for 42 place. The way things are going I am sure there will be many more women named Park on the LPGA tour. Maybe one will be named Central Park. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
The course that the Open was held on is called Sebonack. It is located out in the Hamptons (Southampton to be exact) which is where the rich and famous people hang out every weekend with the same rich and famous people they hang out with in Manhattan the rest of the time.
Sebonack was opened in 2006 but it has neighbors that are the epitome of golf royalty. It's immediate neighbor is National Golf Links. National is very private and exclusive and the course always ranks in the 100 Best Courses in America as determined by Golf Digest magazine. Adjacent to National is Shinnecock, one of the truly great courses on the planet. Shinnecock has been the host of several US Opens and will be the host again in 2018. The course at Sebonack gives them both a run for their money.
Sebonack was developed by Michael Pascucci. By an interesting twist of fate I went to high school with his son Michael. I am a year older than he. They lived in a mansion that was once the home of Gil Hodges when he managed the NY Mets. Every summer they would have a big bash for all the kids from the area. The summer of my graduation (1973) Mr. P asked me to run into town to pick up the pizza for the party. He snapped off a hundred dollar bill and handed it to me and told me to keep any change. This may have been the first time I had actually held a hundred.
I was driving into town in my Mom's Mercedes and I was going a wee bit too fast. The next thing you know I am getting a ticket for doing 70 in a 40. It wound up costing a lot more than the change I kept from the hundred. The reason I bring this up? Maybe Michael will read this and offer me a round of golf. I would probably turn it down because of my foot but you never know.
"Golf is a good walk spoiled." -- Mark Twain
I have also been a caddie on odd occasions. It is much harder than it looks and it is a very tough way to earn a dollar. I have known some great caddies, Admiral Eddie and Million Dollar Frankie come to mind, and I can say that I am not one. But it taught me quite a bit about dealing with people who were having a bad day. It also pointed out to me that I looked like a jerk when I acted that way.
Over the years my company, Tape-Rite (www.taperite.com) has been a major supplier of the special double-coated tape that is used for putting grips on the club shaft. We have expanded and we offer a complete line of tapes for the golf industry at www.golftape.com.
These days I get my golf fix by officiating at local tournaments and volunteering at USGA Championships. So far I have worked at 6 US Opens, 1 US Amateur and at the recently completed US Women's Open. I volunteered to act as a hole marshal. This involved crowd control and finding lost balls. Usually I work with scoreboards so this was a new experience for me. All I can say is that it was fabulous. I was as inside the ropes as you can get.
Being up close and personal with today's crop of women golfers is very exciting for an old fart like me. I mean who wouldn't want to be surrounded by groups of hot chicks with great bodies who can hit a high cut 3 iron. My mind is flush with fantasies. All I can say is that whomever is getting these women interested in golf is doing a fabulous job. More is better.
While I was working I noticed that there were several players named Park. This is directly due to golf becoming very popular among people of Korean background. If you haven't noticed, Korean women are starting to dominate the LPGA tour.
The eventual winner (and currently the world's best female golfer) was Inbee Park who had won the Open in 2008. She was the youngest person to ever win it, a record she still holds. Inbee crushed the field with a score of 8 under.
The other Parks included Annie who is a) from Long Island and a local favorite and b) the current NCAA Women's Golf Champion, Jane and He Young. Of the 3 only Jane made the cut finishing at 12 over par. That was good for a tie for 42 place. The way things are going I am sure there will be many more women named Park on the LPGA tour. Maybe one will be named Central Park. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
The course that the Open was held on is called Sebonack. It is located out in the Hamptons (Southampton to be exact) which is where the rich and famous people hang out every weekend with the same rich and famous people they hang out with in Manhattan the rest of the time.
Sebonack was opened in 2006 but it has neighbors that are the epitome of golf royalty. It's immediate neighbor is National Golf Links. National is very private and exclusive and the course always ranks in the 100 Best Courses in America as determined by Golf Digest magazine. Adjacent to National is Shinnecock, one of the truly great courses on the planet. Shinnecock has been the host of several US Opens and will be the host again in 2018. The course at Sebonack gives them both a run for their money.
Sebonack was developed by Michael Pascucci. By an interesting twist of fate I went to high school with his son Michael. I am a year older than he. They lived in a mansion that was once the home of Gil Hodges when he managed the NY Mets. Every summer they would have a big bash for all the kids from the area. The summer of my graduation (1973) Mr. P asked me to run into town to pick up the pizza for the party. He snapped off a hundred dollar bill and handed it to me and told me to keep any change. This may have been the first time I had actually held a hundred.
I was driving into town in my Mom's Mercedes and I was going a wee bit too fast. The next thing you know I am getting a ticket for doing 70 in a 40. It wound up costing a lot more than the change I kept from the hundred. The reason I bring this up? Maybe Michael will read this and offer me a round of golf. I would probably turn it down because of my foot but you never know.
"Golf is a good walk spoiled." -- Mark Twain
Sunday, June 16, 2013
It's The Same (Great) Old Song
Dr. Tape is lucky enough to have friends (yes, more than one) who have interesting perks attached to them. Golf at fancy clubs is common but others have the ability to get reservations at very exclusive restaurants or great seats to the hottest Broadway show. By far the best perk is the one that comes with Danny. Danny is a good representative of the human race. He is involved in many worthwhile pursuits and philanthropic in many ways.
Danny's family has business dealing with the Songwriters Hall of Fame which has offices in LA and NY. They hold their annual induction ceremonies at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. It's quite the party. Danny's family always has two tables at the dinner and someone always drops out at the last minute. Danny knows I keep my tuxedo ready to go and he can count on me to fill any voids. This year was no exception. He called on Tuesday for Thursday night. I was in!! A major score.
This is the sixth or seventh one I have gone to and they are fabulous events. You get to see great performances by famous people singing their own songs but also other peoples songs. Billy Joel, Elton John, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, John Legend, John Mayer, Hall and Oates, Don McLean, Dionne Warwick and Chaka Kahn are just some of the performers I have gotten to see. I also saw Stevie Wonder but he didn't see me.
You also get to see some bizarre stuff like the time Mary J. Blige forgot the words to a song (they are on the freaking teleprompter for God's sake) and walked off the stage midway through her performance. What would this year bring? I couldn't wait to find out.
Danny sent me a photo of the ticket that listed the inductees. There were some GREAT names. They included Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Mick Jones and Lou Gramm of Foreigner, Holly Knight, JD Souther and last but certainly not least Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. I was stoked.
Thursday arrived and the time had come. The ballroom was packed with music industry types and hot chicks. I found Danny and his family, we had some drinks and got ready. Danny's sister Jackie was there along with several of her friends. They heard that Steven Tyler was taking pictures and they ran off to see if they would take some with them. They came back shrieking like teenagers. I asked them if they got their pictures and one of them said "Even better, he felt us up!". Ahh, to be a rock god.
The show was amazing with performances by Sting, Petula Clark, Patty Smyth, Holly Knight, Jordin Sparks, and the sublime Alison Krauss. But by far the best were Mick Jones/Lou Gramm and Mr. Touchy Feely/Joe Perry.
The guys from Foreigner sang "Juke Box Hero" that had everyone singing along. They accepted their award and sang "I Want To Know What Love Is". Amazingly good with great audience participation. The only thing missing were the cigarette lighters. I have seen Foreigner several times and this was as good as they have ever been.
Tyler and Perry were going to be inducted next and Nickleback came out and sang "Sweet Emotion". A great rendition that had that haunting quality to the title verse. Steven and Joe accepted their award with Steven admitting that they got into songwriting to meet chicks. Steven brought the point home by asking the crowd how many people had gotten laid the night before. He didn't ask if they had to pay for it but the point was well taken. Then they took the stage and sang the ultimate Aerosmith song "Walk This Way". People were dancing on chairs as he explained that it started with a little kiss like this.
Berry Gordy of Motown was the last to be honored with a Pioneer of Music award. Smokey Robinson introduced him. The night was winding down but Smokey was just getting started. He went on and on and on to the point that they were flashing on the teleprompter to wrap things up. He finally introduced Berry who was grateful and brief. Then the finale came on. The cast of the Broadway show Motown came out and performed a medley of songs from all the great Motown acts. It was kind of like one of those Time-Life music collection commercials. I was ready to buy the boxed set but they didn't flash the 800 number. Then it was out the door until next year.
The piece de resistance occurred on the way out. I was riding down the escalator and I happened to turn around. One of the white hot chicks was several stairs above me. She was wearing a dress that had less fabric than a man's handkerchief and she had gone commando. The view was stellar. A perfect end to a perfect evening.
Seeing Smokey Robinson reminded me of another music industry dinner that honored my cousin and music industry legend Charles Koppleman for raising a boatload of money for the TJ Martell Foundation. For those of you poker buffs out there Charlie's son Brian (my second cousin) wrote Rounders. Anyway after all the speeches Smokey came out to entertain the crowd and a couple at the next table asked me who he was. I was a little taken aback that people in the music industry wouldn't know who Smokey Robinson is but I guess it takes all types.
For all types of adhesive tapes make sure to call TAPE-RITE at 1-800-882-7348 or visit us at www.taperite.com.
“Without music, life would be a mistake.” -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“Play it fuckin' loud!” -- Bob Dylan
Danny's family has business dealing with the Songwriters Hall of Fame which has offices in LA and NY. They hold their annual induction ceremonies at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. It's quite the party. Danny's family always has two tables at the dinner and someone always drops out at the last minute. Danny knows I keep my tuxedo ready to go and he can count on me to fill any voids. This year was no exception. He called on Tuesday for Thursday night. I was in!! A major score.
This is the sixth or seventh one I have gone to and they are fabulous events. You get to see great performances by famous people singing their own songs but also other peoples songs. Billy Joel, Elton John, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, John Legend, John Mayer, Hall and Oates, Don McLean, Dionne Warwick and Chaka Kahn are just some of the performers I have gotten to see. I also saw Stevie Wonder but he didn't see me.
You also get to see some bizarre stuff like the time Mary J. Blige forgot the words to a song (they are on the freaking teleprompter for God's sake) and walked off the stage midway through her performance. What would this year bring? I couldn't wait to find out.
Danny sent me a photo of the ticket that listed the inductees. There were some GREAT names. They included Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Mick Jones and Lou Gramm of Foreigner, Holly Knight, JD Souther and last but certainly not least Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. I was stoked.
Thursday arrived and the time had come. The ballroom was packed with music industry types and hot chicks. I found Danny and his family, we had some drinks and got ready. Danny's sister Jackie was there along with several of her friends. They heard that Steven Tyler was taking pictures and they ran off to see if they would take some with them. They came back shrieking like teenagers. I asked them if they got their pictures and one of them said "Even better, he felt us up!". Ahh, to be a rock god.
The show was amazing with performances by Sting, Petula Clark, Patty Smyth, Holly Knight, Jordin Sparks, and the sublime Alison Krauss. But by far the best were Mick Jones/Lou Gramm and Mr. Touchy Feely/Joe Perry.
The guys from Foreigner sang "Juke Box Hero" that had everyone singing along. They accepted their award and sang "I Want To Know What Love Is". Amazingly good with great audience participation. The only thing missing were the cigarette lighters. I have seen Foreigner several times and this was as good as they have ever been.
Tyler and Perry were going to be inducted next and Nickleback came out and sang "Sweet Emotion". A great rendition that had that haunting quality to the title verse. Steven and Joe accepted their award with Steven admitting that they got into songwriting to meet chicks. Steven brought the point home by asking the crowd how many people had gotten laid the night before. He didn't ask if they had to pay for it but the point was well taken. Then they took the stage and sang the ultimate Aerosmith song "Walk This Way". People were dancing on chairs as he explained that it started with a little kiss like this.
Berry Gordy of Motown was the last to be honored with a Pioneer of Music award. Smokey Robinson introduced him. The night was winding down but Smokey was just getting started. He went on and on and on to the point that they were flashing on the teleprompter to wrap things up. He finally introduced Berry who was grateful and brief. Then the finale came on. The cast of the Broadway show Motown came out and performed a medley of songs from all the great Motown acts. It was kind of like one of those Time-Life music collection commercials. I was ready to buy the boxed set but they didn't flash the 800 number. Then it was out the door until next year.
The piece de resistance occurred on the way out. I was riding down the escalator and I happened to turn around. One of the white hot chicks was several stairs above me. She was wearing a dress that had less fabric than a man's handkerchief and she had gone commando. The view was stellar. A perfect end to a perfect evening.
Seeing Smokey Robinson reminded me of another music industry dinner that honored my cousin and music industry legend Charles Koppleman for raising a boatload of money for the TJ Martell Foundation. For those of you poker buffs out there Charlie's son Brian (my second cousin) wrote Rounders. Anyway after all the speeches Smokey came out to entertain the crowd and a couple at the next table asked me who he was. I was a little taken aback that people in the music industry wouldn't know who Smokey Robinson is but I guess it takes all types.
For all types of adhesive tapes make sure to call TAPE-RITE at 1-800-882-7348 or visit us at www.taperite.com.
“Without music, life would be a mistake.” -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“Play it fuckin' loud!” -- Bob Dylan
Thursday, June 6, 2013
The House is Burning
It's getting close to Hexayurt season. For the uninitiated the Hexayurt is a temporary structure that was designed to house the victims of war and natural disasters. While it has been used extensively for this purpose, the Hexayurt has become the shelter of choice for those attending Burning Man.
What is Burning Man and why does Dr. Tape give a hoo-hah about Hexayurts? Good questions. Burning Man is the culmination of a series of festivals where people go to celebrate whatever it is they celebrate. The finale takes place in the Nevada desert at the end of the summer. They burn a giant effigy and then everyone goes their merry way. My friend Lynne (who's opinion I value greatly) has declared that Burning Man is waaaaay past it's expiration date. It has become the lair of the painfully hip and therefore should be avoided at all costs. I don't hold this opinion but in the interest of fairness I try to get all sides.
As far as the Hexayurts go, well they use a special kind of tape to construct them. What kind of tape? Why Hexayurt tape of course. You can check it out here: http://www.taperite.com/Showcase/hexaturt-tape.html. Last year Dr. Tape got bad advice from Adhesoman (my trusty sidekick) and we ran out of tape. I assure all of you that will not happen this year. In addition we are holding the price from last year.
For those of you that actually read my posts you know that 1) I am in the process of renovating a house and 2) that I have threatened to try and build a Hexayurt. Well along with the house I now have my own backyard, the perfect place to build a Hexayurt. What will I do with it? Hard to say, but I will find a good use for it. If I had a pool I would use it as a pool house. In fact the house came with a disgusting aboveground creation that took up the entire back yard. It's gone now and I feel much better for it.
That's all for now. Remember that It's TAPE-RITE (www.taperite.com) for all of your tape needs.
"Art is the signature of civilization" -- Beverly Sills
What is Burning Man and why does Dr. Tape give a hoo-hah about Hexayurts? Good questions. Burning Man is the culmination of a series of festivals where people go to celebrate whatever it is they celebrate. The finale takes place in the Nevada desert at the end of the summer. They burn a giant effigy and then everyone goes their merry way. My friend Lynne (who's opinion I value greatly) has declared that Burning Man is waaaaay past it's expiration date. It has become the lair of the painfully hip and therefore should be avoided at all costs. I don't hold this opinion but in the interest of fairness I try to get all sides.
As far as the Hexayurts go, well they use a special kind of tape to construct them. What kind of tape? Why Hexayurt tape of course. You can check it out here: http://www.taperite.com/Showcase/hexaturt-tape.html. Last year Dr. Tape got bad advice from Adhesoman (my trusty sidekick) and we ran out of tape. I assure all of you that will not happen this year. In addition we are holding the price from last year.
For those of you that actually read my posts you know that 1) I am in the process of renovating a house and 2) that I have threatened to try and build a Hexayurt. Well along with the house I now have my own backyard, the perfect place to build a Hexayurt. What will I do with it? Hard to say, but I will find a good use for it. If I had a pool I would use it as a pool house. In fact the house came with a disgusting aboveground creation that took up the entire back yard. It's gone now and I feel much better for it.
That's all for now. Remember that It's TAPE-RITE (www.taperite.com) for all of your tape needs.
"Art is the signature of civilization" -- Beverly Sills
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
The House Strikes Back
In an earlier post I spoke about renovating my house. At the time I felt that the project was progressing nicely and would be finished soon. HA!! The house has other ideas. It seems that it has been lying in wait, using my confidence against me. I realize that house are inanimate objects incapable of thought or action but this is different. IT'S ALIVE!!!
What has it done you ask? Leaks have sprouted and mysteriously disappeared when I go to fix them. Wallpaper refuses to come off even after the addition of copious amounts of chemicals that may have shortened my life by several years. Windows that were working perfectly are suddenly balking at my touch.
The real kicker is that half my cabinets came in damaged or badly assembled. And while the cabinet company is getting me replacement cabinets it is slowing everything down by another week. I can't order a counter top until the new cabinets are installed. I can't do the finish electrical work either. All I can do is look at the carcasses of my future kitchen, mocking my confidence that I would be done by now.
And then there is the painting. In the last column I revealed that I was being defeated by bad painter's tape and that I was a moron for not hiring a professional painter to do the work. Well here I can say that I have prevailed. At least for now. On a very small scale. The final outcome is still in doubt but I feel as though I have gained some traction. I will be facing a major test in the next few days when I try to paint over the lime green paint in the second bedroom. I am tempted to just leave it and blame it on a bad reaction to cold medicine.
Thanks for you compassion in all of this. I can feel the love from here. I will keep you posted.
Oh yeah, for all of your tape needs visit us at www.taperite.com or contact us at sales@taperite.com.
"A true friend stabs you in the front" -- Oscar Wilde
What has it done you ask? Leaks have sprouted and mysteriously disappeared when I go to fix them. Wallpaper refuses to come off even after the addition of copious amounts of chemicals that may have shortened my life by several years. Windows that were working perfectly are suddenly balking at my touch.
The real kicker is that half my cabinets came in damaged or badly assembled. And while the cabinet company is getting me replacement cabinets it is slowing everything down by another week. I can't order a counter top until the new cabinets are installed. I can't do the finish electrical work either. All I can do is look at the carcasses of my future kitchen, mocking my confidence that I would be done by now.
And then there is the painting. In the last column I revealed that I was being defeated by bad painter's tape and that I was a moron for not hiring a professional painter to do the work. Well here I can say that I have prevailed. At least for now. On a very small scale. The final outcome is still in doubt but I feel as though I have gained some traction. I will be facing a major test in the next few days when I try to paint over the lime green paint in the second bedroom. I am tempted to just leave it and blame it on a bad reaction to cold medicine.
Thanks for you compassion in all of this. I can feel the love from here. I will keep you posted.
Oh yeah, for all of your tape needs visit us at www.taperite.com or contact us at sales@taperite.com.
"A true friend stabs you in the front" -- Oscar Wilde
Monday, May 27, 2013
It's All Over Now
Well the Stationery /Supply Side Shows are over and I have finally recovered. The stress and strain on my body is severe and it's a miracle that I survive every year. But the effort is well worth it. I get to meet some of the most creative people who produce beautiful, elegant, humorous, poignant cards and invitations. The level of quality always amazes me.
Even though we do lots of business during the 3-1/2 days of standing around the best part is meeting the incredibly interesting people that attend and exhibit. Listening to their ideas, seeing their products, finding out about their goals is inspiring and exciting. Unfortunately most of them have the lifespan of fruit flies and are never seen again. Why? Because it is very difficult to capture the imagination of the public. Just because you have a great idea doesn't mean people will give you money for it. Most consumers don't bother to seek out the new and unusual. I say that they should and support the creative process. And you will wind up with unique and beautiful items that will impress you friends.
One of the unusual things I have noticed about the people at the show is that a preponderance of them have suitably quirky names that seem to exude creativity. I have met women named Isley, Dabney, Clothilda and Genevive. The men were up there as well but not to the same extent. I guess a cute, artsy name goes better with a girl than a guy. I guess your name does influence your future.
At the show we had a couple of special deals and we are running them until the end of June. If you need a new ATG dispenser we are offering the ATG-50 dispenser ($27.50 list) for $20.00 if you buy a full case of any type of ATG tape. But wait, there' more! If you buy 2 cases of any type of ATG tape (you can mix and match) you get a FRE ATG-50.
Our other deal is for the popular ZCM-1000 electric dispenser. This dispenser is designed for non-ATG tapes. It automatically feeds the tape out and cuts it to a pre-cut length. This is great for putting the tape on envelopes or other pieces of paper where you want the consumer to remove the backing paper. Normally this beauty sell for $698.00. But until the end of June it is only $598.00. It sounds like a lot but if you are doing serious taping it will pay for itself very quickly.
You can check out all of our products for the stationery industry at www.taperite.com. Just click on the Supply Side tab on the left side of the screen and you are there. Any questions you can always call us at 1-800-882-7348.
Only those who see the invisible can do the impossible. -- Bernard Lown
Even though we do lots of business during the 3-1/2 days of standing around the best part is meeting the incredibly interesting people that attend and exhibit. Listening to their ideas, seeing their products, finding out about their goals is inspiring and exciting. Unfortunately most of them have the lifespan of fruit flies and are never seen again. Why? Because it is very difficult to capture the imagination of the public. Just because you have a great idea doesn't mean people will give you money for it. Most consumers don't bother to seek out the new and unusual. I say that they should and support the creative process. And you will wind up with unique and beautiful items that will impress you friends.
One of the unusual things I have noticed about the people at the show is that a preponderance of them have suitably quirky names that seem to exude creativity. I have met women named Isley, Dabney, Clothilda and Genevive. The men were up there as well but not to the same extent. I guess a cute, artsy name goes better with a girl than a guy. I guess your name does influence your future.
At the show we had a couple of special deals and we are running them until the end of June. If you need a new ATG dispenser we are offering the ATG-50 dispenser ($27.50 list) for $20.00 if you buy a full case of any type of ATG tape. But wait, there' more! If you buy 2 cases of any type of ATG tape (you can mix and match) you get a FRE ATG-50.
Our other deal is for the popular ZCM-1000 electric dispenser. This dispenser is designed for non-ATG tapes. It automatically feeds the tape out and cuts it to a pre-cut length. This is great for putting the tape on envelopes or other pieces of paper where you want the consumer to remove the backing paper. Normally this beauty sell for $698.00. But until the end of June it is only $598.00. It sounds like a lot but if you are doing serious taping it will pay for itself very quickly.
You can check out all of our products for the stationery industry at www.taperite.com. Just click on the Supply Side tab on the left side of the screen and you are there. Any questions you can always call us at 1-800-882-7348.
Only those who see the invisible can do the impossible. -- Bernard Lown
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)